‘The Way of the Househusband‘ is an original Netflix anime based on Japanese mangaka Kousuke Oono’s series of the same name published in Kurage Bunch magazine. The show is directed by Chiaki Kon and produced by the Tokyo-based animation studio J.C. Staff.

Tatsu (Jonah Scott) was a once feared Yakuza hitman known as the Immortal Dragon. It is said that he took out several rival gangsters in one night… with only a knife. However, he is now retired and is a “full-time house husband” to designer Miku (Laura Post), a career-focused woman who is a huge manga and anime fan. Tatsu is caring and attentive, but he still maintains his level of intensity, sometimes overwhelming his wife, friends, and community. He runs into a younger gangster named Masa (Andres Paul Ramacho), who at first challenges Tatsu, but upon seeing the great detail his former boss goes to being a house husband, decides to learn from him. Meanwhile, Miku’s pet cat Gin (Laura Stahl) gets into trouble.

The animation for the first episode is a bit weird. It flows more like a motion comic, but the other four episodes seem to have the standard anime flare. I loved the character designs, especially Tatsu who is always about in a cooking apron. I also liked how the most mundane tasks were treated like anime battles with epic music, battle sound effects, dramatic exposition, and colorful effects. That made it enjoyable.

Where the anime truly shines is in its humor. Here is this former tough guy now facing daily tasks like laundry, but with the same mindset of a dangerous gangster. The story does not elaborate on whether Tatsu was jailed for his crimes or if it was dismissed for a lack of evidence, but the show makes it clear that he only killed other gangsters, not civilians. That was a nice touch, so you did not feel guilty at rooting for him as he masters volleyball tournaments, cooking, and playing fetch with his father-in-law. The best moments are when he runs into other gangsters who are confused by his new lifestyle but go on to understand that he is at peace with being a loving husband.

Overall, this satirical anime is something that adults can enjoy. It does have strong foul language, so be wary of watching it with children, but both my wife and I loved every episode. It produces some hilarious moments of a hardened man using his skills for the woman he loves. I cannot wait for season two.

Check out the subtitled trailer below:

This review is based on the dub.

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