The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting Vol. 1

Author: Tsukiya
Illustrator: Tsukiya
Publishers: Kaiten Books 
Age Group: Teen
Genre: slice-of-life, comedy

Content Warnings: prepare for cuteness, motherhood illness

Spoilers ahead

Plot

Kirishima Tooru is the right-hand man of the Sakuragi crime family. For him, the job is a perfect excuse to let his violent instincts run wild, earning him the nickname “the Demon of Sakuragi”. It seems like nothing will stand in the way of his vicious nature. But then one day, he receives an assignment like never before from the boss—babysitting his daughter! This is the heartwarming (or is it bloodcurdling?) Story of a little girl and her yakuza caretaker! 

Character Development

Tooru is what you’d expect from someone called “the Demon of Sakuragi”. He’s a chill dude but prefers violence as it gets answers quicker than being diplomatic. His character changes as he interacts with Yaeka. He doesn’t want her to see any violence and by having the responsibility to care for her, he needs to think more about how to handle things so it doesn’t blow back. 

Yaeka is a reserved little girl about the age of 5. She doesn’t like to ask for anything if it’ll put someone out, or if they can’t make it to events. 

Kazuhiko is a reserved yakuza boss. He doesn’t talk a lot but when he does you need to listen. He’s very kind and caring. He tries to hide his depression well, but he misses his wife who’s in a coma in the hospital. Kazuhiko loves his daughter dearly. 

Sugihara is a laid back sweet guy. He tries to handle things with diplomacy but will follow Tooru’s way of doing things. He’s patient and puts up with a lot including letting Tooru practice hairstyling his long hair so he can do a good job on Yaeka’s hair. 

Kanami is Yaeka’s aunt on her mother’s side. She’s taken care of her since her mother fell into a coma when she was very little. She runs a little food shop that’s a hole in the wall. Kanami is like a second mother to Yaeka. She understands how Yaeka’s mind works and helps Tooru when he needs some advice. 

World-building

The world is a contemporary setting that revolves around the inside of a traditional Japanese home, community, and Yaeka’s school. The world-building mostly focuses on the characters rather than the setting. The developing relationship between Yaeka and Tooru creates a cute dynamic as they become family to each other. 

Themes

Connection makes family. Tooru and Yaeka both change each other as they learn to communicate and trust each other. Family is more than just blood, it can be those that you vibe with. This is a great theme that’s classic to mafia-type families. I like that this theme is brought about in a new way. 

Observations & Predictions

My prediction is that Tooru and Yaeka will get closer and develop a great parent/child relationship. One thing that I wouldn’t be surprised about is if somethin from Tooru’s past comes back to affect Yaeka. He’ll need to deal with it and think about future problems from previous actions. He’ll also need to figure out a plan on how to deal with them if they happen in the future. 

Yaeka may become more extroverted around Tooru as she learns to trust him.

If you like feel-good manga this one is definitely something to read.  

Recommendations

The Way of the Househusband
By: Kousuke Oono

Sakamoto Days
By: Yuuto Suzuki

Mr. Villain’s Day Off
By: Yuu Morikawa