Sakamoto Days

Tarou Sakamoto was once known as the number one assassin, a man feared by the entire criminal underworld. No professional hitman could match his skills, and other assassins held him in high regard. However, Sakamoto's entire life changed completely when he fell in love. His career as a hitman has been replaced by married life, a spouse, and a cute daughter. He and his family now run a small grocery store. He spends his days living calmly and without action, and all those adventures have been replaced by a bit of a belly and a store apron. Although Sakamoto has definitely quit the assassination business, his old life does not let him go easily. A bounty has been placed on his head by the underground world. Things begin to become more complicated with the reappearance of his former partner, Shin Asakura. While Shin's actual intention was to kill him, Shin becomes influenced by his new life and family warmth, realizes that he has not lost any of his old abilities, and wants to join him. However, he must adhere to the number one rule of Sakamoto and his family: killing is absolutely forbidden! Lu Shaotang is the daughter of a mafia group who has been caught in a trap through various intrigues and separated from her family. Somehow, her path crosses with Shin and Sakamoto, and she decides to join them as well. Our heroes, who appear to be grocery store employees, must face and fight the difficulties of the underground world together. But will they be able to succeed? What kind of adventures await our heroes? Will Sakamoto be able to continue his calm life while also dealing with the challenges of the underground world?

Production

The anime is directed by Masaki Watanabe, who has also directed series such as Bartender and Bakumatsu. The voice actor for one of the series' main characters, Tarou Sakamoto, is Tomokazu Sugita, who has also provided voices in anime like Kinnikuman: Kanpeki Choujin Shiso and Dandadan. Additionally, he has voiced the characters Taiju Shiba, Kensei Muguruma, Gyoumei Himejima, and Escanor in the popular series Tokyo Revengers, Bleach, Kimetsu no Yaiba, and Nanatsu no Taiza, respectively.

If you would like to read more, you can access the promotion for the Bleach anime here. Our other main character, Shin'i, is voiced by Nobunaga Shimazaki, who is also known from popular anime such as Wind Breaker, Blue Lock, and Jujutsu Kaisen. The anime was produced by TMS Entertainment, and the first season consists of 11 episodes. It was released on the renowned platform Netflix. There is also a second season of the anime, which will be promoted on our site soon.

Review

Sakamoto Days is truly a series that manages to hold your attention, whether through its story or its animation. Having gained popularity through its manga, this fame allowed it to secure a spot for an anime adaptation on Netflix. The series successfully blends action with absurdity within its own framework. To put it more clearly, while there have been examples in the past like Gintama and Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, the theme of shonen-izing parody and comedy series—adding action elements to them—has become increasingly popular recently, peaking with titles like One Punch Man and Mashle. This trend reaches its zenith here as well. Just as One Punch Man features the concept of the strongest character, we see the theme of the best assassin here too. Our protagonist, Sakamoto, is absurdly powerful. He can take you out with a single pen, and newspaper paper can turn into a highly dangerous weapon in his hands. By the way, if you want to read about it, you can access the One Punch Man anime promotion from here.

I can also say that the comedy and parody aspects are handled exquisitely. For instance, Sakamoto, who was a model during his youth and assassination years, gains weight after getting married and transforms into a complete family man. However, his old life refuses to leave him alone, and the funny sides of the actions that befall him while protecting his family and himself make the series entertaining. The occasional caricaturing of the characters successfully disperses the gloom and heaviness of the subject matter.

Another aspect I definitely love about the anime is the action. Although there are absurd and parody scenes, the adventure and action remain at peak levels, and the conflict scenes are genuinely well-crafted. Furthermore, the groupings and conflicts in shonen anime are incredibly intriguing. In particular, it is said that the members of Order, the elite group within the assassination unit, are extremely powerful, which naturally sparks intense curiosity in me. I get a vibe similar to Akatsuki in Naruto. Speaking of Naruto, you can access its anime promotion from here.

Another thing I appreciate in the anime is how beautifully the characters and themes are developed, providing a smooth flow. Without drawing attention to it, they weave family bonds, friendship, and the importance of looking out for one another into the action and parody topics. People trying to do things for each other and supporting one another can suddenly make you feel warm inside.

My favorite part, however, is Sakamoto giving up everything for love and choosing a normal life. Despite this, the difficulties of his old life never seem to let him go, yet he still tries his best to protect his family. Although the character of Sakamoto may appear introverted and innocent, he is aware of the hardships faced and is a master at planning accordingly. While protecting his family on one hand, he is also aware that he can overcome these difficulties by gaining friends and allies he can trust and relying on their support. Protecting his wife and daughter and keeping them away from this world amidst all this chaos requires a level of intelligence that is truly masterful, and our character possesses exactly that level of intellect. The mind games and high-quality plans, featuring Sakamoto as the lead at times and accompanied by other characters at others, are elements that enhance the viewing pleasure while watching the action and comedy.

In short, if you want to laugh while being excited, experience the depths of action, and have warm human relationships touch your soul, you must absolutely watch this anime.