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A review by misssusan
Bunny Drop, Volume 1 by Yumi Unita
4.0
Friends! Romans! Countrymen! Lend me your ears so I may tell you of the joy of reading a manga that is all about parenthood. Our setting? Yumi Unita's Bunny Drop Volume 1. -cue mysterious screen warping scene change-
When his grandfather dies thirty year old bachelor Daikichi takes time off work to attend his funeral. He and his family are shocked to discover their grandpa had a six year old daughter out of wedlock with an unknown lover. When no one in his family seems willing to take her on Daikichi volunteers for the task.
Where is the joy in this you ask? Well aside from sudden onset parenthood being one of my most favourite tropes there is the following.
+ The art style. It's plain in a way that's very visually pleasing, pages never look cluttered even when a lot is going on. I think the closest style to compare it to would be the work of Natsume Ono or the way CLAMP draws xxxHolic. Lots of clean lines and flat screentones with limited detailing.
+ The tone. Unita eschews cheap men-can't-handle-children humor in favour of an honest look at the challenges of parenting. Daikichi struggles with things like finding a day care centre that works with his work hours. He has rethink some of his life style choices now that he's accommodating a child. It's honest and earnest in a way I deeply appreciate.
+ The characters! I think it's a given that Daikichi is quite likeable but I like that Unita refuses to villainize the members of his family less willing to take Rin in. The last chapter of the volume has Daikichi and Rin visiting them and it results in some good relationship (re-)building all around. I especially like how taking care of Rin prompts Daikichi to think so much more about his own mother and what raising children entailed for her. 4 stars
When his grandfather dies thirty year old bachelor Daikichi takes time off work to attend his funeral. He and his family are shocked to discover their grandpa had a six year old daughter out of wedlock with an unknown lover. When no one in his family seems willing to take her on Daikichi volunteers for the task.
Where is the joy in this you ask? Well aside from sudden onset parenthood being one of my most favourite tropes there is the following.
+ The art style. It's plain in a way that's very visually pleasing, pages never look cluttered even when a lot is going on. I think the closest style to compare it to would be the work of Natsume Ono or the way CLAMP draws xxxHolic. Lots of clean lines and flat screentones with limited detailing.
+ The tone. Unita eschews cheap men-can't-handle-children humor in favour of an honest look at the challenges of parenting. Daikichi struggles with things like finding a day care centre that works with his work hours. He has rethink some of his life style choices now that he's accommodating a child. It's honest and earnest in a way I deeply appreciate.
+ The characters! I think it's a given that Daikichi is quite likeable but I like that Unita refuses to villainize the members of his family less willing to take Rin in. The last chapter of the volume has Daikichi and Rin visiting them and it results in some good relationship (re-)building all around. I especially like how taking care of Rin prompts Daikichi to think so much more about his own mother and what raising children entailed for her. 4 stars