4. A book written in East Asia: The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 1 by Kousuke Oono

List Progress: 23/30

There’s something to be said for comedies with one joke. They have to be formatted correctly: recurring sketches, skits and short comics can get away with checking in and making slight variations on the same premise over and over again without overstaying their welcome. The Way of the Househusband, the manga series by Kousuke Oono, only has one joke baked into its premise, but it’s a cute joke and the series uses dynamic art and good comic timing to get a lot of mileage from it. And when a volume can easily be read in one sitting, it can get away with being a bit of literary popcorn.

The Way of the Househusband, Volume 1 follows Tatsu, a former yakuza legend who has retired from the deadly lifestyle to be a doting homemaker while his wife works. The main joke of the series is that Tatsu still dresses, speaks and acts in an incredibly intimidating manner while doing cute and wholesome tasks. He tests out a new vacuum like he’s putting a new enforcer through his paces. He shops for birthday presents as if he’s making drug deals. Some legitimate dangers do arise when he is recognized by former allies and foes alike, but for the most part he is just going about his day, keeping his house clean, cooking for his beloved wife and caring for their cat, all while looking ready to kill. It’s a simple joke, but Oono keeps it fresh with small variations and twists, and the fact that much of the manga is made up of physical comedy with little dialogue. The art captures motion very well and sets up good sight gags, especially with detailed spooky close ups of Tatsu. And for something as light and frothy as this, that sort of easy slapstick is what is needed.

The biggest risk with The Way of the Househusband is that it would become repetitive. This first volume doesn’t fall into that trap, but the later volumes would most likely have to expand out the world or delve deeper into the characters to stay interesting. (Tatsu’s wife Miku in particular would benefit from some more detail, given she is ostensibly his reason for leaving the yakuza life behind.) But for a quick and fun distraction that will get a few giggles, The Way of the Househusband is a solid job to take on.

Would I Recommend It: Yes.