Usagi Drop is heart-wrenchingly beautiful. I had to hold back the waterworks on multiple occasions (and once or twice to no avail). It's the sort of story that will make a grown man bawl, especially if he has kids. Because the plot is necessarily mundane - a slice of life about raising a child - the show focuses almost entirely on character development, and as a result Daikichi and Rin are wonderfully dynamic. It is simply delightful to watch Daikichi's entire person evolve as the result of a single selfless act. Initially a bachelor who smokes and frequently works overtime, he gradually gives up his entire life in order to care for a child who is not his own. Rin is easily one of the sweetest, saddest, and cutest characters ever created, and thanks to Daikichi is able to develop from a scared and lonely child left behind by the world into a confident, warm, and genuinely happy little girl. Although the story is generally about Daikichi and Rin learning to live together, there are several nice subplots that keep the story from getting stale: Daikichi's interactions with Rin's mother; Rin's interactions with the other kids at school, especially Kouki; and Daikichi's potential romance with Kouki's single mother, Yukari. These also help to add a sense of suspense over whether Rin's mother will try to take her away from Daikichi, and whether Daikichi and Yukari will end up together.
While I clearly loved this show, I have to pause for a moment to let out some frustration, and I'll be sure to tread carefully so as not to spoil anything. In the final three or four episodes, the story focuses heavily on a particular subplot and hints at a resolution. Yet rather than finishing strong with a decisive and happy ending, we're left with a cliffhanger. Understandably dissatisfied and confused, I took to the forums to see why things ended the way they did, only to find that the manga provides a clear, and frankly deeply disappointing, explanation. Conscious of my role of reviewing Usagi Drop the anime rather than Usagi Drop the manga, I can nevertheless say that this revelation fundamentally altered my perspective of the show, and I strongly recommend against reading the manga. End unfortunate digression.
Beyond a very touching story, Usagi Drop features a surprisingly beautiful and memorable collection of piano tracks that complement the story's emotional side perfectly, (e.g., Ketsui), as well as some nice slice-of-life themes (e.g., Koigokoro). The animation, which essentially feels like you're watching a children's storybook come to life, also complements the show well, despite its lack of detail or beauty. The voice actors are on the whole very good, and Ayu Matsuura was an excellent pick for Rin.
In the end Usagi Drop is unlike any anime I've ever seen. Perhaps it's par for the course for slice of life anime, but I really felt connected to the characters and their story in a way that few shows have ever been able to accomplish. Maybe I'm just a sucker for sweet stories, but this is absolutely a show I would recommend, and definitely one I won't soon forget.
