Usagi Drop 10

The days get chillier, and Rin gets sick with fever for the first time under Daikichi’s care, catching a stomach virus that kicks her ass. The ordeal scares the crap out of him, but Hitani is there to help him keep his cool and nurse Rin back to health. With so much proximity, the two parent-and-child pairs are starting to rely on each other more and more, making the group even more closely resemble a family.

When I was a kid, getting sick just plain sucked; enough that you can bet I didn’t care how my parents felt. In fact, I remember them staying calm most of the time, and I can recall several occasions when I thought I was getting sick but they assured me I either wasn’t or it wasn’t that bad. Of course, when I was Rin’s age, I’ll bet they were just as doting (and the same nervous wrecks) Daikichi and Hitani are here.

He knows she’ll get better; that these things happen, but there are often moments when he seems to despair. Hitani is right there to advise him though, having dealt with this kind of thing with Kouki. She proves to be an incredibly caring woman here, and it speaks volumes about how close she and Daikichi are that she knows she can show up without warning and help out. These events only reinforce my prediction that they’ll grow closer still.

Rating: 3.5

Usagi Drop 7

The calm, placid little world of Daikichi and Rin is suddenly interrupted this week by Dai’s cousin Haruka and her loud daughter Reina. Haruka has left home, leaving her husband and his parents behind. She needs a break. She’s considering divorce. Can she and Reina stay at Dai-chan’s for a spell, onegaishimasu?

Daikichi is suitibly hospitable, and Rin and Reina continue to hit it off. Add Kouki into the mix and you’ve got quite a collection of rugrats. I love how Dai’s daily life changes when there’s suddenly two more women in the house, for a total of three. I especially like how he sheepishly explains to Yukari that Haruka “isn’t what it looks like.” He continues to tread very carefully regarding courting Yukari. Of course Haruka was the focus here, and we get a little insight into her not-so-happy marriage.

Like Dai and Rin, she’s perfectly content with just her and Reina; she sees the rest of the people in her home enemies. But after a couple days to cool down and reflect, Haruka goes back home. It’s what’s best for Reina, and even if it’s tough for her, it’s tougher still being a single parent. Dai admires the strength he sees in Haruka that he didn’t when she was a kid. Great characterization all around this week, and a bunch of funny little lines from the kids are thrown in for good measure.

Rating: 3.5

Usagi Drop 3

Daikichi’s name means “excellent luck”, but there are some in his life who’d consider him unlucky, suddenly having a six-year old aunt dumped in his lap to take care of. He simply can’t keep working overtime while sending Rin to the temporary nursery school; he’ll eventually burn out. So after consulting with another co-worker who is a parent, he decides to make a professional sacrifice for Rin’s sake.

This certainly means demotion, and the disappointment of his peers, but to my mind, there’s no question whether he made the right choice. By having a set time to go home, he can pick Rin up earlier and spend more time with her. She is a very good little kid, but she is having wetting problems stemming from grief over her father’s death, worry about Daikichi dying, and of course, fearing her own death. This fear trifecta is a lot for an adult, let alone a six-year-old.

I’m also glad Daikichi’s family more or less took the sticks out from up their asses and warmed up to Rin. The way they acted at her father’s funeral was inexcusable (when adults are in a bad mood, the kids feel they’re to blame), and after they spend more time with her they realize she’s not a bad kid after all. Of course, the fact remains, her mom (her father’s maid whom she hates and thus “forgot about”) is out there somewhere. But Daikichi’s actions suggest regardless of whether he finds her, he’s in for the long haul.

Rating: 3.5