Unsuccessful manga artist Shin Karino has his daily routine interrupted one day with the introduction to his new neighbor – a four-year-old boy who moved in next door, lives by himself, and talks like a samurai. While this boy is more put together than most of his neighbors, living alone has its difficulties at any age.
You know what they say, the cutest things have the greatest potential to hurt you. If you are looking for more anime recommendations like Kotaro Lives Alone, then head on down below.
Anime Like Kotaro Lives Alone
For Fans of Small Children Shenanigans
Poko’s Udon World
Souta Tawara is a web designer that has been working in Tokyo. However, when he returns to his small town to visit family, he discovers a young boy alone and with a supernatural secret. Upon the confrontation, Souta decides to quit his job and take care of this boy dubbed Poko. This anime follows their daily adventures in the Kagawa Prefecture, the Udon Kingdom.
This is more akin to what one might have initially expected Kotaro Live Alone to be – just jokes and cuteness. While they share a passion for making mundane things seem like adventures, Poko’s Udon World lacks the same gut-punching moments.
Hinamatsuri
One night, an object falls through space and time into the living room of dignified yakuza member Nitta. The object turns out to be a strange girl with psychic powers, but Nitta is reluctant to both take her in and to accept her offer to make use of those powers. Respecting his decision to not use her as a tool, this girl, named Hina, decides to help him anyway as they begin their life together.
Both series are essentially adults bonding with strange children that suddenly burst into their lives. Hinamatsuri has some dramatic moments, but it always undercuts them with jokes. It is a great comedy anime, and just the thing to life your spirits after Kotaro Lives Alone.
Gakuen Babysitters
After the death of his parents, teenage Ryuuchi becomes the caretaker of his younger brother Kotarou. After meeting a chairman of an elite academy at his parent’s funeral, they are given room and board in exchange for him becoming the school’s babysitter – a role established to support the female teachers.
While this is mostly just cute children being cute, rest assured there is some sadness here. It, like Kotaro Lives Alone, grants ample time to explore the sad back stories but also leaves room for cute breathers.
Sweetness and Lightning
After the death of his wife, high school math teacher Kouhei Inuzuka is left to care for his young daughter, Tsumugi. He does his best, but his busy schedule and poor culinary skills limit them to eating convenience store food separately. One day, his daughter expresses an interest to eat together after talking to one of his students in the park, Kotori, who deeply enjoys food. He rushes over to the restaurant owned by the student’s mother, but she is not there. While Kotori tries her best to cook for them, her skills are lacking. However, together, Inuzuka-sensei, Tsumugi, and Kotori learn to expand their cooking skills.
While Sweetness and Lightning is more about being a single parent, what it has in common with Kotaro Lives Alone, aside from the small children, is the struggle. Life is harder when you are on your own in many ways.
For Fans of Domestic Issue-Based Drama
Baby and Me
After the sudden passing of his mother, fifth grader Takuya is left picking up the slack and caring for his baby brother Minoru while his father works to pay the bills. While the neighbors blame him for Minoru’s constant crying and he has to watch his friends have their childhood, his trails may teach him the true meaning of family.
Both series are about very young boys left to take care of themselves, essentially. It isn’t all happy times either, so both anime series possesses the ability to make you laugh and cry. Unfortunately, Baby and Me is a bit older and that may put some off.
Usagi Drop
Daikichi Kawachi is a 30-year-old bachelor with a decent job, but no purpose in his life. When he returns to his family home for his grandfather’s funeral, he finds out that the old man had an illegitimate daughter. With his other relatives not wanting to take in such a child, Daikichi steps up and takes her home. From that day onwards, his hard new life as a parent begins.
Both series are about older, somewhat adrift adults that become bonded with a young child left all alone in the world. While Usagi Drop is more about growing into the role of a parent, it also has more melancholic elements of having that child deal with being unwanted and grieving.
Higehiro – I Shaved, Then I Brought a High School Girl Home
Office worker Yoshida finally worked up the courage to ask his boss out, only for her to swiftly reject him. On his way home from getting completely drunk to drown his heartbreak, he sees a high school girl sitting outside by herself late at night. After discovering that she was a runaway, he ends up taking her home while constantly shutting down her efforts to pay for her stay with her body. Talking to her further, he discovers that she traveled for six months from Hokkaido trading sexual favors for what she needed. While trying to figure out what to do, he puts her to work cooking and cleaning instead so she can have a place to stay.
Despite the title and synopsis that makes it sound dubious, Higehiro, like Kotoro Lives Alone, isn’t afraid to shine a less pleasant light on home life and domestic abuse. If you enjoy your children and teens feeling somewhat unwanted, they both have that in common.
For Fans of Quirky Neighbors
The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior
Kazunari Usa is starting high school and finally talked his parents into letting him live alone. Excited for his new life, he moves into the Kawai Complex boarding house, only to find his new roommate a complete BSDM weirdo. Being put off by the eccentricity of it all, he is on his way to leave when he runs into his senior in high school, Ritsu Kawai, who also lives there. The sheer presence of this cool beauty talks him into giving life in this new house a try.
While the tenants in Kawai Complex are high school teens at youngest, it captures the same sort of community feel that Kotaro Lives Alone starts to emphasize. Everyone is friendly and supports each other, but it is more of a romance drama rather than a life drama like Kotaro Lives Alone.
Barakamon
After losing his temper on a critic, renowned calligraphy artist Sieshuu Handa is exiled to the Goto Islands by his father for a period of self-reflection. There he seeks to find new inspiration for his art, but finds that his neighbors and some neighborhood kids keep getting in his way.
Both series feature grown men who find their lives invaded by at least one young child. Barakamon has more of a group of them. While they are pulled into the shenanigans of the child, they are also sorting out their own life issues.
My Roommate is a Cat
Subaru is a novelist, and not very good with people. He’s been alone since his parent’s death, but one day while praying at their grave, a cat comes and eats his offering. Deciding to take it home, he now is shouldered with a cat, and this stray is shouldered with caring for a human who can barely care for himself.
While a different type of story, both series emphasis how a little company can go a long way when you live on your own. It has strong moments of melancholy like Kotaro Lives Alone, but brightens them with cat shenanigans. They’re both very cute.
The Way of the House Husband
The Immortal Tatsu is an legendary yakuza name, but after taking down a rival gang single-handedly, he disappears. Now he has reappeared as an apron-wearing, laundry-doing, bento-lunch-making househusband for his office-working wife.
While you could argue that Way of the House Husband is more moving picture show than animation, it is still a lovable series. Both series feature strange main characters and their interactions with the neighborhood. Of course, they are both paragons of men and become beloved by everyone despite their quirks.
Do you have more anime recommendations like Kotaro Lives Alone? Let fans know in the comments section below.
