Reviews for The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting

Do you enjoy childcare? Do you like wholesome and heartfelt moments? Do you like shows that make you want to protect and care for others, as if you were a parent? Last but not least, are you interested in reminiscing about your childhood days with your parents/nanny or any other parental figure? Then this show is for you. The show revolves around the Tooru and Yaeka duo, with Tooru in charge of babysitting Yaeka on the orders of the household's and Sakuragi Group's head, Kazuhiko. You can see how the duo clicked right away. Whenever Tooru does something sweet for Yaeka and vice versa, you go awwww, that's so sweet,and as a result you die from cuteness overload. You can literally see how both of them were vital to each other, practically inseparable, and aided each other's growth throughout the entire series. Tooru, formerly known as The Demon of the Sakuragi Group, literally mellowed out and learned to be more happy, enjoy life, control anger, and have other positive bearing as a result of babysitting Yaeka. Yaeka, on the other hand, was able to express herself more openly, learned to overcome her mother's traumatic accident, and made friends with people her age, which makes you as a viewer just cheer and be happy for her growth. But character development isn't the only thing the show has to offer; we also got to learn about their background, backstory, happy and sad moments, and feel for them. The show give a high level of emotional investment to its viewers.

We also saw supporting characters from the Yazuka gang and the Sakuragi family play a role in the overall story and plot execution. We learned more about the past and background of some of the supporting characters, which obviously aided our investment in them. We don't get the impression that they were thrown together for the sake of progressing the story, but rather that they played an actual role in the story's progression, as well as the Tooru and Yaeka tandem's growth and becoming closer.

Overall, this show is a must-see if you want to take a trip down memory lane and enjoy a heartfelt and wholesome moment. Just by looking at the trailer, you can tell that the art and sound are above average, and you should know what to expect from the show based on the synopsis and trailer. The only flaw in the story for me are the antagonists, who don't leave much of an impression aside from the fact that they're there and they have a grudge against the Sakuragi Group, particularly Tooru. Apart from that, the rest of the show, in my opinion, is flawlessly executed.

You may be thinking to yourself when you watch this at the start. ‘How is this so fucking sweet.’ Along with. ‘How can this sucker punch my emotions like how Kirishima punches someone’s guts out.’ Pretty much the simple answer is to watch and enjoy. As that’s how you’ll see for yourself. It draws you in with that context. It’s lure. Putting up a badass frame, only to sugar us with such wholesome sweetness. You’ll come back for more and more. Story and characters: 9 I cannot love a cast more than I do here. Each and every cast member that had been introduced thus far hasbeen a treasure and a delight in their own way. Good anime’s only have one or two great cast members. While great anime’s have more than that. I’ve already touched on Kirisima. Who is quite legit one you wouldn’t want to mess with. But at the same time, he has his sweet moments that you will treasure him for. Even if it might be all from him, it still counts on so many levels. Sakugari on the other hand gosh. Have you ever seen such a more precious and lovely gal then her? She deserves the world. Not because of her family, but because of the sweet angel that she is. Sugihara is like Kirishima robin to his batman. The comedy foil that is a great match up.

The story centers around Kirisima having to look after the bosses little girl, and the fun that follows that is what you see here. It’s going to be gritty. But one thing is for sure. It’s god damn wholesome.

Art and sound: 8

They do a really great job in presenting a lot. Mainly showcasing when scenes can look doom and gloom. But when through the little one, things seem more brighter and has a bit more colour to it. Same came be said for other scenes of that nature. Giving the watcher full knowledge of when what type of scene is happening. Great stuff there. While the sound and voice acting in general, is really well done. Full marks all round.

This show is a cute and wholesome treat. Give it a go now.

Family. It’s the essence of most of my emotion nowadays, and in modern media, any type of familial bonding just hits me in the feels, every time. We saw little tidbits of that in this show, and I only wish they executed the importance of family even better, but it’s alright, because Kirishima and Yaeka’s relationship is pure sweetness and wholesomeness to the extreme. Babysitting shows always remind me of Hinamatsuri, a wonderful show that was wholesome, emotional, and extremely funny, and it’s hard not to compare the two shows. What this show lacked was a more creative approach to humour, and while it’s very wholesome,it felt unfocused and the story didn’t flow very smoothly, but I enjoyed what we got.

My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20

STORY: 14/25

It’s very sweet, and I can’t emphasize that enough. The relationships are sweet, the dialogue is sweet, the personalities of the characters are sweet. It didn’t have much else to tell though, and while it tried to go in a darker route at times with all the yakuza shenanigans, the tonal shifts felt awkward, because we’d have a set up for darker times ahead, and then proceed back to playing in a playground in the next episode instead of following the dark storyline. It just felt disorganized and unfocused. It felt like a lot of set up at times with no clear conclusion. The villains were kind of just all over the place, and they felt underwhelming as well.

Overall, there isn’t much to write home about the plot, there are just many cute moments and honestly, I’m ok with the simplicity, but I wish the darker moments were executed in a more clear fashion.

ART: 6.8/10

Not the biggest fan of the character designs, but they’re alright. Nothing special in terms of animation, it just works.

MUSIC: 7/10

The soundtrack is pretty simple, and fits the tone of the show well. While I didn’t enjoy the OP and ED very much, it still works for the show. Nothing too special.

CHARACTERS: 13/20

There was a lot of potential with the characters, but in my opinion, just not enough time to flesh them out. If we get a season 2, I’m sure that they’ll be better developed. The cast of characters are fun to watch, and wholesome to the max. Kirishima, the babysitter of Yaeka, probably had the biggest change within himself. He was a cold, and rather brutal yakuza member, and after being tasked with taking care of his boss’s daughter, he became nicer, and learned how to be more responsible. Sugihara existed for decent comedic relief, though his bits did get a bit repetitive as the show progressed.

There were some emotional moments too, and a few backstories that were engaging to watch. Each character had their own pasts and some of them had a rather dark one. With more time, I’m sure the characters will keep gaining depth to them and feel more interesting.

ENJOYMENT: 11.5/15

I loved the wholesome moments and the family moments, they always get me in the feels.

THEMATIC EXECUTION: 14.5/20

They were going for wholesomeness, and they did that very nicely, the theme of babysitting was really hammered home. The darker moments felt a bit short at times, but some of the moments hit pretty hard, and it would have been better if the more dark moments were in consecutive episodes rather than sprinkled in every once in a while.

OVERALL: 66.8/100

If you like wholesome shows, I’d gladly recommend this. While it definitely wasn’t my favourite show of this nature, it achieved what it was trying to convey decently, it just lacked focus. That said, I enjoyed my time watching this, and I’d love to see more of Kirishima and Yaeka having the time of their lives together.

First Impression The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting is somewhat of a weird premise for me. Since my expectation of the show is quite a mix. Will I get cringed watching it or maybe it's a hidden gem? It felt like I gambling something for it. I expected it to be some kind of weird Wacky Yakuza Comedy Series involving the Yakuza Boss Daughter maybe going head over heels for his handsome babysitter and it didn’t help that the female lead is surrounded by handsome gangster boys in the promotional image. I was actually planning to watch it in 2022 after I finish Made in theAbyss 2nd Season but the premise felt too off fitting to what I want to watch in an anime at the time. I didn’t pick up the anime until Feb 2023 when I started to give it try. Somewhat of a surprise, it’s not an intensive heavy comedy show as I expected it to be but rather a very serious emotional slice of drama surrounding family values that made me got intrigued after watching the first episode.

The show offers a serious and mature tone when it comes to understanding a child's emotion and how to approach it, that kind of hooks me a bit. Eventually, I started to watch the entire half in one sitting and realize it’s a very solid slice-of-life drama series with some pinch of subtle creative comedy sprinkled on top.

Positive Remarks

Characters don’t seem interesting at first like Kirishima and Yaeka who are the main protagonist of the story. It screams stereotypical yakuza gangster and a silent little girl in my ears that doesn’t hold my interest. But As time goes on, the character's relationship seems to grow on you, as the relationship improves over time especially Kirishima and Yaeka's relationship as a family alongside other side characters along the way. It built up an essence of a comfortable family atmosphere that isn’t contracted by blood. Thought I can argue not all characters get the same treatment. Potentially there are a lot of characters that might be interesting enough to get fleshed out as a bonus side story but were never given an opportunity to do so.

The show takes its cast seriously and there is a good balance of slice-of-life, drama, and comedy. I think the comedy in this show is pretty good, not stomach-cracking funny, but the comedy makes sense. It's quite funny that the joke is pretty clever and realistic in the sense that that humorous scenario happens in real life. For example, in episode 4 the boss convinces them to make a Youtube Channel to make money. The idea alone sounds funny to me and the execution was pretty spot on while at the same time putting some significance to the characters built up.

The character interactions are pretty engaging to watch. It's interesting the show manages to have that fuzzy, adorable, and wholesome atmosphere. So far, I think the show is pretty good at what it is aiming for. A slice-of-life take on a Yakuza Family.

I like the idea that a family is not always defined by blood but by a closed bonded relationship of each individual built upon exchanging life experiences with one another over time. Learning from each other’s strengths and weaknesses. I like as characters slowly coming out of their cold shell. Mutual trust is being formed. The drive of trying to become a better person and setting aside the fear that has been holding them back to move forward is being set in motion. Because they believe they have someone to support their back if something went wrong in the process. Thus building up the confidence to engage in life with a positive approach. I can that real character development and clever writing, that been properly executed in representing what a family is all about.

A good family is there for you every step of the way, even if you fall back, you are assured someone will catch your back. A person's character development and value always start with the family they are a part of I always say.

For the Visuals, I could say pretty standard for 2022 anime releases. Nothing Bad or Ultra Good to Say About it. It does remind me of some anime I watch in the past that got release not too long ago. Overall the visuals are fine.

Speaking of Music and Background Sounds. I think the opening song "Mirai no Hero Tachi e is ok, it grows on me a bit as I watch more episodes because slowly the opening song comes from being meh quirky to somewhat nostalgic and a bit of a fuzzy feeling as I progress into the series.

Kaerimichi no Iro by Shibuya HAL however might be the new favorite ED for me when it comes to Happy Slice of Life Ending from, the Year 2022 release. I like the vibes of it and it gets stronger and stronger once you get to know the characters more.

Spoiler Territory, Feel free to go to the Final Thought Section if you haven’t watched the series yet

Negative Remarks

Now for some negative gripes, I have with the show that blocks its potential as must watch and a highly recommended anime for Slice of Life and Feel Good Family Anime Vibe. First, I don’t think this anime has a plot. When I mean the plot is that I don’t see any importance of the all-Yakuza Conflict, it felt kind of random and serve as a themed-flavored slice of life rather than a plot of its own. Moving to that, the show has a sort of antagonist. The problem however the antagonist is so vague and the purpose he serves is more like triggering unnecessary conflict and drama, just because he can. He's too bland as a character himself and serves as the final stretch to challenge our main character's ideals. He felt like a plot device to easily show the audience how much the protagonist has changed after He realizes the important things in life. The issue with this is that the audience has already seen the progression naturally as they watch more slice-of-life moments in the show.

"In My Opinion" if they want an engaging antagonist that will challenge Kirishima's character growth there should be personal conflict connected between the 2 characters which will make a conflict an organic part of the story than being there to trigger emotional damage to the viewers and the characters.

Final Thoughts

The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting is a good time passer when it comes to the slice-of-life drama that centers around what a wholesome family atmosphere is all about which the show didn’t fail to portray. However, having some dark themes about yakuza conflict that demands a congruent plot felt more like flavoring, its poorly explored, and ultimately overshadowed by the slice-of-life vibes of the show as a whole.

Will I recommend it? Yes, but I will recommend it specifically to anime fans who are interested in slice-of-life drama with wholesome family values. It's not highly recommended or a must-watch in my opinion. But I enjoy it regardless because I am indeed a fan of the wholesome story that circles around the values of family.

And that’s all I can say about the show as a whole. Will I rewatch it in the Future? I don’t think I will be rewatching it soon but maybe in 5 or 10 years, I might pick it up again. But I do have an interest in reading the source material soon.

As Always Thank You for Reading

For People Checking the Score in Every Category

(Story/Plot/Writing) (6/10: Good)

>The Balance of Slice of Life, Drama, and Comedy is Solid but the Dark Side of the Yakuza Conflict kinda Drags the Story Back.

(Characters/ Main & Supporting) (7/10: Solid)

>Ignoring the show's sorry excuse of an Antagonist. It cannot be denied character interaction and development is pretty solid in this show.

(Technical Stuff) (Art & Animation 7/10)

>Pretty Standard Animation & Art Style

( Music and Sound Design 7/10)

>Ok Opening Song, and Solid ED song, and some memorable background tracks

(Enjoyment/ Bias Personal Opinion) (7/10 Good and Memorable )

>If I am watching it for the slice of life and wholesome vibes alone its a solid 8/10 but the Yakuza Story is might the weakest in the show which made me drag it down to 7/10

(Overall 6.7/10)

>A Show Worth Recommending to a Few

Gokushufudou, Hinamatsuri or even Spy X Family, the wholesome Yakuza family version...but is it all true as the source material implies with the same tropes? This is the first anime adaptation of a Micro Magazine Comic ELMO title, and mangaka Tsukiya's only work that once got its start as a web manga posted on the author's Twitter and pixiv accounts under the title "Gokudou Musume to Sewagakari" (you can see the Gokushufudou semblance here). Regardless, as much as Yakuza families go, there have been some that has made the rounds with their inert similarities with one another, taking one aspect and fusing it with the otherin the author's own ways. Gokushufudou showed how a high-ranking member operates his life by putting both work and private life separate; Hinamatsuri has the same babysitting fare but with comedy that is just oh-so-perfect; and Spy X Family brought the family dynamic to the table.

And Kumichou Musume to Sewagakari a.k.a The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting is just that: a guide for Yakuza members to also be productive members of society while hiding their identities as a secret that's known inside and outside the household. It is by no means a new type of show, but at least it gets the job done about a Yakuza being heralded as the one who's meant not to be trifled with, experience a 180 of a character change with his boss's daughter for babysitting. This is exactly the case for the Yakuza Crusher "Demon" Toru Kirishima, being the right hand-man of the Sakuragi Family under Kazuhiko's control and introducing his 7-year-old daughter Yaeka for a literate babysitting job. That's it. No whimsical plot premises, no over-convoluted setting, just pure familial goodness, and for the most part, it's just "fine" that's nothing amazing, but still, this can be a pretty good time waster (to which I'm kinda regretting a bit on the inside).

Everyone inside and outside of the Sakuragi Family is at least interconnecting to one another, save for some bad apples that have tried to retaliate to the Sakuragi Demon that is Kirishima. Both Kirishima and Yaeka has the aforementioned father figure-cum-daughter feel, which can look wholesome, but this is where the "nothing happens" syndrome really hits the source material like rocks befalling onto a garbage can of a shallow premise, being an echo-chamber to reiterate the same pointers again and again. At least for the other assistants (or minions) under Kirishima rather, I do quite take a liking to his right-hand man and close buddy that is Kei Sugihara. He's such a hilarious idiot that's a sight to behold, unconsciously playing along with Kirishima's antics, and you could feel the difference between his conversations with him, Kirishima and Yaeka. Even rival families (one obnoxious character comes in the form of Yuri Mashiro) and close friends like Aoi Tochiro made their presence feel felt in the face of Kirishima's overall life that's just a matter of unforgivings for his past erratic behaviour. It gets a deserving pass overall for being just OK at best, and that's not saying much.

But otherwise, the show has a pretty consistent production phase along its run thanks to the studio co-collab between feel. and Gaina (formerly Fukushima Gainax), and as you would expect of a light-hearted show, it gets all of its notes right from the get-go. This trickles down to the OST of being a "fine and OK" level, though uplifting, they are not as memorable when the show wraps up.

Yes, while that may not be a bad thing as it could help construct the family dynamic as both the source material and anime now as should, as Gertrude Stein puts it: "Repeating is the whole of living, and by repeating comes understanding, and understanding is to some the most important part of living.", but as Rose Wilder Jane puts it: "Constant repetition dulls receptivity.", and it's a shame that the latter is what I felt while watching the show.

I like shows that have a family-found rhethoric (a la last season's Deaimon), but for some reason, Tsukiya's Kumichou Musume to Sewagakari...really doesn't bring anything new to the table, and that I feel is a mistake to repeat the tried-and-true formula without something that will make it stand out amongst the crowded space of similar works. It can be decent at spots, and that's the lingering on my tongue to say that it's fine, it's OK. Take it or leave it, it's your choice.

(Non-Spoiler Review) This is one of those animes that are very lighthearted and wholesome. No mind blowing plot or story. Just good characters and a simple storyline Story: 6 The story is given away just by reading the title however it is not by any means boring. The story is quite unique though there is nothing special in the story, unexpected scenarios of cuteness will give you a smile. Art: 7 The art and animation is quite standard and consistent. Nothing amazing.Sound: 6

Sound is probably the weakest point of this anime but it doesn't really matter because there is no need for extraordinary sound. It is decent sound, fitting for the setting and plot.

Characters: 7

All the characters in this anime are extremely enjoyable and make a very fun dynamic. Though they are Yakuzas and beat up people, they do care for each other and those in the family.

Enjoyment: 7.5

So far I've had a blast watching this anime. Nothing to break my brain or bring out a critique version of myself. Just simple, wholesome and lighthearted anime.

Overall: 6.5

The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting is an underrated anime. It doesn't fall in the common genres we generally talk about. It's about a yakuza(Kirishima) who takes an unusual job and that is to babysit a 7 year old girl(Yaeka) of his boss. This anime beautifully showcases the humor, love and unexpected tenderness and no matter how tough the man shows on the outside, it's really soft from the inside💪🏻❤The way the yakuza shows love towards the girl is heart melting💖And the girl was so damn cutee and her va has done a great job portraying her. She nailed it. The way she talks is so adorablethat you gonna fall in love🥹❤ The relationship between them is a treat to watch. There are few emotional moments which can bring tear to your eye😪

This anime explores the theme of family, vulnerability and acceptance. The motto of this anime is "Family is not just about blood relations."🫂

Limited backstories but they are good. Characters are well defined. The anime is for the people who loves slice of life. So for me it's 9/10. Hope you like it:)🤧

The show we needed but didn't deserve. Kumichou Musume to Sewagakari is a light hearted, fun, and wholesome show. To keep it short the show was enjoyable. Story 8/10: Fun and well executed, Kumichou is a comedy-slice of life show that explores the softer side of bad-ass mafias. While there were somewhat filler-like episodes, those episodes were also very enjoyable. It is fun to see how open the world we live in is. However; this doesn’t mean the entire thing is perfect. I think many parts of the show were unnecessary and a bit janky at times. It is also lacking layers of depth. It’slike a good looking cake that also tastes really good but deep down you know it can be better- kind of thing. (I'm not sure if that made any sense)

Characters 8/10: I personally thought that this aspect was the best part of the show. We see how people can change and mature throughout the story. Especially our two main cast (Kirishima and Yaeka) open up the world as they both learn about trust and how to open their minds to the world. It’s one of those shows that makes you feel good on the inside.

Enjoyment 8/10: Honestly one of the best shows this season, I couldn't wait to see more. It reminded me of other shows like Hinamatsuri, Barakamon, and Spy x Family. There are many heartfelt moments. Can’t wait for season two (If there is any).

I will recommend this show to everyone. It is one of those shows everyone can enjoy.

Kumichou Musume was my pleasant surprise of the season. Based on the premise, I knew it would be something I’d be interested in, but I would be lying if I said I thought it’d be as good as it was. A truly heartwarming tale of growth, acceptance and love. The relationship between Yaeka and Kirishima is the core of the story and over the course of the season we see Kirishima go from a cold hearted and ruthless thug to a compassionate, gentle and kind soul thanks in large part to his bond with his boss’ daughter. The cute moments that the two share throughout theshow are very well thought out and written. The relationship feels genuinely wholesome and organic and you really do come to love and become very attached to both of them. I’m also really glad that it stayed purely father-daughter esque as these series have a tendency to go down a pretty degenerate path, a la usagi drop and Uchi musume.

It’s pretty rare for a show to make me cry in the first couple episodes, but I definitely shed a few tears in episodes 2 and 3 which feature a really nice flashback sequence. It’s a testament to how well written this series is that it can suck you in and make you that invested so soon.

While the main duo is the core of the series, the supporting characters are also great and you quickly come to love them just as much as Yaeka and Kirishima. I found that everyone in the story had a purpose and advanced the plot very well. There were no wasted moments or people in this show which is always great to see.

Kumichou Musume features a very pleasant art style with a colourful palette that adds to the overall entertainment. The voice acting castings were spot on, particularly Kirishima’s seiyuu who perfectly nails the Yakuza hard-ass archetype, yet is able to also come off as a gentle and kind person too. Very well done.

I think if you only have time to watch a handful of anime at any given time, this needs to be one of the ones from this season. It is absolutely a must watch for any fan of wholesome shows, well written characters or those looking to escape the constant flux of isekai and fantasy. You will not regret it.

Kumichou Musume gets 9 out of 10.

A genuine hidden gem of Summer 2022, Yakuza's guide is a Slide of Life / Comedy which revolves around the story of a delinquent Yakuza member Kirishima looking after Yaeka, the daughter of the head of the family. I genuinely went into this anime not expecting too much from it, but upon watching the first few episodes, I was hooked. Its a story wholesome enough for viewers to go 'awww', has moments that were genuinely tear-jerking, and a strong male lead character with a really refreshing personality compared to many protagonists you see nowadays. I will admit the art style of this anime is nothingtoo special or unique but a rather standard anime with relatively lower budget. I honestly think its a show that could have been on par with spy x family if treated better production wise but I think the studios did well with the budget that they probably had.

I highly recommend this anime to anyone who loves slice of life shows or are looking for something with a little more substance then a usual slice of life. The interactions between all the characters (main leads and side characters) and watching how it progresses and changes is genuinely just heartwarming and enjoyable.

First let's start with story. The plot isn't ground breaking or anything. It's just a simple story, a yakuza taking care of his boss's daughter, that's all. After reading synopsis you know what you're getting into. The characters are introduced pretty quickly here and everyone of them are pretty likable and i was really impressed by the animation. This show reminds me of the Anime kotaro. A light-hearted story with some bunch of wholesome scenes. But That cover(poster) almost made me not to watch this anime but I'm glad i did. This is one of those anime where you can just sit back and watch to getthe feels.

I've never heard these V/A's before but they did bring life to their characters. It felt refreshing to listen to the characters for some reason. If you want to watch a wholesome anime trying this show won't disappoint you.

Emotionally damaged character, add in a small adorable child with her own trauma and you get one of the most emotionally heartfelt, sweetest animes ever to be produced. Quickly became a top favourite even more than spyxfamily. Interesting side characters, and moments that tug at your heart strings. This seems to be a popular genre currently and whilst others have come out, very few have made me feel like this. Eagerly awaiting more! Art style is so soft and vibrant, fitting for the environments of both harsh and sweet moments whilst the MC not only does the eng VA of jonah scott have the perfectvoice, also appearing in a similar "Yakuza" themed anime but actually displays active change and improvement.

Premises are important, even if they don’t determine a story's quality. They set expectations for the tone and setting. In this case, a ruthless Yakuza member (Tooru) has the job of taking care of his bosses seven year old daughter (Yaeka). Judging from how Tooru is introduced, I would expect him to have some resistance to this task. After all, he’s been parented by an organized crime syndicate, and has been a thug for most of his life. He’s not going to be very good at parenting. But he has no choice, his boss,a ruthless yakuza leader is giving him direct orders. Or at least you would think his boss is a ruthless yakuza leader.

The problem with the yakuza in this anime is that they aren’t yakuza. For the entirety of the eight episodes I’ve watched, Tooru does nothing morally wrong, and the Sakuragi family that he works doesn’t commit any crimes. Let me reiterate, the yakuza organized crime syndicate doesn’t commit any crimes. You might wonder, what do they do then? Lots of zany and wacky antics of course! They protect random restaurants from comically evil enemy yakuza (not with violence though), random runaways and tourists come over for dinner to hang out at the Sakuragi family house, we even got a whole episode with Tooru and co-workers starting up their Twitch career to make funds for the Sakuragi family.

Maybe you’re thinking, “It’s meant to be a comedy, they don’t need the crime syndicate to be evil.” But comedies are meant to make me laugh, and this anime either isn’t focused on that or it’s so bad at it I haven’t noticed. And it’s not like it doesn’t go for serious moments. All I see is wasted opportunity. This is such an easy source of conflict. They could do any number of things: have people be scared of Yaeka in school because of her families reputation, have Yaeka’s ego be inflated because she knows no can disrespect her, or make Yaeka question her family because of their evil. Instead, we have this completely toothless yakuza group that barely influences the story in anyway. It’s not just Yaeka, the majority of the characters would have almost no differences in personality whether they were yakuza affiliated or not. God forbid we actually have conflict and bad stuff happen in our happy wholesome organized crime syndicate family.

This really isn’t helped by the anime spending a large portion of its run time on pointless characters that are completely unrelated to the main cast that we don’t care about and aren’t interesting in any way. I would give some specific examples, but I forgot about all of them as they influence nothing, aren’t interesting, and get no development. Just know that the only characters you’ll remember are Tooru and Yaeka. Even Yaeka doesn’t much of a personality though. She’s just shy, that’s all she has going on. There was a scene that lasted a few minutes where Yaeka was bitter towards her mother being in a coma after a car crash, but it was resolved immediately by Tooru basically just saying, “Your mom loves you though.” And in the first place, Yaeka’s resentment toward her mother doesn’t make any sense. I know she’s seven, but kids aren’t braindead, it would make more sense if her anger was directed somewhere else.

Art and music? Music was forgettable, art was fine. It’s very bright, but that doesn’t bother me. The children have heads that are too large. That's it.

Really nice wholesome story about growth as an person and also a very bad yakuza story. The relationship between the main cast is well fleshed out and so wholesome i felt i got diabetes. It was too much actually. They forced the wholesome in your face with many close shots of cute smiles who drag on for ten seconds etc... It's a little over the top but still enjoyable and totally deserving a 7 or 8. The problem comes form the yakuza part. It's very generic and seems badly written. The main villain is always in the background but pretty much do nothing. His motivation is really dumb, hisdesign generic and his tone annoying.

Worse, he's the only foil of this story as far we know. There's other bad guys but they are one-dimensional, get beaten easily and pretty fast and generally are only there to move the plot along.

This story would have been better written by replacing the yakuza part by a "rich guy, his daughter and their servants" part...or by going full yakuza with murders and stuff. Here's it's edgy at best.

Oh and make the gay friend not unnecessary grabby. It's seriously annoying to see this prejudice still be a thing in this day and age.

tldr: wholesome but not well written

Man, someone be cutting onions while I was watching this. Such a heart warming show. The tale of a violent and troublesome Yakuza taking care of the most kindest of sweet things in the world. Had I not watch this show, I'd regret missing this masterpiece. That's the only what I can describe this show, a pure masterpiece. Wholesome and it just captures you in awe with every episode. Never had I seen something so beautiful in awhile. There show is also comedic with the stereotypes of yakuza and delinquents. Nonetheless, this is probably one of the best Yakuza anime I've seen since "The wayof the Househusband". Except that show is more comedic than heartwarming.

This show aims to aim at your heartstrings, so be prepared to cry in alot of events. Like I said, nothing short of a masterpiece. If you like comedy with a side of someone cutting onions. Then this show is definitely a must watch masterpiece.

Blood on your hands feels different when you’re holding a child’s. The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting builds its story on this striking tension, placing Kirishima, a ruthless gangster, in charge of caring for Yaeka, his boss’s quiet daughter. The plot is simple but effective, moving in an episodic rhythm where small events carry emotional weight. It explores how ordinary moments such as walking home, sharing meals, learning patience can reshape a man defined by violence. Kirishima is a layered protagonist, torn between his brutal instincts and the tenderness he slowly discovers, while Yaeka’s innocence grounds the series with genuine warmth. Side characters, like the loyalSugihara or the wider yakuza cast, provide humor and contrast, though some remain more symbolic than fully developed. The worldbuilding is light, focusing on daily life more than the inner workings of the underworld, which keeps the story intimate but leaves the larger setting underexplored. Themes of family, redemption, and the search for gentleness in a cruel world form the heart of the series, though at times the moral lessons land a little too neatly. The animation is clean and expressive, emphasizing emotional reactions over spectacle, while the visuals capture both softness and tension with balance. The music shifts between playful and tender, underscoring the contrast between comedy and heartfelt drama, and the voice acting carries it home. Kirishima’s rough charisma and Yaeka’s quiet vulnerability feel authentic and moving. Watching The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting feels like witnessing how love, even in its smallest forms, can rewrite the story of a life built on violence.

All the cool guy saves girl, makes your heart beat moves are in this story, except it is for a little girl. Sometimes feels a little phed All characters are really bland and the relationship of the main character and the girl is very cliche. Even more so, the girl doesn't feel like a kid because the relationship between the two doesn't feel natural. How does she totally ignore the dad and just WANTS the main character? OP main who takes care of a little girl. There's no story line. just sweet cliche moments. art style is good, other than that not much going on. VERY predictable.

So, this was a surprise. This anime was not even on my radar, I had skimmed the synopsis and read the words "Underworld" and "demon" and expected a mediocre fantasy that I would likely watch at a later point, only when I read it properly did I realise I had been wrong with my initial impression, and I decided to give it a try. As soon as the opening credits were over, I knew this was going to be a series that I was going to enjoy, and after just the first episode, I was already thinking, this could very well wind up being my 'anime ofthe season'

This is very much like Barakamon in its core theme, an adult has an obvious personality flaw, and is a volatile incomplete person, and it's with the introduction of a young child, and various others around them, that they start to temper their personality, and become more complete, they learn what it is to live, and to create a family / home for themselves

One thing I like is while the concept of this seems farfetched when reading the synopsis, when you actually watch it, it does fall in place and make some sense.

Kirishima is the First Lieutenant for the family, his job is to keep the rest of the family in line, and to also act responsibly and ensure the Boss's orders are passed on and followed, yet he acts more like an Enforcer, and often takes things too far, even when negotiations are supposed to be peaceful, and this gets him into repeated trouble with the Boss

So, the Boss then orders Kirishima to be the Babysitter (and guardian) for his daughter Yaeka, normally that task would be handled by someone like Sugihara, but the Boss needs Kirishima to learn responsibility, and he also hopes it will smooth off some of the rough edges.

I won't get into the story, mainly because it's mainly the journey of the characters, while many of the events in the story are there to facilitate that.

Where this anime shines though is in the characters themselves, we have a rich diverse cast of characters, they are well developed and several characters are given real growth across the events of the series, this type of anime is all about the characters, it's the most important thing, so for the main cast (and by that I mean the 'Family') to be so well done, so well handled, likable, fleshed out, and to be treated as actual characters where they have actual personalities and flaws, that just makes it so good.

The humour is definitely subjective. I liked it for the first part, but there was one episode that I felt that was definitely too silly and it felt like a filler episode more than anything else, as it didn't really add anything.

Sara and her father are a bit too much of a trope, and a bit of a weaker point in an otherwise strong series

I enjoyed this from start to finish.

Without those two small issues, this could have been a 10/10, I would give it a 9.5 if I could but as it is, it gets a 9/10

This is like the most generic "fluffy" anime ever. You know how the only thing that differentiates between this show and like the million other "fluffy" shows is that this show is supposed to have like, yakuza involved? Now, I'm not a yakuza, and I'm not a yakuza expert, but I imagine that the interactions shown here are not how Yakuza behave. Just like Nisekoi and the million other yakuza-themed shows, despite people being yakuza, you're supposed to distinguish that the yakuza that the MC belongs to are "the good guys." Good yakuza exist guys! The other point is that it's such a shallow theme.There's little to no engagement with Yakuza other than a couple of token mentions of "boss," and the MC beating up some gang members that want trouble. Most of the time, you're just scratching your head at most of these scenes, since none of them really bring up or need the additional Yakuza theme. 90% of this show could have removed the Yakuza stuff and it'd still function like a regular show. You'd think that Kirishima-- a guy that's unhinged-- would be a bad caretaker or something, and that's how the Yakuza theme comes to play but no, apparently, he separates work and personal feelings quite clearly. He's like the ideal caretaker. So what the hell is the point then, of him being part of the Yakuza? Most of this show is basically just "cute" interactions between Yaeka, Kirishima, Kazuhiko, and a couple of other side characters. That isn't particularly terrible, but it's pretty bland and boring. It doesn't stand out. These characters do not act like they're part of a gang, and just feel like they're a normal family. Which is fine, but again, then why the hell are they Yakuza?

Like surprise surprise, I checked the later episodes and oh wow, the story decides to employ the "bad guys seeking revenge on Kirishima and his gang and kidnap someone" cliche after the MC reforms with his interactions with Yaeka. Like damn, I really didn't expect that! If you're the type of person to like cute, fluffy stuff, I guess this is for you. Otherwise, steer clear of this cringe

Kumichou Musume to Sewagakari – The Yakuza Babysitting Club Nobody Asked For I don’t get the point of this anime. Nothing happened. At all. It’s like someone thought, "What if we took the concept of a hardened yakuza taking care of a little girl but removed all the drama, danger, and actual stakes?" What’s left? A bizarre, saccharine slice-of-life that tries to be heartwarming but instead left me questioning everything about the criminal underworld. Let’s start with our main character, the so-called yakuza "first lieutenant." This guy is, without a doubt, one of the most insufferable anime protagonists I’ve ever seen. Not becausehe’s a thug—no, that would have at least been interesting—but because he’s a smug, self-righteous douchebag with a grating personality. He also calls the little girl "little lady" so often that if you turned it into a drinking game, you'd be legally dead from alcohol poisoning before the first episode ended.

And speaking of yakuza… Where were the yakuza things? This was the nicest crime family I’ve ever seen. They weren’t running shady businesses, dealing with turf wars, or, you know, committing crimes. They were too busy talking about their feelings, throwing birthday parties, and making pancakes. Yes. Pancakes. When I think "yakuza," I don’t imagine a room full of tattooed gangsters singing happy birthday over a cake. But hey, apparently, in this world, real men cry and prioritize emotional bonding over illegal activities.

The big boss himself? He just sat around in a kimono, looking like he was suffering from chronic constipation. This man couldn't even take care of his own daughter and thought, "Hey, I’ll make my first lieutenant do it instead." Because… reasons? I guess when you're running the softest yakuza clan in history, you have plenty of free time for illogical decisions.

And the action? Oh, there were moments where it seemed like something might actually happen. But don’t worry, any tension is resolved in the span of 12 nanoseconds. One moment, our protagonist gets into a fight, the next, everything is fine and dandy like nothing ever happened. Rinse, repeat.

The girl herself? She had some of the weirdest eyes I’ve ever seen in anime. I swear they looked like Picasso paintings. Even by anime standards, it was distracting.

By the time I got to the last three episodes, watching felt like a chore. I kept waiting for something—anything—to justify the premise. It never came.

Would I recommend this? Absolutely not. Stay far, far away. Unless you have a fetish for unrealistic, overly sentimental crime syndicates, or you just really enjoy hearing the phrase "little lady" on loop, there’s nothing here for you.