Way of the Househusband is great, and if you haven't seen it yet, you're doing yourself a
disservice. Hell, if you want, read the manga if that's more of your style but I HAVE to
talk about how great this show is! It's been a really long time since I watched any anime (in
fact about 4 years, and the last one I saw was the first episode of My Hero Academia),
and this show was right up my alley. In fact, it reminded me a lot of the Yakuza game series
(another great piece of content to enjoy and you should check out), and the two protagonists were
more similar than I thought. This is my analysis on The Way of the Househusband, including the
themes within the show, similarities to Yakuza, and its humor. Goes without saying but there are
spoilers ahead about the show and the games, so if you want to go check out the show first
and binge through it (which would take a little more than an hour), go watch it and come back.
The Way of the Househusband or known in Japan as Gokushufudou (apologies in advance for butchering
that) follows the life of Tatsu, former legendary Yakuza once known as the “Immortal Dragon”
who has since retired from his of life crime into a... you guessed it, a househusband. He is married
to a woman named Miku, who works as a full time professional designer and they have a pet cat
named Gin. The show follows his misadventures as he adjusts to his normal life, whether being
stereotyped because of his demeanor or the way he dresses, babysitting and not being able to
relate to the child he's babysitting, taking on an old rival in a cooking contest, getting along
with his father-in-law, or trying to help his wife relax after a long day of work. Although I've read
very little of the manga, it seems to be based on Chapters 1 - 23, and 26 and 27, as each “episode”
contains 5 mini-episodes. There are also some episodes focused around Gin that usually close the
episodes out (which are based on bonus chapters from Volumes 1 - 3). One reason this show works so
well is the execution of its humor – Tatsu takes things so seriously, especially his role as a
househusband, but he is kind to those around him and goes the extra mile to help others in need.
One of these classic moments is his use of Yakuza-like language at the grocery store,
asking for “white powder, y'know the good stuff,” when in fact he is asking about flour.
A little bit later after this, after Miku asks to change his clothes, so he finds the perfect apron
to ward off those who might think he's Yakuza... though this time they just think he and Miku are
weird. Another personal favorite of mine are the mini-episodes focused on Gin the cat. There's a
very humorous episode where they he encounters another cat and they have a fiasco about doing
their business in the garden vs a litter box. Another favorite of mine is where he defends the
other vendors at a flea market from a shakedown by the Saruwatari Group. Although he is still
using his Yakuza-like language to de-escalate the situation, they think that he is implying that he
will rip them to shreds because of his legendary reputation, although he is simply trying to make a
trade to get them to go away. The deadpan style of comedy relates to the animation and manga style,
as they are short stories of his adventures. So while the animation isn't full-on anime style,
it is almost a comic strip of each frame as it goes along to its conclusion. The voice actors
do such a great job of making these characters believable and come to life that it was such a
great show to watch, and it reminded me so much of Yakuza Kiwami (which we will get to later).
Let's talk about one of the subtle themes that are evident in the show. The first is
how appearances can be deceiving. Although he is stereotyped because of the way he talks,
the way he dresses (which is very reminiscent of a Yakuza), and his actions that seem shady at times,
Tatsu is caring, loyal, and friendly at heart. In his marriage, he goes out of his way to make
Miku feel loved and appreciated, as seen when he surprises her with a birthday cake and birthday
party when she comes home from work. He also tries to get her to unwind after a long day of overtime,
although it somewhat backfires because he overdoes his efforts in trying to make her relaxed. When
he is babysitting Ryota, although he is scared of Tastu at first, Tatsu opens up and begins to keep
him entertained and also manages to provide a snack. He also doesn't get angry at Ryota for
breaking Miku's Cobalt Police Figurine and instead goes as so far to try to bury the figurine,
and even take fault when Miku arrives home in the event that she gets upset.
Tatsu has another run with Officer Nagai after witnessing a “deal” between Tatsu and Masa.
When he trails him to a closed restaurant, he soon discovers that he crashed in on a
birthday party for the Chairperson, and that the “deal” was Tatsu giving Masa homegrown basil.
Even when suspecting a briefcase, it turns out that it only holds potpourri.
Another theme in this show is second chances and adjusting to a life post-crime. This is
obviously evident not only in Tatsu's day-to-day life (though he manages to do better over time),
but also in the cases of Torajirou and Torii Hibari. Torajirou is released from prison and
meets Tatsu and Masa who are out shopping and stumble upon his food truck. Because of Tatsu
taking out his crew while he was in prison, he is now forced to run a food truck. Still
holding a grudge, he challenges Tatsu to a food battle where Torajirou creates a Jumbo
Deluxe Tropical Fruit Crepe while Tatsu creates an Almond Jelly and Fruit Jam.
In the manga it is implied that after this food war, he goes on to respect Tatsu for becoming
a househusband, despite their initial encounter. Tatsu sees Torii Hibari working in a supermarket,
who goes on to explain that the group shut down due to her husband passing away the previous year.
After knocking down cans, Tatsu helps restock them and while she perceives this as mockery,
he was actually letting her know the tomato can was in the wrong section. When realizing he is
serious about having left the Yakuza, she and her men apologize when he points out that he was
double charged, and offers him credit for the points if he brings his receipt in next time.
Although a lot of examples could be brought up about Tatsu, the most prominent one is where he
meets with his former Boss. The Boss is surprised to hear that Tatsu is now a househusband and
witnesses Tatsu's ability to whip up food for his dog Pinky, who has only been eating her treats.
Realizing how happy he is, he states that this is where he belongs to his men.
Another theme within the show is family & love, and the bond it creates. When Masa
can't understand why Tatsu left the life of Yakuza behind, Tatsu responds that he still protects his
family, but in a different way and can't do it with violence, implying that his love for Miku
is more important than his life of crime. When running into Kunimi who thinks Tatsu is attacking
him, Tatsu eventually gets through to him that he left his life behind, and gifts him with a pair
of gloves. This gets to Kunimi who is reminded of growing up poor with his mother and how she
was able to get him gloves. Kunimi is shown to appreciate these gloves greatly before the next
episode starts. As mentioned before, Tatsu goes so far as to make Miku feel special for her birthday,
decorating their home and baking her a cake. Although he still favors the suits that he
likes to wear, he realizes that Miku is right about him being way too intimidating, and buys
a Policure Apron to please her. This excites her and gets her to want him to strike a pose and
quote something from the show. When he has Miku follow him around from shop to shop, he reveals
that this is his 10th time to try to win a vacuum cleaner and although he only wins the 5th prize,
him seeing Miku happy is the real first prize to him. Although Miku's Dad didn't like Tatsu
at first because of how much he cared for Miku (and worrying about her getting hurt), he goes
on to try to bond with him by playing a father-son game of catch. When he is hurt by Tatsu's pitch,
Miku's Dad is simply happy to finally play a game of catch that isn't one sided. Although
he isn't doing this for anyone directly related to him, Tatsu dresses up as Santa for the community
Christmas Party (calling himself Immortal Claus) and brings fancy foods for the children and their
families. It is clear that Tatsu cares for his community and is good at heart with this selfless
act, fully embracing the househusband role. Tatsu also picks up a part-time job at Cafe Jingi Tei to
save up to buy a present for Miku, putting her needs before his. Also as mentioned before,
Tatsu goes on to try to not only make Miku relax because of overtime wearing her out (such as using
a wire massager, citric acid, heated eye mask, bubble wraps, and a foot massage mat), but also
cooks 10 different meals for her beforehand. Miku also goes so as far to try to return the favor
for Tatsu with the help of Masa for his birthday, but they make a mess and almost ruin the birthday
celebration. However, seeing that it was done out of love and care, he re-uses the cake that Miku
made for the party and salvages the celebration, while also being given new gifts by both of them.
Last but not least, as mentioned before he fully embraces the role when cleaning up the apartment
before guests come over, cooking meals and snacks for the guests, and making everybody feel at home.
One of the other things that cannot go unmentioned is so many similarities that this show shares with
the Yakuza series, also known in Japan as Ryu ga Gotoku (translated to Like a Dragon), more
specifically my experience with Yakuza Kiwami. Like Tatsu, Kiryu Kazuma is a former legendary
Yakuza who adapts to civilian life and the world that has changed around him. Despite his stoic
demeanor, Kiryu is good hearted and honorable much like Tatsu. He is not afraid to go out of his way
to help other civilians in need, as noted by the many humorous sub-stories of the Yakuza franchise.
Kiryu also cares for those that are close around him, whether it be his adoptive daughter Haruka
(whose counterpart could be the brief appearance of Ryouta, and Kiryu actually introduces Haruka to
a gambling game), or his friend Shinji and love interest Yumi. Interestingly enough, there is a
sub-story in Kiwami which could be argued that has a counterpart to Way of the Househusband's Masa;
the substory being called the Yakuza's Apprentice, involving a character named Kano.
Kano is aware of Kiryu's legendary reputation and wants to be his apprentice, although he gets into
schemes that usually involve Kiryu having to take care of his messes. Ultimately, Kano goes
on to leave the Yakuza life for good and realizes that he isn't cut out for it. This is very similar
to Masa being an old member of Tatsu's gang and getting into trouble with a small group of thugs,
which Tatsu manages to scare off with his DIY book. Despite Tatsu telling Masa that he has to
finish what he started, he asks Tatsu to teach him his ways which Tatsu does go on to take him
under his wing. Another interesting sub-story from Yakuza Kiwami is called “Bad Ass Dads,”
where a young woman interviews Kiryu, Date and The Florist to see which one is worthy of being
called BAD. Kiryu's final answer of “Truth is, a carefree guy without money or family doesn't
limit himself to societal standards, that's a true BAD-boy,” and before that, addresses
the “common sense” masculinity invented by society that you have to have financial power and a loving
family to be a true bad ass man doesn't matter. This is something very evident in Tatsu – he is
comfortable in his role as a househusband and the way that he wears an apron over his suit.
He doesn't care of what people think of him as a househusband, and is proud to be one because
he himself doesn't conform to societal standards of what he should be. As long as he is happy with
Miku, nothing else really matters. One final comparison that cannot be overlooked is Goro
Majima, Kiryu's rival-turned-friend. After Kiryu is released from prison and returns
to Kaumarucho 10 years later, it is Majima who inspires him to keep his skills and wit sharp.
Majima works for the Shimano family while Kiryu works for the Dojima Family,
both subsidiary families of the Tojo Clan. Majima's counterpart is certainly Torajirou,
a legendary Yakuza who is Tatsu's rival (as Majima himself is also legendary). What's
significant about this is that Torajirou wears a suit in his appearance which is very similar
to Kiryu's suit from Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami, which could be a nod to this video game series.
Part 2 of Way of the Househusband is on the way, and I cannot be more excited for it.
I highly recommend either watching this show or reading the manga, as you will definitely enjoy
it. Also, if you haven't, I also recommend playing the Yakuza series, as if you like one of these,
you will also definitely like the other, and honestly both. I'll also be covering Yakuza in
some other aspects later on in future videos, but if you want to enjoy a story about a tough
criminal adjusting to a new life with plenty of humorous situations, then look no further.
Let me know what you guys think in the comments down below, and what show should I check out next?
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stay beautiful, stay awesome, and we'll catch you around next time.