Mission: Yozakura Family

Episode 9

I suppose I should have guessed that the goofy-ass politician Kuroyumi would turn out to actually be an infamous spy and assassin with a tragic backstory named Kurogao. To my credit, it isn't like Kuroyumi wasn't just as goofy as all of the other weirdos that have been plaguing Taiyo since he and Mutsumi got hitched. Also, Sui and the others who sent Taiyo on this mission didn't bother to give Taiyo even a hint of Kuroyumi's real nature and motives, for…reasons? I'll be honest: It feels like a chap narrative ploy so that Mission: Yozakura Family can make a big “twist” out of an otherwise predictable spy cliché.

As it stands, I don't much care for Kuroyumi/Kurogao, no matter which way you slice him. Whereas taking Kuroyumi at face value just made the guy seem goofy and without substance, revealing Kurogao's true nature just makes him into a muddled mess of a character. The “tragic” story of his daughter getting killed in a bomb hit might have been more effective if Kurogao wasn't dressed like a goddamned lunatic while he cradled his daughter's corpse, and his ”cold-blooded killer” persona sure would be a lot more threatening if his alternative look wasn't just that of some random middle-aged accountant who wears obnoxious colored contacts.

It doesn't help that this is an episode where M:YF's limited production values are really starting to get in its way. When the show isn't trying to be much more than a goofy action rom-com, it's easy for me to overlook how flat and inconsistent the visuals look, most of the time. Most of this episode is being played with deadly seriousness, though. I'm not sure if that is a tone that would best suit M:YF on even a really good day, and it certainly doesn't make the extended action and interrogation scenes any more fun or interesting when things look this mediocre.

The best thing I can say about this Kurogao Incident is that I appreciate how it wraps up Taiyo's first step in his journey, at least on paper. Never mind the tease about his family's supposed murder; that remains just as much of a cliffhanger as it was at the end of the last episode. Rather, I appreciated how Taiyo's final confrontation with Kurogao ended up coming down to Taiyo making use of all of his new siblings' gadgets and training. Combined with the touching moment where Taiyo reflects on how Mutsumi has helped him overcome the loss of his family, it's a sweet little punctuation mark on this chapter of the story thus far. I just wish that Mission: Yozakura Family was better able to capitalize on this drama with a worthwhile villain and some more pizazz in the visual department.

Rating:

Mission: Yozakura Family is currently streaming on Hulu in the United States and on Disney+ in other regions.

James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other pop-culture, which can also be found on Twitter, his blog, and his podcast.