The Yakuza's Guide to Babysittingis a brand-new comedy anime making its debut in the Summer 2022 anime season, and anime fans who miss the wholesome antics of Spy x Family are sure to enjoy this anime too. Yakuza has some similar storytelling beats to Spy x Family, and it even features a cast of similar characters as well.
A few episodes in, Yakuza has established its main cast of lovable characters, most of whom belong or are connected to the dreaded Sakuragi crime family. However, this is no crime thriller -- Yakuza's main characters are kind, wonderful people underneath their scary mobster exteriors, and they have the best personality flaws and quirks to make for a great comedy.
Kirishima Toru Is The Insecure Babysitter
Kirishima Toru is the star of the show, and new fans of Yakuza will soon see the fascinating parallels between him and Spy x Family's own Loid Forger. Kirishima used to be all business, thriving in the crime life of kicking people around and taking names, but now it's time for a change. Toru's boss has ordered him to babysit his daughter, and this is a challenge unlike any that Toru has had before. Now, Toru must look within himself to find his caring, paternal side and be the best babysitter for little Yaeka, and in so doing, Toru will confront his insecurities head-on.
Underneath his tough-talking exterior is a shy, introverted man who fears he's not good enough to be Yaeka's babysitter, and the fear of failure runs deep in him. But he won't give up -- Toru is a fighter and has all kinds of unexpected fun being the series' new Best Dad. The boss wants to tame Toru and give him a new outlook on life, and so far, it's working. Toru is discovering a whole new side to himself every day as Yaeka's babysitter.
Sakuragi Yaeka Is Toru's New Best Friend
Sakuragi Yaeka is the mafia boss's beloved daughter, a shy but well-meaning child who has a few insecurities of her own. While Yaeka gets along with her caring father, she actually feels terribly lonely given her father's preoccupation with his job, and Yaeka was pretty miserable before Toru became her new babysitter and friend. In fact, Yaeka once feared that her comatose mother Miyuki no longer loves her, since Miyuki never speaks to her, but Toru might convince Yaeka otherwise and restore the mother-daughter relationship.
For the most part, Yaeka is a fairly ordinary kid for her age, enjoying summer festivals, stuffed animals and coloring, and she might also inspire her new babysitter with the power of song. Yaeka may be the child in this new friendship, but she might also have something to teach Toru and help him discover a new side of himself.
Sakuragi Kazuhiko Runs The Whole Organization
The mafia boss himself, the awe-inspiring Sakuragi Kazuhiko, is the very image of a criminal overlord. He's smart, tough and doesn't easily forgive weaknesses or mistakes, but he also has a soft spot for his only child Yaeka. Kazuhiko is often too busy to look after Yaeka or spend quality time with her -- a reality that he's less than pleased with. So, to give Yaeka some company and teach Kirishima Toru a lesson, Kazuhiko assigned Toru as Yaeka's new babysitter.
While Kazuhiko respects Toru's combat skills, he also worries that Toru is not yet a complete person, and he doesn't want Toru to identify exclusively with this violent lifestyle. In that sense, Kazuhiko may be projecting his pent-up paternal feelings on Toru, treating Toru like a grown-up son who needs a little guidance from his dad. Like his daughter, Kazuhiko also dearly misses spending quality time with his wife Miyuki and longs for the day he can speak to her again.
Sugihara Kei, Kurosaki Kanami & The Rest
A handful of other delightful characters help round out The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting's cast of supporting characters. Toichiro Aoi is one of Toru's best friends in the mob and Toru's personal role model, acting like a wise big brother much of the time. Aoi is also a glimpse of what Toru might become -- a tamed mobster who now dotes on his son rather than reveling in the violence of the mobster lifestyle. Then there's Sugihara Kei, a playful blond man who looks up to Toru and follows him everywhere, only for Toru to tease him or whack him on the head. He tries to act cool, but more often than not, Kei ends up being the show's main comic relief, and hardly anything goes right for him. He does dote on Kei, though.
Kurosaki Kanami is Yaeka's aunt and the sister of Miyuki, making her Kazuhiko's sister-in-law. She is a model aunt, a warm and caring lady who simply wants what's best for everyone. By no means does she imitate the tough, scary attitude of her brother-in-law and his thugs -- instead, she is gentle and friendly with Toru, and she gives him emotional support while caring for her niece. Finally, there's Hanada Ayumu, a high school girl who tends to wander around rather than study. She once met Yaeka and Toru in a back alley and had a positive impression of them both. She might appear again as a charming aside character who can offer a refreshing perspective on things.