SAKAMOTO DAYS - Season 1 (part 2)

As a fan of this genre, I'm always excited when a new anime appears on Netflix, and SAKAMOTO DAYS was no exception. In recent weeks, my Monday evenings have been all about the second part of the first season of SAKAMOTO DAYS. But does the second part, based on the popular manga by Yuto Suzuki, surprise me just as much as the first part?

Sakamoto Taro (Tomokazu Sugita), a former top assassin, leads a quiet life with his family and runs a small neighborhood store. In the first part of season one, we saw how Sakamoto, together with the clairvoyant Shin Asakura (Nobunaga Shimazaki), martial artist Lu Shaotang (Ayane Sakura), and sharpshooter Heisuke Mashimo (Ryouta Suzuki), managed to fend off various assassins after a huge bounty was placed on his head. But his chaotic life continues.

The mysterious Slur (Daisuke Namikawa) brings a group of death row inmates to Japan who will do anything to eliminate their target. To learn more about Slur, Sakamoto and Shin decide to enroll in the transfer exam of Japan Clear Creation, the academy for aspiring assassins.



You might remember my review of the first part of SAKAMOTO DAYS. Back then, I described the animation style as modest but effective. Not to be compared with something like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. You can let go of that thought because part two takes a completely different path. No fights that allow some breathing room, but rather a flood of action. Are the fights any less good because of this? Absolutely not. But it does sometimes remind one of My Hero Academia, One-Punch Man, or Mob Psycho 100.

No battles that leave some room to catch your breath, but rather a deluge of action.

Due to this intense action, the term 'slice of life meets John Wick' is no longer applicable. The moments with Sakamoto and his family are rare, which is understandable given the violence and bloody scenes. You wouldn't want to involve your wife and child in such a world. Instead, the focus is more on the relationship between Sakamoto and Shin. It is interesting to see how this develops further. There is almost a big brother-little brother dynamic that, in my opinion, partly fulfills the role of Sakamoto's family.

Although we see less of the Sakamoto family this time, fortunately, this does not take away from the charm. We now meet other (new) characters who have more room to grow and add their own charm. For instance, we get to know The Order, and we gradually learn more about Slur and his plans. All of this benefits the story. We build upon the mystery from the first part, and new puzzles quickly come to light. The story is not revolutionary, but it is certainly enough to keep you engaged.



Fortunately, the series manages to distinguish itself somewhat from other titles in the genre. The action is occasionally interrupted by dry commentary or a funny remark. This creates a contrast that keeps things a bit lighter. The voice actors convey this wonderfully. Especially Tomokazu Sugita knows how to portray the always composed and good-natured Sakamoto beautifully. But also the relaxed attitude and constant smile of Nagumo (a member of The Order) are well captured by Natsuki Hanae. His portrayal of this laid-back and almost always cheerful personality fits the character perfectly.

SAKAMOTO DAYS once again establishes itself as a surprisingly strong anime

All in all, I can only say that SAKAMOTO DAYS once again establishes itself as a surprisingly strong anime in the second part. The action is intense, and the fights are comparable to other shōnen productions. New characters are introduced, and the mystery from the first part is further explored, with enough surprises to keep the story engaging. The humor and strong performances by the voice actors ensure that the over-the-top action is also light and entertaining.