Star Rating:
I had no idea The Way of the Househusband existed until I saw the trailer on Netflix. The trailer piqued my interest, and I watched it a week or two later. Tatsu is an ex-yakuza boss who now spends his time as a househusband, but his yakuza appearance and personality influence everything he does. The concept is clever and very funny. Even mundane tasks like cleaning the house become intense with Tatsu. The jokes land well and are well thought-out. I definitely laughed a lot of times.
It’s a comedy anime. There is no real plot or underlying story. It’s just an ex-yakuza boss trying to live as a househusband while his wife works. The episodes center on him performing certain tasks, such as going to the grocery store or attending a yoga class. So, if you’re hoping for a detailed, intense story, you’re not getting it here. This is purely a comedy, and that’s exactly what you get. You won’t like this anime if you don’t like slice-of-life and humorous situations with no real plot.
Tatsu is a fantastic character. His design, history, and attitude toward his current circumstances all contribute significantly to the success of this anime. He’s easy to like and you want him to succeed in everything he sets out to do.
This anime isn’t long. The first season consists of only five episodes. The second season adds five more. So, the anime has a total of ten episodes. Each episode lasts approximately 17–19 minutes. I only saw the first season of the anime when I watched it, so I have yet to see season 2. I thought the anime felt too short, and I wanted more. You may not feel that way with both seasons available.
The anime isn’t fully animated. It’s mostly a sequence of stills with some animation added for mouth movement and a few other motions. I didn’t know this when I first decided to watch The Way of the Househusband, and it threw me off. I think fully animating the series would make it better, but it’s still enjoyable without it. You get used to the style after the first episode. This may turn some people off from watching the anime, but I encourage them to see it anyway.
The Way of the Househusband isn’t going to be for everyone. If you prefer plot-driven anime, then this isn’t for you, but if you enjoy comedy, you’ll enjoy it. It’s unique and entertaining. Although I think full animation would improve the anime, I really enjoyed watching it and intend to watch the second season.
You can watch The Way of the Househusband on Netflix.
Check out my other anime reviews.
Did you watch The Way of the Househusband? What did you think of the anime? Let me know in the comments.