Summary
The introduction of the Suwa family raised the stakes significantly. Not only did we learn more about Rei and Ogino but also the entire assassin organization before being hit with an ending that just changed the trajectory of the series.
As we reach Buddy Daddies Season 1 Episode 8, Kazuki (voiced by Toshiyuki Toyonaga) spends his time dealing with some personal matters, and Rei (voiced by Koki Uchiyama) is forced to step up and take care of Miri (voiced by Hina Kino). While he wasn’t as organized as Kazuki, he managed to make it work and even care for Miri when she was sick.
Meanwhile, viewers learn more about Kazuki’s backstory and the mysterious woman he was sending money. With Kazuki’s sister-in-law encouraging him to move on, Rei finally realizes how hard raising a child is. Hopefully, the pair will find themselves on the same page from here.
Buddy Daddies Season 1 Episode 8 Recap
Early one morning, Rei gets dressed, telling Miri he is going to visit his home. Kazuki is surprised to hear Rei’s father called him home but is pleased to have him out of the house as he and Miri are planning a party for him.
While grocery shopping, Kazuki describes Rei’s father to Miri as “diabolical” or scary. When Rei visits him, he is a cold older man his son addresses as “boss.” It’s been three years since Rei last visited, and after scolding him for how he’s been living, he tells Rei that he thinks it’s time for him to come home. Kazuki explains to Miri that Rei’s father had very high expectations of him.
After explaining that being an assassin is in his blood, Rei’s father says it is time for him to run the family business and become head of the organization. He says he will allow Rei time to tie up his affairs but gives him a job to complete before the end of the day anyway.
What is Ogino doing at Rei’s family estate?
Ogino is tasked with driving Rei to his job and fills him in with information about the target. It seems Rei is familiar with the target, having learned several skills from him, but is now tasked with killing him after hearing he betrayed the family. He tries to talk about killing philosophy with Rei as they drive, but he seems uninterested.
As Rei exits the car, Ogino asks him to tell him the target’s last words just before he dies, as he likes to collect them in his notebook.
An all-out gunfight
Rei walks up to the target at a pier, and once the man realizes why Rei is there, the two engage in a gunfight. Having known Rei since he was younger, the target tells him he was surprised when Rei chose to leave the family but sees that he was a “Suwa through and through” now that his father has asked him to return.
Although no one is allowed to leave the organization, the target found something else worth protecting but says Rei would never understand that.
In the end, Rei still manages to beat him, shooting him in the leg. He says he does have something worth protecting before the target stumbles back, breaking through a rusted railing and falling to his death. His last words as he falls are, “I’m on my way,” though Rei chooses not to tell Ogino that.
Who shows up to pick up Rei?
Choosing not to ride back with Ogino, Rei stays at the pier, reflecting on things the target said to him during their fight. Kazuki calls to see where he is, but Rei says he needs time to cool off. While he’s thinking, Kazuki shows up with the car to pick him up. On the drive home, the two reminisce about how things were when they first met one another.
How does Buddy Daddies Season 1 Episode 8 End?
Rei comes home to find remnants of the surprise birthday party Kazuki and Miri were attempting to throw for him. As Kazuki lights candles on a cake, a half-sleep Miri wakes up long enough to tell Rei, “happy birthday.”
The episode ends with Ogino bringing a new target to Kyutaro straight from the Boss, AKA Rei’s father. Kyutaro opens the envelope to find that the latest marks are Kazuki and Miri.
After weeks of wondering where this story is going, I finally have an answer, and I have to admit, it was far better than I was expecting. Despite this being a show about assassins, it didn’t feel like they’d done many assassin-related things lately. Rei’s family and Ogino came at just the right time, and to know all that buildup was leading to something this interesting with Rei’s father was well worth it.
Kazuki’s backstory and Rei’s were quite different, with it constantly feeling like Kazuki was the real main character here. For the show to make Rei the one fighting to protect his family is a choice I did not see coming, but I think works better for the series as a whole.
I feel more invested in watching from Rei’s perspective because it almost feels like he has more to lose. In terms of narrative, I think the series stepped it up and raised the stakes in a way that made it more compelling. I’m excited to see where things go.
What did you think of Buddy Daddies Season 1 Episode 8? Comment below.
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