10 Years of Kodocha, aka Kodomo no Omocha
Kodocha captured my heart in 2016 and never let go. It's crazy to think that it's been a decade since I stumbled upon the anime on YouTube. Ever since, it's narrative about a hyper-active elementary school girl/actress taming a troubled and lonely classmate changed my life.
So what is Kodocha ACTUALLY about? It's the story of elementary school student and child actress Sana Kurata, who goes face-to-face with a group of bullies in her class, led by Akito Hayama. It's revealed very soon that Akito has something he's holding over the teacher's heads to get away with whatever he wants, and it's Sana's mission to stop him from causing even more chaos.
But there is more to Akito than meets the eye. We see another side to him within the first arc; a side plagued by loneliness and trauma from a long history of family abuse.
This is the main aspect of Kodocha that makes it stand out from other anime and manga series I've seen and read. Exploring character psychology is nothing new to the medium, especially in shoujo, but there's something about the way Kodocha develops it's characters that feels a lot more authentic to me. Maybe it's because I can relate a lot to Sana in particular, but the way mangaka Miho Obana pours her own experiences into her characters is just beautiful, and shows she isn't afraid to convey the most vulnerable aspects of human nature.
Kodocha is a Psychological Masterpiece
Kodocha has everything. Comedy, romance, weird little erratic bat/rabbit creatures providing commentary when necessary (and when unnecessary)...but Kodocha really shines when it show it's characters in their darkest moments. Without giving away too many spoilers, we eventually find out that there is a lot more going on with Sana behind her happy-go-lucky facade. In fact, one could argue that she is more troubled by her past than Akito.
(Kodocha, Volume 3)
The character depth doesn't stop with the two protagonists, though. Almost every character in Kodocha has just as many layers to them as Sana and Akito. Tsuyoshi, Akito's best male friend and previous rival for Sana's affections, has a level-headed personality until you get him anger or upset. But Obana doesn't just make Tsuyoshi this way for laughs - there is a deeper REASON why he is so prone to snapping when conflict arises. (Minor spoiler: it has to do with the influence of his family.)
(Tsuyoshi, very angry indeed)
In Kodocha, there is a strong emphasis on family relationships and dynamics. These even play out between the main child characters - most notably between Sana and Akito, with Sana becoming a mother figure for him after the first arc.
What I love about Kodocha is how much of it can be analyzed and viewed through the lens of psychology. Whether Obana infused these concepts into her writing or not is unclear, but due to the amazingly realistic depth of her character's, I can't help but be reminded of psychological concepts I've read about and learned in college.
I was so inspired by Kodocha so I decided to create a youtube channel about the series. I mainly post character analysis videos. The project I am most proud of is an on-going video series I do about Sana and Akito's relationship. For the majority of the series, I analyze their relationship and personal growth (manga only) using Erikson's Stages of Development - a model that suggests there a certain obstacles we face at certain points in life based on our age. Other single character analysis videos are also viewed through psychological theories, such as my analysis of manga-only character Kazuyuki Komori and how his story relates the Japanese psychological concept know as amae - an innate desire to seek security from a caregiver or authority figure; conceptualized by psychologist Takeo Doi.
Why Kodocha is Special
Kodocha is special because it has the uncanny ability to reach us in our most vulnerable places - while effortlessly blending comedy and romance. I think everyone can probably see a part of themselves within the characters and story to some degree. While I'll never be as outgoing as Sana, I can heavily relate to her hesitancy opening up to others about things that are troubling her. Regardless of how much you can relate to these characters, there are valuable lessons to learn in this series; from the importance of forgiveness, self-acceptance, and letting go of the past.
If you've never watched or read Kodocha, I highly recommend both the anime and manga; although I must admit the manga is better. If you came here because you're a Kodocha fan, thank you so much for reading this blog, and I hope you stick around here and my channel for more! 💖
