Buddy Daddies

Spy x Family was a major success; there’s no doubt about that. It was so successful that many other studios thought of how they could make something similar but different. After all, a blatant rip-off would only anger fans, so they assembled around the table and put their thinking hats on. The result? Well, it was actually better than most of us anticipated.

“Buddy Daddies” is a cringy name, and most people labeled it a Spy x Family rip-off from the onset. This TV anime series ran for 12 episodes, with 24 minutes each, from the 7th of January until the 1st of April, as a Winter 2023 show. Studio P.A. Works was the animator for this original series, which Aniplex, Movic, Nitroplus, Tokyo MX, Nagoya Broadcasting Network, BS11, and Bit Groove Promotion produced. You can credit this one to producers Toba Yousuke, Tsuji Mitsuhito, Higashi Mao, and Iwasaki Noriko. It featured the genres of action and comedy alongside the themes of childcare and organized crime, garnering a rating of PG-13 for teenagers 13 years of age or older.

A summary episode titled “Buddy Daddies Intermission: Cherry-Pick” was released on March 4, 2023, recapping the first eight main series episodes. A music video for the series’ opening song, “Shock!” by Ayase, was also released on February 3, 2023. So were the fans right to judge this anime so unfairly? Let’s find out!

The story starts with a cute four-year-old girl named Miri Unasaka, who arrives in Tokyo alone on Christmas Eve, searching for her father. The city is alive with bright lights and a lively atmosphere, guiding the little girl towards a big hotel and a peculiar man with a delicious-looking cake. Miri doesn’t know that she has just unknowingly walked into the middle of an elaborate, foolproof plan set up for assassinating a dangerous mafia boss.

Now the screen turns to two professional assassins, Kazuki Kurusu and Rei Suwa, who live together while running away from their rough childhood memories and avoiding all emotional connections. Yet their high-stakes mission goes haywire when they bring Miri into their home, leaving the two men only one reasonable option: returning Miri to her mother. But are they immune to Miri’s innocent laugh and pure worldview? Absolutely not; Kazuki ends up enamored since he secretly enjoys parenting, and it’s only a matter of time until Rei's impenetrable heart yields to her.

But just like most kids, Miri's moves and behavior are unpredictable, proving to her new dads that raising an energetic child is far more complicated than any of their missions. While they know the significant risk the act poses to their careers, Kazuki and Rei decide to become Miri’s "papas," determined to provide her with a normal childhood despite all the odds stacked against them.

If you weren’t the biggest fan of Spy x Family, chances are you would love Buddy Daddies for its own unique portrayal of parenting and what childcare looks like. Miri is far more realistic, akin to a real-world child full of energy and innocent thoughts. So no, this is not a blatant ripoff of Spy x Family, but rather a refreshing new anime inspired by some concepts of the aforementioned stellar hit. It starts strong, introducing us to some badass and morally gray characters who are specialists in their craft.

These characters help us immerse ourselves in the action and understand the setting, but everything changes the second the kid drops in. Miri is adorable, behaves like an IRL kid, unknowingly makes many mistakes, and influences her parents for the better, regardless of their background.

In these 12 episodes, you will witness so much character development from the main cast, an endearing main story, and some excellent gag humor. While Miri is an integral part of it all, she doesn’t always need to be there for things to be entertaining. On the other hand, you’ll learn a thing or two about real-life childcare while watching this anime, which could come in handy at some point.

Simply put, the plot is solid and enjoyable. Kazuki and Rei are genuinely lovable characters who used to be hitmen with no regard for anyone or anything at first. While they initially find Miri to be a colossal pain, they slowly but surely grow attached to her and start to care for her genuinely. The development of these two “heartless” hitmen, as they begin to love their daughter, is what’s truly beautiful about this story. It's easy to forget that children also influence their parents in some way because they are typically the ones who mold them.

Of course, there's a limit to how much they can accomplish in 12 episodes. In this case, Miri gradually coaxes stellar performances out of her "papas." Rei's arcs feel rushed if there are any complaints to be made, while Kazuki's milder story keeps him in the spotlight. The story is also about second chances, particularly for parents, as seen with the Hitmen and Miri's mother.

Another highlight of this series is the loveable characters. There aren’t many, but just enough to keep the story going without making anything too messy. This neat little cast is endearing and entertaining to watch every step of the way. The side characters are primarily uninteresting, though, but they do their part.

On the other hand, the main antagonist is very cliche, but that’s fine because he is not the focus either. The crucial point is that the main characters showcase groundbreaking development throughout the plot in a believable way. While you may feel the anime was rushed overall, they didn’t fail to get the point across, and the growth was quite remarkable.

As for the art and animation, this is P.A. Works we are talking about. Their production caliber was top-notch, and they also did great with their experimental ideas. You can expect their signature art style, but the animation could’ve been better during certain key scenes. Oh, prepare for the warm and vivid colors! Overall, the action and nice visuals help tone down any animation issues, so you’ll likely not notice anything out of place here.

Now for the audio department. The opening theme is "SHOCK!" by Ayase, and the ending is "My Plan" by DURDN. Both are quite the bangers, and it doesn’t look like they spared the budget to make them. You can expect a lot of Miri in the ending, which might even coax you into not skipping it. As for the OSTs, they are primarily average and even a bit off on a few occasions, but this isn’t an overarching issue. The voice acting is absolutely amazing, especially concerning Miri. They are why the Gags hit so well, too, so kudos to them!

Buddy Daddies did not have a massive budget or enormous fan backing like Spy x Family did, but it did well with what it had. While the latter is more comedic, this is the better childcare anime, grounded in more realism. It is a delightful and exciting watch; people just need to give it a chance. So yeah, I highly recommend this one!