Taro is an assassin, and in the aptly titled Sakamoto Days, it seems he’s always in a daze when at work, at a local convenience store! Although officially retired, the world he left behind has a grudge. For newcomers and vets, both can earn some cred when they put this individual six feet under. Although that’s going to be the formula for the time being in this series, I’m sure he’s plotting something behind that facade.
In the first episode, Shin Asakura (Nobunaga Shimazaki) simply botches his attempt to take the former hitman (Tomokazu Sugita) down. And in what’s amazing is that this big guy will show him the error of his ways. Just how the young kid found senpai wasn’t hard. And if he can do it, many more will follow. After two episodes showing just how many assassins are going to show up, I have to see just how varied these others’ talent are going to be. In what makes this work accessible is that it’s not taking the idea to violent Kill Bill levels.
Also joining them is Lu Shaotang (Ayane Sakura). After the men saved her life from other killers, she owes them an enormous debt. Pretty soon, she’s working at the shop too. I’m certain it’s to protect her more so than anything else. When the reason she’s being hunted is that she’s the daughter of a local crime lord, these three will not remain safe for long.
But to discover more, I turned to the manga! After the first episode, I had to pick up the first few volumes on Amazon. This is one series I like to know more about than waiting for the next broadcast. Like other adaptations, most of the early content will be faithful to the source. As for what stories might get skipped, I’m sure some material needs to be edited down. When Shōnen Jump published the print edition in 2020, and the English edition from Viz Comics didn’t follow until 2022, and this anime in 2025, I have time to get up to speed.
And when creator Yuto Suzuki said John Wick influenced this work, I am sure other inspirations loosely followed. The protagonist’s overweight physique and the same-year release of Donnie Yen’s Enter the Fat Dragon (movie review) make me question how common this trope is used. The reason I’ll watch these types of films is because I like to see what physics defying stunt is going to amaze. In terms of world building, the investment to reveal the world is mild so far. I suspect there’s more to discover when the season nears its finale. And I’m sure this manga inspired the tale behind Baby Assassin 2 (movie review). The situation is similar.
Also, when Asakura has some psychic abilities which can help his boss, there’s a chance they could form their own triad! Ultimately, the reason I’ll keep watching is to see how well Taro can keep his promise to his wife. She’s calling the shots, and at some point in time, she may say, “I’m tired of them interrupting our life!” I want to tune in to see what he’ll do when that happens!
4 Stars out of 5
Sakamoto Days Trailer
Discover more from Otaku no Culture
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
