Netflix’s adaptation of Kousuke Oono’s manga, “The Way of the Househusband” is a short but sweet slice-of-life comedy with a twist anyone can enjoy.

“The Way of the Househusband” follows Tatsu, a heavily tattooed, intimidating-looking retired member of the prominent Japanese mafia, the Yakuza. Tatsu has become a full-time homemaker after retiring and must now maintain his high standards for his household while taking care of his career-woman wife Miku. Each episode mostly consists of Tatsu coming across other retired Yakuza members on his daily errands, which usually turn into competitions to settle old quarrels. These battles consist of bake-offs, volleyball tournaments and birthday party planning. 

Each episode of “The Way of the Househusband” contains multiple short vignettes that make for an almost anthology-based series. While there is continuity with characters making multiple appearances, the various battles and tasks Tatsu completes don’t have a big overall effect on the story.  

Watching the entirety of “The Way of the Househusband” can be done in one sitting, as Netflix has currently released five 15-minute episodes. With each short segment in every episode being just the right length to keep the audiences’ attention while still being funny and heartwarming, it may be better to watch the entirety of this series at once.

One might expect an onslaught of violence, blood and other adult themes in a show that follows Yakuza members. While there is some blood and swearing in “The Way of the Househusband,” the overall happy and cartoonish themes of the show keep such occurrences to an appropriate amount for comedic effect.

The biggest downside to “The Way of the Househusband,” besides its short five-episode run, is its animation, or the lack thereof. There is very minimal actual animation in this show. Instead, movement of the characters is more so implied by having one frame of movement and accompanying sound effects. The show seems to be more like a motion comic than a full-fledged anime. However, despite this occasionally distracting animation, the perfect voice acting, comedic scenes and impressive drawings of the characters themselves make for an overall enjoyable experience.

Final verdict: 9/10