Project No.9 is bringing us yet another cute romance tale. A boy and girl are ready to break past their social standings in the yakuza hierarchy in A Girl & Her Guard Dog (Ojo to Banken-kun). The princess may seem fond of her knight in shining armor, but troubles might lie ahead despite her feelings. We’ll see how far these two go when the series releases on September 28th, 2023. Let’s take an early peak with the trailer.
The yakuza princess and her guard first appeared in the manga series written and illustrated by Hatsuharu. Kodansha has released eight volumes in the Bessatsu Friend magazine since it began publishing this series on December 13th, 2018.
Our yakuza heiress, Isaku Senagaki, is voiced by Akari Kito. She has also appeared as Nezuko Kamado in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Kaori Hojo in I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too, and Inglis Eucus in Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire.
Our yakuza bodyguard, Keiya Uto, is voiced by Yuichiro Umehara. His works include Noah Voltaire Wynknight in Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion, Pie in Tokyo Mew Mew New, and Klaus in Spy Classroom.
Mai Nakahara is voicing Kaori Sekiya, Keiya’s ex-girlfriend. She has previously played Rin Kanzaki in I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too, Rebecca in Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence, and Miyuki Sakuragi in The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting.
Project No.9 created a home page and an official Twitter page to promote A Girl & Her Guard Dog. The studio has also set up an Instagram page, a TikTok page, and a Threads page. You can find additional series information and key visuals on those sites.
A Yakuza Bodyguard Who Goes Above and Beyond
A Girl & Her Guard Dog follows the title characters, Isaku Senagaki and Keiya Uto, respectively. Isaku is the heir of the Senagaki yakuza clan. She was orphaned at the early age of five when her parents died in a car accident. This left her grandfather, a yakuza member, to take her in. Despite being raised to be a part of the Senagaki clan, she was never comfortable with it. In fact, her young school days made her distant from the other students due to her yakuza status.
Isaku sought a change of pace once she entered high school. She surely could make friends there. No one knew about her family, after all. Her dreams were shattered once Keiya, her bodyguard, began to pose as a fellow student to stay close to her. He’s an incredibly skilled and overprotective guard. As disappointed as Isaku was to find her guard at school, she began to warm up to the idea after some time.
More of Project No.9’s Cute Romance Series
As we discussed previously, Project No.9 has consistently put out anime series that involve cute romance. My Tiny Senpai has an incredibly adorable and sexy short team leader who falls for her taller colleague. The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten sees another cute girl who adores her lucky neighbor.
It has also dabbled in more complicated romances. My Stepmom’s Daughter is My Ex is about exes becoming step-siblings. And Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki is about a fellow gamer who succeeds online and off calling out a NEET.
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What’s your first impression of A Girl & Her Guard Dog? Do you enjoy watching yakuza get to work in anime? Would you date a scary criminal if he likes you? Let us know in the comments below.