The Yakuza's Guide To Babysitting (組長娘と世話係) is a 12 episode slice of life anime based on the manga of the same name by Tsukiya. The anime originally aired during the Summer of 2022.
Kirishima Touru is a hot headed lieutenant in a small yakuza family. Over the years, due to his violent and dangerous nature he has earned himself the reputation of a demon who doesn't hesitate to kill anyone. The head of his family is tired of his shoot first mentality and after scheduled negotiations turned into a blood bath Kirishima is given a job that might help to teach him some patience.The head of the families daughter, Yaeka, is a quiet and reserved girl. Her mother has been in a coma for a number of years and Yaeka has been living with her aunt since then, only able to see her father when he is not busy. He has decided that she needs to be closer to him and has her move into the family house instead, entrusting Kirishima to look after her.
Unwilling to refuse the boss and recognizing it as a painless way to atone for his transgressions, Kirishima accepts his new responsibilities. Taking care of an elementary school aged child requires far more tact and patience compared to the work he used to doing for the family. The young miss is respected as an extension of her father, meaning everyone in the family does everything they can to keep her safe and secure. This shift means that Kirishima must act with deliberation and kindness, working hard to keep the violence and deprivation of their world from tarnishing Yaeka's daily life. While Kirishima may be growing as a person by taking care of this small life, others in the underworld as disturbed by the demons softer nature. Elements of that dissatisfaction begin to poke and prod at him to see if his reputation is still deserved.
I went into this series expecting it to be a goofy comedy akin to Way of the House Husband. I was pleasantly surprised that there is more drama than comedy and greatly enjoyed the experience. This story could have gone a lot of different ways, the path it took feels like the right choice. The path of serenity and reflection. For the most part the characters are calm and subdued, choosing to move through their world with thought and consideration. Yaeka, who hasn't had the easiest of lives, is timid and reserved. She grows attached to the man watching over her and starts to be more open to children around her. Kirishima becomes more tolerant of things that may be perceived as attacks on himself. He begins to consider if his actions are something he would want the young miss to see him do, choosing instead to ignore things or deal with them verbally. The bosses plan seems to be working as his demon begins to be subdued by the little girl.
What feels off with the anime are the characters who are within the inner orbit of the criminal group but are not actually a part of it and their complete acceptance of the families niche. Most notable is Yaeka's aunt, who has zeri hesitation for interacting with the hardened criminals, often cooking meals for them at the family house. In the flashbacks that you see Yaeka's mother, she too only portrays a doting wife and mother, instead of the tensions of a woman married to a crime boss. The premise of the story wouldn't work any other way, but its interesting that they all approach their existence as if it wasn't a world filled with danger and secrecy...mostly. There are times where that portion of their world is apparent and reflected upon, but much of the perspective is done from a position of shielding the young girl from their true nature. No one really understands what their parents do for work when they are that young, all she knows is the house is filled with a bunch of guys in suits that respect her family a great deal and are always kind to her. Professionals. The story it's self really does not have a defined plot trajectory, instead it follows the main characters as they grow closer, peppering flashbacks to build depth of the characters and their circumstance. In the end it just concludes the view into their lives and we move on to something else. No great catharsis or plot resolution, just a quid pro quo and a good bye.
The anime was in part produced by Crunchyroll and is available in sub and dub formats on their platform.
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