REVIEW: ‘My New Boss Is Goofy’ Episode 8 — “Wanna Visit My Family”

In My New Boss is Goofy Episode 8, it’s time to meet the parents. Over the course of the season, audiences have watched Kentaro Momose and Shirosaki grow closer to each other. Sure, they’re living out romantic comedy gold, but the real crux of their relationship is how much Momose is learning who he is when he isn’t traumatized, and Shirosaki is doing everything he can to be empathetic. The two men have become fast friends, allowing Momose to open up about his past boss and grow as a person and in his career. Last episode, the duo started living together and showed how well their lifestyles complement each other. Now, they’re going back to Shirosaki’s hometown in an episode aptly titled “Wanna Visit My Family.”

My New Boss is Goofy Episode 8 follows Momose and Shirosaki on their next business trip, which takes them to Shirosaki’s hometown, Namahage, in Akita Prefecture. Shirosaki is triggered by the trauma of being snatched up by a namahage demon as a child during the local festival, but he pretends to be fine in front of Momose until they surprise him. While they were there, Shirosaki got a phone call from his grandmother saying, “I have something I want to show you.” Of course, as two only co-workers and definitely not partners, they head to Shirosaki’s family home.

Shirosaki’s grandma is adorable, animated to barely reach their knees. She’s tiny, loving, and just wants to get to know Momose, or as she says, Ken-chan. The immediate kinship that Shirosaki’s grandma offers is fantastic. While Shirosaki’s childhood is filled with goofiness and a couple of scary moments, his family is loving in a way that is great to see in an anime, where parents and families are often the main source of trauma for protagonists. That said, the thing that she wants to show Shirosaki isn’t, well, a thing. It’s his older brother—and he’s equally as goofy.

While the last batches of episodes really honed in on showing the audience who Momose is and how he came to be that way, My New Boss is Goofy Episode 8 is all about Ken-chan learning about Shirosaki. It’s a glimpse into his childhood and who he is, and what Momose and the audience find is that his empathy has always been there. From switching between crying when he dropped his ice cream in a picture to the next one where he blushes when he thinks the ants are saying “thank you” for the meal. Shirosaki is kind and good, and it’s refreshing to see that in a character. Add in that he’s a spitting image of his brother in his goofiness and compassion, which makes this episode wholesome more than anything else.

Everything about My New Boss is Goofy Episode 8 is adorable. Tiny grandma Shirosaki, friend bonding, and Ayoyama taking care of Hakuto and thus making Kumaatechan (yes, the stuffed bear) jealous, all of it captures the salve for the soul that this series has been.

It’s easy to call a shonen series that features cliffhangers and epic feats of animation in action anime of the year. From Gear 5 to Shibuya, those anime are great. But this calm and comforting look at life and growing through the hardest part of it is the best anime this season.

My New Boss is Goofy Episode 8 is streaming now, exclusively on Crunchyroll.