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Description
Seven years have passed since the events of the long-running comedy manga Otoboke Kachō. The bumbling but lovable protagonist, Masao, has finally received a promotion from permanent section chief to acting department head, a change that serves as the starting point for this sequel series. Now navigating the new pressures and absurdities of middle management, Masao continues to be a well-meaning man whose relentless curiosity and earnestness invariably lead to chaos and laughter, both at his workplace and at home.

The story follows the continued adventures of the Otoboke family. Masao remains the same energetic and slightly dim-witted father whose footloose nature and fascination with any amusing idea get him into constant trouble. His wife is as inscrutable as ever, calmly observing the commotion around her. Their children have grown up significantly; daughter Kozue has become a somewhat cheeky high school student beginning to navigate the world of teenage romance, which gives her anxious father no end of worry. Their son, Hiroshi, is now a pure-hearted middle school student who often finds himself exasperated by his father's attempts to assert paternal authority.

The narrative is structured as a four-panel comic strip, or yonkoma, focusing on the small, relatable mishaps of daily life. One arc finds Masao learning that lasers can remove freckles, so he decides to camp out next to the office laser printer in a misguided attempt to improve his complexion. Another storyline begins when Kozue cuts her bangs too short and becomes distraught; in a touching moment of misguided solidarity, Masao shaves his own proud mustache to make her feel better. At his new job, his promotion means he is supposed to be a leader, yet he still approaches every task with the same hyper-sincere enthusiasm that characterized his time as section chief, from obsessing over office supplies to misunderstanding new corporate directives. Whether he is embarrassing his children or confounding his colleagues, Masao bounces back from every failure with an indomitable spirit, embodying the stress-relieving power of not taking life or oneself too seriously. The series is a direct continuation of the gentle, observational humor crafted by veteran manga artist Masashi Ueda, picking up the threads of a family that readers had followed for over three decades in its predecessor.
Information
Otoboke Buchō Dairi
おとぼけ部長代理
Type: Manga
Date: 06/07/2017
Categories
Genre
Everyday DramaComedy
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