REVIEW: ‘The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting,’ Episode 4 – “Why Don’t We Start Streaming?”

The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting is a slice-of-life anime produced by Gaina and feel.  With the trip o the hospital behind them, life goes on for the members of the Sakuragi family. But like for many these days, times are tough and the wallet isn’t as full as it once was. But the boss has a new idea to bring in some extra revenue in The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting Episode 4.

During this week’s opening scene we see a message from the studio thanking fans for enjoying the show and informing them that due to reasons, the planned episode isn’t the one we are getting. Rather, in their own words, we are getting something “even more ridiculous.” Ridiculous is a great word to describe the events of The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting Episode 4. With the family’s money so tight, the boss decides that Kirishima and Sugihara should start a streaming show to help bolster their income. After all, the boss has heard there is big money to be made in streaming.

From the outset, this idea certainly fits the ridiculous description the creators open the episode with. Expecting someone to just make a ton of money overnight streaming is like expecting them to just start playing pro sports. After all, people get rich playing that right? But, as luck would have it, Kirishima and Sugihara are as fun to watch to the people of their world as they are to us it seems. And their Youtube channel, Team Cherry, quickly takes off. While the oddball antics of Team Cherry fill the better portion of The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting Episode 4, the episode still makes time for a bit of the show’s trademark sweetness.

As the stream’s popularity takes off, Kirishima finds himself home less and less. This leads to him missing out on his regular activities like walking Yaeka to school in the mornings. The absence of these simple moments begins to build up in Kirishima as the story progresses. This not only adds a bit of emotion to the episode’s narrative but further expands Kirishima’s character.

While the show’s lead had never projected any traits that would make someone suspect the man to be overly ambitious, this is the first time that we see him in a way that actively opposes the concept. His desire to return to his chill life with the family and walking Yaeka to school speaks volumes of the simplicity of the man’s heart.

The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting Episode 4 delivers on the ridiculous nature of the family’s streaming sensation with all its heart. The streaming antics used to propel it to stardom are bizarre and exactly the kind of thing I feel would work in real life. Every goofy clip brings its visual humor off wonderfully.

When all is said and done, The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting Episode 4 pulls this unexpected filler episode off wonderfully. If all filler stories could land like this one, the term wouldn’t be so dreaded in the anime community.

The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting is streaming now on Crunchyroll.