REVIEW: ‘The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting,’ Episode 9 – “The Kirishima Plan”

The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting is a slice-of-life anime produced by Gaina and feel. With Aoi’s recent visit leaving everyone in a good mood, things are quiet around the Sakuragi estate. At least until Kirishima notices everyone is acting strangely towards him. What could they be hiding from him in The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting Episode 9?

One of the best ways a series can surprise me is with an unexpected storyline that flows in a perfectly natural way. Curveballs in plots are easy to come up with when you just drop something out of left field onto a viewer, but when a show draws a viewer along for a journey that is unexpected yet properly developed through reasonable plot handling, that is something great. The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting Episode 9 manages just such a feat. And while I wasn’t expecting the places the story went in this episode, it was a lot of fun to go along for the ride.

I can’t talk much about the main plotline as it’s impossible to do so without spoiling it, but the shifting moments and changing narrative are all brought together through the show’s trademark charm nicely. While mostly filled with the heartfelt warmth that the show is known for, there is also some genuine humor in this episode that lands well. Perhaps the best moment is when a conversation is had about an anime one of the characters enjoys. It is about a yakuza member whose boss assigns him the task of watching his only daughter. Some light-hearted fourth-wall breaking is always appreciated.

But while most of The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting Episode 9 lands with heart-warming grace and some well-timed chuckles, it isn’t flawless. During one of the episode’s sequences, the visuals go a bit overboard with how it represents one of its characters. During this sequence, the character’s model repeatedly swaps between their normal look and a chibi representation of them. This is used to highlight the character’s embarrassment during the sequence. While this trick is a long-running staple of the medium, this episode uses it far too rapidly in the aforementioned sequence. Rather than helping the humor of the moment, the rapidly changing character just becomes distracting. An overall detriment, rather than the enhancer the show intended.

Outside of this one shortcoming, The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting Episode 9 delivers on the visual presentation wonderfully. The episode’s most endearing and charming elements are brought to life nicely through the animation. This is particularly true when Yaeka is featured. While she is always adorable, this episode lets her be at her most loveable.

When all is said and done, The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting Episode 9 delivers another quality story full of charm, wit, and good feelings. It is the animation equivalency of being wrapped in a warm blanket while sipping a perfectly made cup of hot cocoa.

The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting Episode 9 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.