The Way of The Househusband: Unveiling the Gangster's Guide to Mastering Housekeeping

The Way of the Househusband, originally created by mangaka Kousuke Oono and published in 2018, has gained immense popularity. It was first adapted into a live-action series in 2020 and later into a popular anime in 2021. VIZ Media acquired the rights to the series in 2019, leading to various exciting collaborations. One such result is the release of The Way of the Househusband: The Gangster's Guide to Housekeeping, a guidebook that includes recipes and housekeeping hacks inspired by the series. This collaboration was co-authored by Laurie Ulster, an experienced writer, editor, and producer, and Victoria Rosenthal, a prolific author known for her video game-inspired cookbooks and recipes.

GameRant had the opportunity to interview the authors of the guidebook a week before its release on July 25th. The interview delved into the origins of the project, the creative process behind it, and the authors' personal thoughts and experiences. This exciting new guidebook is a must-have for fans of The Way of the Househusband.

The interview has been edited for the sake of brevity and clarity.

Q: How did The Gangster's Guide to Housekeeping idea/project come about?

Rosenthal: I was contacted by an editor at VIZ who I had previously collaborated with. They asked if I had any interest in manga, and I shared some of my favorite titles. That's when they mentioned The Way of the Househusband project, which was going to include a housekeeping guide. While I offered to handle the recipes, it was clear that we needed someone else for the housekeeping aspect. That's when Laurie came into the picture.

Ulster: I responded to someone who was seeking a writer for the remaining tasks. They didn't require extensive knowledge of The Way of the Househusband, but rather an interest in it along with experience in writing about household and lifestyle content. As someone who understands fandom and the importance of staying true to the original material, I was fortunate enough to land the job.

Q: Did Oono-sensei participate in this project in any capacity? Was there any communication with him throughout the project?

Rosenthal: Unfortunately, we did not have the chance to collaborate with Oono-sensei. However, I'm aware that the editors who contacted me for approval did have interactions with him.

The uniqueness of The Way of the Househusband lies in its ability to present a distinctive storyline by exploring the life transformation of a tough yakuza who becomes a dedicated househusband. The series captivated me with its format of delivering enjoyable short stories in each chapter. I found myself relating to some aspects, yet the direction it took was refreshingly unexpected from my own perception.

Q: Did you encounter any challenges while creating and organizing The Gangster's Guide to Housekeeping?

Rosenthal: Writing Tatsu's voice was relatively easy for me since he is such a strong character in the manga. There was a smaller section written in his voice, like flavor text, so it felt natural. The only challenging part was testing out certain recipes, especially making udon from scratch. That required more effort than adapting Tatsu's writing style.

Ulster: Similarly, once I got into Tatsu's mindset, everything started to fall into place. The most difficult aspect for me was conducting extensive research on things I hadn't encountered before in the manga. I had never heard of a laundry bar, which is used in other countries and even by some people in America. It involved dedicated research to incorporate my knowledge into this different worldview.

It's fascinating to hear you delve into Tatsu's voice, considering his formidable nature and his underlying compassion. Building upon that, did you have in-depth conversations and reach a mutual understanding regarding the prominent focus on vegan and vegetarian recipes in The Gangster's Guide to Housekeeping?

Rosenthal and Ulster had separate roles in creating the content. Rosenthal focused on handling the recipes, with minimal interaction between them. An editor ensured consistency in voice and tone. The recipes selected for inclusion were based on standout ones from The Way of the Househusband manga. There was a limit on the number of recipes to be included, so choices had to be made. Ulster clarifies that Victoria took full responsibility for creating all of the recipes and food content.

The excerpt from The Gangster's Guide to Housekeeping mentions that failing to meet the needs of guests makes one a "failure of a househusband." This sentiment resonates with Tatsu, which makes the inclusion of vegan and vegetarian recipes exciting.

Rosenthal adheres to this principle in all her recipe writing. While having a recipe is important, it is equally crucial to cater to the specific dietary requirements of those who will be eating the food, including oneself. If a recipe does not align with one's dietary restrictions, it is possible to make adjustments. Although this may involve research and repeated testing, recipes serve as a foundation. They can be altered and personalized to suit individual needs.

Q: Victoria, with the increasing popularity of cooking-themed anime/manga and your experience adapting recipes from video games into cookbooks, do you think this rise in cooking anime could impact the direction of your future work or influence the types of recipes you want to explore?

Rosenthal: Without a doubt, my ultimate anime dream is to work on Dragon Ball. The series features an abundance of food, something I've always aspired to tackle. I've noticed that some individuals may feel daunted by cooking, but by associating beloved franchises with culinary creations, it can serve as an initial motivator for them to say, "I want to try making that dish because the characters I admire are doing it. Let me give it a shot." It's a gentle entry point for individuals to finally venture into the world of cooking.

Ulster expressed their enthusiasm for exploring new things, noting that their experience as a writer often involves starting with minimal knowledge but developing a passion for the subject as they research and write about it. They mentioned that this was the case with TV shows, actors, and specifically with Tatsu's story in The Way of the Househusband: Gangster's Guide to Housekeeping. Ulster found that being hired to write about something introduced them to shows they wouldn't have otherwise discovered and grown to love. They found it exciting that their writing journey sometimes begins with becoming a fan first, rather than the other way around.

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The Way of the Househusband: Gangster's Guide to Housekeeping releases July 25.