Piece of Cake
Episode 1 of Buddy Daddies begins with a car chase between a male and the mafia. The two factions split off, but the man leads the gang toward a dead end. The mafia leader tells his employer to keep calm and for his driver to run over the man that chased them down. The driver shoots the leader and reveals themselves to be working with their enemy. The driver happens to be working for an agency. The driver and his partner lead the gentlemen to a warehouse to interrogate him. The yellow-haired agent interrogates the employer about some fake jewels he had in his briefcase. The employer tries weaseling his way out of the situation, angering the yellow-haired gentlemen’s partner. The employer hands them a phone but the yellow-haired gentlemen receive a phone call from someone. We learn that he’s named Kazuki. On the phone, a woman informs him that a girl named Miri got a fever and needs him to pick her up. He hangs up the phone and starts yelling at his partner because he was supposed to make sure she was okay before they tackled this mission. The employer tries butting in, resulting in Kazuki’s partner shooting him. Kazuki and his partner flee the scene and plan to visit Miri. We receive narration from Kazuki and learn that his partner’s named Rei. He informs the audience that Miri came to live with him and Rei last Christmas when they were taking a job. We flashback to several months earlier and see Kazuki leaving a woman behind to visit Rei. He arrives at Rei’s place and the two bicker over mundane things. Kazuki notices Rei brought a cat home and tells him to get rid of it. Rei pays him no mind, so Kazuki decides to take the cat. Kazuki puts the cat in a box and wishes it good luck finding a better home that can take care of it. Kazuki wraps a scarf behind and leaves the creature be. Kazuki returns to Rei’s place and completes several chores around the place–from cleaning to cooking. Kazuki understands Rei’s upset about not having the cat around anymore. However, he informs Rei that their line of work makes it unsafe for the cat or anyone to live or be around them. He warns Rei not to bring someone home–who he can’t take care of from start to finish. We receive a flashback of Kazuki catering to a pregnant woman’s belly. She says the baby can’t wait to see papa as we revert to Kazuki–who lets out a brief sigh and leaves the table. He hands Rei a newspaper and tells him they’ll be working for Christmas Eve. It appears they’ll be trying to assassinate a broker for a human trafficking organization named Hayami Atsushi. Rei and Kazuki visit several stores and stock up on equipment for their job. Kazuki visits someone named Kyutarou and hands him the information he smuggled from the girl he slept with near the start of the episode. He asks Kyutarou to have a hotel ID ready by tomorrow morning alongside things for a phone call he has planned. Kyutarou confirms he can get everything set up at that time. Kyutarou hands Kazuki Rei’s payment. Before Kazuki leaves, Kyutarou asks him if he’s gotten over the thing that’s clouded his mind. Kazuki leaves without saying a word and meets up with his friends Carol and Dorothy. He gets into raunchy activities with them and leaves the building with no jacket and fewer funds. Kazuki stumbles upon a family and remembers the cat he left in the cardboard box. He revisits that location and leaves two canisters of catnip. In the morning, we follow a little girl who seems to be roaming the city alone. As she explores, we learn that she wants to find her father. Meanwhile, Kazuki informs Rei about his research on Hayami Atsushi, their target. It appears Hayami will be holding a Christmas party at the Varint Hotel and knows it will be guarded by frightening individuals. They plan to infiltrate the establishment in costumes and leave a surprise for him, his wife, and their guests. Meanwhile, the little girl enters the Varint Hotel and starts wandering around. At the same time, Kazuki enters the building, thanks to the data he stole from the woman he slept with’s ID. He’s dressed up as Santa Claus. Two men stop him, but Kazuki informs them that he was tasked with delivering a cake to the top floor. He shows some papers proving his work, but the guards don’t believe him. Kazuki tells the guards that he was on the phone with Hayami’s wife and hands them his phone. It turns out Kyutarou is calling Kazuki but using a voice modulator to disguise his voice as Hayami’s wife. This convinces the guards to let him pass. However, they use some gadgets to check him for weapons and look under the present to make sure everything looks okay. Kazuki hops in the elevator, but the little girl rushes inside because she spots the cake he baked. Kazuki lets the girl eat his cake, and she says it’s delicious. Kazuki’s filled with joy because he’s happy someone appreciates his cooking. The girl mistakes him for the real Santa Claus and asks him if he’ll help her see her father. This causes Kazuki to remember the instance with his wife and he asks the girl if she wants to see her father. The girl confirms her mother told her her father would be at the Varint Hotel. They reach another exit, and the girl starts rushing out to find her father. Two men notice them, but Rei murders them with a few shots to the chest. He was hiding under the cart. Kazuki realizes their plan to murder Hayami might be in shambles. More guards start notifying their people about the girl’s whereabouts and attempt to shoot her. Rei takes the initiative and starts shooting the guards down, causing a ruckus. They enter the party room and continue laying waste to many individuals. The girl wanders around the room, asking for her father’s whereabouts. We learn that her name is Miri. Hayami grabs Miri and points a gun to her head. Kazuki and Rei hide behind a table and try strategizing. Kazuki rushes toward the men as they shoot at him. Rei shoots one of the men, allowing Kazuki to reach out to Miri–as he tells her he’s her father. Miri jumps into Kazuki’s arms as Rei headshots Hayami from point-blank range. Rei shoots an escape route for himself and climbs off the building. Kazuki leaves the establishment with Miri in his arms. Miri’s happy to be with her father. Rei and Kazuki drive off to their home, and Kazuki can’t help but smile at Miri while she sleeps. Rei ponders why Kazuki couldn’t allow him to keep a cat if he can have a kid. Kazuki admits it’s not his fault for getting Miri wrapped up in this. The episode concludes with Rei and Kazuki realizing that Miri’s father is Hayami and that they murdered her father.
The Episode Review
With Spy x Family coming to a close, it makes sense for more studios to dish out content like it to fill the void in fans’ hearts. Enter Buddy Daddies, a comedy about two assassins who adopt a young girl because of a misunderstanding. This first episode had some stellar choreography, wholesome interactions, and a nice set-up for things to come. It gives audiences some breadcrumbs about our cast but doesn’t overflow folks with too much information. The fiasco revolving around Kazuki and his wife was a stellar change of pace. It took Spy X Family about 17 episodes to give us insight into Loid’s backstory. To receive a glimpse into Kazuki’s past this early on is a wonderful treat. Hopefully it’ll help him develop a tight bond with Miri. Although it feels slightly predictable regarding what happened between him and his wife, it’s nice to receive something different. On that note, Miri evokes wholesomeness and charm. The fact that she was nonchalant about the murders near her added some comedic value to the situation. However, I can see some questioning her unconcerned reactions to the dilemma. Furthermore, some solutions to avoiding gunfire and handling the mission seemed uncanny, like Kazuki deflecting bullets via a plate. Besides those grievances, this was a fun way to kick off an original anime series. It met my expectations and exceeded them. I’m looking forward to seeing what this world offers us this season.
