The friendly and sincere Kobato Hanato has a wish to go to a particular place no matter what. To fulfill this desire, she is tasked with helping people in their times of distress. For each mended broken heart, a small candy-like fragment is produced and fills a special bottle. Once the bottle is full, her wish will be granted.
As Kobato carries out her mission alongside her stuffed toy companion, Ioryogi, she encounters various people troubled by their different situations. From a child struggling with his parents, a high school girl troubled about romance, and everything in between, Kobato's naturally sweet smile and outgoing personality are ready to brighten their day!
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Skadi
I have to admit to being won over by Kobato before ever seeing the first frame of film. One look at the artwork for this series and Kobato's beautiful clothing and settings and I knew this was going to be something for me. Thankfully I was also rewarded with an enjoyable and heartwarming story. While Kobato doesn’t exactly break any new ground, it’s a light hearted series that should make anyone smile, with just a touch of drama to keep it interesting. Kobato herself begins as a bit of a mystery, tasked with a mission of healing the hearts of others in orderfor her to be granted her own wish. Despite being a hopeless idiot and incurably moe, Kobato does the best she can helping others. She is guided and protected by Ioryogi, an important figure from the spirit world who appears to Kobato in the form of a stuffed animal. The reasons for her mission, her origins, and the reason for Ioryogi's appearance are explained as the story unfolds.
Most of the plot is going to be fairly predictable to anyone who's seen many series like this and the early episodes are a bit formulaic. However this does change as the plot thickens over the last half of the series. I found the pacing to be good and I never felt that it lingered or stalled for too long in any place for me to get bored with it. Maybe the only exception would be the first half dozen episodes, with their similar and episodic plotlines. I was never blown away with any of it despite Kobato's overwhelming cuteness, but the ending story arc is both heartwarming and heat wrenching. But I did like the ending overall and felt it wrapped up the series nicely and tied up all the loose ends.
The main reason to watch Kobato is for the titular character. She is overbearingly adorable in every way. Her character design is extremely appealing and she has possibly the best wardrobe I have yet seen in anime. Kobato could be the poster girl for moe; she’s earnest, innocent, naive, lacking any common sense, and impossibly stupid. On the surface one would probably think she lacked substance as well. While you could definitely say this early on, due to the length of the series and the time spent growing and developing her character she eventually becomes a great all around protagonist, instead of just a moe figurehead.
Kobato's main foil would be her guardian Ioryogi. A quick tempered spirit stuck in the form of a stuffed animal, he is constantly berating Kobato for her stupidity and chastising her for not staying on task. However despite his gruff nature it’s obvious that he really loves and cares about her too. The relationship between them is the source of a lot of the shows humor, and I found the pair to be quite a delight to watch.
The other most important character to the story would be the introverted and standoffish Fugimoto. I am not really a big fan of Fugimoto's type and always feel this is an overused cliché, particularly in shoujo and romance anime. I don’t think I will ever understand why girls find this kind of guy to be appealing. Why would you want to break down the guys emotional barriers and deal with all his baggage when there are plenty of other guys who are actually nice to you? Someday I hope to understand this mindset.
The rest of the supporting cast is handled well and for the most part quite interesting. Sayaka is the most important, as the head of the preschool that Fugimoto and Kobato work. The great majority of the story takes place at the school and revolves around their efforts to save it from villainous loan sharks. Sayaka is given some back story and development but most of the remaining cast remains mostly static. They push the story in the right direction when needed and then fade from view. This is a good thing since it allows the show to focus on those who deserve the screen time.
I am not particularly a huge fan of CLAMP artwork and designs. While their drawings are undoubtedly brilliant and beautiful (particularly when drawing children), I never liked the skinny and malnourished looking characters. However, I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn’t the case in Kobato and the production studio opted for a more normal look. While everyone is still a bit too thin, they don’t look like they are starving to death. What really won me over and why I think this is perhaps the most visually appealing work yet was Kobato and her beautiful clothing. Also, being a CLAMP product you can expect are to see plenty of references and cameos by familiar characters from their other works. It is nice that at least for the important ones, they don’t seem to reuse the same old models with different names. This may or may not be a bonus to some fans, but for me it was refreshing.
The series music, the OP theme and the in between songs are cute and very fitting of the series nature. In addition the acting is solid all around. Kobato's seiyuu is suitably adorable sounding and brings out her personality. Though it does become a bit grating and overly cute at times, it is a minor annoyance and it probably wouldn’t work as well with a more mature sounding voice.
Overall I found Kobato to be a rewarding and wonderful viewing experience. If you like cute and adorable things, CLAMP, light hearted and touching stories with a hint of romance; then Kobato should be high on your list. If you really dislike moe or need action to be entertained than this is something you should stay away from. While it may not go down as an all-time classic, Kobato will leave you with a smile.
5camp
Somewhere around about episode 12 it hit me. No, not that the show had suddenly become watchable, that wasn’t to happen for several more episodes. No, what hit me was a perfect way to express what it was I didn’t like about this show. I had some vague review thoughts in my head (subconsciously reviewing the show as you watch it; the curse of being a critic) but most of them revolved around bitching about how stupid Kobato herself was and how the show relied on cuteness as its main appeal, something I’ve just never really liked. But then it hit me. I read ona blog somewhere that the way the person got through a series they didn’t like was because they spent their time also playing Pokemon. So I finally got around to playing Pokemon Platinum after the first few episodes of Kobato (why yes, I am a game behind everyone else) because I realised I would probably smash my laptop if I had to sit through another ‘Kobato Ganbarrebleargh~’ without something else to occupy my mind. Now normally this shouldn’t work unless I was watching the dub. Multitasking while watching subs is next to impossible. However it did work because I actually understood pretty much everything that was being said.
Let me explain. I have never once made an attempt at learning Japanese. I know about as much as any weeaboo who watches subbed anime would know. Watching Kobato wasn’t a sudden grand realisation that I was now fluent in Japanese. It was the simplicity of the language the characters used. They all had just a few stock lines they would throw out in most situations which meant that after watching a few episodes paying attention to the subs you knew pretty much everything that they could say. This effects the anime in far more ways than you might realise. Of course you get the painfully dull and repetitive dialogue. Of course there’s the way every scene and every episode feels the exact bloody same with no inspiration, ingenuity or imagination, bar Kobato’s wardrobe. But alongside that you also have the actual tension in the series solved using the same uninspired methods in every episode. Kobato throws out a few stock phrases, Ioryogi mutters something in the background and all is right with the world once again. It limits the direction any episode can take.
But yes, it does get better. It may take until around episode 17 before I actually went through an episode without having beaten 3–4 pokemon trainers while it was playing, but it certainly did improve. Vastly improved. By episode 20 I had shut that Game Boy for good and was actually watching this show for real. The show took a much more dramatic and melancholic tone that suited the style of storytelling far more. After watching the previous 16 episodes of failed comedy (bar Ioryogi dodging cork bullets at the festival. That was quite funny) and bland stories that were supposed to be heartwarming, the effect this change to a plot-driven story had on the overall quality of the show was phenomenal.
Let me talk about the MAL stats for a second on this series. There’s a very high percentage drop rate to completed rate, around 20% of the people who watched it, dropped it. And yet the anime is rated 8.07 at the time of writing, a very respectable score indeed. MAL doesn’t count the scores once you’ve seen beyond a certain number of episodes so those who actually sat through the entire thing were clearly rewarded for their efforts. It also shows the usual reaction of people to rate something highly because the later episodes were better, much like After Story. It’s something that bugs me a lot because I hate having to sit through several poor episodes just because ‘it gets better I swear!’. I don’t doubt it does. It’s just those earlier episodes are a right pain to sit through. Because Kobato is, for the most part, a poor anime. It just happens to end on a very high note. Plus you can’t skip those earlier episodes the same way you theoretically can for After Story. Without those earlier episodes the ending ones don’t work.
It did turn me into a romantic sap though. Good old Clamp did it again. They made me believe that, through anything, love will prevail. No matter what happens to you, what you go through, what form you’re in, love will get through all that. It did the very same thing Chobits did. It made me believe in the Power of Love. I came into this anime looking for something to replicate the feeling Chobits gave me and, in the end, I guess it did exactly that.
Yume_to_Tsubasa
Amazing- that's the one word I would use to describe Kobato. I'm rather picky with my ratings, but for the first time in a good while, I decided on a ten. Story-9 The plot of Kobato. starts out simple enough- a girl assigned the task of healing peoples' wounded hearts. The first half of the series covers the bases of the overall objective- cases of Kobato doing her work. Even these earlier episodes I though were awesome, but as the series enters its second half, Kobato.'s plot thickens and the series develops into a masterpiece. In the first half, we see glimpses of the dark realities of lifebeneath the bright, cheerful character of Kobato- and from the very start, Kobato. deals with very real life details; a misunderstanding with a friend, a tragedy with a lover, family problems...
In the second half, however, is revealed a whole new facet of Kobato. The show cuts deeper than a story about a girl with the objective of fulfilling her dream. Debts. Love. Death. Tragedy. Farewells. We see all of these events changing and forming a much more mature Hanato Kobato
Art-10 I loved the art- I loved it! The details are intricate, the colors and effects wonderfully done. I don't think I could have asked more of the creators (especially considering this is based off a CLAMP work) except actually letting viewers distinguish the ages of the characters.
Sound-10 The soundtrack for Kobato. was one of the best I've ever heard. My favorite soundtrack up until the point I saw Kobato. was the True Tears Soundtrack, but Kobato. really gave True Tears a run for its money. The sounds vary- cheerful, light, heavy, peaceful... Both soundtracks are masterpieces that fulfill their purpose, supporting and improving the show.
Character-10 Character. Yes, I'm someone who doesn't enjoy a book, movie... or anything with shallow characters. At a glimpse, people may think Kobato, is just another "moe", empty-headed character, but as the series progresses, all the characters- Fujimoto and Kobato noticeably- grow and mature as they learn important life lessons through their trials. The storyline doesn't go "easy" on them: the lessons they learn are tough, yes, but also shape and define the characters.
Enjoyment-10 I both laughed and cried while watching Kobato. It really is a series with contrasting qualities; it brings laughter and tears. It shows the darkness in our society, but also the hope, dreams, and goodness in it. There are trials, but also miracles and second chances. This simple, 24-episode story has all this- and what's even better is that it has a healing quality, one that warms the heart.
Overall-10 Overall, I give Kobato. a ten. I would give an eleven if I could. Kobato. is something viewers of all ages can watch- I would recommend to anyone, anyday. You could watch it with the whole family, your siblings, friends... it's not something you have to filter or think through.
All I can say is to give it a try- and let the show do the rest.
DraconisMarch
What are you doing with your life? What are you working for? What will you accomplish during your time? How could that time be better served improving that of another? All of these are questions you'll probably be asking yourself while watching "Kobato." "Kobato" is one of those rarities that soothes the soul. It's hard not to find yourself smiling often, since there are many heartwarming moments throughout. The show regularly brought tears to the eye--not of sadness, but happiness. It's definitely something to consider checking out if you like happier anime, or need something to cheer you up. The entire pointof the series can be summarized with one word: empathy. It shows the heartwarming inspiration and greatness of what happens when someone abandons their own interests for the sake of helping others. When someone becomes selfless, the avenue is opened up for miraculous outcomes and beautiful changes in peoples' lives.
A pessimistic philosopher once said that there is no such thing as a truly selfless action, basing their argument on the premise that we're only doing it because seeing someone in need bothers us--because we ourselves would feel better and be at peace if they were happier. But what about people for whom this sense of relief is only a side effect? What about the people who truly don't care about themselves, and are willing to go above and beyond to lend a hand when someone needs it? "Kobato" shows how great your life can be when you realize that following your own dreams isn't the only source of fulfillment.
I was a little nervous at first becaue of how moe Kobato herself was, but I quickly learned just how great of a character she is. Her mission is to heal peoples' hearts so her wish can be granted, but it becomes obvious early on that she is far too concerned with the well-being of others to worry about filling the jar for herself. (Ioryogi constantly observes this and stresses over how she may not complete her task in time to have her wish granted.) She'll spend days--or longer--working towards an end, even with the knowledge that it won't get her any closer to her goal. She's great with kids and loves to help out at the local preschool, even though this too doesn't directly get her any closer to her goal. She loses sleep worrying about the problems of those around her: She relentlessly seeks solutions, no matter how poorly she may be treated or how ingrateful the person may be. She just wants everyone to be happy.
Kobato teaches us to take pleasure in little things as she carries out every task happily and with a smile--even ones we may not necessarily want to do. It's a combination of these things that leads to the creation of what is perhaps the best wife/mother material to ever grace the world of fiction.
If we had more characters (or better yet, people) like Kobato, the world would be a better place. It's disheartening that mindless fan service dolls are more popular than characters that are actually GOOD from shows with actual substance.
This show has more characterization and character development in a single episode than many anime contain over the span of their entire runtime. It's touching to see the characters change after their encounters with Kobato. The show deals with very real issues people go through and examines the power one person stepping outside of themselves can have, making all the difference in changing a life. Even the most stone-hearted aren't safe from her outgoing and caring nature: no wound can't be healed with the proper care.
"Kobato" has a pretty good idea of when it's time to stop with the comedic content when things are getting serious, which is really important in a dramedy. Once misplaced line can completely butcher the mood of a scene; "Kobato" knows what's appropriate and when, but is quick to throw in a crack once the storm has passed and the happy status quo has been restored, helping complete a smooth transition and elevating the viewer's spirits.
...I guess I gotta talk about art 'n' sound 'n' stuff, too. Character design is great; there are some pretty unique ones, the most unique and appealing being Kobato. Hair movement seems to have been given a particular attention, particularly in the case of it bouncing up and down and someone runs or as the wind blows through it--again, the most attention was given to Kobato. There is some pretty great imagery, like petals, or leaves falling from trees, or snow, and the surrounding greenary is always a pleasure. Warmer, brighter, and more vibrant colors are what dominate the visible spectrum, complementing the overall tone of the series.
Voice acting quality is excellent, with Hana Kanazawa completely bringing the show to life with her peppy, happy, excited Kobato. Hearing her sing was an extra special treat. The soundtrack contains some beautiful pieces--particularly those played during more dramatic or emotionally riveting scenes, although there are a number of more upbeat ones for the laid back/comedic scenes.
"Kobato" made me put my hands together and clap like an idiot because it made me so happy. The show renewed my faith in humanity; it gave me hope that there may still be good people out there with actual morals who care about their fellow man. It's wholesome, pure, innocent, and clean--all endangered, unappreciated, underrated qualities in this day and age. It made me take a step back and reexamine how I was living, and radically altered my outlook on life in general.
So... How might "Kobato" touch YOU?
Arararagi
Wow. After watching the whole series, it's amazing. Kobato is so lovable as well as many other characters. Kobato, as you know, is by CLAMP, so there are lots of similarities overall, as well as some characters. The artwork is amazing with the nice colors and the touch that makes certain characters lovely or not. The songs played in the background as well as songs that Kobato herself sings were all perfect for the anime. The story itself had times where it dragged on imo, but in the last few episodes, they were wrapped up so perfectly, and the final episode is one that I'dconsider the best ending I've ever seen.
I enjoyed watching Kobato for lulz as well as just experiencing the adorableness. It's an anime I'd highly recommend to pretty much anyone.
Kibikun
NOTE: the first paragraph is for those who are looking for motivation to watch this series, if not skip to the next. If you're tired or bored watching same anime storyline over and over again and looking for something different, then I'm sure watching Kobato would not impress even a single cell in your brain, well at first. It's storyline is a typical shoujo, as you might be expecting, with a witty, innocent, naive etc. main character ,that you might have seen a thousand times already, living her life sharing/showing her naivety/innocence to others day by day. But even thoughyou feel like ditching this series after reading this, I would like you to sit tight and relax for a bit, for me giving a 9 overall score isn't a mistake.
Kobato is a lighthearted series that has a nice blend of drama, comedy, a bit of fantasy, a bit of slice of life, and a happy romantic ending.
Hanato Kobato, the childish, naive and sweet main character, is on a mission to fulfill her wish, to go somewhere and in order to accomplish it she need to fill a flask with each person she heals. She resides in a park with a spirit named Ioryogi with a body of small blue stuffed dog. Ioryogi acts as a strict proctor to Kobato and he often shouts at her or bathes her with fire when she makes mistakes. Uninteresting? maybe, maybe not.
Well the story started to slowly revolve upon her arrival at a Nursery after following Fujimoto. The first episodes were mostly episodic, her meeting with different people and eventually healing their problems and filling up her flask in the process. At this moment we might have give up all our hopes and ditch this series(like me) but as it goes the stories goes deeper and deeper as more and more mysteries were revealed and slowly the characters develop. This is where the story gets interesting and eventually captivating you to the series.
Its pacing is what made this series beautiful. It carried the series from being a mediocre to unforgettable. Even though the storyline carries some inevitable cons such as "non-sense'' and "idiotic" scenes it manages to bring out even a tiny droplet of meaningful things from it and adding it up to the grand climax later on.
The art was the greatest asset of the series. I'm not a fan of CLAMP art and I dislike their skinny character design and I'm so glad they did a very good job here. Kobato is one of the few characters that I've seen with a change of outfit, and very cute. The characters' faces and hair are very beautiful, specially for Kobato and the kids. The background art was also marvelous and it perfectly blends with the characters.
I don't know whether to praise the STs or not, I'm really confused b/c the STs blended extraordinarily in each scene, adding depth to the emotion, to the point that I can't remember any melody at all. The OP was astounding. It has a bright and slightly playful melody w/c brings up the character of Kobato.
Some of the cast are design rip-offs from previous CLAMP animes (such as Chobits) and some did have a cameo appearance. The main characters were shrouded in some sort of mystery, specially Kobato. Most of those were revealed in perfect timing but others were just left there hanging in the clouds, such as the Spirits and this "war" they had w/ the "heaven". Yet characters are not without flaws. I'll particularly discuss Fujimoto. For me his developments as a character are shown poorly, or rather was not developed enough, he hardly shown any development and it made him look like a "developed" character from the beginning, which is not a very nice asset of a character. Well all I wanted to say is that he has a slow gradual development and a spike on the end, maybe some may like it or maybe most, but I don't.
In the beginning I was bought out by its high rating( I usually pick my anime to watch this way) but then I find it boring in the first 10 min. of the first episode and decided to ditch it(that's how picky I am) but for the sake of my "wasted" HDD space I decided to rerun it and I'm very glad that I did.
In the end of the day I find myself crying on the 23rd episode and had a bittersweet smile at the 24th. I'm not someone to cry on any drama so it really surprised me how I was so frustrated to Fujimoto, he was a jerk. LOL.
Anyways the series was unforgettable. I really enjoyed watching it and its truly worthwhile. Kobato reminded me that somewhere, maybe, on this world there is this one idiot person that follows you around, annoys you. You might end up hurting that person but still that person will always be by your side, no matter what and someday you'll realize how important it is ...to have an idiot person beside you...
By the way, this will be my first review and I don't know whether my style of writing would fit for a review. They always told that my writing was dreamy and I have no hope writing bookish statements. So if you find my review so disturbing or something, please send me a message, it would really help me. And for grammatical errors, sorry I was refraining from using a lot of metaphors.
A2ZOMG
Kobato is a show I really struggled to find raw enjoyment in. It may be part in fact that I am normally a fan of silly lighthearted romance comedies and the occasional shonen anime. Suffice to say that this would be one reason to avoid this show. If you're looking for something flashy that will grab your attention immediately, this show is worth removing from your "Plan to Watch" list. However ultimately I did decide to watch this show to completion since I am open to trying new things. The story is fairly down to earth, once you look past the obvious fact thatKobato and Ioryogi are obviously not normal beings. The show starts very slowly, playing itself out episodically as Kobato interacts with other people on different days of the seasons to heal them of their misfortunes and collect "candy" in the process. That by itself is fairly repetitive, and little is done to really explain in detail who exactly the main characters are. Aside from the occasional gag where Kobato's clumsiness gets the better of her (and Ioryogi's temper), it's hard to find anything that really stands out in this show, as plot and character development happens very slowly. I probably sympathize with Ioryogi's complaints about 'Dobato' in general not getting stuff done efficiently.
The art is at least pretty good. Characters and special effects have been drawn with pretty good detail, so the show at least won't make you want to tear your eyes out. The music isn't very special, aside from Kobato's song, and the first ED for this show is painfully uninteresting with an unremarkable song and a redundant animation of Kobato's candy bottle slowly rotating.
The story does try to pick itself up towards the end, explaining some of Fujimoto and Sayaka's background and how it relates to Yomogi nursery, and even closer towards the end there is some attempt to try to explain why Kobato is significant to this in the first place. The show becomes a bit of a confusing mess when there is some indirect attempts to hint around the backgrounds of the characters from other worlds and there is a good number of poorly explained ends.
Is this show what people would classify as of the shoujo genre? Maybe that genre is not meant for me. I'd like someone to tell me otherwise if there are perhaps better shows like this one. It's not like I find this show is outright horrible. While there are some humorous and tender moments, there really just isn't enough that happens over the course of 24 episodes. It's just a very slow show in general with a fairly uncomplicated plot that has few twists to really spark interest. Overall I really wouldn't recommend wasting ~12 hours on this show. I don't find this show good enough in anything to counterbalance how slow this show is. The characters aren't developed well enough for the most part, the story isn't really wholly amazing, and there isn't really much implementation of anything that will grab your attention like action scenes.
NatalijaW
Every single person you've meet in your life hasn't felt perfect in every single moment of his/her life. It's nothing but normal to feel pain in certain situations. But there are people who suffer a little more than others. In this anime, a mysterious girl appears with a mission. She has to heal hearts which are in pain, in other words, wounded hearts. If she completes her mission, her wish will come true. The story has very happy and very sad moments. It succeeds in making you smile without being stupid and succeeds in making you sad without being pathetic and boring. I would saythat the story is pretty good, it had potential and used it. There is background story for almost everything that happens, and behind almost every character. The final form was done well. It may be deeper than it seems. Only thing I don't like is that there are few 'holes' in it. I mean, some thing aren't explained very well in the end, so:
Story: 9
While trying to complete her mission, she meets many people with interesting stories. All those persons have completed, interesting, touching and pretty realistic stories. I liked that you can laugh and cry with those characters. Also, I must mention that the characters develop through the story. You can notice how they learn more about themselves, experience all sorts of feelings and realize them. I would say they get more 'mature' in self-knowledge with the pass of time.
Kobato is kind and nice girl. In the beginning it seems that she helps other people only because of her selfish wishes, but later we see that she really likes to help others, which makes her a great person. Fujimoto at first seems like self-centered and cold person, but he really isn't like that. We can watch him getting softer and softer as the time passes. And Ioryogi is a lot more than a stuffed animal.
Characters: 10
The drawing looks simply beautiful. The thing I liked the most were eyes (and the whole face). The characters look pretty realistic. Also, their body parts are proportional, which is good. The clothes were fantastically drawn, and I liked that they aren't wearing the same clothes all the time. Their moves are done pretty good too. Animation was correct, no mistakes, and was especially good in some episodes.
Art: 10
The music was done well. The songs were different one from each other. They were perfectly suitable for the 'mood' of the moments. Here, we had both sad and happy sounds. The voice acting was pretty fine, without special mistakes. I would like more emotions in few moments, but that's only my personal impression. Voices fit good in characters. I loved second ending.
Sound: 9
This anime has many parts different in mood. In one moment it makes you laugh, in second it makes you worry, in third you cry. It gets both happy and sad, dramatic, and in few moments romantic. It surely will make you enjoy. The only thing I didn't like is that there were few funny scenes based on the same situation, so:
Enjoyment: 9
Overall: 9
This show is a good choice if you want to watch something relaxing, but not without a story. Also, it can easily change your mood, so, if you want to get in the story, it's a good idea to watch this. This is an anime you don't just watch, you feel it.
Quote for the end:
"Is there anyone who needs healing here?!"
Akira-ne
Before I watched Kobato, I had yet to find an anime that made me emotional. I had NEVER cried before while watching an anime, and I did watch some pretty sad/deep ones. When I saw the DVD cover, I was a bit hesitant. I couldn't help but think that it would be another one of those pointless happy-go-lucky friendship-is-the-best animes. But. The opening started playing and by the end of the first episode my eyes were glued to the computer screen. I I literally fell in love with Kobato's guardian/mascot/stuffed animal Ioriyogi! The art was amazing and I adored Kobato's cute, frilly outfits (why don't Ihave clothes like that sobsob).
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
The sound was of an outstanding quality and I just realized I never really thought about the quality of it because it was THAT EPIC!
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
I was watching the last episode at 2 a.m (wow! early, much?) and I let me tell you, my pyjamas were SOAKED and I cried for about half an hour! I woke up my whole family! The episode was so sad but at the same time so happy... Kobato is such a sweetie and Fujimoto is kinda stubborn and likes to lash out at people but that adds to his moe-ness !!!!(*is a masochist*)
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
I recommend this series to anyone who is sad and wants something to cheer them up, or just wants a good cry. I also recommend it to people who have pretty much watched every good anime known to otaku and can't find an anime without ninja turds and anything to do with souls being taken. Actually, scratch that.
I recommend Kobato to EVERYONE!
Akira-ne ☆
butterflystudios
After finishing watching Kobato only today, I was compelled to write my first review ever for this wonderful anime, Kobato. Where to start? Story: 10/10 I definitely thought the story was well thought out. Some could argue that there were a lot of "fillers", but I disagree. The episodes that seemingly contributed no development to the plot let the watcher get a better feel on each of the characters' background stories and personalities, especially Kobato and Fujimoto's. Kobato's background story, not so much, but definitely her personality. The last 7 or so episodes really started picking up the pace and started climbing towards the climax. Again, the storywas well-thought out. I am definitely the type of anime-watcher who would ditch a series after watching the first few episodes if I wasn't interested, and in fact, I did put Kobato on hold after the first 10 episodes, but I'm so glad that I decided to watch again a few days ago. I would've never thought that this anime could develop so much and bring so much meaning to life (dramatic, I know!) in a mere 24 episodes.
Art: 10/10
Many agree that the art in Kobato is just refreshing, modern, and amazing--and so do I! Unlike some anime, the "profile" shots of the characters were never distorted and they always looked great. You could definitely tell the animators weren't being lazy! The art is beautiful, beautiful, so beautiful. One quirky thing I just noticed (and liked!) about the art was Kobato's way of dressing. I've watched and read most of Clamp's work, and it seemed like they took bits of Cardcaptor Sakura (with the costumes) and Tsubasa Chronicles (her body-shape and long dresses) and combined those styles into Kobato's dresses full of simple colors and great design that show that Kobato is unique, cute, beautiful, innocent... the list goes on.
Sound: 9/10
I admit, I don't pay much attention to the soundtrack of an anime unless it's for fighting scenes, the climax, or the music's just really loud. Kobato's songs are beautiful and so fitting for this cute but emotional anime. As for the soundtrack, it definitely fit the anime and the mood of it with a simple piano background at times or the tinkling of bells. The seiyuus (voice actors) did a good job with their characters. The characters' voices were realistic and true to the character. Kobato's voice took a little while to get used to since it was so high-pitched and I could HEAR the smile in her voice. Scary, I know. But it was great :) I loved loryogi's voice the most.
Character: 8/10
As I said in the "Story" section of my review, there were some "fillers" but they helped with the characterization of Kobato, Mrs. Sayaka, and Fujimoto mostly. Kobato's background is pretty hazy and vague most of the 26 episodes, but near the end you find out so much information, but it's not overwhelming. You just need to be patient. As for Mrs. Sayaka and Fujimoto, their backgrounds are pretty well explained throughout the series in every other episode or so, so there is no suspenseful wait for the details on those two.
What I didn't like about the characterization in Kobato. is loryogi's background and his friends (Ginsei, etc). I just felt that CLAMP didn't do enough to describe their pasts in detail, only dropping some vague information here and there. I was pretty confused about their backgrounds throughout the anime and I was dying to know more about them, almost as much as I wanted to know about Kobato's past and who she really is. Spoilers aren't allowed in reviews, but all I can say is that I feel pretty disappointed about loryogi and the lack of information on him.
Enjoyment: 9/10
I had to be patient with this anime. I'm the type with a very short attention span who never likes to commit to anything, pretty much. But I did come back to this anime after a one month break and I enjoyed it IMMENSELY. The first 15 episodes or so are cute and sweet, but as I recall, didn't really contribute to the plot that much.
The beginning episodes talked about the history of Yomogi Nursery and Mrs. Sayaka, Fujimoto, and some other minor characters and how Kobato settled into Earth. I soon lost interest after watching for a bit. But I'm very glad I finished watching Kobato to the end. After the first half of the series, "action" started picking up and I was hooked to the very end, where I got all emotional and sniffled a bit. I enjoyed Kobato so so much, I just wish that the beginning half had more to offer, especially about loryogi and his friends.
Like in most of CLAMP's work, they "recycled" their characters. Some characters from their other works like Tsubasa Chronicles and Cardcaptor Sakura appeared in Kobato, though they had very minor roles. That was enjoyable XD
Overall: 9/10
I was definitely tempted to make the overall a "10" but I knew that the anime did have a minor cons. I would definitely recommend this anime to anyone who likes Cardcaptor Sakura-type anime, but you need to be prepared for less action, but more kawaii-ness :) Also, anyone who is stressed and just needs a break to watch a cute, fun-filled (not the Lucky Star-type, though!), and emotional anime whose main key points are making other people happy and enjoying it. This anime is definitely centered around happiness and made me very happy too. After reading all the comments each episode got on the internet, everyone felt happy too. CLAMP really captured my heart with this anime. I'll definitely consider reading the manga. :D
asckj1
Story: A thorough and intense story. Watching it with concentration gives you the essence of how excellently the story unfolds. The small things in life are depicted wonderfully in these 24 episodes. Emotions have been handled with great care to give the appropriate impact in each episode. [10/10] Art: The Original Art by Mangaka CLAMP are always beautifully drawn. (They are the best illustrators among Mangaka really -only my personal opinion ofcourse.) The Art in the series too is excellent. Kobato's innocence, Sayaka Sensei's kindness, Kiyokazu's attitude, all show up nicely from the way they have been drawn. Loryogi-san is comical. The background landscapeis not much so that focus is kept more on the characters- again a benifit in terms of the impact that the characters and their behavior can have on the viewer. [10/10]
Sound: Music by Takeshi Hama is melodious. An Ancient Story is my personal favourite. Ashita Kuru Hi (sung by Kobato in the series at 2-3 occasions) is another melody which slowly begins to resonate after a few episodes. Hotaru no Mori is another beautiful tune with bells. Most music pieces are played on Violins, Viola, Cello, Piano. The music again adds to the atomosphere creation in each episode. [10/10]
Characters: Kobato's innocence is 100% believable. There are also some times in episodes when one suddenly realises that though she is all bubbly all the time, there is a hint of sadness somewhere behind that smile. Sayaka Sensei's kindness is too much but still that character is very much believable. Kiyokazu is shown to have a bit of attitude but he's a really caring person inside. Doumoto is simply a guy any girl would love to fall in love. Loryogi-san is really comical. But he too cares for Kobato throughout the series and indirectly guides her to good things. [10/10]
Enjoyment: If you like watching Slice of life genre anime then Kobato is THE anime to watch. Day to day experiences that Kobato has have varied emotions. And in many ways Kobato herself heals many peoples troubled hearts unknowingly. [10/10]
Overall: It was an overwhemling experience for me to see a story that was so perfectly woven to express emotions felt by a person in everyday life. Emotions though unfolded one by one have a rather intense impact on the viewer many a times. (especially episode 13- you just have to watch it to understand how subtly you get attached to Kobato's innocence and how she feels about things) The art of the manga as well as the series was a visual treat (as is always the case for me when i read any CLAMP manga). Music is very melodious and aptly builds up the atmosphere in each episode. Comical situations in the story are well positioned. What more can i say just go ahead and start watching and you'll know what magic CLAMP stories cast on you :)
anime-cat
I actually enjoyed this anime so much. I originally started watching it because I was after a time passer but Kobato turned out to be so much more. The whole anime was such a mood lifter and can be best described as soft and fluffy. The story follows a girl, Kobato, who has been sent to Earth to heal people's hearts. She has 4 seasons of the weather to fill up a jar with the 'konpeito', what the bottled heart fragments are referred to. Her guide is Iorogi, a being taking the form of a stuffed animal. Kobato falls in love with a nurseryshe begins to work at and the story follows from there.
Story 8/10 - I admit that the last few episodes aren't what I expected. It turned out to be one of those 'fate' animes. Up until the last episode the story was perfect. There were occasional fillers but they were funny and cute so I didn't mind. The anime was well paced, never did I think, 'did I miss something?'. Even though the ending wasn't perfect, it had its own charms because it showed what happened to everyone as time passed and I couldn't spot any holes in the plot. It ran really smoothly. Though, I didn't like that they kept us guessing Kobato's past until the very end.
Animation & music 8/10 - The art was beautiful. I didn't like how the hair was done for some characters but the art was so crisp and pretty. The change of clothing was also something which I liked, especially Kobato's.
The music was soft and refreshing. I truly did enjoy the songs which were used, even though they were repetitive. The OP and ED suited the anime very well.
Characters 9/10 - The characters were so deep. That's what I loved. Everyone had a back story, even if it wasn't explained very well. Their personalities were done very well. Kobato was truly the most gorgeous character and it was very hard not to love her. All the other characters were likeable too.
Overall, 8/10, I really enjoyed this anime and look forward to re watching it sometime in the future.
riiiiya
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Slice of Life ♥The story is very unique and sad (but in a good way!) ♥The protagonist is very cute and cheerful and her companion is always angry but is funny in a way... ♥I like each and every episode because it has a different and touching everyday story in every episode ♥The singing and soundtrack are very soothing and I could listen to it all day! ♥The art is very detailed, clear and overall really beautiful Must Watch Rate: 9/10 [Feel free to ask any more questions or discussions] ♥
xC0DEB10C
Ah Kobato... If you look at my anime list, you will notice that Im very picky when it comes to rating. And seldomly do I ever give away a full 10 points. The only anime so far on my list that has gotten a full 10 points is Clannad. I praised it holy and as a milestone in my anime watching career. And now! The time has come to gift a new wonderfull anime 10 points, and oh shall we prais its presence next to Clannad at the top of my ranking. This anime... I rated it as a 10 - Masterpiece because if there is one wordid choose to describe it, it would be: Beatiful.
Its perfectly balanced story wise and very enjoyable to watch. The characters are all lovable and unique. Everything about this anime, from the story to the music is just plain beatiful.
One thing I realy love is the art. A big plus point is the way the faces are drawn, they are somewhat unique and new, but very nice to look at. You will probaly fall in love with this style after the first episode. And Kobato's dresses are also very adorable to look at.
The story is very flat and easy to follow, alltho this anime will surley make you heart soft and bring forward a couple tears, its overall enjoyment is outstanding. You laugh, you cry, and then you cry again because it makes you so happy. Clannad had thies elements, but compared to Clannad, Kobato is easier to watch and lighter hearted.
Now there is something I want to share with all of you. I am a big fan of Chobits, a former anime also made by Clamp. And when you watch this anime and you are familiar with Chobits, you will notice some things that will realy give you a pleasent supprise content wise. Im going to list thies little easter eggs here because they realy made my heart go "awww isnt this awsome".
- The resedent that Kaboto stays at, is the exact same one from chobits, the twin sisters are the Chobit sisters (chi and her sister) and the resedent owner is the wife of the creater of the chobit series, who is also the mother to them.
- The bakery that Kaboto works at every once in a while is named "Tirol" and the shop owner and his assistant are the same ones out of Chobits.
I think there was 1 or 2 more but I cant think of them atm. But basicly thies characters out of the Chobits anime are in Kaboto's world in a Human state, basicly like everything should have been. At least thats my impression and gave this anime an extra flavor that I truly loved.
Its hard to put all the emotions and beaty of this anime in to words, im not even going to try very hard because I dont want to screw anything up and leave a odd impression.
So to all you comedy, drama, romance genre fans out there! Kobato is defently a MUST WATCH anime. And when you watch it, I hope you love it as much as I do. It defently earned thos 10 points.
mathalaxryn
Cardcaptor Sakura, even when I didn't know back then, was the first touch I had with CLAMP. After being somehow disappointed by Chobits, I decided to start Kobato. Here's my review of this anime that will warm you heart. Story : 9/10 The story of Kobato is pretty simple. We don't know much at first, but it seems that Kobato has to heal broken hearts to realize her wish. Broken hearts, as we and Kobato understand, can be hard to understand and especially to heal. The first 5-6 episodes are completely devoted to this understanding of how the 'konpeito' works. I will tell more aboutthe story on the characters review.
Art: 10/10
This was my biggest fear, as what really turned me off on Chobits was the art, which didn't please me. Kobato was a complete opposite. Characters are overly cute, of course, so you should be aware of that. Hair that almost touches the ground, clothes that are almost surreal, Kobato can't really be considered as a normal japanese girl, but that's because she is not. The art is really, really good and the scenery is amazing.
Sound : 8/10
The voice of Kobato is really, really nice. She has this kind of way to sing that really warms you up. However, she only sings one song in the entire anime, which is a bit disappointing. The song is really cute, really well written and representative of the anime. Overall, you can't really say that the sound was bad on Kobato, it was just non-diversified.
Character : 10/10
This is where the good part comes. For the first 5-6 episodes, you might be disappointed and think that this is what the entire anime will be : an episodical anime following the type of Natsume Yuujinchu or even Jigoku Shoujo, where the main character pretty much stays the same all over the anime. However, when Kobato reaches to her kindergarten school, all of this goes away. The character development is amazing. Kobato really grows and learns and it's so nice to see her understand, to feel her joy and sadness, to watch her realize how much this world has to offer. She really is an amazing character and in her own way she also changes everyone she meets.
Enjoyment : 10/10
I'm having goosebumps as I'm typing this review. Kobato really touched me and I would recommend it to anyone who's looking for a really soft anime, but well written and really, really full of surprises. The ending of the anime will not disappoint you, that I can assure.
Overall : 10/10
Kobato is the second anime to deserve a 10 from my part. This anime was pure gold. I learned to love Kobato and her naivety, but also wanted to protect her and see her understand the world she lived in, and she did. It was such a joy to see her grow so much and to watch her heal people, live and laugh, to see her change the people she met and to see them slowly starting to love her, to miss her. You can't skip Kobato, because it really is worth it.
Sweetlollipop
[first review] Well....I have to say this anime isn't what i expected at all. I expected some regular girl just trying to fulfill something, and a happy ending. Story: 10 out of 10 I love the story, it had a good slowness going with it. Yes, CLAMP usuals was going along with this, but had some twists that you might not expect. This anime brought me to tears at time but it always end up **** [not telling ;)] Art: 9 out of 10 The art was nice~ Very Cute! I sure you will love the chibis. And if your a fan of CLAMP's work then ya ithink you should watch this. But one thing that i didn't really like was how they mande the eyes. it's not sparkly but that's just me xD
Characters: 10 out of 10
You have to watch it to find out xD i don't want to spoil anything
Overall this anime is great. Cute,sad sometimes,funny, and much more!
Zemxi
Passion: a word of unyielding emotion, an art of captivation, and yet sometimes an expression of suffering. Passion is a more than suitable word for describing what is seen in the series Kobato. This series is laudable for its characters integrity and the continuous appeal of the story, marked with a great overall enjoyment. The development of the many individual characters are outstanding along with the relationships that are shared among all of them. Even the supporting characters are connected to the main story in a magnificent manner. The many complex relationships that were developing were done in a way as suchthe audience could relate or reflect back upon moments and bring any emotion out, where the emotions can be played with by the writers and be more critically effective towards feeling like the audience is alongside the characters. This is also due to the effects of the wonderful music that fit perfectly with the seen and emotion that was present. The joyous music during the happiest of times along with the soothing and somber sounds during crestfallen times leading to the magical expression of emotion and showing the true passion of this series.
This series is representative of an art. The colors are magnificent; for instance, Kobato's apparel and expressions are gorgeous. The use of the strong color red does not overpower, yet instead gives strength to all the other colors of the spectrum. Along with all the characters, the scenery is equally astounding in the quality and scrupulosity. Along side the art, the story line is just as detailed and stunning in quality. The story is brilliant in its ability to stay specific to the overarching theme yet be so detailed that any tangent can be connected to the theme and become important for other events in both the past and future. This entire piece is a masterful work that is artistic in writing and imagery where all the details become individually important and equally as enjoyable.
Whether being the details of a house or the relationship between two characters, each piece is reliant upon every other aspect, and together, they create a single, spectacular, and unifying piece that is molded into this series. With each part playing its role to perfection and creating harmony, the sense of passion and desire that is within the heart of this series makes it a formidably enjoyable show for those who like anime of daily life, romance, cute characters, and emotional fluctuation. A full sense of passion.
Therefore, I have given this a masterpiece rating:
10☆'s for all the outstanding features.
mylovelyfate
Let me start off by saying my eyes are still wet from watching the last episode. The thing that primarily caught my attention with this anime was the art. Not going to lie. I was searching up new anime's to watch, and I was taken in by the art style, so I read the short synopsis and gave it a shot. Not that the art is anything completely over the top amazing, I just fairly enjoyed it. The character design i thought was very nice, and same with the settings. I honestly fell in love with almost every single one of these characters. They allhave something going for them that makes you just want to love them forever. Everyone has their own flaw, but I completely bypassed anything negative with these characters and just fell in love with everything else. And the negative just made me empathize. Great, great, great, great character developement.
I found the story to be that of a nice tale. In some points of the anime, I began to get annoyed at the subplots with secondary characters you never really care about in the first place, but that did not effect the overall enjoyment of Kobato. It has twists and turns throughout the series, and it's rare, but I really couldn't predict the ending for Kobato. An whatever I did predict was semi-wrong. Or completely.
Overall I gave this anime an eight, because only my favorite anime's ever get 9's, and I haven't issued a 10 as of yet. This is close to being a favorite, trust me, I would say at least 8.5, not just a solid 8.
Going into watching this anime, I didn't hear a single thing about it from anyone, so I was taking a chance. Usually I rely on other peoples judgement to help shape my own path, but this time I decided to go out on the limb and try something completely different. I was a little skeptical of Kobato's worth, even though it's rated roughly around an 8.12, but I was pleasently surprised. If you want a good heart warming anime, I suggest you give this one a try because it was one for the record books ;D
tsujiri
Expectation: Protagonist magically heals broken hearts from lots of emotional high school romances, divorces, and mild trauma in each episode that ends on happy notes. Alright, sounds like just the right blend of bittersweet but warm and empowering, I'm in. Reality: Ditzy girl with 0 superpowers devotes the majority of her life to a failing kindergarten with predictable children. "Helps" people by forcing her way into the daily lives of neighbourhood's residents, and is rewarded when they smile. - I was initially surprised that I hadn't heard of this anime before. The description sounded appealing for a sensitive sh*t like me, and I generally appreciateprotagonists who try to make others' lives better, because I too, like helping people in real life. Now I know why it was never popular, and hope it stays that way. It is NOTHING like the description said; the description is a LIE.
- Out of 24 episodes, we can say maybe 2 of them were actually 'broken heart' related stories. Literally everyone else was under 10 years old and 'healing their hearts' could be as simple as telling someone they're awesome that day. That's. It. There is no deeper meaning, no tragic backstory, and very little focus on young adults or anything adult, really. This show is a show about KINDERGARTENERS. PRESCHOOLERS. TODDLERS.
- And I love toddlers. e.g. Gakuen Babysitters is one of my favourite 'feel-good' series to watch. But ... this isn't one of them. Where Gakuen Babysitters shows realistic sides (good AND bad) behaviour from babies and their families... these toddlers were one-dimensional. They had as much depth as a cardboard tree cut out. Their voices sound the same, they generally do what they're told, they're unrealistically peppy all the time; they're basically a lifeless NPC army.
- Protagonist has too many aspirations, and there's too many genres and elements stuffed into one series. You're never sure if you're watching a magical fantasy anime, supernatural spirits, working part time job lifestyles, or fake Japanese mafia. They somehow cram all of that into one episiode, so nothing makes sense.
- They introduce new characters (e.g. Kohaku) and then you only see them again when the protagonist needs their help DESPERATELY. It's inconsistent and very confusing. And the characters. Ohmygod, the side characters. I wish I could say the supporting characters saved this show - they didn't. While we do get VERY good looking male characters that were totally my type and why I even bothered watching at all (Doumoto is best boy) ... we don't really learn much about any of them, male or female. They had a lot of potential, but it seemed like the writers were content with focusing on the idiotic protagonist and her "love interest who is not a love interest".
- Re: love interest
God, that guy is a piece of WORK. He is an arrogant jerk to everyone. He works 3 jobs at any time, taking out his unresolved childhood trauma on strangers, and never smiles. But of course, because of how poorly this anime is written, he's somehow The World's Most Eligible Bachelor to our protagonist. She sees him as a 'project' to take on, similar to women who want to change womanizers they've fallen in love with. No. Do not. Stop. Ladies, you know this kind of story never ends well. You can't change someone who doesn't want to change on their own! But this anime will tell you that is exactly possible, and ONE WOMAN can change the world. The way the world revolves around the protagonist perfectly, they could've showed her ending world hunger and achieve world peace, and it would be a plausible storyline.
I am actually really bummed about this part. Like I sincerely hope that this anime did not influence viewers too much and encourage females to chase after men who are abusive towards them. While the efforts to improve someone's life are commendable, there are so many other people who will appreciate the love, energy, effort, and support given out. 'Projects' could benefit more from professional psychotherapy than years of well-meaning do-gooders who don't address the root source of trauma, neglect, abandonment etc.
- The love interest's character growth improves... by the end of the anime. Same thing with the other side characters including "Ioryogi." I actually found the 'talking plush toy animal' gag very annoying after 2 episodes. Especially because they employed slapstick humor throughout the series, breathing fireballs and other 'comic relief' scenes that came off as cringy to me. I don't think I could reasonably tolerate this much slapstick humor unless I was 12 years old again. He could've been an intelligent bodyguard dog of sorts, but no, they had him as a menacing toy that yelled every. five. seconds. It wasn't funny to me.
- Did I mention that the kindergarten the protagonist is obsessed with is in unexplained debt? Throughout the series, we know that the land(?) the school sits on is valuable, and the teacher owes money. But why she owes money, how the debt even started, isn't explained until Episode 22+, and even then, it's very vague. Like two sentences. It's incredibly frustrating to watch, and felt like the writers created fake drama so the story would have some plot. Huge waste of time.
- Lastly. The stream I watched this on translated the candy representing hearts into 'confetti,' which was mildly offensive. I'm pretty sure the correct translation should be Konpeitō (金平糖, コンペイトー), a standard in Japanese sweets and known globally...
- The graphics were also terrible (though I'm not sure if this was because of the streaming platform), only 360p available, so it felt like I was watching a series from 2005 and not 2009, when it was supposed to have aired. Other graphic / artist rant - Kobato's clothes are faded pastel tones at all times... but they're not done well. There's a lot of cream yellow, maroon, light green or light pink. I didn't really like any of her outfits, they felt like a very weird clash of 'Lolita meets Mori girl' fashion. There's so many ways and colors to do that well, and this fell flat. Hurt the eyes.
In conclusion:
To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. I'm just utterly relieved it's over. I wanted to drop this series many, many, times, but the social pressure of people on MAL generally finishing their series kept me going. I didn't understand the word 'Pollyanna' and thought it was Americans misunderstanding optimistic people. No. If I only had one word to describe the whole series, it would be that: Pollyanna. Now I know the perfect definition of it, embodied in Kobato, and why it's unattractive.
If you still want to watch this anime.
Nothing happens from episode 1 - 12. That's right. You can completely skip the first half and literally won't miss anything.
