English Dub Review: The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting “It’s Been a While”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Aoi, who left the Sakuragi family years before, comes by to visit the Sakuragi family again. Aoi and Sakuragi have a chat and discuss how things were when Aoi was still the first lieutenant.

They reminisce about the peaceful days when Miyuki was pregnant with Yaeka, and despite how much trouble Kirishima used to cause them, Aoi always took care of him. The reason that Aoi left the yakuza life and settled down is…

Our Take:
This week’s episode features another exploration of one of the Sakuragi family members. This time, it’s Toichiro Aoi (Aleks Le), a former lieutenant of Kazuhiko who left to take care of his wife, Sanae. He retired from the yakuza life due to Sanae developing hyperpnea and almost getting killed on the job. Aoi was previously seen in the third episode, “A Visit and a Reunion”, which had him and Koki encountering Kirishima and Yaeka at the hospital. “It’s Been a While” brings this character back by providing more insight into Aoi’s decision to leave the Sakuragi family.
This may seem like another filler episode involving a character reminiscing about their past, like the previous chapter. However, the episode happens to play a crucial role in the show’s messages. Toichiro was originally Kazuhiko’s lieutenant eight years ago, when Kirishima hadn’t earned his nickname, Sakuragi’s Demon, and Miyuki was pregnant with Yaeka. That all changed when Toichiro left the family to care for his wife, who suffered a panic attack after seeing Toichiro’s blood. As a result, Kirishima was then promoted to that position.
This flashback further emphasizes the family of misfits and their love and respect towards others who are not blood-related. More importantly, it displays the importance of family, with Aoi abandoning his life-long dream to care for Sanae and their newborn child. The episode showcases that the series is at its finest when it focuses on the character drama outside of the yakuza action and comedy. It delivers the emotion in the yakuza members’ empathy, but it also displays the usual character traits in a heartwarming and profound light.
In addition, we see Yaeka attending school with Sara, who happens to gain several friends with her chirpy attitude. This brief moment only occurs during the beginning and end of the episode, so it’s hard to tell whether Sara’s personality can last more than one episode or not. The episode ends with Yaeka befriending another girl named Kaede, who’s also a fan of drawing. With two new friends by her side, Yaeka is now happier than she was before. However, her happiness may soon get interrupted by outside forces threatening to tear her family apart.
“It’s Been a While” continues the show’s successful first season with a sincere flashback episode featuring Kazuhiko’s former lieutenant-turned-family-man. It’s still got plenty of chuckles, but it also has many heartfelt moments that almost brought a tear to my eye. Plus, baby Yaeka sleeping on Kirishima’s leg is undoubtedly the most adorable thing I’ve seen in an anime, let alone an anime about a yakuza family. I’m pretty sure I said this already, but the show has done nothing but impress me with its irresistible charm, and I hope it continues in the remaining episodes.