Book Review: The Way of the Househusband Vols. 8 & 9 by Kousuke Oono

The Way of the Househusband Volume 8 by Kousuke Oono

Tatsu the Immortal Dragon (former Yakuza member turned househusband) continues living the domestic life while using his organized crime sensibilities to handle difficulties. He has a bunch of problems like golfing, choosing a DVD to watch on movie night, fighting against mass-produced donuts, dealing with snow, and, in a bonus manga, fighting a zombie apocalypse. The stories are entertaining and light without a lot of consequence (the zombie story is a one-off and not a continuing problem). If you liked previous volumes, you'll like this one.

Mildly recommended.

The Way of the Househusband Volume 9 by Kousuke Oono

More tales from the life of Tatsu--he and his friends tell horror stories by candlelight; a rhino beetle and a stag beetle go head-to-head in a fight, coached by Tatsu and a rival; Tatsu turns sidewalk salesman to help out some favorite shops that are losing business to the mall. The routine is the same as other volumes, with humorous organized-crime takes on everyday situations. The best one was probably Tatsu using his homemaker skills to help some gang members stay cool on the streets during an extreme heatwave.

Mildly recommended.

Book Review: The Way of the Househusband Vol. 7 by Kousuke Oono

The Way of the Househusband Volume 7 by Kousuke Oono

More adventures with Tatsu, the Immortal Dragon (that was his yakuza name) turned into a househusband. The book has the usual variety of cooking/mafia crossovers and appliances that work like a hitman's best friend. For new stuff, Tatsu goes camping with his wife, gets involved in a haiku showdown, and even does a little bit of cosplay for a good cause. It's more of the same light entertainment from previous volumes.

Mildly recommended--if you like the other stuff in this series, you'll like this.

Book Review: The Way of the Househusband Vol. 6 by Kousuke Oono

The Way of the Househusband Volume 6 by Kousuke Oono 

The Immortal Dragon (Katsu, the ex-yakuza, now househusband) faces his greatest challenge as he tries to become a made man. He wants to join the local woman's committee, which means he has to show his household skills to the max. He puts in maximal effort to become part of the inner circle. Other stories include a run in with another ex-yakuza as they are both walking their dogs and a tough night of trying to fall asleep (counting gangsters instead of sheep doesn't always work so good; nor does the soothing sounds of the sea when it reminds you of cement shoes!). 

The collection of stories is entertaining.

Recommended.

Book Review: The Way of the Househusband Vol. 5 by Kousuke Oono

The Way of the Househusband Volume 5 by Kousuke Oono

Tatsu, formerly the Immortal Dragon in the yakuza, faces more everyday challenges in his life as a househusband. His wife wants to enter a local Halloween costume contest since first prize is a vacation. Tatsu has his eye on second place--a year's worth of rice. Other challenges include a rap battle with another ex-yakuza, a night at the sake bar, and his father-in-law's cooking. The light entertainment value keeps going in the series, so I'll stick around for more.

Mildly recommended.

Book Review: The Way of the Househusband Vol. 4 by Kousuke Oono

The Way of the Househusband Volume 4 by Kousuke Oono

Another series of adventures for the yakuza-turned-househusband Tatsu. He goes to an amusement park with his wife, something he hasn't done since diapers! They also go to the beach and have a run-in with the volleyball opponents from a previous issue. He also teaches a friend how to make bubble tea and some neighbor kid how to make a wooden pencil holder (though he goes overboard here).

This was another fun set of light stories. The best one was when Tatsu helped out at a story time, re-theming a fairy tale with gangster lingo and actions. The story time organizers are horrified; the kids love it.

Recommended.

Book Review: The Way of the Househusband Vol. 3 by Kousuke Oono

The Way of the Househusband Volume 3 by Kousuke Oono

Tatsu, the former Yakuza hitman, faces off against a wicked opponent, the Black Bullet (aka the common cockroach), in the first of this set of lighthearted tales that apply gangster attitudes to everyday household tasks. The best story is when Tatsu visits a friend and they make bread together (using a lot of flour/white powder and kneading/roughing up the dough), though the bonus stories at the end where Tatsu is a substitute home economics teacher are also hilarious.

This is more of the enjoyable, if fluffy, comedy like the previous volumes. How long can they keep this going?

Recommended.

Book Review: The Way of the Househusband Vol. 2 by Kousuke Oono

The Way of the Househusband Volume 2 by Kousuke Oono

The adventures of Tatsu, formerly the Immortal Dragon of Yakuza fame, continue. He faces challenges like shopping for cars, working out at the local gym, and playing volleyball on the homemakers' team. The greatest challenge faces him in this issue--not the ex-con turned crepe-maker who Tatsu put in jail. The real challenge is hosting his in-laws on short notice!

The stories are very entertaining if very slight. The comedy premise works well and made me laugh out loud several times.

Recommended.

Book Review: The Way of the Househusband Vol. 1 by Kousuke Oono

The Way of the Househusband Volume 1 story and art by Kousuke Oono

A man know as "The Immortal Dragon" in the Yakuza has left organized crime and now lives his life as a househusband. He still wears the intimidating black clothes of a tough guy but has an apron with a cute cat on it. He makes breakfast and packs lunches. He cleans house, even using new technology. He shops for groceries and whatever else he and his wife need. Occasional run-ins with old associates  don't tempt him to return to his old ways. He is committed to his new life even as he uses his old skills to deal with everyday people (including his wife). 

As one might guess from the description, this manga is a comedy with some action thrown in. The writing is fun and the juxtaposition of his Yakuza grit to his new lifestyle is fun. I will definitely read more.

Recommended.