As a fan of this genre, I always get excited when a new anime hits Netflix, and SAKAMOTO DAYS was no different. The first season of SAKAMOTO DAYS, based on the popular manga by Yuto Suzuki, is now available to stream in its entirety on Netflix. But can the anime capture the action and humor of its source material?
We follow Sakamoto Taro (Tomokazu Sugita), a former top assassin who has given up his profession and now lives a quiet life running a small convenience store with his family. However, his life takes a turn when old ‘colleagues’ show up and come seeking revenge. In order to maintain his peaceful life, Taro joins forces with new comrades Shin Asakura (Nobunaga Shimazaki), a telepathic assassin, Lu Shaotang (Ayane Sakura), a skilled martial artist and daughter of a Chinese triad leader, and Heisuke Mashimo (Ryouta Suzuki), a simple but talented marksman.
As I mentioned in the review of the first episode, the animation style is modest and effective. Yes, we are not looking at a tight Ufotable production (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba), but for an anime that can be described as 'slice of life meets John Wick' this simple style fits very well. SAKAMOTO DAYS is also bursting with humor and light-hearted moments, which are also emphasized by the animation style. The mix of bizarre situations in which the 'family' ends up, combined with dry humor and simple style, ensures that the first season remains entertaining in its own way.
The fights don't rely on exaggerated effects or extreme moves, but are well thought out and a bit slower.
To balance out the lighthearted tone, SAKAMOTO DAYS also features some strong and fun fight scenes that show why Taro was once so feared. The fights don’t rely on over-the-top effects or extreme moves, but are instead thoughtful and slow-paced. Almost every episode has a fight that’s simply fun to watch, whether it’s Taro vs. Boiled (Yasuhiro Mamiya) in episodes 4 and 5, or Shin vs. Tatsu (Taishi Murata) in episode 3. The action is further enhanced by the excellent soundtrack, which oddly enough reminded me of the classic Cowboy Bebop. The energetic music creates a dynamic atmosphere that fits the action nicely.
While the anime is full of humor and lighthearted moments, it never strays too far from its core: the story of a retired hitman who, despite his quiet life, can defend himself at any moment. Episode three emphasizes the warm, family-friendly side of the series’ characters, while episode five, for example, introduces a more serious element with the mysterious Slur (Daisuke Namikawa), hinting at a larger overarching story. The characters are surprisingly well-developed, with thoughtful backgrounds woven into the story, giving them more depth than I initially thought.
SAKAMOTO DAYS is a refreshing and entertaining anime that combines action and humor into a gripping whole
After watching the first episode I was a bit skeptical, but SAKAMOTO DAYS turned out to be a surprisingly fun anime. The simple animation style brings both the humor and the dynamic fights to life. And thanks to this style and the energetic soundtrack the fights are a joy to watch. With a comedic undertone and well-developed characters, SAKAMOTO DAYS is a refreshing and entertaining anime that combines action and humor into a catchy whole.
About the writer, Karzal
Mike (1995) has been a member of MySeries since 2016 and is mainly active on the English version of the site. Since 2018, he has been actively translating news articles, columns, reviews and basically everything that ends up on the Dutch site. The original articles, columns and reviews were actually written by others. During the week Mike can be found at IKEA, where he is a national systems specialist and occasionally also in the classroom to teach an English lesson. In addition, Mike logically enjoys watching series and has actually been spoon-fed this from an early age. The genre doesn't matter, there is a place for everything in the otherwise busy life.
