Summary
An adorable but exciting opening episode that paves the way for this hilariously heartfelt anime about a family of assassins.
We recap of the Crunchyroll anime series Buddy Daddies Season 1 Episode 1, “Piece of Cake,” which contains spoilers.
One of the more anticipated premieres of the season, many viewers are looking at Buddy Daddies to fill the family-sized hole left in their hearts by the season finale of a certain spy anime. While it’s hard to tell after only one episode, this comedy anime looks like a promising replacement. It seems to be the perfect mix of light-hearted fun and intense action sequences that are sure to keep viewers coming back every week. The chemistry between Kazuki (voiced by Toshiyuki Toyonaga), Rei (voiced by Koki Uchiyama), and Miri (voiced by Hina Kino) is promising, and it shouldn’t be hard to learn to love this makeshift family as the season progresses.
Buddy Daddies Season 1 Episode 1 recap
The episode opens with a shady jewelry deal, as a gangster in a white suit is told he’ll be permitted to see the boss with what he’s delivered. On their way to deliver the suitcase of jewelry, the car they are in is ambushed by a man on a motorcycle, engaging them in a shootout. The gangsters pull up to a dock, thinking they have escaped the man on the bike, only to see he has already pulled up in front of them. One gangster instructs the driver to run the man over, only to be shot by the driver.
Inside a warehouse, the driver and man on the motorcycle confront the gangster in the white suit. This is our first introduction to Kazuki and Rei, the show’s main characters, who are also assassins. They want to know how he smuggled the jewelry in, and he reveals he’s been taking orders that come in on a cellphone, handing it over to them. Just then, Kazuki receives a call asking if he can pick up a young girl named Miri from school, as she’s got a fever. Kazuki turns to Rei, wondering why he sent the girl to school if she was sick, and it’s clear he didn’t think the girl was that bad off. The two begin to argue further, confusing the gangster. When he tries to speak up, they tell him to mind his business before shooting him and leaving to pick up Miri.
As we flashback to a few months earlier, Kazuki explains that Miri came to live with him and Rei during a job they worked on the previous Christmas. He and Rei are roommates, and you quickly get the feeling neither of them seems particularly happy with their life. Kazuki scolds Rei for bringing home a cat when he’s barely able to take care of himself but is surprised to see Rei has already bought supplies. Still, he doesn’t approve of Kazuki’s tendency to bring home strays and plans to take the cat back outside. On his way out, Rei insults Kazuki, calling him a “couch-crasher,” and Kazuki returns the favor by calling Rei a “shut-in”.
At dinner, it’s clear Rei is still upset about the cat. Kazuki tries to reason with him, as their jobs are too unpredictable for those kinds of responsibilities. They could anger someone and wind up dead at any time, or worse, bad things could happen to people they bring into their lives. We then see an even further flashback of Kazuki and a pregnant woman we assume is a former lover. He bans Rei from bringing home any more strays before tossing him the papers containing their next assignment.
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Later Kazuki meets his friend Kyutaro at the cafe where he works. He asks Kyutaro to make him a hotel ID for his mission and receives payment. Kyutaro seems to be the middleman between them and their clients. Kazuki asks Kyutaro to send half his money to the usual place, and although he says he’ll try, she never seems to be in the mood to take it.
On a train, a young girl, whom we can only assume is Miri, rides alone. She looks to be about 4 years old. Once off, she runs around the city, talking with strangers and engaging in holiday traditions. Kazuki explains their latest target is the major broker in a human trafficking ring. They know he’s holding a lavish Christmas party in a hotel ballroom and plan to sneak in by pretending to bring the desserts for the engagement. As Kazuki sneaks in, we see Miri running around the hotel lobby.
Kazuki manages to trick the guards into letting him into the elevator to deliver the cake he’s made; Miri spots the treat and eagerly runs in behind him.
Ending Explained
Kazuki internally panics as he sees the young girl. However, he cannot bring himself to deny her request to taste the cake. She begins to address Kazuki as Santa, as he is dressed in a bright red suit, and asks if he will grant her wish of meeting her father. Playing along, he tells her that he will bring her father to him if she listens. She agrees, but the moment the elevator doors open, she runs off, causing suspicion. Rei is forced to shoot the bodyguards from where he is hiding under the cake trolly.
As Kazuki runs after Miri, Rei runs down the hallway to take out the other guards. He manages to snipe them both while hiding behind protruding sections of the hallway. Once the guards are down, Rei, Kazuki, and Miri all bust into the Christmas Party. The guests run out terrified, while Rei heads straight for the head of the human trafficking ring. Kazuki loses Miri in the crowd, only for her to show up next to their target, asking him if he is her father before he takes her hostage. Kazuki runs up to save her, tearing off his beard and declaring himself her father, while Rei shoots the target and leaves.
Once the mission is over, Kazuki and Rei end up bringing Miri home. Rei calls Kazuki out for being able to bring home a child when he wasn’t allowed to keep his cat.
This first episode was a lot more fun than I was expecting. It’s a cute series that doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously. I could easily see why fans of shows like Spy x Family would enjoy it.
The dynamic between Kazuki and Rei is interesting. It’s obvious they both have a lot more going on with their characters than has been revealed. Hopefully, with a little more depth, it will become easier to resonate with them. As of right now, they both seem like hilarious, likable characters, and seeing them play off each other is more than enough reason to turn in for another episode. The juxtaposition between their job personalities and home life is the best part of the series. Throwing a young child into the mix is sure to make things more entertaining and probably more heartwarming as well.
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