This was a very interesting experience for me.
Overall, I really enjoyed Usagi Drop. It has a beautiful, charming art style, especially the watercolor intros and collage/sketch-style opening and closing themes. Just for the atmosphere and cinematography alone I would heavily recommend this show.
I especially enjoyed the little touches in the characters' designs and actions that added to their personalities and the overall atmosphere - a child tapping on their sandals to get them to fit, characters stumbling as they jump or run, kids kneeling to look at flowers or bugs...the realism and beauty of simple actions is true to form and almost feels Ghibli-esque.
However, there were some themes within the show that I fundamentally disagree with on an ethical level and that left a little bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. Maybe it's just a cultural misunderstanding or because the show is a product of its time (the show was released in 2011 so I assume the source material is a few years older than that - I also know that the original material had a rather...unfortunate ending that I'd rather not discuss) so maybe that's why?
For example, the story has a situation in which a character is trapped within a loveless marriage where she has no goals or aspirations outside of the desire to take care of her child. This is framed as the character's fault, and her decision to remain within the loveless, toxic relationship is ultimately painted as a good decision for the sake of her child without really considering any alternatives or complexities beyond "sacrifice is the best." I do think it was ultimately the most REALISTIC option and I'm not saying the character HAD to leave, but I just think the show just kind of accepts it without any deeper understanding or criticism of how to prevent this situation or find other solutions.
In the end, I did really enjoy the show and would recommend it as long as you appreciate it for what it is and take its flaws alongside its beauty.
