The Way of the Househusband vol. 1

The story goes that one night “The Immortal Dragon” broke up ten rival Yakuza factions in one night.  Barehanded. Then he disappeared without explanation the following day. What could cause such a man to walk away from the Yakuza life?  Why, to walk the path of the househusband of course! Tatsu found the right girl in Miku, a dedicated career woman who’s a bit of an otaku, and has since devoted himself to managing the household chores while she’s away.  So whether it’s fixing meals, cleaning the apartment, racing other housewives for the latest department store bargain, Tatsu is going to devote himself to the task in question. Using all the style and skills he learned during his time as a Yakuza enforcer.

If you can imagine “Goro Majima:  The Domestic Years” then you’ll have a pretty good idea what “The Way of the Househusband” is about.  Tatsu goes about these mundane household tasks in a way that’s extremely Yakuza. That means wearing a fancy suit under his apron while cooking.  Putting his wife’s lunch in a stainless-steel briefcase while he jumps on his bike to chase after her. And setting up a birthday celebration for his wife just like he used to do for his old boss, I’m sure.  Most importantly is that Tatsu maintains a really creepy and threatening look while doing ALL of this.

It’s a fun premise and there are definitely laughs to be had while reading this volume.  Tatsu’s encounter with a Roomba is some quality slapstick, while Miku’s reaction to the birthday setup her husband has engineered is priceless.  The only problem with this is that this is a series with a one-joke setup that doesn’t really have the imagination to take it any further than what you see here.  I’m speaking from experience because I’ve been reading the scanlations and bought this first volume out of obligation for that reason. Four volumes in and the style of humor is exactly the same as what you see here.  If you like that, cool. As for me, I kind of feel I should stop reading the scanlations so I don’t feel any further obligation to keep buying this series.