In the absence of the electrifying “Dandadan,” Anime is back to its normal schedule: “One Piece” still reaching for its millionth episode, “My Hero Academia” being somewhat in a loop, and weird shows such as “Cells At Work!” having unnecessary spin offs. One that is continuing the vibe of excitement and wonder in this age of streaming is coincidentally on Netflix. And something that has its own version of feeling good wackiness.
The Yuto Suzuki-inspired adaptation is about Taro Sakamoto, a retired assassin who is now a family man who owns a convenience store. All things are peaceful until he’s confronted by his former colleague Shin Asakura. Asakura later decides to join him and become an employee. They are also joined by orphan Lu Xiaotang and sniper Heisuke Mashimo. The crew of unlikely personalities all come together to protect Sakamoto’s family from the criminal underworld, yet with a “no-kill” policy.
As mentioned before, the show is just so insane. The stakes are high considering that Sakamoto is trying to do right by their wife: not involving himself in hitman work. However, all this danger to the family is making it obsolete in the grand scheme of things. So, the crew has to fight the antagonist while not dealing with his wife’s demands. The action scenes are terrific as they are a prime example of gun akimbo. One instance had the characters fighting at an amusement park. Think of The Matrix meets Ip Man but with some classic anime comedy.
The powers are ridiculous, especially Shin’s clairvoyant abilities. But they serve a purpose, and it’s tied decently to the character’s backstories. For example, Shin was originally a lab rat before he was excommunicated from the facility for his powers. It shows an emotive quality to an otherwise action-oriented series.
Overall, “Sakamoto Days” is an anime worth watching. Highly recommend the series for those who are into action comedies. The show has new episodes every Saturday on Netflix. Make sure to check it out.
