Ranked #306

Kobato.

I have to admit to being won over by Kobato before ever seeing the first frame of film. One look at the artwork for this series and Kobato's beautiful clothing and settings and I knew this was going to be something for me. Thankfully I was also rewarded with an enjoyable and heartwarming story. While Kobato doesn’t exactly break any new ground, it’s a light hearted series that should make anyone smile, with just a touch of drama to keep it interesting.

Kobato herself begins as a bit of a mystery, tasked with a mission of healing the hearts of others in order for her to be granted her own wish. Despite being a hopeless idiot and incurably moe, Kobato does the best she can helping others. She is guided and protected by Ioryogi, an important figure from the spirit world who appears to Kobato in the form of a stuffed animal. The reasons for her mission, her origins, and the reason for Ioryogi's appearance are explained as the story unfolds.

Most of the plot is going to be fairly predictable to anyone who's seen many series like this and the early episodes are a bit formulaic. However this does change as the plot thickens over the last half of the series. I found the pacing to be good and I never felt that it lingered or stalled for too long in any place for me to get bored with it. Maybe the only exception would be the first half dozen episodes, with their similar and episodic plotlines. I was never blown away with any of it despite Kobato's overwhelming cuteness, but the ending story arc is both heartwarming and heat wrenching. But I did like the ending overall and felt it wrapped up the series nicely and tied up all the loose ends.

The main reason to watch Kobato is for the titular character. She is overbearingly adorable in every way. Her character design is extremely appealing and she has possibly the best wardrobe I have yet seen in anime. Kobato could be the poster girl for moe; she’s earnest, innocent, naive, lacking any common sense, and impossibly stupid. On the surface one would probably think she lacked substance as well. While you could definitely say this early on, due to the length of the series and the time spent growing and developing her character she eventually becomes a great all around protagonist, instead of just a moe figurehead.

Kobato's main foil would be her guardian Ioryogi. A quick tempered spirit stuck in the form of a stuffed animal, he is constantly berating Kobato for her stupidity and chastising her for not staying on task. However despite his gruff nature it’s obvious that he really loves and cares about her too. The relationship between them is the source of a lot of the shows humor, and I found the pair to be quite a delight to watch.

The other most important character to the story would be the introverted and standoffish Fugimoto. I am not really a big fan of Fugimoto's type and always feel this is an overused cliché, particularly in shoujo and romance anime. I don’t think I will ever understand why girls find this kind of guy to be appealing. Why would you want to break down the guys emotional barriers and deal with all his baggage when there are plenty of other guys who are actually nice to you? Someday I hope to understand this mindset.

The rest of the supporting cast is handled well and for the most part quite interesting. Sayaka is the most important, as the head of the preschool that Fugimoto and Kobato work. The great majority of the story takes place at the school and revolves around their efforts to save it from villainous loan sharks. Sayaka is given some back story and development but most of the remaining cast remains mostly static. They push the story in the right direction when needed and then fade from view. This is a good thing since it allows the show to focus on those who deserve the screen time.

I am not particularly a huge fan of CLAMP artwork and designs. While their drawings are undoubtedly brilliant and beautiful (particularly when drawing children), I never liked the skinny and malnourished looking characters. However, I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn’t the case in Kobato and the production studio opted for a more normal look. While everyone is still a bit too thin, they don’t look like they are starving to death. What really won me over and why I think this is perhaps the most visually appealing work yet was Kobato and her beautiful clothing. Also, being a CLAMP product you can expect are to see plenty of references and cameos by familiar characters from their other works. It is nice that at least for the important ones, they don’t seem to reuse the same old models with different names. This may or may not be a bonus to some fans, but for me it was refreshing.

The series music, the OP theme and the in between songs are cute and very fitting of the series nature. In addition the acting is solid all around. Kobato's seiyuu is suitably adorable sounding and brings out her personality. Though it does become a bit grating and overly cute at times, it is a minor annoyance and it probably wouldn’t work as well with a more mature sounding voice.

Overall I found Kobato to be a rewarding and wonderful viewing experience. If you like cute and adorable things, CLAMP, light hearted and touching stories with a hint of romance; then Kobato should be high on your list. If you really dislike moe or need action to be entertained than this is something you should stay away from. While it may not go down as an all-time classic, Kobato will leave you with a smile.
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What are you doing with your life? What are you working for? What will you accomplish during your time? How could that time be better served improving that of another?

All of these are questions you'll probably be asking yourself while watching "Kobato."

"Kobato" is one of those rarities that soothes the soul. It's hard not to find yourself smiling often, since there are many heartwarming moments throughout. The show regularly brought tears to the eye--not of sadness, but happiness. It's definitely something to consider checking out if you like happier anime, or need something to cheer you up.

The entire point of the series can be summarized with one word: empathy. It shows the heartwarming inspiration and greatness of what happens when someone abandons their own interests for the sake of helping others. When someone becomes selfless, the avenue is opened up for miraculous outcomes and beautiful changes in peoples' lives.

A pessimistic philosopher once said that there is no such thing as a truly selfless action, basing their argument on the premise that we're only doing it because seeing someone in need bothers us--because we ourselves would feel better and be at peace if they were happier. But what about people for whom this sense of relief is only a side effect? What about the people who truly don't care about themselves, and are willing to go above and beyond to lend a hand when someone needs it? "Kobato" shows how great your life can be when you realize that following your own dreams isn't the only source of fulfillment.

I was a little nervous at first becaue of how moe Kobato herself was, but I quickly learned just how great of a character she is. Her mission is to heal peoples' hearts so her wish can be granted, but it becomes obvious early on that she is far too concerned with the well-being of others to worry about filling the jar for herself. (Ioryogi constantly observes this and stresses over how she may not complete her task in time to have her wish granted.) She'll spend days--or longer--working towards an end, even with the knowledge that it won't get her any closer to her goal. She's great with kids and loves to help out at the local preschool, even though this too doesn't directly get her any closer to her goal. She loses sleep worrying about the problems of those around her: She relentlessly seeks solutions, no matter how poorly she may be treated or how ingrateful the person may be. She just wants everyone to be happy.

Kobato teaches us to take pleasure in little things as she carries out every task happily and with a smile--even ones we may not necessarily want to do. It's a combination of these things that leads to the creation of what is perhaps the best wife/mother material to ever grace the world of fiction.

If we had more characters (or better yet, people) like Kobato, the world would be a better place. It's disheartening that mindless fan service dolls are more popular than characters that are actually GOOD from shows with actual substance.

This show has more characterization and character development in a single episode than many anime contain over the span of their entire runtime. It's touching to see the characters change after their encounters with Kobato. The show deals with very real issues people go through and examines the power one person stepping outside of themselves can have, making all the difference in changing a life. Even the most stone-hearted aren't safe from her outgoing and caring nature: no wound can't be healed with the proper care.

"Kobato" has a pretty good idea of when it's time to stop with the comedic content when things are getting serious, which is really important in a dramedy. Once misplaced line can completely butcher the mood of a scene; "Kobato" knows what's appropriate and when, but is quick to throw in a crack once the storm has passed and the happy status quo has been restored, helping complete a smooth transition and elevating the viewer's spirits.

...I guess I gotta talk about art 'n' sound 'n' stuff, too. Character design is great; there are some pretty unique ones, the most unique and appealing being Kobato. Hair movement seems to have been given a particular attention, particularly in the case of it bouncing up and down and someone runs or as the wind blows through it--again, the most attention was given to Kobato. There is some pretty great imagery, like petals, or leaves falling from trees, or snow, and the surrounding greenary is always a pleasure. Warmer, brighter, and more vibrant colors are what dominate the visible spectrum, complementing the overall tone of the series.

Voice acting quality is excellent, with Hana Kanazawa completely bringing the show to life with her peppy, happy, excited Kobato. Hearing her sing was an extra special treat. The soundtrack contains some beautiful pieces--particularly those played during more dramatic or emotionally riveting scenes, although there are a number of more upbeat ones for the laid back/comedic scenes.

"Kobato" made me put my hands together and clap like an idiot because it made me so happy. The show renewed my faith in humanity; it gave me hope that there may still be good people out there with actual morals who care about their fellow man. It's wholesome, pure, innocent, and clean--all endangered, unappreciated, underrated qualities in this day and age. It made me take a step back and reexamine how I was living, and radically altered my outlook on life in general.

So... How might "Kobato" touch YOU? read more