Since its publication in 2020, Yuto Suzuki’s manga “Sakamoto Days” has gained a reputation as one of the best action series on the market. Bold and detailed, yet possessing a fluidity of movement that makes the drawings come to life, it presents a unique challenge for adaptation. An anime based on this kind of manga necessitates a level of animation that does justice to the artwork.
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Taro Sakamoto was once the most feared of hit men—a legendary killer who always got the job done. But everything changed when he fell in love with a kind-hearted convenience store clerk and left behind a world of violence for a quiet family life as a portly shopkeeper. Years later, faces both old and new, such as psychic fellow hitman Shin and mafia family heiress Lu, come calling, and one thing becomes abundantly clear: even if Sakamoto is done with the world of hit men, it is not done with him.
The main focus of the show is the action, but there’s something undeniably charming about watching these characters come together and form a found family amid a backdrop of personal redemption. Sakamoto is a man of few words, though he can become visibly flustered—often signaled by one of the lenses in his glasses cracking. He remains dedicated to his promise to his wife never to return to a life of murder, choosing instead to help people whenever he can. That doesn’t mean he won’t bend the rule a little by fantasizing about killing people—usually Shin, much to the psychic’s constant alarm.
Shin himself is fiercely loyal to Sakamoto, a bond that carries over from their past in the underworld. The comedy is light but effective, and thankfully the show has more to offer than just jokes about the central character’s weight. Not that being a big guy ever gets in Sakamoto’s way during a fight—he remains the master of the improvised weapon, and the tone of the battles is more Jackie Chan than John Wick. The various assassins who show up all have distinct themes and gimmicks. The fight set-ups are delightfully over the top and, in true shonen style, often defy logic. Yet the character drama is played mostly straight and sincere.
The issue lies in the visual execution of those fights. Aside from a few standouts, the Shin vs. Sakamoto convenience store brawl in episode one is a particular delight, they often lack the adrenaline rush or sense of momentum that the genre demands. This is surprising considering that the director, Masaki Watanabe, has an extensive background in storyboarding and should be adept at building dynamic scenes. The anime is produced by TMS Entertainment, a studio that, while responsible for a few standout series and older titles, is not currently known for top-tier visuals or the kind of sakuga moments that elevate action scenes to new heights. That’s not to say their work is low quality, just that their strengths lie elsewhere, which becomes a limitation in a series like this.
Beyond the underwhelming fight choreography, the character designs by Yu Moriyama, aside from Sakamoto himself, come off as fairly generic. Starting from episode four, the overall animation quality noticeably dips, further undercutting the show’s impact. At times, characters don’t feel grounded in their environment, which creates a jarring disconnection.
“Sakamoto Days” is a textbook case of a good adaptation that had the potential to be great. There’s nothing egregiously wrong with it. The premise is solid, the humor works, and the fight concepts are inventive. It’s simply that the presentation doesn’t fully deliver. Perhaps a second season will smooth out the edges. For now, however, there isn’t much here that hasn’t already been done, and in some cases, done better, by other anime adaptations of shonen manga.
