Ending the series with a Christmas episode where (almost) all the characters are gathered together really was the best way to end it. It was a great to show how much Ryuichi and Kotaro’s lives have changed. While their parents are gone, they’ve made friends with so much people and they both have a place that they can call home.
I liked the first half a lot, I’m glad we got a little backstory with Saikawa. It seems even he has regrets like not laughing in front of the chairwoman’s son. The library holds lots of memories for both him and the chairwoman, so it was sweet that he and Kotaro spent some time in there, even though he read Kotaro love poems that I’m sure he did not understand at all. I think the only reason Kotaro wanted him to read him that book was because of the cute picture on the cover. The first half was also hilarious, because while Ryuichi was gone watching a movie with some friends, Saikawa was left to babysit. And to cheer him up, he played with Kotaro as if he were a cat and dog. Which is funny because not too long ago, I compared my dog to a baby because all she does is eat, sleep, poop, and whine. And, I just like Saikawa. There’s not much for him to do to make me smile, just some of the things he says are strange and funny. He’s a very dedicated man! I’m glad he got some spotlight in these last two episodes.
The second half was the Christmas episode, and Kotaro has become obsessed with Santa and will stop to look at every Santa picture or statue he sees.Ryuichi then gets the idea of dressing up as Santa for his brother but is having some issues, but his friends help him out with the suit. Saddened by the chairwoman and Saikawa not being able to join them for the Christmas dinner, Ryuichi decides to put on the Santa suit to cheer Kotaro up, but has issues when Kotaro follows him. Suddenly the door bell rings, and the whole gang is outside to have a party.
Ryuichi muses on his feelings, of being sad his parents weren’t there on the other side of the door, but still being overcome with joy and emotion from all his friends being there for him. It’s been a whole year since they moved in, and their lives have changed for the better.
And that’s it! It’s so sad seeing Gakuen Babysitters come to an end because I loved this show a lot! It was my weekly dose of relaxation and cuteness that I looked forward to, making me smile and laugh all the time. It was a nice play on the SoL genre because most don’t include children or babysitting. It was a show where the kids were the stars and we got the treat of watching them be really cute each week, and it gives you a fuzzy feeling.
If I had to give it some negatives, I would say that some stories were better than others. There were some stories and characters that I did not like so getting through those was annoying. I wish that had been some type of plot, or at least touching on the subject of the parents a little more, like they did with the first episode. This could also tie in with the show maybe feeling a little slow. I also would have liked a more honest approach with the chairwoman about her feelings. Speaking of the chairwoman, other side characters felt a little pointless and had no development so they can sometimes be a little forgettable compared to others.
There was some development and interesting topics touched with the brothers. In the first half, it was the first time Ryuichi hung out with his friends without Kotaro tagging along. I liked that the show pointed out Ryuichi’s loneliness and responsibilities as a brother, where said responsibilities can get in the way of him having a normal life of making friends, hanging out with them, and just doing the things he likes. Like I’ve mentioned before, he’s a young kid that has to play parent and brother to Kotaro so that gets in the way of things, so I was happy that the chairwoman and Saikawa convinced him to go. As for Kotaro, like Ryuichi said, Kotaro’s really been open with his emotions compared to how we saw him in the first episode. And when I use the words “character development” with Kotaro, I just mean that he’s literally growing up. He’s at the age where he understands emotions more, so good boy! And ahhhh his smile when he saw everyone outside the door, he was so happy! <33333
The rest of the babies were adorable as hell, and I can’t pick one favorite because I love them all. Most of the other characters were fun too.
There’s not much to say about this show. It’s incredibly adorable, it’s heartwarming, and it makes me really happy. I like when anime is about kids like this, or Amaama to Inazuma, or Hanamaru Kindergarten, because you know you’re in for some fun and cuteness. You know what you’re going to get. You’re going to get trips to the zoo, little kids arguing about superheroes and witches, a fart train, and a toddler going on his first errand. It’s simple, it’s adorable, it’s a pleasant experience. I don’t anticipate this series to get another season, and I’m happy with what I got, but I wouldn’t mind another season with these cute little kids. It was just so fun!
8/10
