As anime fans worldwide have noted over the decades, many underage anime protagonists live alone. The reasons behind this tend to vary; it could be due to their parents' work, or because they're orphans, or because they actively chose to live alone. The settings -- and their sheer variety -- often play a part in this as well, from fantastical ones to a down-to-earth slice of life.
But why do so many anime feature underage protagonists living alone? Here's a deeper look into it, and whether this is something that's actually common in real-life Japan.
A minor living alone is ripe fodder for all kinds of shippy moments in romance anime. The removal of parental figures means there's less chance of any romantic moments being interrupted. Sometimes, it can also lead to the protagonist allowing a potential love interest to live with them. After all, if their parents aren't around, then they can't say "no". Romantic Killer parodies this trope by having the main character Anzu's parents suddenly decide to leave on a business trip out of nowhere. Eventually, Anzu gets involved in all sorts of mishaps that predictably lead to her offering two attractive guys to live with her, although she still tries her darnedest to avoid any romantic situations.
A minor living alone can also be used as prime fuel for angst. Maybe the main character has neglectful parents, or maybe they decided to live alone because they have a bad relationship with them. Maybe they do, in fact, have a good relationship with their parents but circumstances are preventing them from being together. This character may have guardians in the form of other residents living close by, forming a pseudo-found family dynamic as a result. Kotaro Lives Alone is a prime example of this, as many of the other apartment residents express concern over a toddler living by himself and frequently check in on him.
Is it Common for Minors to Live Alone in Japan?
Minors living alone in Japan is not as common as most anime would lead one to believe, but it is legally permitted in the country. Oftentimes, the primary reason is due to schooling. Because of Japan's declining population, many schools in rural areas have started to close down, leading to many high school-aged students seeking to further their education elsewhere. Sometimes these rural areas do have high schools, but they lack certain programs that their counterparts in the city offer. While it is more common for these types of students to end up moving to a dormitory, it isn't unusual for them to move to an apartment that their parents pay rent for.
This is one of the reasons why the protagonist of Heroines Run the Show moves to an apartment in Tokyo by herself. She wanted to attend a high school with a good track and field club, which the only high school in her hometown didn't have. But rather than being used as a tool for shipping or angst, it's instead simply used to bring Hiyori into the story and lead her to apply for a job as a manager for two rising idol singers. Despite some of the silly hijinks that ensue, this is actually one of the more realistic and down-to-earth uses of the minors living alone trope.
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