From gangsters with dragon tattoos to grown men in diapers, the Yakuza series is home to some of the craziest action and comedy in gaming. So what would it look like if you bottled all of that up and turned it into an anime? Feast your eyes on Netflix’s new upcoming series, Way of the Househusband.
Based on the manga of the same name, Way of the Househusband follows Tatsu, an infamous former Yakuza boss that went by the name of “The Immortal Dragon.”
Despite the fear, notoriety, and acclaim he was able to build as a key figure in the Yakuza, Tatsu decides to retire and leave it all behind so that his wife, Miku, can have a career of her own. In doing so, this vicious former mob boss has now become a full-time stay-at-home househusband.
While the concept and idea of a stay-at-home Yakuza husband in and of itself is hilarious, the real comedy comes from how much Tatsu seems to enjoy his role, at least from what we see in the trailer. All of the skill and intensity that he used to climb his way up the ladder of organized crime is now devoted to completing housework and domestic task.
Shopping and chores are done to perfection, and “The Immortal One” doesn’t waste any time completing his tasks so that Mitsu has a clean house and a nice meal to come home to after a long day at work. He seems to enjoy cooking as much as anything, handling the sharp utensils deftly and precisely — almost as if he has a lot of experience with knives.
Those attributes of kindness and adherence to a strict moral code draw considerable parallels to Kazuma Kiryu, the Yakuza series’s foremost recurring protagonist.
Where Mitsu goes out of his way to make his wife’s life easier, much of the same can be said for most people that Kiryu meets. Whether it’s teaching a dominatrix how to be better at her job or helping a kid deal with his rough childhood, this tough Yakuza does a surprising amount of helpful things for people just for the sake of being kind.
Now, sure, Kiryu is kind of seems to be the opposite in terms of devotion to the Yakuza, but their overall personalities and way of life are so similar that it isn’t hard to picture each of them in the other person’s role.
Even Way of the Househusband’s main conflict seems like it could be ripped right out of a Yakuza game, as Tatsu has to maintain his innocent life while dealing with the remnants of his past. This results in a juggling act of action and comedy, as he has to fend off assassins and old rivals while also making sure to get his chores done.
This combination of drama, action, and comedy is the exact formula that the Yakuza series has used as a recipe for success ever since 2005. For now, we will have to wait to see if Way of the Househusband can replicate that success in anime format, as it begins streaming on Netflix on April 8.
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