Buddy Daddies – 02

OP Sequence

OP: 「Shock!」 by (Ayase)

「The Kiss of Death」

First off, apologies to all the readers out there for my blunder during Buddy Daddies’ premiere. I was clearly so taken with Miri that I completely ignored what the target looked like and with a single glance, assumed the man in the picture was a younger version of Kizuki.

You can imagine my surprise when I started the second episode to discover they’d actually assassinated Miri’s biological father. At least I managed to create a plot twist for myself.

Buddy Daddies’ second episode continues to deliver! After what I believe to be a stellar premiere, the story continues to evolve and there’s so much entertainment value already. Miri’s innocent nature brings a whirlwind of events to Kazuki and Rei’s routine. They’re ill-equipped for the heft and responsibility that comes with raising a four-year-old toddler. Knowing full well they can’t remain Miri’s guardians, they seek out Kyuutarou’s help who is oblivious to the situation. But it isn’t as simple as bringing her back to her rightful parent. Miri’s an absolute handful and ends up on a mission with Rei and Kazuki who are sent to assassinate what I can only presume is another mafia boss. Having left Miri in their getaway van, she makes her way into the mafia boss’s house to use the potty, compromising their mission entirely and turning the scene into her own hide-and-seek playground. Inevitably, Kazuki saves her, dodging a barrage of flying bullets like he’s the Flash.

I can’t help but love Miri. She’s a captivating character by design. She’s clever, disruptive, and very expressive. I can only wonder whose children inspired her character. She’s obviously the glue that binds this entire story together. Rei’s detached personality won’t remain unbothered for long. With a toddler ravaging through his PS5 games and taking up his ‘caveman’ space where he’s accustomed to shutting off his brain is going to throw a wrench into his routine. However, Miri’s inclination to turn missions over on their heads enables his love for flashy assassination plans. It gives him the perfect excuse to rush in like a hitman version of Rambo. Alternatively, a budding parent-child relationship is blooming between Kazuki and Miri. She’s ‘educating’ Kazuki about basic things and he’s discovering that it isn’t easy to keep her entertained or out of trouble. It’d be good to see something similar develop between Miri and Rei. Perhaps she’ll add a little more warmth to his personality, maybe even coax him to sleep in a bed. Is he that cold-blooded that a cool tile is more comfortable than a comfortable bed or tatami mat? I want to see him break his cool exterior.

A new character has also made an appearance, Ogino Ryou (Madono Mitsuaki). He comes into the shop where Kyuutarou (nicknamed Kyu) handles most of his business, making himself available. After Kazuki and Rei’s blunder at the mansion, he cleans up their mess in a much more gruesome way. Honestly, I’m sure if it’s worse than what Kazuki and Rei have done in the past or if it’s just his dark demeanor and his need to ‘collect’ people’s last words before they die. I bet even if Miri was around to lighten the mood, his energy would still give me the creeps. I do wonder how his role is going to impact Rei and Kazuki. I also wonder what will happen once Kyu finds out they’re raising Miri.

It’s been a while since I’ve had complete trust in a series. The only thing I don’t trust is Rei and Kazuki’s ability to keep this child safe from harm. If we end this season without anyone landing a scratch on Miri, I’ll be baffled.

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「My Plan」 by (DURDN)