Bunny Drop: Complete Series Premium Edition fits in with the rest of NIS’s anime catalog. While samurai, demons and other supernatural elements do pop up from time to time, most hang their hat on grounded, relatable storytelling. I especially liked Bunny Drop since it places a lot of focus on the importance of family, which in the last few years has become an even more important aspect of my life.
While at his grandfather’s funeral, 30 year-old bachelor, Daikichi, meets a little girl named Rin. As it turns out, the little girl is his grandfather’s illegitimate child (making her his aunt). The family is outraged and refuses to acknowledge Rin, much less step up and help raise the newly minted orphan. Daikichi is ashamed of his family’s behavior and decides to raise the girl himself.
Daikichi and Rin are an odd pairing, at least at first. Rin doesn’t know much about her history, only that her father cared for her every need. Daichiki isn’t exactly well equipped for parenthood either, spending much of the first few episodes figuring things out. Rin doesn’t adapt to her new life quickly either, setting up most of the show’s narrative and drama.
One of the best parts of Bunny Drop is in how Rin and Daichiki’s non-traditional family is handled. Stories tend to lean more on the dramatic side, though the series never drifts into melodrama. Plotlines usually revolve around Daichiki figuring out how to balance work and family life, while Rin is just trying to move on with hers. Little time is spent on "realistic" issues like Rin’s absent mother, or Daichiki needing to jump through legal hurdles to essentially adopt his aunt. Instead, most of the series' energy is spent on dealing with each character’s baggage and pulling them together as a family.
In retrospect, I would have liked it if a few of those details would have come up a little more. I understand the reasoning behind their omission -- it would have distracted from the core relationship -- but a few more obstacles would have made for some better character moments. Nothing comes easy for the pairing, but at the same time some elements do flow without much resistance. Regardless, this doesn't diminish the show's quality and does allow it to sidestep a few obvious plot points.
The Premium Edition ships with another high-quality hardcover book. Entitled "Rin’s First Year," the book offers episode-by-episode recaps of the entire series alongside screens from each. A huge chunk of the book is dedicated to character profiles and multiple character sketches. Each tells a little about the character, and even shows multiple wardrobe looks. I really liked the additional artist’s commentary attached to character profiles, offering some behind-the-scenes insight into their creation. There’s also a section showing off some of the locations from the show alongside the real world locations that served as inspiration.
Alongside the book, Bunny Drop also ships with clean Openings and Endings, and a set of short character pieces that tie in with some episodes.
Bunny Drop is another of NIS’s DVD/ Blu-ray combos and, as usual, I highly suggest watching the Blu-ray version if you have the means. While not a visual showstopper, Bunny Drop has a nice, simple style that shines in HD. There are few major details, allowing you to focus on characters and plot rather than checking out all of the particulars.
Bunny Drop does all of the right things without overdoing them. It’s amplification by subtraction. Whether you’re talking about the story, audio or visuals, Bunny Drop pushes away many of the distracting details, choosing to focus on what’s important.
