As we push towards this complicated maze of life, there are standards in which we bestow upon ourselves in order to become the best for someone – whether that would be for ourselves, our families, or a special someone. Of course, there will always be hiccups to this struggle to build our “best selves” and it’s something that is portrayed in Kakushigoto with a lot of entertainment value. Taking something so relatable and making it super hilarious is what makes Kakushigoto shine as an anime series.
Kakushigoto: My Dad’s Secret Ambition is an anime adaptation of the manga with the same name by studio Ajia-do Animation Works who has done shows like Ascendance of a Bookworm and Izetta: The Last Witch – a fairly niche animation studio. It revolves around an ero-manga artist, Kakushi Gotou, who tries to actively hide his work from his beloved daughter, Hime.
Its episodic plot with a different plan cooked up by Kakushi to hide his manga work from his daughter reminds me of how I loved the anime series Hyouka, a show with a mystery element with each episode focusing on different mysteries for the characters to solve. In this case, Kakushi is faced with a new dilemma each episode to keep his daughter from discovering his line of work – ranging from dressing up as an average salaryman to hiding his manga’s merch. That and coupled with the wholesome father-daughter relationship that is so rare in anime these days, you have a show set up to give your heart a good melting and your belly in pain after all that laughter.
The wholesome and pure father-daughter relationship that goes on between the two main characters just sets the tone for this anime: you got a doting, protective father and a criminally cute, loving daughter. This character dynamic shines through most of the episodes especially when Kakushi acts in the best interest of her daughter Hime – making curry, silently helping her from the sidelines, cheering her on in school events, and the like. Despite the simple plot, the show also tries to establish some sort of reel-in effect on viewers with certain questions regarding Hime‘s mother, the age-labeled boxes that Hime has to open every year, and topics typically heard of by a child with a single parent.
Aside from the simple plotline, wholesome character interactions, and enough ambiguity to keep viewers sticking to the show, the animation for this anime series is pretty quirky as well. In comparison to Ascendance of a Bookworm, another show airing that’s produced by Ajia-do Animation Works, the quality of animation is exceptionally better. The style reminds me of the cartoonish character that is so prominent with the Monogatari series and its main character Koyomi Araragi.
I make that comparison in mind that Kakushigoto’s main character Kakushi is voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya who has voiced Koyomi Araragi from the Monogatari series. This guy’s voice fits the quirky manga artist personality of Kakushi pretty well and is an added reason as to why I am falling in love with this show so fast. The way Hiroshi Kamiya delivers voice lines with his shocked tone and serious takes on outlandish ideas make the main character super hilarious to watch.
With an easy-to-follow story, a wholesome father-daughter character dynamic, ambiguity to keep viewers hooked, and Hiroshi Kamiya‘s talent to land comedic punchlines, Kakushigoto: My Dad’s Secret Ambition is an anime series that should be on your watching list for this anime season. Go watch and you’ll absolutely love it to bits!
Got any comedy, slice-of-life shows to look out for this season or the previous one? Share them in the comments below!
Thanks for reading!
Miandro's Side 