Man, how must it have felt to have worked on this show? You spend months writing and animating something, then bam! Spy X Family comes out, takes the anime community by storm, and now everyone is comparing you to that. That’s rough, buddy.
It’s not hard to see why. The basic premises are so similar that it’s kind of impossible not to. Two adults in dangerous lines of work adopt a child and try to pretend being normal.
But in terms of execution? These two stories couldn’t be any more different.
Kazuki and Rei are expert assassins. But when a Christmas job goes wrong, the two find themselves saddled with taking care of a small child, Miri. Will they be able to manage, with their dysfunctional personalities and dangerous line of work?
As the leading pair, Kazuki and Rei are both pretty fun and interesting characters. A charismatic go-getter and a reclusive shut-in, both expert killers with hearts of gold. They’re a fun pair.
But they ain’t gay enough. Go all the way and make ’em gay!
I honestly really like Miri in this series. She’s one of the few anime children that actually feels like a little kid. Not an overly cute cartoon child meant to trick you into thinking children are adorable. Nah, dude. This is what an actual kid is like. Sure, she’s cute. But she’s also a child, and those are exhausting.
The show creates a nice balance between family comedy, drama, and spy stuff. It all flows together really nicely. Then we reach the end, where we’re given a delightfully wholesome and satisfying conclusion. The plot ain’t gonna blow your mind, but it’s solid and fun from start to finish.
Visually speaking, this show looks great. It’s bright and colorful, with highly expressive facial expressions and fun character designs. The CGI is a bit jarring, but it’s never downright ugly. The animation is solid,
The soundtrack is really nice, too. Lots of high-energy jazz with some pop here and there. It kinda sounds like a marriage between the Persona 4 and 5 soundtracks. It’s pretty good stuff.
Overall, Buddy Daddies is a pretty good show. It’s a fun little action comedy with likable characters and a satisfying conclusion. It looks nice, it sounds nice, the whole thing is just nice.
Now, the question remains: how many more anime are we gonna get that’s about dysfunctional families? Given the birth rate issues in Japan, my money’s on a lot.
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