“The Way Back Home” It’s nice to get a little reminder of just how great Usagi Drop is.  And this extra episode especially reminds me of something else I’ve long felt, that the series is at its best when it focuses on Kouki and Nitani-san – they’re classic examples of […] Read more

“Full Bloom in the Sky” I hate to be a broken record, but Usagi Drop is the gift that keeps on giving.  These short Blu-ray extras are as light as the sakura blowing across the screen, but they’re perfectly in line with the mood of the series.  Having covered Autumn […] Read more

“Dear Santa Claus” Another delightful short visit from Rin and Daikichi, this time themed around Christmas.  I like the fact that these little extras don’t worry too much about story, but rather depict simple scenes from daily life.  The best part of this one is watching Daickichi figuring things out […] Read more

「(はっぱの水族館」 “Leaf Aquarium” So here we have the first of four planned bonus episodes of Usagi Drop, one per Blu-Ray volume.  Obviously there’s not a lot to say about a four-minute mini-episode except “watch it”.  This is pure slice-of-life – a few scenes taken from the early timeline of the […] Read more

Usagi Drop was true to itself in the end, and that’s all I can ask for.  I can see this conclusion not pleasing everyone, but for many of the same reasons it certainly pleased me. Make no mistake, this was as open-ended as endings get.  We didn’t get any real […] Read more

Considering the almost perfect run of understated brilliance Usagi Drop has been on, I’m not going to begrudge a little self-indulgence in the penultimate episode.  It does serve to point up a problem that I hope doesn’t afflict the finale, though. While this was an enjoyable episode on the whole, […] Read more

I love many animes, and it’s always a joy to watch a really great episode and feel good about the world.  But it’s unusual for me to actually feel gratitude after an episode, as I did here.  I really wanted to thank Production I.G. for the job they did with […] Read more

This was a subtle and low-key episode even by Usagi Drop standards, but gently nudged the story along in some important ways. What stands out for me about this episode is what it says about the two main characters.  First, just how strong Rin is – certainly more so than […] Read more

Usagi Drop is the unsung hero of the Summer season.  It continues to go about it’s business, quietly doing the emotional heavy lifting in its brilliant but understated way.  In all aspects – animation, pacing, character development – this is a series that surprises with it’s depth and dexterity in […] Read more