#Yuzuko Kurusu

[instantcollectornerd]

#buddy daddies #kazuki kurusu #rei suwa #miri unasaka #yuzuko kurusu #misaki unasaka #blu ray #official art

[lilyginnyblackv2]

Buddy Daddies - Episode 7 - Thought Post - Side Kazuki

Not me literally just making a post before the episode aired wondering when Carol and Dorothy would appear and then:

They appeared! Looking cute af too. <3

Okay, so I think the way I’m going to approach this is that I’m going to talk about Kazuki first in this post, then do a post on Rei, and finally a post on more miscellaneous things in this episode.  

Today happens to be a rainy day by me, so the mood and atmosphere was just right for this episode. I think they did a good job of handling the more heavy emotional stuff without losing the humor or charm, since it was still there, just a bit more muted. This is similar in a way to how they approached Episode 3, so it works well and still feels like the series, which is good. Buddy Daddies has handled tonal shifts well.

Between previous episodes and this episode doing a good job not only highlighting how Kazuki has been doing all the heavy lifting in regards to household chores and Miri, by having the anniversary of his wife (and child’s, I would assume) death, and then the presence of Karin in the city - all of it comes together to overwhelm him. 

So we see him going back to old habits that he used to cope with his past trauma. What appreciate here though, is that the series doesn’t present Carol, Dorothy, or the other sex workers, nor the adult entertainment business itself, in a bad light. They don’t look down on them. The reasons why Kazuki going back to these habits is shown to be bad and ultimately lead to him getting thrown in the garbage is because he is using them for the wrong reasons. He is using them to keep his real feelings at arms lengths, locked away, so he can “forget” about them and run. 

All of things he does in this episode such as drink and engage in adult entertainment, are all fine when someone does them for a bit of fun every now and again. But when they are used for a coping method, that’s when they get bad. I appreciate how they handled that.

I’m going to get into the more heavy-hitting spoiler stuff now, so I’m going to put the rest under a Read More.

I also LOVED how they had Karin talk to Kazuki. There were some cliché things here and there, like the rain stopping and the sun coming out, but the way Karin talked to Kazuki about her sister and his way of dealing with her death was really beautiful and something we don’t see enough of in fiction.

She tells him, “So the thought that you only remember her looking sad...It doesn’t seem right.” She does go on to say some more conventional things like, “She would want you to be happy and live a happy life,” essentially. But I really like the line above.

To me, that’s like a gentle call out on how the death of women are often used to fuel the pain of men in fiction. Buddy Daddies is doing that here too, but they are kind of calling Kazuki out on it. Kyutaro tries to call him out too, but he approaches from a “you - Kazuki” perspective ( “YOU” need to move on already), while Karin approaches it from Yuzuko’s perspective. She is saying, “By only remembering my sister in this one way that allows you to keep running away and not face your emotions and move on, you are dishonoring her and erasing a part of her and who she was. It, in a way, gives some agency back to her dead sister.

Now, like I mentioned, Karin does make say something more conventional to him as well: 

She says, “Why not live your own life, too? That’d make her way more happy than anything else you could do.” This is something that is said often, but I do think it is something that needs repeating, because we still have people getting bent out of shape at the thought of a fictional character going on a date again after he lost his wife (this is specifically about Pixar’s UP and the new animated short that is going to be coming out about him going on a date again...a lot of people on Twitter got angry at the thought of him moving on).

Of course, even here Buddy Daddies does something a bit different from the usual. Usually the “moving on” after losing a spouse results in the MC getting a new love interest. But here, Kazuki didn’t just lose his wife, but also the child she was carrying. He lost his family, so when we Karin says the above or when Dorothy asks this:

“You didn’t get a proper sweetheart, did you?” The answer is, of course, yes. He did. In the form of Miri and Rei. He got a family. And in the paperbag you can see he has lots of fruit and snacks that are more common for kids to like. Lots of “sweet” things in his bag. Indicating, in Dorothy’s eyes, a significant other (likely a woman), since there’s a lack of foods that are more “manly.” Of course, this is all coming from rather stereotypical perspective, but that is how it is appearing to an outsider.

Later in Kazuki’s conversation with Karin he admits this that he is scared of changing, of forgetting what happened to her, and this:

“Of being fulfilled by something else.” That sentiment may seem out-of-character at first. After all, Kazuki is the one that kind of dived headfirst into taking in and caring for Miri, but he is still shown keeping Miri and Rei at a distance. He’ll do what he needs to do for Miri, but you could see that a mask was still up. Rei has a wall around his feelings, while Kazuki has a mask (like a clown, or comedian, you know, sorry - I just needed to add that there).

Of course, after this conversation, like I mentioned before, the sun comes out and Kazuki is ready to go back home. When he gets home he sees a mess, but that bit of the episode I’m going to leave for Rei’s post. Instead, I want to talk about this line that Kazuki says after Rei hands him the French toast he made:

“I’m gonna teach you suckers what good French toast is!” I think this is important probably even more so than him moving the photo of himself and his late wife out from the draw and out onto the desk, because it shows that Kazuki is:

1. Is no longer going to be keeping his distance from Rei and Miri by being the caregiver. I feel he likely took up that role (and wanted to care for Rei when he saw the awful state he lived in) because it was another coping method for dealing with the loss of his family. 

2. He is no longer going to make so that Rei and Miri can be so dependent on them. If you don’t provide someone with the understanding and skills on how to do something, then they won’t. If he teaches them, then they can learn, get better and more comfortable, and then be able to do these things on their own.

Both Kazuki and Rei are at fault here in a way. They don’t have either character say an apology, but rather show how they won’t let this kind of situation happen again. And I hope the writers stick with this and that we will actually see Rei continuing to help out more around the house (Miri too)!

#Buddy Daddies #Kazuki Kurusu #Rei Suwa #Miri Unasaka #BD #Yuzuko Kurusu #Karin Izumi #Carol-chan #Dorothy-chan #long post #image heavy post #BD spoilers #Buddy Daddies spoilers #meta post

[cornixnova]

hi hi hello i have Things To Say about ogino's death

okay i don't think i need to go in detail about how fitting it was that he died unable to speak, and he and his creepy ass book of last words were burned before he could write them down bc others have but i do wanna say i think that's the most like, poetic justice-y death i've seen in a show ever BUT

i thought it was... a little weird that they put so much focus on his gurgling but then i rewatched the manor attack and came across this

(also "burning out")

and i love that foreshadowing

but there's another callback too and it's

it's just

look

do u see??

DO U SEE???????

#buddy daddies #buddy daddies spoilers #bd #bd spoilers #buddy daddies finale #ryo ogino #kazuki kurusu #yuzuko kurusu #i can't describe the feelings this gave me but they're A LOT #several people probably already caught this but i'm just #aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[greenchlorine]

Parallels

Episode 7

Episode 12

#buddy daddies #buddy daddies ep 12 #kazuki kurusu #rei suwa #yuzuko kurusu

[ichiig0]

hear me out: kazuki and rei visiting the field of hydrangeas / yuzuko's grave before their FINAL job

or honestly you could interpret this as kazuki bringing rei to the field of hydrangeas / yuzuko's grave before the events of the show, when they open up to each other and kazuki is telling rei about his past

#this is one of my first attempts at a more scenic illustration sorry it isnt the best lol #episode 9 was too happy that it made me sad so here's fuel to the fire #buddy daddies #buddy daddies fanart #kazurei #bd #buddy daddies anime #kazuki kurusu #rei suwa #kyutaro kugi #miri unasaka #yuzuko kurusu #buddy daddies spoilers #digital art #fanart #anime art #illustration #イラスト #バディダディズ

[fushisdogs]

Not sure if anyone’s said this before but Kazuki putting a tracker on Rei’s phone just screams to me that he doesn’t want to lose his partner again. He probably never wanted to encounter losing Rei like he did with Yuzuko (who he most definitely thinks wouldn’t have died if he had made precautions like he does with Rei)

#buddy daddies #kazurei #rei suwa #kazuki kurusu #yuzuko kurusu #I cried about this btw

[sfaghetti]

I want to talk a little bit about Yuzuko and Kazuki

first, something that stood out to me is that while Kazuki is grieving her and consumed by guilt only we never get to see her actual face. it's always the shadows covering it or her hair covering it in a specific way that we don't see her full face. and I think it's worth noting that by around this time, Kazuki was only remembering her through grief, not allowing himself to think about the good things between them but just remembering how she died and how it was his fault

however, once he has that conversation with Karin and she tells him to remember the good things about her too and not only grieve her but move on because it's what she would have wanted, and he allows himself to get rid of his guilt, and starts to think about her not only in a guilty way (as in, this was so good and I ruined it) but truly cherishing her for the time they had together (as in, this was good and I'm glad we had this and I'm able to move on) we finally get to see her full face

and I think it's about him remembering her fully. not only seeing her through his guilt-ridded lenses but as the person she was when she was alive, being happy about it and moving on. he's not only seeing a part of his story with her now (the guilt) but the full thing they had together and the full person she was and it helps him move on and I think it's a great detail !

#kazuki kurusu #yuzuko kurusu #buddy daddies #buddy daddies analysis #I guess? #bddddd #bd5 #buddy daddies spoilers #karin izumi

[ecargmura]

Buddy Daddies Episode 7 Review: Solemn Happiness

Come check out my review on my blog here, but if you don't want to, proceed below.

The anime’s vibe takes a shift as today’s episode ventures into a more solemn episode that focuses on Kazuki’s past as he remembers what happened to his wife and why he behaves the way he does.

We finally learn who Kazuki was sending money to: his sister-in-law Karin. She is Yuzuko’s younger sister; Yuzuko was Kazuki’s late wife who died five years prior to the story.

Yuzuko died during one of his missions; I assume his wife had no idea he was an assassin and she just happened to be there coincidentally and the truck explosion happened. While we, the viewers, saw that Ryo Ogino was the cause of the explosion, Kazuki has been guilt-ridden ever since. Despite being all happy and energetic in previous episodes, Kazuki has a lot of baggage inside of him that he lets out in this episode. He’s afraid of moving on because it means there will be a day he will no longer remember Yuzuko. I think that’s a bittersweet thing to think about. Imagine loving someone so much, but they died. What would you do? Be a prisoner of your own memories or move on? I’m sure that in place of Yuzuko, Rei and Miri will be the ones that can give him that happiness he longed for.

I thought Karin would be an intrusive, hostile character with the purpose of being a hindrance, but my expectations flipped upside down. Karin is nothing like that at all. She’s wonderful. She serves as a way for Kazuki to finally move on from his guilt. She wants Kazuki to be happy. She’s not someone who holds a grudge from losing her only family. I hope we see more of her soon. She seems like a lovely person.

There are a lot of hydrangeas in this episode. In flower language, blue hydrangeas means forgiveness while purple means deeper understanding. As someone who likes using flower language in my own original writing, I really like the symbolism these flowers were used in this episode. Kazuki and Karin have a conversation that help them understand each other deeper and eventually Kazuki is able to forgive himself.

A side plot for this episode is Rei stepping up to become a better parent for Miri. We’ve always seen Rei laze around and play games all day. He plays with Miri, but never really does the chores like taking packing her bags, feeding her, etc. As Kazuki leaves the house for the day, Rei learns what it means to be responsible.

Without Kazuki, Rei is pretty much a mess. He has no idea what the stuff in his own refrigerator are, thinks fried potatoes are an acceptable form of vegetable consumption, and has no idea where the hospital is. By being in Kazuki’s shoes for the day, he understands what Kazuki has to do every day in their house and how much responsibility it is to take care of something. I think it’s when Miri gets sick that he finally understands that he has to step up just in case Kazuki is not home. I find this good character development for Rei.

I’m glad that Kazuki is being more appreciated even if Rei and Miri suck at making French toast. It makes me wonder what’s next for our family. This episode feels like it’s signaling a change for what’s to come. Will they finally get some assassination work? Will something bad happen to them? All I want is for all three to be happy with each other.

#buddy daddies #review #anime review #anime #ecargmura #arum journal #kazuki kurusu #rei suwa #miri unasaka #Kyutaro kugi #karin izumi #Yuzuko Kurusu #winter 2023 anime

[pretty--in--purple]

buddy daddies killing off all these women i will forgive you if and only IF kazuki's wife is revealed to be alive and evil

#(banging fists on table and chanting) #no body no crime no body no crime!!!!!!! #i want her to be a sexy assassin who was working for the organisation this whole time and SHE'S the one #who's gonna hunt down kazuki and rei for turning on them #s1 end credits stinger i am MANIFESTINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG #buddy daddies #buddy daddies spoilers #yuzuko kurusu #kazuki kurusu #rei suwa #misaki unasaka #JUSTICE FOR MISAKI #buddy daddies episode 11

[speedforce-paradox]

: (

#buddie daddies #Kazuki Kurusu #Yuzuko Kurusu #Karin Izumi #anime

[instantcollectornerd]

#buddy daddies #kazuki kurusu #rei suwa #miri unasaka #yuzuko kurusu #blu ray #official art

[lilyginnyblackv2]

Hmm, this is interesting to think about:

In Episode 7, we see how Yuzuko and Kazuki first met. 

She found him in a field of hydrangeas during the rainy season, holding an umbrella. He was at a low point here, in the sense of being very badly wounded and in need of physical help, which I am going to assume Yuzuko provided for him.

 We also get the full picture of her death in this week’s episode as well.

It is, once again, the rainy season and she is holding the same umbrella. So Kazuki met her and lost her around the same time of year. This adds even more depth and emotion to Karin’s words to Kazuki:

“So the thought that you only remember her looking sad...”

Since it is highlighting her later sentiment that “memories aren’t prisons.” Kazuki was locking himself in the memory of her death during this time of the year, rather than the memory of his meeting her. 

Now, when it comes to Rei, we don’t know when exactly it was that the two of them met. But it was likely a good bit before the events of Episode 1, since there was a familiarity between the two of them already. The interesting thing here though is that Rei didn’t find Kazuki like Yuzuko did, it seems more like Kazuki found him. This is based off of the February Animedia interview where the producer, Toba says:

Kazuki is very family-oriented; he's the so-called maternal type. The reason why he started living together with Rei is that he saw the complete shambles of Rei's lifestyle, went, 'This won't do!' and started fussing over him.

And we know from Rei’s general personality and the dynamic they have going on that Rei follows Kazuki, not the other way around. So, at his lowest he sought out someone to care for. But when it was just him and Rei, they were still at their lowest, diving deep into their bad habits and styles of living. 

They were both just in survival mode. They weren’t really living though. 

The one who finds Kazuki this time though is Miri. 

She finds him when he is at his lowest, and her existence in his life gives him the motivation to start changing and to start actually living again. This was in the middle of the winter, when everything is dead. And then this little ball of energy and sunshine entered his life. She provided him the same chance at a family that Yuzuko did, though obviously in a very different way than her (through being a daughter as opposed to a romantic partner and wife like Yuzuko).

And he jumped at the chance. We see him accepting her into his life slowly, bit by bit and through various different aspects and areas. But he still has boundaries set up, he still has a part of himself that is holding back, and he still sees Miri as something that was given to him in a way, then something he actively sought out.  At the end of Episode 7, though we see him “find” Miri. 

He chooses to go back to her. 

He also chooses to go back to Rei too. When he looks softly at the end of Episode 7, it is a look directed at both Miri and Rei. He’s proud and happy to see that Rei actually stepped up and took care of Miri. His warm smile is at the thought of him having a true second chance at a family again, without past memories blocking emotional bonds and connections.

And the thing is, this all happens, again, during the rainy season. Kazuki was, imo, seriously contemplating not returning at various points in this episode. But, he decided to go back to this unexpected family instead of losing the chance again, during the rainy season.

Episode 7 was a great leap in Kazuki’s character development. He’s finally starting to allow himself to properly heal, and like how Yuzuko found him when he was at a low point and in bad shape during the rainy season 5 years ago, Kazuki is here now, in the rainy season, actively returning to Rei when Rei is at his lowest point (in terms of caring for Miri). 

It almost feels like Kazuki is being to Rei what Yuzuko was for him, like taking on that same kind of role, though maybe not with the same kind of dynamic, more so just being the helping hand needed when in a bad place. 

That’s lovely in a way, but it does keep Kazuki in a sort of perpetual “giving” position in the relationship that he has with Rei. Since Rei grew up without love, we haven’t really seen him reaching out for it. Not in the same way it seems Yuzuko may have done with Kazuki or in the way that Kazuki seems to instinctually do with Miri or in the way Kazuki has done with Rei now. The gasp at realizing Miri was sick, then the confused stare for a moment, and finally the soft stare when he realized Rei stepped up and everything was fine.. That’s us seeing him making an emotional connection with the both of them at that moment, even if they were both asleep.

Something clicked there and we can see that a proper shift has happened, and that while Kazuki has always been more of an animated personality type than Rei, there is something much more true and genuine about this smile than the ones he has given in the past:

I think it’s because Kazuki has finally found himself and the obvious weight that he was carrying around has lifted. I feel like Kazuki maybe doesn’t feel like he needs to be found anymore and needs to reach out to Rei and Miri like he was doing in the past - to survive and deal with his trauma, but now he just wants to be with them and reach out to them and connect with them (we can see this through him saying he’ll teach them what good French toast actually is).

With Rei, we see that he has literally reached out to Miri in this episode:

And he is reaching out to Kazuki too. Usually Rei just goes with Kazuki’s flow, but he doesn’t actively seek anything out from Kazuki. At the end of this week’s episode though, he is actively seeking some kind of approval from Kazuki in regards to his French toast.

Kazuki may no longer need to be found or reached out to, but I hope we see Rei still try and do that, not so he can continue to take, but so that he can start to give back.

#KazuRei #Kazuki Kurusu #Rei Suwa #Miri Unasaka #Buddy Daddies #BD #Karin Izumi #Yuzuko Kurusu #bd spoilers #Buddy Daddies Spoilers #long post #meta post #image heavy post #speculation post #analysis post

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

What might have been lost

Notes: Thank you once again to @flashfictionfridayofficial for the prompt : #FFF196 Against the Flow. This will serve as the beginning chapter of a fan fiction I am thinking of writing about one of the main characters of “Buddy Daddies.” (I don’t think I have encountered a fic about K’s backstory.)

Fandom: Buddy Daddies

Rating: Mature (for good measure, hints of sexual abuse of a teenager and a bit graphic description of rotting corpses)

Pairing: Kazuki Kurusu/male OC, Kazuki Kurusu/Yuzuko Izumi (pre-Kazurei)

Words: 841

As a half-Japanese orphan, there were some things Kazuki Kurusu didn’t want to think about. Left in an orphanage when he was a toddler, he had no memory of his mother and father. No one knew where his parents came from and the reason they didn’t bother to raise him themselves, or if they were still alive or dead. In the Japanese society, bloodlines are the most important thing, therefore, his existence was unwanted, an embarrassment. Yet despite all these bad occurrences, social workers took a liking on him because of the way he made them feel special. Blonde, armed with tea brown eyes, a countenance so bright he was called their little sunshine. He was taught good manners and proper conduct. His half Western features were a blessing. He’d be a beautiful man someday, the same social worker declared as she combed his blonde hair.

“Maintain that positive attitude of yours and take care of your face, Kazu-kun, you’ll go far and wide.”

(Read more under the cut.)

He tried so hard to believe her. By the time he turned 15, he decided to attend a vocational school. Unfortunately, the school fees and supplies cost so much he was forced to work to make ends meet. Any job that could bring in easy money. Anything.

Once he helped an organization cleaning up tiny apartments whose owners were already dead for days or weeks, months, or worse, years, buried in their own belongings. Maggots and flies feasting on their cadavers their faces barely recognizable. The body fluids blending in on the surface where they were found. If their relatives turned up wondering why they were missing was the only time they were remembered. The number of people who was a shut-in increased every single day. It shattered Kazuki’s innocence and vowed he’d never let anyone he cared about the same fate like these unlucky souls.

During those days funds coming from outside sources never poured easily in an institution like the orphanage. It was not hard to fall through the cracks and be persuaded to do something stupid. Treading the path against the flow, he went off the rails so fast, his downfall was imminent. Youth gangs after youth gangs, he realised that his life was aimless. From petty thievery (stealing bikes) to repeated burglary (many apartment owners left their doors open), it was either him hiding from everyone or serving his prison time, or worse, he’d be dead by hanging already.

One day, he met one of the few people who would change his life. Amusing that there were not a lot of them, but Hideyoshi, a 30-year-old computer engineer, took him under his wing. He taught him computers and programming, and other endless ways to go around with it. Apart from having an average knowledge about firearms, proficiency in hand-to-hand combat courtesy of his time on the streets, he added the power of IT among his talents.

Hideyoshi provided him a quarter to live in too, fed him, even taught him how to dress himself up. But there was also a downside to all of it.

Kazuki was almost 18. A buildup of acne had spared him unlike some of his contemporaries during puberty. Still he reminded himself that he would always be a thug. “A pretty thug,” Hideyoshi said while he caressed his neck down his back.

When they were not busy hacking some government’s or company’s websites, Hideyoshi would show him his antique collections of wood prints of noblemen and their male slaves engaged in sexual trysts in nanshoku teahouses.

Hideyoshi loved to rub his rough hands on Kazuki’s smooth cheeks. It didn’t matter if it was day or night, he touched him in places he couldn’t imagine that the only thing Kazuki could do was cry in his sleep.

For the second time he summoned his courage to run away. Once Hideyoshi found out that he was gone, he would be kilometers away from him. But like a moth to a flame he couldn’t resist the lure of the underworld for easy money with the click of a gun or a punch on the face.

One day—bloodied, weary, and lost—the voice of a woman asking how he was felt comic and magical at the same time. Kazuki thought he was dying from a bleeding arm and the woman surrounded in blue, violet and pink hydrangeas was an angel. Her name was Yuzuko Izumi he found out later. Like him, she was an orphan too, who lived with her 17-year-old sister. The courtship was short. He was so elated when she agreed to marry him. But one tragic day, a mission gone awry, the fates intervened taking Yuzu away from him. With his wife and their unborn child gone, his downward spiral was secure.

Still Kazuki decided that he wanted to live so he tried hard to forget all of it. That’s what he learned after years and years of bad luck. He buried them. These secrets should lie deep in the ocean forever that no one should know at all.

#buddy daddies #buddy daddies fan fic #flash fiction friday #fff196 #flashfictionfridayofficial #kazuki kurusu #yuzuko kurusu #original character #buddy daddies head canon #my fan fic stuff #my fic stuff #buddy daddies fan fiction #my fanfic stuff

[evatheunicutie]

Something about Yuzuko’s death WAS NOT just an accident. I just know it was intentionally planned out by The Organization to keep their pet Kazuki on a leash.

#buddy daddies #yuzuko kurusu #kazuki kurusu #i just know im right #it must have been a meticulously thought out accident

[crumblecakezz]

questioning yuzuko's death

you know what, why was yuzuko even there in the first place?

♥ if it indeed was a plotted hit from ogino, then my current working theory is that she was called there by someone in the organization, maybe under a pseudonym or being completely anon.

♥ but did he really have to take her out in front of kazuki's face lol? couldn't it have been literally anywhere else?

if there is a reason for it, maybe it was so that kazuki would believe it was an accident (slash his fault) since he was a literal witness, thus leading any suspicions about her death away from the organization (and in effect turn toward himself).

that would leave him with nothing but his commitment to the organization in his hands. this means his loyalty is renewed and his quality of work improves.

♥ thats basically all my thoughts for this. lmk if i makes sense or not!

and if anyone else has any similar comments about her death, pls follow up with em and we can theorize together 💋💋

#buddy daddies #kazuki kurusu #kurusu kazuki #yuzuko kurusu #kurusu yuzuko

[logicalbookthief]

The fact that we’re nine episodes in and have seen Ogino interact with every member of the main cast except Kazuki seems very intentional, and the thought of this confrontation fills me with fear.

#buddy daddies #kazuki kurusu #rei suwa #ryo ogino #first he’s involved in yuzuko’s death #now he’s hired to take out kazuki #sir why are you trying to ruin this man’s life. he just wants to be a malewife and mother in peace