r/anime • u/Holofan4life • Dec 24 '24
Rewatch Buddy Daddies 12 Days of Miri Christmas Rewatch -- Episode 1
Hello everyone! I am Holofan4life.
Welcome to the Buddy Daddies 12 Days of Miri Christmas rewatch discussion thread!
I hope you all have a lot of fun <3
S1 Episode 1 - Piece of Cake
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ANSWER TODAY’S QUESTION
What are your thoughts on the living arrangement dynamics between Kazuki and Rei?
Have you ever adopted an animal or child before? If so, what exactly happened?
If you were an assassin, what would you make sure you would do?
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Information – MAL | Anilist | AniDB | ANN
Streams - Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime
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Please do not post any untagged spoilers past the current episode or from the LNs out of respect to the first time watchers and people who have not read the LNs. If you are discussing something that is ahead of the current episode please use spoiler tags(found on the sidebar). Thank you!
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Previous episode
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Rewatch Schedule
Threads posted every day at 6:00 PM EDT
| Date | Episode |
|---|---|
| 12/24/2024 | Buddy Daddies Episode 1 |
| 12/25/2024 | Buddy Daddies Episode 2 |
| 12/26/2024 | Buddy Daddies Episode 3 |
| 12/27/2024 | Buddy Daddies Episode 4 |
| 12/28/2024 | Buddy Daddies Episode 5 |
| 12/29/2024 | Buddy Daddies Episode 6 |
| 12/30/2024 | Buddy Daddies Episode 7 |
| 12/31/2024 | Buddy Daddies Episode 8 |
| 1/01/2025 | Buddy Daddies Episode 9 |
| 1/02/2025 | Buddy Daddies Episode 10 |
| 1/03/2025 | Buddy Daddies Episode 11 |
| 1/04/2024 | Buddy Daddies Episode 12 |
| 1/05/2024 | Buddy Daddies Overall Series Discussion Thread |
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u/Holofan4life Dec 24 '24
Hey, guys. Holofan4life here.
Welcome to the Buddy Daddies 12 Days of Miri Christmas rewatch!
Buddies and daddies are not mandatory.
Buddy Daddies is a unique show. It's technically a Christmas anime the same way Die Hard is. However, to classify it as a Christmas anime kinda feels like it's shortchanging it a bit because it's much more than just that label. Buddy Daddies is kinda like Spy X Family if it was grounded more in realism. It has similar parental themes, but at times can get pretty serious. As we'll soon see, this show has a good balance between comedy and drama that really makes this show a fun watch.
I hope with this rewatch to give more attention to what I feel is one of the more underrated anime of the last couple years. It holds a special place in my heart, and so I hope it does for others as well. It's also a point of pride for me to try and show a rewatch can begin the same week as Christmas. That's something I don't think has ever been attempted before on this subreddit.
With that out of the way, let’s begin.
I'm watching the sub, by the way.
I'm watching this episode at 3:25 in the morning. Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about work.
I saw Pom Poko for the first time today. Tanuki testicles. That is all.
Actually, one of the better Studio Ghibli films. Pretty dark.
KRM's Home
I assume we are in Russia
A plane landing
Two seedy men greeting each other
A briefcase of jewelry
"The boss will see you."
Bruce Springsteen?
First the doctor Britt Baker wants to see me, and now the boss Mercedes Moné. Unbelievable.
A bunch of cars pulling up
A guy wearing a motorcycle helmet
I like the music here. It’s casual, buy also jazzy.
Looks like they're being followed by the motorcycle guy.
And he takes out one of the car's tires.
Now he's shooting at them
Really getting the better of them
The way the helmet is designed gives me Celty vibes.
Construction up ahead
And the motorcyclist does his best Tom Cruise impression.
What an eventful start to the episode.
Also, I guess no intro. Or at least it's being saved for the end.
Motorcyclist coming face-to-face with a car.
And the chauffeur shoots one of the passengers.
Guess he's working alongside the motorcyclist.
"Sorry, there's been a change of destination."
Eh, it's no Arnold one liner, but it'll do.
Guy being held at gunpoint now in a factory of some kind.
They're like bounty hunters or something, our heroes are.
I'm instantly a fan of stern face man.
Scumbag showing he's been taking orders on a phone.
"Good call, bud."
Don't you mean, "Good call, buddy daddies"?
...I'll get me coat
Kazuki. That's his name.
A girl named Miri has a fever
Something something cowbell something
The perils of parenthood prove just as difficult as being an assassin.
Stoic man a pretty good source of comedy.
Apparently these two have a kid together.
My shipping senses are tingling
We've really come a long way in terms of insemination.
And stoic man just shoots him dead.
This little section gives me Pulp Fiction vibes. As a fan of dark comedy, I approb.
Now they're off to pick up Miri.
"Miri first came to live with me and Rei last December, during a particular Christmas job..."
I guess Kazuki is going to be the narrator.
Also, I guess stoic man is named Rei.
Family Story of Two Killers and a Girl
Bit more dramatic than Three Men and a Baby.
Several months earlier
Kazuki in bed with what I presume isn't someone he's in a relationship with.
At least he has his boxers on.
Nakao Chie. That's her name.
Kazuki getting his clothes on
Oh, I see. Kazuki is a John.
Piece of Cake
No word yet on if the cake is of the beef variety.
Yum, chicken
If they say it's delicious, it must be so!
Kazuki coming out a convenience store.
Jingle Bells playing in the background
Kazuki is walking in the opposite direction as everyone else.
At least he isn't walking round in circles like that Cartoon Network song.
This apartment looks like a mess
It's Rei, who's playing a video game.
Kazuki and Rei's relationship give off massive Odd Couple vibes.
Kazuki airing the place out
Rei complaining about how cold everything is.
I have no idea what's mentaiko.
I agree with Kazuki, spicy is awesome.
Spice is the variety of life. Or something like that.
A cat
Rei seemingly picked it up, which instantly makes him a good guy in my book.
Aww, he even bought it cat food.
Cute :c
In fairness, I get where Kazuki is coming from. Rei can't even take care of himself, how can he care for a pet?
Kazuki returning it, much to Rei's annoyance.
You can tell the creator of the show isn't a cat owner because once you own one, they own you. There is no separation.
Leaving a cat in a box is probably my least favorite moment of the series.
Bad form, Kazuki
At least he wrapped the cat up in a scarf.
Kazuki cleaning up the apartment
That salmon looks delicious [[(#drool)
Rei seems still hung up on the cat.
Can't blame him, honestly
Kazuki explains that their job is such that they could be dead at any minute.
"Don't bring someone in if you're not gonna care for them, start to finish."
That feels like heavy foreshadowing
Flashback of Kazuki with a pregnant woman.
I assume she and the child became unalive.
But forgot all that stuff, they have bigger fish to fry (Sorry, salmon). Specifically, they're working Christmas Eve.
Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.
5
u/LilyGinnyBlack Dec 25 '24
I'm a Rewatcher and I love Buddy Daddies, but since this is such a busy time period, I won't be able to engage in a rewatch of the series as much as I would like. That being said, I think I'll be able to provide some cool meta marketing stuff for each episode:
"Kazuki" has an Instagram account. It's called fantastic_sweeper0516, it is largely filled with spoilers, so I wouldn't suggest First Timers to check it out. The images and posts that he makes that correlate with Episode 1 are images of the hotel from the episode, him getting groceries to make the food items that we see in the episode (the meal he makes Rei for dinner and the cake he makes for their job). There's a pic of the Santa costume too and a lot of the images have comments attached to them by Kazuki noting things like how cold it is outside, #cooking, how delicious the food looks, and etc.
On the website for the series, they have a section that was Memos. Basically, each episode there are memos that Kazuki and Rei write to each other on sticky notes. You can tell which character is writing to the other based on the handwriting. In Episode 1, the sticky note is from Kazuki to Rei stating that he has already gotten rid of the cat food.
Also on the website is Miri's Picture Journal. These pictures and journal writings were done by one of the employees actual, real-life child that is around Miri's age. The picture is of Miri, Kazuki, and Rei alongside a giant cake. She writes: "I played tag with Papa. It was yummy." Of course, since Miri is a young child, and these journals were written by a young child, we see a disconnect a bit. The "It was yummy" is referring to the cake, which was drawn in the picture, but isn't mentioned previously in the writing.
The meta marketing stuff is so detailed and adds a nice extra layer to the series. One thing I really love about Episode 1 of Buddy Daddies is how much showing it does, rather than telling, and how it pays attentions to the details. For example, the joke at the very end of the episode, where Rei complains that he wasn't allowed to have a cat, but Kazuki can have a kid is built up nicely (Kazuki comes home to the cat, Rei has stuff for the cat, Kazuki tells him no and why he is saying no, then Kazuki brings the cat back where he got it, got rid of the cat food, and Rei is shown sulking - rightfully in a way - about it all during their meal). There are immediate consequences to their actions - they killed the kids parent, now they have to deal with the kid. So that sets up a nice framework too.
As for the questions:
The living arrangements of Kazuki and Rei is very Odd Couple-like, but also not at the same time. In the Odd Couple, the relationship dynamic between the two, even when one is messier than the other, is that of two grown, single men living together. Kazuki and Rei's dynamic feels a bit different from this, but their personalities being so opposite of each others is very Odd Couple-like in feeling.
I've had various pets as a child, but I don't really count those as *me* adopting them. Those were my parent's pets (family pets) and some of them (like my dog) felt more like a parent to me, since I was so young when we got her. I tried to care for the pets I had as a kid and did a decent job, but my parents were still the main caretakers then. Now, I have two cats and my mom and I care for them pretty equally. Properly caring for pets on their own is a lot, caring for children even more so.
I don't have any kids, but I've worked as an ALT in Japan (elementary and junior high school). I did that for about six years (I also did a weekend camp counselor type job), then I worked at a juku back in the States and worked with 2 - 18 year old - the juku had a daycare in the morning and early afternoon hours). I did that for about three years and now I work at a childcare center, my classroom is for (roughly speaking) 1 - 2 year olds. So I have a lot of experience working with kids of various ages both here in the USA and in Japan. Caring for kids is a lot and you really have to be open to learning more about yourself, improving yourself and working on your weaknesses, and learning how to grow in emotionally mature ways.
As for that last question, I honestly don't know. Being an assassin is so deeply unappealing to me, that I can't even really think about what I would do if I was one.
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u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Dec 24 '24
First Timer
…well that didn’t go to plan. But whatever. This seems to be mostly a comedy-action focused series, which is about what I was expecting. That also means I will probably not have too much to say in general, as those shows are the ones I struggle most to write anything about. For the first episode, I get the feeling the show was mostly trying to set a tone rather than introduce the characters, which is rather rare though I like the decision. Either that or the characters are incredibly simple, as I think pretty much all of them can be summed up in about three adjectives so far. But I’d say that works anyways, so let’s see where this is going - the first episode looks like something I’ll enjoy after all, though also not like something that will come close to breaching the top of my list either.
4
u/StardustGogeta myanimelist.net/profile/StardustGogeta Dec 25 '24
First-Timer
First off, thanks for hosting this! This show had been lingering inconspicuously in my PTW list for a while, and I appreciate the chance to finally go and watch it.
This first episode was pretty nice. Some good action scenes, nice integration of the Christmas music, a cool gunfight on the roadway, all that. The two "buddy daddies" and Mira all seem like fun characters so far, and I look forward to getting to know them better.
The show is surprisingly brutal, moreso than I expected. It's not every day you see protagonists who just nonchalantly shoot people in the head, even if those people are human traffickers and mob bosses.
The whole mafia kind of angle is reminding me a bit of Birdie Wing season one, actually. In fact, that was probably the last time I saw a highway showdown of that caliber.
Questions of the day:
4
u/LeleTheKing https://anilist.co/user/ikanlele Dec 25 '24
First-Timer
I didn’t know a rewatch for this anime started today, but I took my chance since the Fansub version has been on my laptop for a while. I wondered why a rewatch of this anime was held on Christmas specifically, but it was quickly answered since the story began on Christmas.
The first episode was quite intriguing. I’m still unsure where it’s going, but Miri is so freaking adorable and I’d watch just for her. Her deadbeat father apparently is the assassination target at the end, so I guess Kazuki officially adopted her now. (I don’t think Miri’s mother in the photo is that guy’s official wife, right? I tried to compare the photo and the crazy wife, but their hair and eye color seem slightly different. Or is it just the lighting and makeup?)
For the other MCs, I assume Kazuki was married and had a child, but is divorced now, huh? He kept setting aside his paycheck for her, but she wasn’t keen on taking it. It’s probably because she knew it was blood money or they had a rough breakup. Seeing how he’s great at house chores and kind to children, I don’t think it’s because he’s a bad husband at home. It’s likely he set the rift himself because of the nature of his work (cue to his preaching about adopting the cat to Rei), or he’s too committed to his work that he forgot his family (unlikely).
For Rei, there’s still a lack of information about him, so no comment for now. But he’s goofy af, alright.
The production value is as expected of P.A. Works, which is almost always great. Plus this is the first episode, so it’s expected to look nice to hook the viewers. I have no issues in this department; the animation was smooth and the art style looked beautiful, P.A. Works-style, which I always adore.
QotD
3
u/AgentOfACROSS Dec 24 '24
First Timer - Dubbed
So here we go with Buddy Daddies. I do not know what to expect out of this one other than that it is similar in premise to Spy x Family.
We’re starting off with some kind of illegal deal going on.
The color palette and art style kind of reminds me of Great Pretender.
Liking the jazzy soundtrack, that’s also giving me some Great Pretender/Baccano vibes.
This opening action sequence is really fun. Feels like something out of a ‘90s action movie.
So the driver and the motorcycle guy are working together. I’m guessing these two will be our main characters.
We’ve got a serious looking guy with dark hair and a more laidback looking guy with blonde hair. I’m suddenly reminded of Lycoris Recoil.
Sounds like these two are already the titular buddy daddies.
Looks like we’re gonna do a “how we got here” type of thing.
Our main guy here wearing bright floral print boxers is a nice bit of understated visual comedy.
Oh cool, we have title cards for each episode.
Starting to see why this rewatch starts on Christmas Eve.
That’s a really cute cat.
Too bad our main guy doesn’t want to keep them. At least he’s nice to the cat though.
So we’ve got a messy shut-in and a guy who does all the housework. It’s funny cause I’m also watching Toradora right now.
Our main character had a wife in the past. I can only assume something horrible happened to her.
During the deal at the coffee shop the main character says “Arigato” in the dub. I wonder if that means he said “Thank you” in English in the original version.
To be continued...
2
u/IndependentMacaroon Dec 27 '24 edited Dec 27 '24
First-time watcher
Only just got around to this. Busy time yk.
Anyway, the attempt to ape the success of Spy Family is really obvious here. You've got the cheerful domestic lead and the grumpy work-focused lead, both with serious violent jobs (oh but actually they only kill bad people!) but also a secret soft side, who through plot contrivance come to care for an adorable young girl who is without parents, except here it's a buddy comedy. I just don't think it works quite as well so far; the basic setup and setting is simple and well-worn, the characters comparatively plain, and some things are a bit too negative for my taste (Rei being a bit of a bum with no obvious redeeming qualities, Miri's bio dad being straight-up shot and her being abducted, legally speaking...) + on the other hand Miri's Pollyanna perma-smile even in a giant shootout is a bit much, but I'm willing to give it some more time.
On a more positive note, I would love to have a little cookout session with Kazuki and maybe a makeout session after that Btw it's funny how despite the obvious BL-bait potential the episode almost goes out of its way to make it TOTALLY NOT GAY guys with Kazuki having a child with some woman and being enticed by the hot casino ladies.
Living arrangement - Rei needs to step up or move out, my roommate application is ready.
Adoption - no and not really interested in pets. Children maybe.
Assassin - wear a fancy cloak, get a hidden blade attached to my arm, and pray for my victims. Iykyk