Sakamoto Days

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I'll go straight to the point:

"So there is this manga where the protagonist is John Wick, but Japanized as heck that lives his normal life until he meets again with his ex-pupil that happens to be an esper and read minds... READ MINDS BRUV! Then everything makes a 180* turn and now they fight criminals and mafia bosses that want to to erase the main character due he is too OP"

Story: 9/10

As I said before, is like John Wick, BUT BETTER! This manga truly deserves more attention because is not afraid to show violent scenes when necessary. I dont want to tell too much about ... the plot because the less you know, the better. This manga will surprise you since the first chapter!

Art: 10/10

Bro, for being weekly, I think the art is Top Tier (In my opinion) The fight scenes are easy to follow as well as the choreography. You can see the passion and hard work in each panel.

Character: 10/10

I'm not lying when I say that every character makes me want to know their past (but I hope that will show up eventually) Anyway, the side characters have amazing designs and not only that. They also have very cool personalities that doesn't feel forced and their own reasons to do what they do.

Overall: 9/10

I love everything so far about Sakamoto Days, but the reason I don't give it a 10/10 is because I feel that they need to show a bit more of "darkness" when the murder-topic is shown in the panels. I feel like there is not enough "Impact" (Besides the 1st chapter). I know it's weekly shonen jump, but I'd like to see that in the future.

I wouldn't be surprised if the anime gets announced at the end of 2021 or beginning of 2022.

As the end of popular shonen weekly issues are closing in with the top titles ending one by one and the popular comedy manga saiki K ending will 2021 have a comedy manga that we all people are hungry for? Yes ,

Sakamoto Days an Action Comedic manga thats work like this One day a Legendary assasin meets a shop lady and quickly falls in love with her and with his new life going as he retires from his services one of his fellow agents sent by his organisations comes in to win him but fails and now has to kill him only for the agent ... to see that though he has retired his skills are still sharp and as a fellow subordinate he accepts defeat and later in the manga joins Sakamotos shop as a worker .Watch as sakamotos days progress with his family and his subordiante as they adventure through fun and fight with different agents who come for his bounty.

When I first opened up the series, I thought to myself "wow, this is stupid." Now, after I finish reading and enjoying every new chapter that comes out on Sundays, I think to myself "wow, I guess I'm stupid."

Why am I stupid? Well, the most accurate answer is that I didn't pay attention in school. But, an answer regarding Sakamoto Days, involves this: I thought that the concept was lame and that the story couldn't reach farther than a few chapters. I ended up being completely wrong, because the story is excellent, and the main concept of the story is intelligently written so that ... it keeps every weekly chapter fresh and exciting. For thinking that such a good series had no hope, that is why I, dankchungus, am stupid.

Pros of the series:

The artwork is exceptional. It's not the greatest you've ever seen from a detail standpoint, but it's interesting to look at, and has it's own unique style, which should be appreciated in a time where so many different manga are being produced. It's hard to standout in the way this series does.

The characters each have their own unique quirks, which is normal for battle manga, but unlike other series that fail because their characters are too wacky and zany to fit in, the author somehow make the interesting people that show up feel human, despite their strange tendencies.

The story so far is beginning to expand to a larger arc, which is far different from the gag/battle manga that it appeared to be from the first few chapters. Each time a new person is introduced, they are seamlessly included into the plotline, which is now reaching towards a grander goal.

Cons of the series:

I honestly can't find a con, which is incredible for someone like me who thought that series was stupid and first glance and was prepared to knock it down. I've spent multiple weeks cringing before opening this series, because I expected it to drop in quality at some point, but it never did, so because of the excellence the author is currently putting onto the paper, I can't find any cons from between chapter one to chapter 21, which is where I currently am at the time of writing this.

Hyped up by many as the next big thing in Shonen Jump. Does it truly deserve the hype it receives? The current shonen jump roster has no shortage of battle shonens, with big names like One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia as well as rising series like Undead Unluck, Mashle and Mission: Yozakura Family. With such an oversaturated lineup for the genre, how exactly does a battle shonen like Sakamoto Days stand out among the rest?

The biggest standout it has as a battle shonen is the extremely well drawn art of its fight scenes. It has such a gorgeous display of dynamic movements ... and intensity that it is such a joy to read the fights, it's almost as if you can "feel" the characters' movements with how dynamic the fight scenes are. I find the art to be one of the best I have ever seen in the current era of Jump. Any reader who loves a good fight scene need no look further than Sakamoto Days. Its fights have a certain charm to it with its focus on unrealistically realistic fights (It tends to use real world elements in an unrealistic manner) over the usual fantasy filled fights (Magic, superpowers, supernatural abilities etc) seen in most shonen. A charm that is certainly quite unique and different from countless other battle mangas I have seen.

Its story is relatively simple and straightforward. A retired top assassin merely wishes to live a quiet life but is constantly threatened by many due to his reputation. You could argue that the fact that there is no clear and established end goal makes the series less intriguing. However, the randomness of certain events that befalls Sakamoto, the main character, really creates a lot of suspenseful moments that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Though it's one of the more average ones in comparison to other series I've seen, perhaps its because it hasn't had the time to build itself up yet.

The character writing on the other hand, is an aspect that will surely catch the attention of many. The protagonists and the antagonists are all extremely intriguing in their own right. Even side characters tend to exude a sense of mystery that gets you interested in them. Are they well written? well that remains to be seen as the series goes on but they will surely be interesting enough to keep an eye out for.

Sakamoto Days is a series that goes above and beyond for a battle manga. It's the type of series that puts all its eggs in one basket. It may be average in certain aspects but it really excels in its specialties. Fans of battle shonens will certainly love this series though if you're the type who cares more about a well crafted plot than fights then you may find the series to be "good but forgettable" at best

There's something rather special about Sakamoto days, it reminds me a little bit of Gintama but does its own thing so incredibly well. The first chapter gives me a ton of laughs, and so does every chapter in the series.

The humor is on point, the characters are entertaining and intriguing, even Sakamoto's wife is, well she did convince him to give up the life of a hitman so that took some special ideas too.

It's executed really well, and that what makes this shine. I just read the first few chapters, but it is solid and incredibly entertaining as a manga and keeps me ... waiting for the next chapter.

Development:

The work portrays the life of Sakamoto, an ex-hitman, living with his family in a normal life, working peacefully in a convenience store and having his common routines, a typical Japanese life, isn't it? Well... Not really.

The humor of this work revolves around the comic events that involve Sakamoto and his family, comic characters with extravagant personalities.

Pins of action and sometimes jokes with a slightly sadistic tone, in this case with murders, deaths and torture.

Script:

It's very simple, focuses on Sitcom style humor - slide of life and action. Most of the comedy happens in the action parts of the main character ... in unusual situations resulting in action scenes. The actions are well written, most of the time enhancing the main character's abilities and the great use of mirabolic situations.

ART:

The art is very simple in relation to the anatomy and physiognomy of the characters, sometimes reminding the art style of Fujimoto Tatsuki (Chainsaw man).
For having a simple art in the characters, the settings stand out more, showing in great part the places and their inhabitants.
This simplicity also helps to highlight the comic script of the work.

Summary:

If you like works that use the spy and hitman genre with Spy x Family and Mr. & Mrs. Smith humor, this work will please you a lot. The comedy is very well written, fluid, sometimes sadistic humor, also with exact pinches of action.

Final note:

8/10

Sakamoto Days is breath of fresh air. You will not regret giving it a read.

For starters, the humor is genuinely funny. Something about the jokes and little facial expressions/quirks the characters make is so charming. Despite Sakamoto being an obvious standout from the rest, EVERYBODY has a history, a motive, etc. You will fall in love with these characters quickly.

HOWEVER.

It can get serious, FAST. This is an action-packed story about assassins. Shit is NOT sweet. The fights are incredibly choreographed, and while there are plenty, they all serve a purpose, and often bare some twists; as mysteries unravel and pieces to the story's ... puzzle get revealed, the stakes rise and you will FEEL the depth of every punch, kick, and... Sakamoto pen jab?

YES.

This is what makes Sakamoto Days what it is. Expectations will be subverted constantly. The way the environment is used in the fights is so compelling that you will want to binge it throughout the night. Make sure to take it all in and enjoy!

Sakamoto Days is a series that knows what it is and performs that to the absolute best possible quality: and that is, it's an action comic. I feel that rating it on the same metrics I might rate a different series with would not do it justice, though I will anyway for consistency's sake. I'll add why I think that some of the pieces it lacks aren't as important as it may seem at the end of the review.

Story: 8/10
Sakamoto Days' story isn't anything crazy, it's got a fun concept and the world may not be complex but it is considerably well thought out. ... It takes a bit, but pieces of foreshadowing do eventually pay off, and the story is paced quite well when looking at it from 120+ chapters in. Though it might seem as if the author has no control over what's happening for a bit in the beginning as it vaguely awkwardly drags itself out of slice-of-life/comedy/monster-of-the-week action to move into the main plot, once the ball gets rolling it truly shines.

Characters: 8/10
Sakamoto Days has some of the most lovable and interesting characters there are, it's easy to instantly become fond of them, main characters or otherwise. The titular Sakamoto Tarou is a character whose heart and ironic comedy makes him a wonderful lead, and Shin, the deuteragonist's more "straight-man" personality not only plays off of Sakamoto's well, but also is well done enough to help him stand on his own. The side characters are really the shining gem of this series though, every single one of them feels distinct and so so enjoyable to watch do their thing. The Order in particular I adore. (The only reason why this is not a 10 is because they aren't like super complex or whatever)

Art: 10/10
I could talk about the art of Sakamoto Days for hours. A wonderfully iconic style that allows for characters with very low detail amounts to exist alongside those with full faces rendered with hatching and look normal, satisfyingly clean and so impactful--every single color page, double spread, and cover leaves me in awe. The author has such a strong grasp on composition, perspective, motion, and every other art skill you could possibly ask for. Don't be decieved by the supposed "lack of detail": that simplicity and concision *is* skill and such a blessing for readability.

Before I go on to my conclusion, I just want to go over the character design quickly because it's incredibly good. Because of the way the author stylizes allowing for simple and complex designs, there is such a wide array, and the author really knows how to express a character's personality with small but important details (Ex. Nagumo could be literally any other generic black haired anime guy, but the bug eyes and shaggy hair contrast with his formal clothing and mathematics based tattoos to express a laid back, casual, but still dangerous/unsettling/and skilled character).

To conclude, Sakamoto Days is an action comic that does just that perfectly. Its exceptional art and character design (both artistically and writing wise) helps it tell over the top yet grounded fights that are just a joy to read. It treads the line between corny, mature, campy, comedic, violent, and hype so damn well: there were so many pitfalls the story could have fallen into yet time and time again the author proves their skill and bypasses each one.

Is it the most revolutionary story that will leave you changed forever? Does it have the deepest exploration of human nature? No. And I fully believe that does not matter. Sakamoto Days could have just been fight scene after fight scene with random characters and it still would have been good: the mere fact that we also have such a streamlined story and such enjoyable characters inhabiting that story is truly just the cherry on top.

THIS MANGA SHOULD HAVE MORE RECOGNITION
it is great in all of its aspects, this is for sure one of the best things shonen jump has to offer for the past two years
its comedy its fight scenes its characters the way the story progresses all blended to give us this masterpiece
just read it and I assure you that you won't regret it
Story 8/10
it is about the greatest assassin to ever grace the planet tarou sakamoto retiring after seeing a woman at a convenience store, married her, got a kid and gained weight
the story about much more than tarou just protecting his ... family
it is GOOD
Fight scenes are 9/10
THIS MANGA has one of the best looking fight scenes I've ever seen like every single movement can be read and the art itself is clean
Characters and Comedy both 9/10
They are great the dynamics and the interactions between characters kinda reminds me of those that in Gintama which are great
same goes to comedy but with more of spy x family vibes
THIS MANGA IS A TRUE GEM

I would swipe past the Sakamoto Days tab on the Shonen Jump app all the time and think to myself "who would read this? It looks terrible." That was one of the dumbest thoughts I ever had, because Sakamoto Days is a jam and one of the most fun Shonen Manga I've read since Spy X Family (which, ironically, has a similar premise.)

Taro Sakamoto, the titular character, is a fat old man with a wife, daughter and a grocery store. He's also formerly Japan's best assassin. He's since settled down, but when a bounty is put on his head by his former colleagues, it's up ... to him and his new friends to solve the mystery of the bounty and protect Sakamoto's family.

While the story is interesting, if a bit unoriginal, it's the characters and art that really drive this manga home.

Sakamoto is a nearly invincible fighter. He can make anything around him a lethal weapon and he's as strong as most shonen battle protagonists, despite not having any powers. His laid back attitude, reluctance to speak out loud, goofy design and battle prowess make Sakamoto Days a gag manga.

While I would say this is indeed a gag manga, it's not afraid to get serious, and it's fighting art is AMAZING. I did not go into this series thinking that it would have some of the best fighting in Shonen Jump, but here it is. The panel layouts flow extremely naturally, and the art is drawn in such a way that it almost feels like you're watching an anime, not reading a manga. This art would be good for a biweekly and even a monthly, but the fact this is weekly blows my mind.


I took points off because some of the humor doesn't land and can be a bit childish, but everything else is great. Don't do what I did and pass by this manga.

In the midst of many other manga series in Shounen Jump, Sakamoto Days stands out for its simple and engaging approach, steering clear of complex power systems or fantasy worlds.

Originally planned to follow an episodic approach, with Sakamoto being targeted by different assassins, the narrative expands surprisingly. New characters and factions are introduced smoothly, enriching the plot without disrupting the pace. While not featuring complex characters, Sakamoto Days has done a commendable job in constructing them, giving each distinct personalities and designs. Notably, secondary characters, such as Shin, undergo notable development. They transition from supporting roles to key players, showcasing unique skills and determination.

One of ... the most notable features of this manga is its artwork, which shines especially in fight scenes. The action is depicted with impressive dynamism, highlighting swift movements and brilliantly choreographed sequences. A standout aspect is the ability to convey a sense of speed in the drawings without compromising clarity. The fluid lines and skillfully chosen camera angles add an undeniable energy to the fights, providing an exhilarating visual experience. Another aspect that makes the fights captivating is how they manage to maintain a sense of realism, as they don't involve supernatural abilities, even though they can be surreal at times, such as a character being able to slice through a building with a single sword movement.

One of the most remarkable attributes of our protagonist, Taro Sakamoto, is his ability to adapt to the surrounding environment and creatively and efficiently use it in his battles. This ability adds an extra layer of cleverness to the action sequences, making them more enjoyable and providing unique moments.

In conclusion, 'Sakamoto Days' stands out as an exhilarating journey in the realm of Shounen manga. With its dynamic storytelling, charismatic characters, and visually stunning artwork, the series provides a unique and enjoyable read. Whether you're drawn to action-packed narratives or crave visually thrilling adventures, 'Sakamoto Days' stands as a compelling choice. Immerse yourself in this manga and discover why it's an exceptional addition to the Shounen genre.

After 100 chapters in, I think it is safe to say that Sakamoto Days is one of the most well balanced action/comedy shonen around. The main character Sakamoto is really an interesting protagonist, and it is nice to see a main character that is an older individual in a shonen. Sakamoto has a very wholesome and genuine disposition for an assassin, which goes to show how much his family means to him.

The side characters and the ever growing staff in the store are wonderful sources of characterization as well. That is all I can really say without spoilers.

Aside from the charming setup of a ... shopkeeper that is an ex assassin dealing with the troublesome ghosts of his past, and the mild hijinks from Sakamoto's family what really blew me away was the action. As the story progresses it becomes much more action filled, and it does not shy away from it in the slightest. The paneling and the flow of the action is some of the best I have read in a long time. The creative ways people fight, as well as the flow of the fighting is top notch.

The art in this manga is wonderfully consistent, and only improves moving throughout. The character designs are not particularly awe-inspiring but they are also not in anyway bland or boring. The villains are the best designed by far. While on the subject, the villains are full of personality and seem to have more than 2 dimensional goals for doing what they are doing in the world.

Overall, Sakamoto Days is a wonderfully concise, action packed, and surprisingly wholesome story regarding protecting what is truly special to someone. Whether it is blood family, found family, or whatever else it is the characters choose to to fight for. It is well worth your time.

Sakamoto Days is one of the best action manga out there right now. While the story isn't necessarily deep, complex, or innovative, you root for the heroes to succeed and the villains are consistently threatening without seeming incompetent. Everyone has a clear motivation. The characters are reasonably compelling, and everyone exhibits a level of emotional maturity that falls in line with the subject matter. It's campy and comedic at times, but not obnoxious or melodramatic. You also don't get huge mid-fight monologues that bring the pacing to a stand-still.

The real strength of this series is the fight choreography. I truly feel that Yuto Suzuki is ... one of the great action artists of our era. Suzuki incorporates environments, buildings, vehicles, and everyday objects into fight sequences so seamlessly that the flow is never disrupted, like John Wick but faster and more intense. There's also a level of comedy which I wasn't expecting, but the absurdity of how objects are used always manages to elicit a smile or a chuckle. It's truly a joy to read and I constantly find myself surprised at how the action moves and develops across the page. "Motion" is the key word here, as Suzuki finds a balance between velocity and impact without what's on the page ever becoming difficult to read. It's all easy to follow at first glance.

If you find that the modern offering of shonen action sequences is too bland, if you find yourself getting bored of stiff art that looks like a staged reference photo, and if you just want to have fun reading something again without worrying too much about power levels, then check this out. It's a treat.

TLDR; Sakamoto Days is great, very similar to Gintama in my opinion, and is worth the read to anyone who likes shounen manga. 10/10, Flawless

Sakamoto Days is quite an odd manga experience for me, you see typically I like to be quite critical of the media I consume. I like to read between the lines, look for the metaphors, the hidden meanings, and I like to dig beneath the surface. Yea, yea, I know I sound like one of those fake youtube/instagram critics right now, but it's usually a large part of my enjoyment of a piece of media. However, Sakamoto Days is different.

It ... doesn't have much to dig into, it presents itself at face value and doesn't leave much else...but damn if it isn't the most enjoyable piece of any media I have ever consumed. Its art is kinda've messy and rough, but it works so well and reminds me a lot of the art in Chainsawman, and I have come to love it. It's characters are silly, and often the author uses them to diffuse tension rather than to escalate it. They don't have grand ambitions or schemes, they mainly just dink around at the store. The plot is simple, unintrusive, and leaves little to really bite into or think about. But each chapter is a joy to read, each instance of Sakamoto, Shin, and Lu just messing around adds even more charm to the series. The humor has had me to laughing hysterically while alone many times, and on top of that it has such kinetic and easy to follow fights that the action is 2nd to none.

I cannot think of a single flaw in this manga, one could argue that its lack of serious moments leaves it lacking any emotion, but I disagree. Emotion doesn't just have to be sadness, anger, or loss. Emotion can also be found in the moments of joy and laughter, and in the moments when a person is just trying to be a bit better of a person. No other series does these moments for me like Sakamoto Days does, and until I am not grinning ear to ear while reading each chapter, Sakamoto Days will remain a 10/10 for me, and be on my Mt. Rushmore of artwork.

There's only been 17 chapters so far, so this review will be short:

Summary: Great blend of slice of life, comedy and action. It's refreshing from a lot of the darker Shonen stuff popular right now.

There's not much of a story, it's pretty much a PG version of John Wick's open contract. It's a light comedy, and the author seems very much aware of this. There's no wild plot twists, but we instead get simple week-by-week problems that Sakamoto and his wacky crew have to deal with in wacky ways. It has a casual, fun premise and plot.

The art is great at delivering visual comedy, and ... sometimes the action splash pages are too good for this type of manga. Nothing mind-blowing, but better than most comics.

Sakamoto and his crew bounce off each other in great ways. Not much depth to them, but hey, it's a comedy. The occasional villain is pretty one-dimensional, but serves their purpose.

It's a fun read, and it does not require any dedication or investment to get through. You won't regret it!

Even if i am only just at the beginning of it, I see a great potential.

The concept is simple and fun. The characters are interestings and all different from one to another. Sakamoto as some kind of Saitama vibe with it' simpleness yet all is power. The art is good and feels a bit nostalgic because of the way the characters are drawn. Since some kind of power have already been introduced in the first chapter, I guess we can expect some very good surprises.

In the end, what makes me love Sakamoto is it's humour throughout every situations.

So! I'll preface this by saying that I have high hopes for Sakamoto Days to improve, and will be doing my best to not be a complete negative nelly.

Now, to begin....

Sakamoto Days IS a good manga, it has a lot of good things to it. It's not amazing, it's not groundbreaking, it's not an opus. It's a newbies foray into the world of writing, but as it continues on it feels as though someone, whether it be the author himself, or an editor, is trying VERY hard to push it towards being something it simply is not.

Which is to say; A heavily plot focused and ... story driven series.

You may be asking yourself "Isn't modern manga supposed to be plot and story driven, though?" to which I reply... Yeah, I guess? But not every concept, not every story, has to be a huge spectacle. A story can be as simple as the initial Sakamoto Days concept. An ex-assassin, the best really, being a domestic man, and the daily lives of he, his family, and his adopted family.

Sakamoto Days does it's slice-of-life EXTREMELY well, and excels in goofy humour that takes advantage of the inhumanity of Sakamoto and Shin, playing off of the unreality of their abilities to create fun and interesting gags that you don't often see due to Shounen favouring not making fun of it's main characters the way Sakamoto Days does.

Sakamoto is a great character. Like I'm sure many people would say, he is comparable to Saitama of One Punch Man. Overly powerful, and seemingly indestructible. However, unlike Saitama, he has a particular softness to him, showing that he truly only wants to live quietly with his family, the people he loves and would do anything for. Sakamoto cares, and he cares deeply. It's endearing and interesting to have a main character like him, who is already strong, and already has his priorities wholly in order. He's still very much an assassin, though, and shows his violent tendencies to Shin and Shin only in a running gag that hasn't gotten old!

And Shin is a fun foil for Sakamoto, often playing the straight man to Sakamoto's violent humour-style. He's earnest, and a bit on the awkward side, with some meaner habits. But all of this just allows him to play a role he fits well.

I'll skip over the main side characters for the moment, but may return in the future to put out my thoughts on them... Though I will say I would end a man for Heisuke. Love that man so much. Good boy, best boy.

As I said before, Sakamoto Days does its slice-of-life and more down to earth stories and one-offs best. And that draws us to what is making me enjoy it less and less as the chapters keep coming...

The Actual Plot is Sakamoto Days' Weak Point.

Completely bluntly, honestly, the plot is not paced well. There has been little-to-no foreshadowing or build up for the (current) antagonists, or for the assassin side characters that aren't the Sakamoto Family( Sakamoto, Shin, Heisuke, Lu ), and it is SEVERELY hampering the writing, and my own enjoyment.

Everything feels like it's going at a rapid fire pace currently( chapter 28 ), trying to rush through what should be it's first proper arc, seemingly in order to present 'Cool' characters who aren't as cool as the author might want them to be. With no build up toward them, to their personalities, to their ties to the grander scheme of things, they are little more than cardboard props being sent out to fight the Sakamoto Family. They have interesting concepts, and abilities, but with nothing to support them, they feel.... Non-threatening. Uninteresting. Flat. Dull. They aren't characters so much as mildly neat ideas shoved out without any care to their longevity or appeal to a fanbase.

And then the Other Assassin characters... The ones who I quite literally can't remember how they're related to the story due to how little impact they made despite them obviously being important and, again, attempts at making "Cool" characters. Since I almost entirely forgot they existed, I can't say I'm a fan of.... Whatever they have going on, which certainly isn't interesting, or giving them any personality beyond being "Cool".

As you may have noticed, I've used "Cool" a lot. And it's because, to me, all of the new characters, the plot-related characters, only seem like "Cool" tropes, and not like Actual Characters. They aren't characters, they have no personality, they are Assassins. They kill. They kill good. That's about it. And I don't know about you, but I don't think that makes for a strong cast, for something that could keep itself afloat for very long.

Maybe I'm just a character snob.

Most of my complaint lies strictly in the push, the rush, to try and become something that it isn't. To become the next Bleach, Naruto, BNHA... But that isn't what Sakamoto Days is. Sakamoto Days is fun. It's light-hearted and easy going. It's a comedy with wonderfully done action scenes sprinkled in for enhanced gags, or to give character depth and growth.

Sakamoto Days Is Not Meant To Be A Big Name Shounen.

And whoever is pushing it to that needs to stop, to take a step back, and evaluate what makes Sakamoto Days good, and what will keep readers' interest. Especially older readers who are more likely to get bored if a character, if a story, are only "Cool" and not "Interesting". Because guess what! Cool and Interesting are not interchangeable, they can certainly coexist, and often thrive together, but I'd personally take "Interesting" over "Cool" any day. Interesting ahs substance, something to really sink ones teeth into, but Cool.... Doesn't. It's all aesthetic. And Sakamoto Days shouldn't be All Aesthetic with it's artstyle and lack of extended enjoyable cast.

But... Yeah. Y e a h. I repeat myself a lot and have a weird train of thought, so sorry if this is generally incomprehensible or an absolute mess.

Overall; I want Sakamoto Days to be good, I want it to do well, but I'm afraid for it's longevity with it's weak plot, and weak extended cast weighing it down.

Disclaimer: This is a copy/paste from my blog for my podcast

So I used to read a ton of manga and comics but haven't been doing that as much these days. My brother (aka Jean, you podcast listeners will recognize him) still does. He has a Shonen Jump subscription and keeps up with new manga coming out. So when he tossed me the recommendation of "You should read this one, it's about a world of assassins with an OP (overpowered) main character like One Punch Man but he doesn't kill people anymore" I decided this was worth a read.

Boy was I glad I did.

This manga can ... be summed up in one word - fun. It's just a blast to read! The main characters are a great pair (retired OP hitman and clairvoyant young hitman who admires him as his idol) and as the chapters continue you see a team of people begin to assemble.

I've truly enjoyed the first five chapters and plan on keeping up with them. Now it is a show about hitmen so I would rate it at least a PG-13 rating with the potential to head into the R category. Some of the violence is brutal and while it's not dwelled on, it does happen a lot. But it's a manga about hitmen, what do you expect? The 'no-killing' rule is the main tension of the series so far, Sakamoto with his rule of no longer killing vs hitmen who have no problem killing. They bump into each other or seek out Sakamoto and Sakamoto and the gang try to battle it out without putting anyone down.

Does it pass the 5-chapter test?: Most Definitely!

If you're looking for a new manga or even a first manga I would recommend this one! It's very funny, the characters are likable and I'm enjoying the plot so far. That, plus my brother's recommendation after being current on the chapters out now, is enough for me to recommend checking this one out! I fully expect it to end up with an anime at some point and will be ready to watch once it does!

Sakamoto Days, so far, is about a man who once stood at the peak of the assassination world, only to suddenly disappear and never be found again. One of his followers goes on a hunt to purge him, because once you've left the world of assassins, you must be silenced.

Of course, the greatest assassin in the world isn't going without a fight. And so on so forth. The manga continues in the lighthearted tone that has the underlying message of 'Life being valuable and important' that juxtaposes Sakamoto's previous career.

All in all, it's a quick read (since there are only 3 chapters right now ... lol) that doesn't have a heavy tone that will most likely go down the route of [bad guy appearing] > [sakamoto fights] > [sakamoto wins] > [sakamoto's wife gets angry and peaceful life resumes] > repeat.

Will update as the series goes on though!

Of all the new Shounen Jump series from the last year or so that I've read, this is by far the best.

This series is still relatively new, but I have loved the series from chapter one. Sakamoto is an assassin turned dad, and watching his adventures is such a joy. Not only is it a wholesome slice of life series with fun characters, but its also a great action series, and somehow, these two genres never step on the other's toes.

Besides Sakamoto himself, our main side characters are Shin and Lu. Shin is a telepathiic assassin who eventually works at Sakamoto's store. Now, if ... you've ever read 'Spy x Family', you may be thinking this is basically plagiarism, seeing as they are both about assassins who start a family with a telepathic kid involved, but I assure you, they are fairly different in terms of style and characters. Anyway, Lu is a fairly fun character, being a competent fighter who will panic easily, and there some other fun side characters.

The villains are also surprisingly entertaining. Some do become allies, but others are left open ended in terms of their fate. My favorite is Boiled, a tough-guy assassin who is not only very funny, but also has a past with Sakamoto.

The art, while lacking polish, is surprisingly good, and the action is consistently engaging. The page layout is also quite great, and makes reading the series a joy.

I highly recommend reading Sakamoto Days, not only because it's a great action comedy, but because it would be a shame if this gem didn't last for longer than a year. Hopefully, this series is only in it's dawn, but as of writing, it's the finest of the new titles publishing.