Yakuza and house-husband. The universally most common paired synonyms.
Story
Despite disappearing from the yakuza scene, the legend of the Immortal Tatsu never ceases to send shivers down the backs of the most fearsome thugs. Just where did he go? Well, to become a full-time, 4-star house-husband for his lovely wife. Tatsu faces daily struggles adapting to the ordinary world in the most comedic fashion, including run-ins with yakuzas and his Immortal Tatsu tendencies.
- Gokushufudou is an episodic series and it certainly doesn't fail in its freshness and originality. Each chapter features new, amusing situations that demonstrate the endless potential for this series. I love the lack of smooth conclusions in the chapters, they all tend to conclude on an awkward, yet funny note that suits the series very well.
- The lack of a solid story line makes it very easy to immerse yourself in the A1 comedy. The author draws up and conveys a strong sense of seriousness in these bizarre situations, character mannerisms and reactions, etc. However, juxtaposed by our preconceived expectations, the series presents to us unintentional humor. Not in the form of gags, but its hilariously serious tone. And, by God, does this series do it well.
- The art lends itself well to the comedy, as well. Usually, I'm not a fan of reaction face comedy but Gokushufudou achieves it well by, again, using its seriousness.
Characters
This series relishes itself in introducing new characters very often, some reoccurring. They all do an excellent job at building up the comedy, whether it be poker-facingly commenting on Tatsu's ridiculous mannerisms or adding to his bizarre misadventures. No sort of major characterization or development, as this is an episodic comedy.
- Tatsu's past does get revealed in snippets and I love his relationship with his wife. Adds a touch of wholesomeness to this hilarious series.
Art
The art is quite detailed, especially in Tatsu's facial expressions. For a comedy series that aims to convey its comedy through its situations and character mannerisms, the art lends itself a lot to this purpose. The art style is pretty stylin', too, I like the character designs.
Enjoyment
11/10. Serious comedy without any dumb gag jokes being explicitly pointed out is my addiction. Honestly, this series has never made me explicitly laugh out loud like many other fans say. It garners more of an internal sort of giggly feeling from me. As I've said, this series continues to maintain a refreshing story. From Day 1 to whenever this ends, I really do not see my enjoyment wavering in the slightest.
Final Words
If you're a comedy fan and you haven't touched this yet, just what's wrong with you? God bless the Immortal Tatsu! Fingers crossed for an anime.
