The juggernaut streaming platform Netflix has upped its anime game, adding countless beloved anime series of all genres to its catalog. Now, it's adding the animated adaptation of the popular The Way of the Househusband manga as well, but fans of Kousuke Oono's original manga may be underwhelmed. The Way of the Househusband is lauded for its detailed visuals and expressive art, but based on a recent trailer released by Netflix , The Way of the Househusband's anime adaptation may fall short of its source material.
The original manga, drawn and written by Kousuke Oono, is a comedy series about Tatsu, aka Tacchan, a former yakuza member once feared as the "Immortal Dragon." But after finding love, he got married and washed his hands of crime. Now he's washing his hands again -- to prepare lovely meals for his wife, Miku. Now a domestic king, Tatsu does all the cleaning, daily errands and work around the house. Tatsu now lives and works as a househusband but, of course, he still remembers his criminal days, and his old instincts flare up whenever he runs into his old...associates. Fortunately, Tatsu's slick new househusband skills can defuse any tense situation.
The Way of the Househusband is especially beloved for the charming novelty of the story and its remarkable artwork. Each of the four current volumes, published by VIZ Media, features witty dialogue, creative everyday shenanigans, highly expressive characters-- especially Tatsu, with his scary glares -- and highly detailed backgrounds. More than anything, The Way of the Househusband's manga is a visual treat, immersing the reader in the simple but cozy life of a former yakuza tough guy. The story heavily relies on its visuals to get the gags of the day across, so any adaptation would need to keep that aspect at the fore. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like the Netflix series will.
The Way of the Househusband Anime Isn't Looking So Great
The trailer for The Way of the Househusband is, in most ways, a normal anime season trailer, from the music to the bright colors, introducing the characters one by one and establishing the premise and tone. But there is a noticeable issue with Househusband's trailer: the animation. The trailer is very sparsely animated, looking as though the animators pared down Oono's detailed art to fit anime conventions, but the end result is less than stellar.
It's true that series like Demon Slayer set a new bar in terms of animation, but even without those lofty standards in mind, The Way of the Househusband's anime is no visual treat. Yes, the characters look accurate to their manga counterparts, but the animation itself is severely lacking. Characters speak, but hardly move, the detail is lacking and, all in all, the trailer smacks of corner-cutting. A more generous way to put it would be that The Way of the Househusband's trailer looks more like a colored, motion-comic version of the manga than it does an animated adaptation.
But even that feels like a waste -- if it's just going to be the manga all over again, why bother animating anything? If the original manga is so perfect that animation can't do it justice, then it should stay a manga. So far, the Househusband anime looks like it was made out of obligation, as if every great manga needs an anime. This is a shame because, as good as the manga is, it deserves an anime adaptation that truly brings something new to the table, as all adaptations should. If the trailer is anything to go by, The Way of the Househusband's anime won't.
The Way of the Househusband will release on Netflix on April 8th, 2021.
