Is the title long enough? No, it can never be long enough. Just be thankful that I didn't include the manga, because I almost did.
A few months ago, a friend of mine, who has been slowly amassing an impressive manga collection, lent me The Way of the Househusband. It didn't blow me away, but it's a cute and quirky slice of life series about a reformed gangbanger (the Immortal Dragon) turned househusband. When I saw that Netflix was releasing an anime version of it, I DIED. And when I sat down and started watching it, I died again, because...eh. It felt exactly like the manga...which isn't the worst thing, but when an adaptation offers nothing new, it feels rather pointless.
It's a quick five episodes, each parceled into even shorter mini episodes, which is reminiscent of how short the chapters are in the manga. It's not bad, but it didn't feel worth watching when it viewed exactly as it read.
And then the YouTube algorithm decided to send me a gift: Hey girl, here's a live action version of The Way of the Househusband. Just gonna leave this here...
By that I mean, they dropped a seemingly random scene from a show that I had no idea existed, and I DIED again, but this time I came back to life, because hot damn, this series is fucking GOOD. It does what an adaptation should, in my book. Not only does it improve upon the manga, but it embraces its quirkiness and multiplies it. And it works! I can't remember the last time I was this impressed. From the perfect casting of Tatsu (Hiroshi Tamaki), to expanding on every character, and then some, it really knocked it out of the park for me. The episodes aren't diced into small portions like I expected, either, but play at around 40-ish minutes a pop. I mean...when I say they expanded on the manga, I wasn't lying.
The only addition I wasn't overly fond of was the daughter. In the manga, neither Tatsu nor his wife had kids. In the live action, the wife has a child from a previous relationship. Granted, I don't particularly like kids, so maybe I'm biased, but the daughter is kind of a brat for a good portion of the show. Still, I get the idea of wanting to build up that universe a little more, and creating new characters plays into that. I can't be mad.
And then the YouTube algorithm decided to send me a gift: Hey girl, here's a live action version of The Way of the Househusband. Just gonna leave this here...
By that I mean, they dropped a seemingly random scene from a show that I had no idea existed, and I DIED again, but this time I came back to life, because hot damn, this series is fucking GOOD. It does what an adaptation should, in my book. Not only does it improve upon the manga, but it embraces its quirkiness and multiplies it. And it works! I can't remember the last time I was this impressed. From the perfect casting of Tatsu (Hiroshi Tamaki), to expanding on every character, and then some, it really knocked it out of the park for me. The episodes aren't diced into small portions like I expected, either, but play at around 40-ish minutes a pop. I mean...when I say they expanded on the manga, I wasn't lying.
The only addition I wasn't overly fond of was the daughter. In the manga, neither Tatsu nor his wife had kids. In the live action, the wife has a child from a previous relationship. Granted, I don't particularly like kids, so maybe I'm biased, but the daughter is kind of a brat for a good portion of the show. Still, I get the idea of wanting to build up that universe a little more, and creating new characters plays into that. I can't be mad.
Both the anime and the live action have something to offer. I can see the anime, in its short, to-the-point episodes, appealing to someone who just wants a quick watch, and who isn't looking to get too invested. Again, it's not bad, but if you're like me and usually searching for more (in life and in my entertainment), the live action wins this battle.
My grades:
Live action: A
Anime: B
My grades:
Live action: A
Anime: B
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