The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting

Episode 5

Another strong episode of The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting. This one leans more into the slice of life elements in the early portions, but delivers on strong character development by the end of its runtime.

The best aspects here are how Kirishima and Yaeka's time apart is used to show how close they've grown. Yaeka's time with Kei – the movie selection and Kei getting invested bits particularly – provides some good laughs. But most charming is how Yaeka lights up at the mention of Kirishima and the way that underscores how important their connection is. Kirishima has become a sort of “father on the go” as it were, able to fulfill many of the standard roles and expectations that her actual father is unable or unwilling to fulfill.

Kirishima meeting his old school friend is a great moment too, providing insight into how much Kirishima has changed – and ultimately benefited – from his time with Yaeka. His body language is different, his demeanor shifted, and he actually seems to possess a level of contentment that he didn't have before. Purpose will do that to a person.

And of course the restaurant scene provides exactly the food the audience wants, playing up the romanticized version of organized crime that always has a deep appeal in its own way. Sure, the Sakuragi family is a criminal organization who operates outside societal norms, but they have hearts of gold and operate by a certain code of ethics that sets them apart from “mere” criminals. The way they protect the restaurant without skimming anything off the top exemplifies that, and the arrival of this new more ruthless group not only lets us see that but gives Kirishima a chance to come in and flex his muscles. Some of his rough edges are gone but he's still a demon after all.

Looking forward to more next week from this delightful show.

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