English Dub Review: The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting “The Kirishima [ ] Plan”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Yaeka seems to be acting strange. She seems to be extremely antsy, like she’s hiding something from Kirishima. On top of that, Sugihara and the rest of the members of the Sakuragi Family seem to be trying to keep Kirishima and Yaeka apart. What could Yaeka possibly be up to?

Our Take:  

It wasn’t that long ago when the Sakuragi family celebrated Yaeka’s birthday. She gained her first friend in the form of Sara, and Kirishima gave her his favorite birthday meal. Speaking of Kirishima, this week’s episode has the family celebrating a birthday for the Sakuragi demon himself. This seemed appropriate since Kirishima had forgotten all about it.

Following a couple of hilarious moments involving keeping Kirishima distracted, the episode follows the family celebrating Kirishima’s birthday at Kanami’s cafe. During the party, Kanami and the others reminisce more about the family’s past, including Kirishima’s uselessness as a young man. We also find out that Kirishima’s favorite meal is Agedashi tofu.

“The Kirishima [ ] Plan” continues the show’s trend of expanding upon the characters’ history amid its sitcom-like misadventures. In this case, it showcases how Kazuhiko first met Miyuki when she was working at the flower shop. They went on a date after realizing they were both interested in flower arranging. Although Kazuhiko doesn’t look friendly on the outside, Miyuki sees him as a kind man with a good heart. This cute little moment further showcases the show’s commitment to providing well-rounded characters that are more than just stereotypical gangsters, and I still appreciate it because of that.

The episode also shows Yaeka playing a role in keeping her family together. As Kanami stated, the Sakuragi family members have been happy together since Kazuhiko first met Miyuki. However, they all seem to drift apart after Miyuki’s accident, which would indicate that her cheerful attitude is responsible for the family’s happiness. That changed when Yaeka gathered her courage to visit Miyuki at the hospital, resulting in the Sakuragi members reuniting. In short, Yaeka is practically growing up to be like her mother: the glue that holds her family together.

“The Kirishima [ ] Plan” celebrates Kirishima’s special day with another heartwarming flashback episode that retains its charm and humor. The moment involving the family members distracting Kirishima also delivered some effective laughs and a nice nod to another yakuza anime, The Way of the Household. We have only three more episodes in the season left, meaning it’ll be a matter of time before a certain someone comes in to take the family’s happiness away for good.