Is Kotaro Lives Alone Based On A True Story?

One of the hidden Netflix gems that you need to see now is Kotaro Lives Alone, which tells the story of a boy named Kotaro who lives alone in an apartment and is taking care of himself at such a young age. However, considering that there are plenty of real-life possibilities that happen in this series, there are those who are wondering if it is actually based on something that happened in real life. So, is Kotaro Lives Alone based on a true story?

Kotaro Lives Alone is a fictional anime story that is based on the Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mami Tsumura. That means that it might not be a story that is true to life. However, even if Kotaro Lives Alone is fictional, it is quite possible that similar things happen in the real world as well.

It is often mentioned that one of the best things about Kotaro Lives Alone is how it is able to capture the effects of neglect and abuse, albeit in a manner that may be a bit overblown. Nevertheless, while this story may be fictional, it could still happen in real life. This is why it should be best to talk more about Kotaro Lives Alone and how this anime can be a reflection of real events.

Is Kotaro Lives Alone Based On A True Story?

One of the anime series that you should be watching today is Kotaro Lives Alone because of how special of a gem it is, especially if you focus more on its story. On the surface, the anime doesn’t look much because it doesn’t have the best art style and is actually not as well-animated as the other series you can find on Netflix. However, what makes it truly great is its amazing story and message.

The story of Kotaro Lives Alone follows a young boy around the age of four or five who moved into a new apartment all by himself. From there, he started introducing himself to his neighbors, who were as perplexed as the viewers because they couldn’t believe that there was a kid living all by himself in an apartment without any parental supervision whatsoever.

In that instance, the viewers might think that this is a story that is similar to Shin Chan or is some bizarre anime that’s beyond true to life. However, as you go along the story and get to understand Kotaro’s life, you’ll begin to see how this anime may actually be something that is true to life.

Kotaro actually lives alone because he used to live with an abusive father and a mother who neglected him. Because of the neglect he suffered from living with his parents, he ended up learning how to become an adult. He speaks in a manner that’s similar to how people used to speak back in the feudal era of Japan because he spent most of his younger years watching a samurai cartoon. And he also learned how to cook after spending time eating tissue back when he was with his parents.

In that regard, he took it upon himself to move out of a group home after his father found out where he lived. He moved into an apartment and decided to take care of himself in a manner that is quite similar to how an adult lives independently. Kotaro pays for his own food, bills, and rent with the money he got from his mother’s life insurance policy (he doesn’t know that his mom is dead). And this forces his neighbors to take action because they feel that Kotaro had been robbed of his childhood when he was figuratively forced to grow up.

While this story may be something that can be quite realistic, the truth of the matter is that Kotaro Lives Alone is not based on a true story. This is entirely fictional and is not based on a real-life story that may have happened in the past (although it could be possible that it might have happened before).

What Is Kotaro Lives Alone Based On?

As mentioned, Kotaro Lives Alone is a fictional story that isn’t true to life. In fact, this series is based on the manga series of the same title written and illustrated by Mami Tsumura. This isn’t the first time the manga was adapted because there is actually a ten-episode live-action adaptation of Kotaro Lives Alone that was broadcast on TV Asahi in 2021

Is Kotaro Lives Alone Realistic?

A lot of people would say that anime seems to be unrealistic because there are plenty of anime stories that deal with supernatural things, fantasy, and sci-fi. Even the more realistic anime doesn’t have the same kind of realistic things that you often see in the real world. So, in that regard, is Kotaro Lives Alone a realistic anime?

In a manner of speaking, Kotaro Lives Alone can be realistic and unrealistic at the same time. First off, let’s get to the unrealistic part because this seems to be something that’s interesting to a lot of different people.

The most unrealistic part of Kotaro Lives Alone is the fact that the apartment landlord allowed a young boy to rent his own apartment without the fear of getting into trouble with the law. Children at the age of four or five are too young to rent an apartment, which requires a contractual relationship between the landlord and the one renting the apartment.

Of course, there’s also the manner in which Kotaro’s personality was portrayed. Throughout the earlier part of the anime, Kotaro acts in a way that is similar to how an adult does because he was basically forced to grow up and learn how to become an adult at such a young age. Given the fact that children at this age are still learning more about the world and the environment in which they live, no amount of childhood trauma will force a child to grow up to become an adult at the age of four or five.

Nevertheless, Kotaro Lives Alone is still reflective of our real-world society. A lot of different children around the world live under abusive and neglectful parents that do not even take the time to take care of them or allow them to have normal childhood lives. This has forced some children to learn to act more mature at younger ages because they need to be responsible enough to take care of themselves. Of course, plenty of young teenagers tend to work so that they can support themselves and make enough money for the family to make up for the lack of support and responsibility from the parental figures.

In that regard, the series was able to allow us to see how childhood trauma can affect a child, as a lot of the different things that Kotaro does are coping mechanisms that will allow him to forget about the situation he was in when he was living with his family. The way he speaks and the fact that he refuses to acknowledge the help of any other person are reflections of the experiences he had to go through when he was with his parents.

So, in a way, while Kotaro Lives Alone may not be entirely realistic, the message of the anime is real. It allows us to see that there are a lot of children who are living in situations that aren’t ideal for their development. And that means that Kotaro Lives Alone attacks the heart of society in a manner that not a lot of anime can do. If you like Kotaro Lives Alone, check out our list of best anime like Kotaro Lives Alone.

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