Warning: This review contains spoilers for “Sakamoto Days.”
In a small and unsuspecting grocery store, Taro Sakamoto tries to live a normal life, but his past as a legendary hitman refuses to be forgotten by others.
This is the reality that Sakamoto now faces. He was once a feared hitman, but now is a husband, father and the owner of a small grocery store. But walking away from one’s past isn’t as easy as he thought, especially when old enemies come straight to his front door.
“Sakamoto Days” was serialized in the Weekly Shonen Jump from November 2020, written and illustrated by Yuto Suzuki. The anime adaptation premiered worldwide on Netflix on Jan. 11 of this year, with one new episode released each week. The manga has been ongoing and has 208 chapters as of early April.
At first, I thought that I wouldn’t like it at all.
But I couldn’t have been more wrong.
“Sakamoto Days” is filled with fast-paced action and unexpected comedy that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The fight scenes aren’t your typical fight with punches and kicks, but involve grocery bags, office supplies and everyday items. Sakamoto turns any random object into a deadly weapon, which makes it more hilarious in these “serious” scenes.
From Episode 1, Shin Asakura, a telepathic ex-assassin, is by Sakamoto’s side, ready to defend and fight alongside him. Asakura was an integral character in the series as he brought in the comedic timing and contributed heavily towards the plot by using his mind-reading abilities to defeat wannabe assassins. The interactions between him and his boss and his taking inspiration from Sakamoto in the fight scenes were hilarious to watch.
When Lu Shaotang was introduced in Episode 2, my interest was immediately piqued. Shaotang is the daughter of a prominent Triad family in the Chinese mafia. She’s a martial artist with a laid-back demeanor and signature pink hair that’s iconic, which makes her stand out amongst the other characters! Despite her family, she rejects the mafia “lifestyle” and pursues her journey through Sakamoto’s grocery store.
With the world overrun by many assassins, an organization named the Japanese Association of Assassins has hundreds of strong, trained killers all over the country. Sakamoto was a former member of the association, also known as “The Order.” Known for being the “best assassin,” Sakamoto’s family was at risk of being hurt by being associated with him. As the threat of the group coming after Sakamoto and his family is more apparent, he partners with Shaotang and Asakura to fight off the assassins. Additionally, he rigged the grocery store with traps to prevent any assassins from entering. Ironically, though, his daughter Hana managed to dismantle one of those traps he set up.
His relationship with his family in the anime is very loving, as they all take care of each other in different ways. For example, his wife, Aoi, a store clerk at the grocery store, created a “no-killing policy” for Sakamoto, with the threat of divorce if he ever violated that or any of the other family rules. Breaking that rule terrified him, and throughout the episodes, he ensured that nobody would be killed during his retirement. I liked the rules that they made, as it showed a soft side to Sakamoto.
A notable scene that stuck out to me in this series was the “Bathhouse Mode” in Episode 10, where failed hitman and bathhouse manager Kei Uzuki recognizes Sakamoto through a bounty and jams the whole place with traps to kill Sakamoto. Unsurprisingly, though, this doesn’t work on the retired assassin due to his insane strength and power. This episode showed how easily he could adapt in dangerous situations as they were coming his way, even navigating the rigged jet baths and the sauna on fire.
The graphics for this anime were amazing and very detailed. The animation style is vibrant and captures every fight scene perfectly, and the attention to detail shocked me. The animators did a great job blending the action with comedy, ranging from the clash of weapons to the exaggerated reactions made by the characters!
If you’re looking for an anime that will keep you entertained, then “Sakamoto Days” is a must-watch, with Part 2 being released in July.
