Mar 24, 2025
Sakamoto Days is the textbook definition of a just-below-average show. Not offensively bad, but near everything it could be praised for has been done better by other anime and it will be largely forgotten once a few years are behind it. This wouldn't be such a problem if not for the immense online hype surrounding this adaption that convinced me to give it a watch in the first place. I sat down expecting a top-tier action-comedy with amazing fight scenes, which made the mediocre product I received that much more disappointing. Indeed, I kept watching weekly with a gradually diminishing hope that I would eventually
...
see what was so great about Sakamoto.
The plot is nothing we haven't seen before: "hardened assassin has to balance their dark past with domestic life and defending their family". Sakamoto Days doesn't do anything particularly interesting with this concept, other than Sakamoto involving two other sidekicks who are aware of his origins and abilities, one of whom can read minds. The episodes are, well, episodic, and most of the smaller story arcs can be arranged in any order without any real consequence. The "serious" episodes feel low stakes and forced, and like they don't have any real consequences that affect the main cast. Anime like Spy x Family and even Way of the Househusband have executed this concept far better (WotH had at least a clear idea of what type of show it was and what it was trying to do).
The animation is probably the biggest letdown here. Nothing stood out to me as bad, and there were some cool moments, but it wasn't anything to write home about either, which is a major issue for a property whose main draw is the fight sequences. Also, the artstyle overall felt a little "off", for a reason I can't put my finger on.
The characters are likable but archetypal and don't have any real depth to them. We don't have any real reason to care about these characters or their motivations until we get a backstory exposition dump shoehorned in. Speaking of motivations, the characters are so nebulously defined that I finished the anime only yesterday and have already forgotten what the key motivation of each character outside of Sakamoto is (protecting his family). Character designs are fine, I like Sakamoto's face and Lu's hair in particular, but they're nothing special. I also should note that I watched it in English, and while the voice acting is good in general, I found Lu's English voice to be somewhat annoying.
In genera, while Sakamoto Days has its moments and isn't totally devoid of good things to talk about, it is ultimately an incredibly mediocre anime and I can't honestly recommend it to a general audience. Your time is probably best spent watching one of the many other action-comedy shows that do their job much better.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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