Tag Archives: Masa

Book Review: The Way of the Househusband, Vol 8 by Kousuke Oono

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol 8   

Author: Kousuke Oono

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: August 16, 2022

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Comedy/168 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Sales at Torajiro’s crepe truck have plummeted, and the reason is Koharu, his sister.  She’s opened a rival truck called Lovely Donuts, which is taking Torajiro’s customers. What’s a guy to do but call on the only man who can save him…Tatsu?

Tatsu and Miku awake to find a winter wonderland just outside their door. But it’s the condensation that has Tatsu’s knickers in a twist! While Miku goes to work, Tatsu heads to the store to stock up in case things get worse. He runs across some men who are under orders from their boss to clear the area outside of his office, but they are having a tough time of it. Tatsu berates them for having the wrong equipment and sets them straight.

Tatsu, Miku, and Masa get together for movie night. The only question is what to watch. Seems that everyone has different ideas and tastes.

Miku’s coworker persuades her to adopt his hamster, but since they have Gin, that doesn’t seem practical, so they try to present him to Masa as a gift. But Masa barely has enough for him to subsist on, let alone a pet. Tatsu’s old boss is also a no-go because of Pinky. While Tatsu tries to figure out what to do, the cops think they’ve finally caught him doing something illegal.

Miku is supposed to go golfing with a client, but she’s never golfed before. Tatsu tells her she’s in good hands with him and he’ll show her the ropes! He takes her golfing, but she finds the rules as he explains them to her probably don’t apply to her.

Tatsu and Miku run into Tora and Koharu. The crepe man claims to have a very hot product to show them, but he can’t do it there. So they arrange to meet on the mountain over the weekend. The product turns out to be a riverside tent sauna! Sounds like fun, right?

Tatsu and Masa and some of the guys head to the mountain to search for bamboo shoots. Tatsu reminds them that since it’s the boss’ mountain, he will need a cut of their haul too.  But when circumstances deal them a blow, and they’re left with almost nothing, how do they explain that to the boss?

Tatsu takes Miku and Masa to his favorite Chinese restaurant, which he says has a secret menu. The chef proudly shows them his newest dish, a Sichuan super spicy hot pot. Anyone who can finish it will get the dish for free. Of course the three of them are game! But can they do it?

Tatsu attends a crime prevention class, and he is most eager to assist the officer in charge with her demonstrations.

Tatsu is back and he’s in fine form with another round of hilarious hijinx! These stories never get old, and I love Tatsu so much! I hope this series runs for a long time to come. Look for bonus stories, one about zombies and the other an episode of Policure! If you don’t know what Policure is, you need to go back and start reading the series again lol

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

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol 7     

Author: Kousuke Oono

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: January 18, 2022

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Comedy/168 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Ms. Torii is trying to keep a low profile as she indulges in a guilty pleasure, but she has the misfortune to run into Tatsu at his part-time gig. He shows her the ropes, and helps her to enjoy the experience.

A typhoon is rolling into the area, and this means war! Tatsu is up to the challenge, determined to defend his turf from the invader, no matter the cost! But when he learns that Masa is out and about at this perilous time, he is determined to save him!

Tatsu, Miku, and Masa go camping. When Masa accidentally knocks over the rice, he approaches the other campers in hopes of finding someone with extra and runs into Tora, who is also camping. When Tatsu finds out, the one-upmanship begins!

Tatsu and Masa are taking collections… for the neighborhood association. But oddly, the people they approach seem to take Tatsu’s requests as some kind of threat. When he approaches one particularly difficult group of men, Tatsu has to make them understand what the money is actually going to be used for.

Miku absolutely loves watching Policure, and Tatsu enjoys it along with her. But she has a favor to ask of him. Her friend has a very ill child in the hospital who also loves Policure, so can Tatsu visit her… but dressed as a character from the show?

Tatsu and two of his associates are called upon for a delicate job involving a man’s beloved daughter named Pinky’s birthday.  Of course they’ll do it, and each plans the perfect gift according to their own talents. Which will the beloved canine prefer?

Tatsu shows Masa how to make malt amazake, a non-alcoholic sake. Tatsu has to keep reminding Masa to have patience or he’ll ruin the product! The next day, Miku is subjected to the amazake everywhere she turns, to her dismay. Is there no limit to the stuff?

Miku’s father invites Tatsu to go with him to a meeting of his haiku club, and is gratified to find Tatsu admires his haiku. When Tatsu tries his hand at some haiku of his own, there seems to be an oddly familiar theme in what he writes. When the club runs into a rival group, a friendly haiku slam is proposed.  Can these two groups discover any common ground?

After meticulously ironing everything, Tatsu overdoes it and  has thrown out his back! Miku discovers him lying face down on the floor. But he refuses to take it easy, and she ends up having to carry him to a doctor… for the second time in their relationship.

I never get tired of these stories. I could read them forever! Each volume is so good! I love everything about them, the art, the stories, the characters. I think they are perfect. My favorite story in this volume was the one with the child in the hospital, made me cry (good cry, not bad). Also, another glimpse into how Tatsu and Miku met. I hope we get to see more of that, cause I am dying to know how the demure Miku met and fell in love with a Yazuka! Look for the bonus stories involving Tora going camping and Gin’s encounter with an otaku.

Can’t wait to read more!

Book review: The Way of the Househusband, Vol 6 by Kousuke Oono

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol 6     

Author: Kousuke Oono

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: September 21, 2021

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Comedy/168 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

One of Miku’s friends confides to her that she and her husband have a problem with budgeting, as they tend to spend everything they make. So Miku, in order to help her friend, brings in an expert on the subject—Tatsu! He shows her the tricks he has learned, but couches them (as usual) in a way that makes her think he is referring to his Yakuza roots! Should she be afraid of what he wants to show her?

A member of a women’s organization approaches Tatsu. She thinks it’s time to open up membership to men. She invites him to attend the meeting of their board members, known as the Eight Dragons, to plead his case. However, when he does, one of the ladies objects. It’s up to Tatsu to win her over!

The creators of Policure, which Miku loves, are running a special promotion. Go to one of the participating toy stores and say this phrase “You’re not getting away. Coming to catch you” and you can received a special DVD. But Miku has to work, so she begs Tatsu to go for her. He agrees, but manages to forget the catch phrase before he can say it. He is saved through the intervention of a friendly guy, who then tells Tatsu another store has a different special promotion, but it requires two people to participate. Would Tatsu like to team up with him? For Miku’s sake? Of course he would!

Tatsu agrees to help out one of his contacts by bringing his Shiba, named Kotetsu, into the family on a temporary basis. When he posts pics of the cute dog, the pics are immediately noticed by someone who becomes jealous. He and his dog meet up with Tatsu and Kotetsu to compare dogs. And then he steals them away…

The owner of Café Jingi Tei wants to expand his menu to draw in women and the younger crowd. So Tatsu takes him to another café he knows of, Creamy Café, to show him how they do it. The two men compete to see who isn ‘t afraid of being less than manly by ordering some of the feminine-sounding dishes. Afterward, Tatsu makes a couple of dishes for the owner, and he is pleasantly surprised by the memories they invoke.

When Tatsu suspects Masa has a toothache, Masa lies, so he won’t have to go to the dentist. How long can he fool Tatsu?

Tatsu and Miku watch Top 100 Ghost Videos before bedtime. Miku is creeped out, but Tatsu says that’s nothing. Until he can’t sleep. Everything he tries to count becomes a violent Yakuza reference. So he decides to get up and make a little snack, which quickly becomes a meal. Will this work?

Faced with a table loaded with bread, Tatsu asks Miku what’s going on? Apparently there is a spring bread festival being sponsored by Yama Bread. You can collect the tickets to enter their sweepstakes in their products. Ten thousand lucky winners get Policure plates! Tatsu enlists Masa’s aid, but how much bread can three people really eat? Or can Tatsu do something to change it up?

Alarmed at reports of a groper in the neighborhood, Miku wants Tatsu to teach her self-defense. But what he tries to teach her isn’t quite what she had in mind. Leaving late from work one day, she finds herself accosted by a man, and begins what she perceives as a fight for her life… not recognizing poor Masa!

Another wonderful volume! I never get tired of Tatsu, or of seeing what he’s up to. Already pre-ordered the next volume, can’t wait for it to come! Please keep writing Tatsu forever! Look for bonus stories at the end. You can see it on Netflix too, both the animated comic and a live version. I prefer the animated comic, to be honest, as the other is too short and is really just Tatsu’s household hints minus the story.

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

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol 4             

Author: Kousuke Oono

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: May 18, 2021

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Comedy/168 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Miku is leaving on a business trip, so it’s just going to be Tatsu and Gin. She tells her husband to try and relax. Has she met him? While he is having fun in his own inimitable way, Masa comes over, having been fired from his job and needing to kill some time, so they have some fun together.

While shopping, Tatsu runs into a former member of the HIrako Group. The two one-time Yakuza get into a rap battle in the middle of the store.

Miku tells Tatsu about a Halloween costume contest at a local mall. The first prize is a hot springs vacation, while the second is a year’s worth of rice. Tatsu really wants the rice, but Miku has her heart set on the vacation. The competition is stiff. Can Tatsu get them the win with his special culinary talents?

Tatsu and Miku go to eat at a buffet. For Tatsu, this is not simply about food, there’s a strategy involved! Especially if he wants to end up with a piece of the much coveted fruit tart!

Miku’s dad wants to do a hot pot for Miku and Tatsu, and he wants to do it himself. Unfortunately, he has the same basic skills as Miku. Can this meal be saved?

Tatsu suddenly takes ill, and treats his illness as equivalent to his turf being invaded. However, his tactics don’t seem to be working and it’s Miku to the rescue!

It’s New Year’s and Masa decides to visit Tatsu… in order to claim a New Year’s allowance. But his hints seem to be falling on deaf ears.

Tatsu, Miku, and Masa run across a local sake fair and decide to check it out. Apparently, not everyone can hold their liquor, however.

A newcomer in Tatsu’s cooking class is getting on Tatsu’s nerves with his sad attempts at making a chocolate cake. When Tatsu tries to set him straight, they end up in a competition to see whose cake really comes from the heart.

Another fantastic volume of The Way of the Househusband. I don’t think I could ever get tired of this! There is an animated comic version on Netflix which I enjoyed, but the manga is the best. Just one situation after another, plus three bonus stories, one of which is Gin’s walk. Gotta love Gin!

Hope there are lots more volumes coming!