Anime production studio P.A. Works is having a pretty good year. In the first half of 2022, the studio handled the anime adaptation of the manga series Ya Boy Kongming, which I’ve already gone on the record as saying I loved (please go watch it so that we can all get a second season). In the second half of the year, P.A. Works teamed up with Cygames to take a chance on an original work titled Akiba Maid War. While it’s still very early in the season, the opinions I’ve seen so far are overwhelmingly positive. Looking to keep the forward momentum going strong, Aniplex recently revealed during a live stream that they are partnering with not only game studio NITROPLUS but also P.A. Works for another original anime series titled Buddy Daddies.
Airing in January 2023, Buddy Daddies tells the story of two roommates who also happen to be professional assassins. The first of the pair is the outgoing Kazuki Kurusu (voiced by Toshiyuki Toyonaga) who loves women and gambling but also has a sad past. The second of the two men is the quieter and sullen Rei Suwa (voiced by Kōki Uchiyama) who has only known the professional killer life ever since he was young. The real story begins when the two men meet a four-year-old girl named Miri Unasaka (voiced by Hina Kino) — the daughter of a mafia boss — and they end up taking care of her.
As mentioned, P.A. Works will produce the original story’s animation with Yoshiyuki Asai as the director. The original story draft was penned by Vio Shimokura from NITROPLUS, who will also work on the series composition with Yuko Kakihara. Katsutoshi Kitagawa is composing the background music.
While there are elements to this concept that make Buddy Daddies sound familiar, I hope the staff will put enough of a spin on this idea to make it fresh and original. P.A. Works is on a roll right now and I’d like to see the positive momentum continue for them.
Sources: Anime News Network, Crunchyroll News
