In the new Netflix anime series The Way Of The Househusband, Tatsu (Jonah Scott) is a famed yakuza leader who has traded in the rough world of crime for a gentler day-to-day existence as a house-husband to his salary woman wife Miku (Laura Post).

While Miku pursues her work, he does home responsibilities such as laundry, cooking, and cleaning. His adventures in caring for Miku’s house sometimes conflict comedically with his fierce attitude and scary appearance and behavior. Tatsu’s involvement in household management is endearing, however, it’s often played for laughs.

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Opening Scene: 

A severely tattooed man is seen constructing an exquisite bento lunch box, replete with ornamental eggs and rice balls. He snaps a few photographs before his wife walks in, apparently rushing. She doesn’t have time to eat since she has an important meeting to attend.

Story Line: 

The Way of the Househusband is a comedy about an ex-yakuza boss named Tatsu and his wife Miku. We get to know Tatsu through a succession of vignettes (several per episode) as he adjusts to his new life as a stay-at-home spouse to support Miku while she pursues her job as a designer.

Tatsu is powerful and imposing, yet he is also a kind-hearted guy who loves his wife. He left his previous group to make sure she had a clean house and supper every day, a wonderful notion that truly demonstrates what sort of man he is, even though he was formerly a large, nasty criminal.

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While plunging deeper into the fanciful, the anime is pretty similar in tone to what we get out of The Way of the Househusband, especially given that one key character is the gruff but compassionate boss of a mermaid yakuza organization.

The source material for The Way of the Househusband is superb. The tone is friendly, familiar, and truly amusing. It’s amusing to see Tatsu go about his everyday activities to support his wife. They frequently result in amusing clashes between his ex-yakuza brothers and ne’er-do-wells who believe they can challenge him just because he’s left the world of organized crime behind.

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The performances are outstanding. The conversation is convincing. The stories are brief and seldom overstay their welcome. It’s great that the program isn’t making fun of Tatsu for taking care of the lady he loves. But there is one major flaw in the program that will make it impossible for some viewers to engage: the animation, or lack thereof. 

The program is already a bite-sized undertaking, with 15-minute segments. That would be OK if the animation lasted 15 minutes. Instead, fans of the manga will see Flash-like animation interrupted with more still frames than movement, giving the series a motion comic aesthetic rather than an anime series.

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This doesn’t work for a program that relies on clever humor and intricate character designs (Tatsu’s tattoos are especially striking). It comes out as sloppy and uninspired, which is unfortunate given the abundance of fantastic material available. One wonders why it was decided to cut corners here since it received high grades in all other categories. The animation doesn’t make it unwatchable, but it’s a lot to expect you to overlook.

Parting Shot: The family cat is shown interacting with a gruff dog named Elizabeth, who has wrapped herself around their dog’s home and is unable to get free. Instead of assisting, the cat decides to retire for the day after laughing. 

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Sleeper Star: Despite being the show’s major point and the reason Tatsu is generally at home laboring to keep the house operating well, we don’t get to see much of Miku. When we finally get to her, she’s such a bright spot that it’s enjoyable to watch her becoming thrilled about her work and the encouragement she receives from Tatsu to keep it going.

Also read: Under The Queen’s Umbrella: tale of a courageous queen looking for the next king

Most Pilot-y Clip: A pair of cops see Tatsu and think they recognize him, even though he’s only leaving to perform some chores. “They say there’s a great yakuza who shattered 10 of his rival group’s offices in one night, unarmed,” they exclaim. “His name is The Immortal Dragon!” “I heard he then abruptly departed,” they continue. Tatsu “vanished” to focus on his family – a worthy desire, to be sure.

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STREAM IT IS OUR CALL. Though the animation is horrifying, making the segments feel more like a motion comic than a full-fledged anime, there is a lot of heart to be found here. Each episode is brief, entertaining, and easy to consume. While there are several wasted chances in terms of animation, the voice cast is superb, as are the tales, and you’ll be grateful that it exists at all. After all, Tatsu will undoubtedly become a favorite from the moment you meet him.

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