Sakamoto Days was one of the most highly anticipated shows for the winter season after its adaptation was announced, and a second part has already been confirmed for the summer season. Now that part one has wrapped up, did it meet expectations? I believe it did.
The story follows the trope of a legendary assassin or hitman who becomes a pacifist and vows never to kill again. There’s nothing wrong with that concept, and they found a way to make it enjoyable. Sakamoto is portrayed as a loving father who seems like a soft teddy bear, but he can knock someone out instantly if they threaten his family or friends. He also runs a convenience store with his family.
Sakamoto's wife and daughter are sweethearts, Shin is very reliable, and Shaotang is also a delight to watch. The series provides plenty of backstory for the characters and explores how other hitmen view Sakamoto.
Speaking of hitmen, many of them appear throughout the story and try to kill our heroes. Boiled and Heisuke were probably my favorite of the two, and I hope to see more of them in the future.
The creators successfully blended both comedy and action without allowing one to overshadow the other a balance that can be challenging to achieve but works well here. The show also has a wholesome quality, particularly when Sakamoto thinks of ways to make his daughter happy, even in the face of hitmen trying to kill him. Some hitmen even choose to back off, as if they’ve had a change of heart.
While the episodes themselves weren’t groundbreaking, the action sequences and character backstories were definitely the highlights. The episodes weren’t bad, but they didn’t fully stand out from beginning to end, aside from a couple of episodes.
One aspect I loved was the recurring gag where Sakamoto imagines killing Shin in his mind whenever Shin tries to say something in front of Sakamoto’s family that he wants to keep private. This works well since Shin’s ability is to read minds, and he has a visual representation of Sakamoto’s thoughts. If you haven’t seen those clips, I highly recommend checking them out, they're hilarious.
Originally, I heard early leaks hinting that fans might be disappointed before the show even airs which made me a bit concerned. However, once it aired, I found it entertaining and was confused about why there were negative reactions.
Then I learned that some viewers were complaining about the animation, which sure was not spectacular or anything, but I thought it was passable.
I genuinely feel that anime fans today have been spoiled by high-quality animation in shows like Demon Slayer, the Fate series, and Jujutsu Kaisen. It gets to the point where they might just dismiss it if they don't meet that same quality. To me, that’s a crock of shit. Every animation studio does things differently and there's more than just animation alone that what makes a good show. Trust me, there is worse out there (like Ex-Arm).
Overall, I found Sakamoto Days to be an enjoyable series and one of the more entertaining ones this season. I’m excited for the second part when it airs. The action is great, it's humorous, the characters are likable, and it’s an all-around entertaining experience. All 11 episodes are available now on Netflix, so check it out if you're looking for a fun action-comedy to watch before the second part airs in July.
Score: 7.75/10
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