By Jonathan Klotz | Published
Anime is more popular than ever, and even though the biggest names are currently embracing the classic Shonen tradition, like Demon Slayer, Jujutsu KaisenAnd My Hero Academiaeverything changes thanks to a warped retired hitman. Sakamoto Days is another story of a legendary killer forced to return to the criminal underworld, but what the anime and manga it’s based on get The right is about accepting the absurdity of the situation. Taro Sakamoto is a dangerous man, even after years of retirement, but he won’t break the promise he made to his wife not to kill anyone.
Just when Taro thought he was out
Creator Yuto Suzuki took inspiration from action films from the last decade, including The equalizer And John Wick when he wrote the story of Taro Sakamato deciding to hang up his guns to date Aoi, an employee, who made it a condition of their relationship that he never kill again. In Sakamoto Days In the first episode, the quiet and ideal life of Taro, who runs a convenience store, is shattered by the ghosts of his past, forcing him to take up arms, but he is joined by the store’s employees, among whom is his former protected, Shin. Shin has the uncanny ability of being able to read minds, especially Sakamato’s, which is useful since the former hitman doesn’t have much to say and prefers to keep to himself.
In practice, Shin’s mind reading is similar to Anya’s from Spy x Familywhen she reads Loid and Yor’s minds to know what they are thinking but would never say it out loud. Sakamoto Days makes great use of Taro’s expressionless gaze, while other much more expressive characters bounce off him, particularly his family, who are strangely accepting of his past life. The way Aoi, Shin, Hana (Aoi and Taro’s six-year-old daughter), and in the second episode, Lu, a young woman on the run from assassins, play Taro is the perfect blend of characters, and already, it has made the series a success.
Anime’s next big hero
Sakamoto Days airs weekly on Netflix, with new episodes released every Saturday. Right now it can’t be binge-watched, but once you start watching it, you’ll want to continue until the end. Millions of viewers agree that the first episode achieved the impressive feat of becoming the third most popular show on Netflix for the day, an unprecedented feat for the first episode of an original anime. This makes sense, considering the manga has sold over 7 million copies worldwide.
My Hero Academia is coming to an end soon, Demon Slayer go to the cinema, and Jujutsu Kaisen is gearing up for its final season, which will leave a huge void to fill in the anime schedule. Sakamoto Days is an unlikely successor, but the humor, gunplay, and well-executed characters mean it has all the elements to become a huge hit. It remains to be seen whether the first season will maintain its momentum, but with the second season, adapting an even more action-packed story arc, already scheduled for July, we are only beginning to see the true power of Sakamoto.
Sakamoto Days is now streaming on Netflix, with new episodes every Saturday and a second season coming in July.
