Episode spoilers ahead!
I would like to start off by saying whoever made the final decision on the title of this show should get a raise.
I heard about this show through TikTok a few months ago and the title alone obviously had me curious. If you don’t already know, Buddy Daddies is a newly aired original anime series on Crunchyroll that follows two assassins- Rei Suwa and Kazuki Kurusu, and 4-year-old Miri. As you can imagine, being trained assassins and doting fathers is a bit of a hassle.
Initial impressions
My immediate first impression is that the amination is beautiful. P.A. Works, Inc. (who also animated True Tears and Another) did a phenomenal job bringing this series to life.
Of course, by the title and description, you can guess this anime is more comedy-based and silly and we very quickly learn the dynamic and personalities of Rei and Kazuki when they’re in the middle of a job and receive a phone call that Miri needs to be picked up from daycare because she has a cold.
On one hand, we have our lovely, dark-haired grumpy character Rei who just wants to play video games, smoke & have a pet cat (he’s not allowed to have one according to Kazuki). On the other hand, we have our lovely, sarcastic golden retriever Kazuki who seems to be the one on top of everything from planning missions to cooking and cleaning. I would gladly lay in traffic for both of them.
How does Miri come in?
Rei and Kazuki obtain Miri while working on a mission because Miri was sent by her mother to find her father who she has never met. She’s four. I know in Japan it’s not uncommon for even small children to go out on their own (as seen in the reality TV series “Old Enough” which depicts toddlers running errands), but it’s still a weird instance.
While on the mission, when Miri shows up all alone at the location Rei and Kazuki are working on Christmas Eve, Miri wanders into the lobby and states she’s looking for her dad who’s she’s never met before but is so very certain he is in the hotel she’s in, and that all she wants for Christmas is to meet him. One thing leads to another, and she ends up in the elevator with Kazuki (dressed as Santa) and Rei (hidden in a desert cart) while they make their way up to their assassination job. She asks “Santa” if he can take her to meet her dad and as soon as the elevator opens, off she goes.
At the end of the episode, they grab Miri and take her home to figure out who she belongs to once they’ve finished their job. They dig through her bag to find photos of her with her mother and her mother with the man Kazuki and Rei just assassinated. From this point forward Kazuki decides Miri is their responsibility.
Originally, I had a big issue with this part as it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me but then I watched it through a second time and realized what was going on as Kazuki and Miri’s father look similar. It’s still kidnapping, but at least they’ll be able to take care of her for now.
Overall Impression
Overall, this first episode was a huge hit for me personally and I’m excited to watch it weekly on Fridays as a way to decompress from my work week. I am a little bummed that there is no manga available to read if I get impatient though.
Will you be watching Buddy Daddies this season?
