Bunny Drop

Bunny Drop
By Yumi Unita
Yen Press, 2010. 203 pgs. Young Adult Comics

If you think that all graphic novels are made up of sparking eyes, outlandish costumes, and super powers, you must check out this book. Bunny Drop isn’t about saving the world, but instead about a thirty year old bachelor who ends up adopting a 6 year old girl. It is a literary and whimsical tale that focuses on the difficulties and joys of raising children. Told in a series of vignettes, the reader gets to watch Rin grow up and become an adjusted, happy girl, and Daikichi grow from an irresponsible loner into a father. Lighthearted and touching, these are stories that would hold their own in any form, and the art only serves to enhance the experience.

 Each of the eight volumes in the Bunny Drop series is one of my favorite books. I love how the characters worm their way into the reader’s affections through their comedic adventures and earnest attempts to improve themselves beyond their capacity. The art is stark and almost sketchy, and each expression is rendered as simply as possible in order to instantly convey the meaning and tone to the mind of the reader. I would recommend this for older teens who enjoy literature and realistic fiction and think they might want to try out the wonderful world of Japanese Manga, and also for hard-core manga lovers who would like a glimpse of daily life in modern Japan. Adults would also enjoy this series, and it is an especially easy introduction to reading a graphic novel as the expressions and language sync up so well (just remember to start at the back and read right to left!).


 JM