Responsibility, when thrust upon you as sudden as lightning, could be at times life-changing indeed, and reflects how much you have to improve yourself for the sake of accomplishing a goal, or in the case of Otaku no Musume, sacrificing your desires in exchange of a lifetime commitment, that is, taking care of a child of your own blood. Given the success of Usagi Drop, many manga with child upbringing themes followed suit (e.g. Papakiki, Aishiteruze Baby), considering the many situations that'll happen when your responsibility as an adult takes precedence over others, and what do you know, they became popular too, and so isthe same with this manga.
Otaku no Musume is a manga by author Sutahiro and was completed in 2011 with 63 chapters and 11 volumes in all. At first glance, Otaku no Musume would remind any reader of Usagi Drop, which is pretty popular especially among slice-of-life fans, because of its similar themes. Funny thing is, Otaku no Musume takes parenting to new heights as it somehow combines the themes in Usagi Drop coupled with adult characters that resemble those of Genshiken. Yes, almost all adults here are otaku, and when there's a young kid suddenly mixed in among the crazy tenants, its sure is gonna be one hell of a chaotic household!
The story follows Kanau Yukimura, an innocent and cute 9-year old girl who is meeting her father for the first time in her life, after her mother sent her to him after being neck deep in debt. Turns out her father, Kouta Morisaki, is one hardcore otaku, with his apartment room filled with anime figures and hentai doujins. Not to mention that the apartment named Higansou is filled with otaku tenants too, ranging from the long-nosed lolicon Chihiro (Kanau's nemesis!), mangakas Haruka and Sousuke-sensei, the lovely highschool landlady Taeko, to the Nagatos, the 'invisible' hikikomori (shut-in) family of four. You just can't help but laugh at the situation that poor Kanau is in itself, adding to that Kouta's world having turned upside down because first of all, he doesn't even know that he had a child from his former love interest in high school.
The story at first follows the usual gamut of otaku comedy, slapstick, and of course references, with an even funnier omake at the end of each volume, however what sets this apart from the usual run-of-the-mill comedy is that it has its own serious side, and it is delivered in that it approaches the failures of bearing responsibility at a realistically parental level, at times even in-your-face. Plot twists abound with each revelation, and the manga ends at quite a plot twist that no one even expects, and the foreshadowing of the events preceding the ending are very subtle yet so intricate (with the exception of one minor flaw in it), it's almost unbelievable, and to date it is one of my favorite endings for a comedy manga.
The characters have been well developed thanks to well-executed flashbacks and of course dealing with the real world thanks to Kanau's intervention. Most important of these is having Kouta come to grips with his world totally changing with the arrival of Kanau, and somehow accepting all of the responsibility as a father in the end as he grows attached to a daughter he hasn't even seen before. The other tenants of Higansou, having become attached to Kanau as time goes on, have opened up to her despite their hikikomori tendencies, and at times tell about their interesting backstories. Likewise even Kanau has somehow accepted the people around here to the point that she even goes together with them to Comiket twice a year, watch anime and say her opinion on it, and cosplaying too.
I could say little of the art though, apart from me noticing that it's inconsistent at times especially when they are viewed at a different angle. Other than that, it depicts their actions accurately especially during slapstick moments, along with their hilarious expressions.
All in all, it's been quite an enjoyable experience with Otaku no Musume for me, having laughed my lungs out in the middle of the night, and got teary-eyed when it almost reached the end. Having said this, It'll be justifiable if I place Kanau among the ranks of Kaga Rin and Ushio Okazaki as one of the child characters in anime and manga that tugged at my heartstrings, and for me, at the very least, giving myself pointers for my probable future as a parent.
