Anime "Sakamoto Days": A Kind Version of John Wick Worth Watching

The main character of the anime "Sakamoto Days" is a happy version of John Wick who managed to settle down and start a family. He is bothered by assassins from his former job, but it's not so bad when loving people are waiting for him at home.

Here, Hitmen Are Held in High Esteem

In the world of "Sakamoto Days," crime has organized to the level of official work. Semi-official offices are open throughout Japan. In these, employees regulate assassination orders, and operatives carry them out. Killer organizations even have their own stocks, whose value depends on the quality of target elimination.

Professional assassins handle standard contracts and eliminate criminals that the police couldn't catch. Therefore, the government turns a blind eye to this outrage: if organized crime were eliminated, the country would plunge into chaos.

Every slacker dreams of becoming a professional hitman. But the selection process for organizations is strict: out of hundreds of applicants, only a handful pass the tests. Later, they are trained and assigned to work. There are low-level fighters who differ little from ordinary people. The coolest assassins exterminate enemies by the hundreds, and some of them even possess superpowers.

Despite their semi-official status, assassins prefer to act covertly. Cleanup crews arrive at the scenes of skirmishes to dispose of evidence. Assassins get information from movies and by playing the lottery.

The Best of the Eaters

The focus is on one of the best assassins named Taro Sakamoto. In the past, he was a dashing handsome man who could kill with just a glance. Men respected him, women desired him, and horses yielded to him. One day, Sakamoto fell in love with an ordinary saleswoman and decided to quit killing for her sake. The couple married, had a child, and started working in a small shop.

At the beginning of the anime, Sakamoto has transformed into a plump family man. He spends his days behind the counter, devouring junk food and his wife's cooking, and helping neighbors with household chores.

Over time, Sakamoto's family grew with new members:

• Shin Asakura: a telepathic assassin. He acts as a nanny who quarrels if something goes wrong.

• Lu Shaotang: the daughter of a Chinese mafia boss, who bakes buns in Sakamoto's shop. She is a kind-hearted girl who can't lie and loves to drink.

The Sakamoto family tried to live a quiet life until a bounty was placed on Taro's head. Scoundrels seeking fame and money began to hunt the legend. They started attacking his shop and setting ambushes during family vacations.

Contrary to the assassins' expectations, years of inactivity and overeating did not make Sakamoto weak. The plump shop owner moves like an athlete and can use any object as a weapon: pens, lids, candies, chopsticks. Shin warns of evil intentions and tunes into his boss, who mentally gives commands. And if Lu joins the fight, chaos and confusion ensue.

What makes the fights more interesting is the Sakamoto family's main rule: "kill no one." They constantly have to find a way to knock out the enemy. It's funny that, according to the anime, neck-snapping and explosions don't kill anyone.

The series also caters to bloodthirsty viewers. Besides the main characters, feuding assassins also engage in skirmishes. They don't follow the Sakamoto family's rule and kill each other by the tens and even hundreds. The killers benefit society, but they don't get better for it – you can enjoy the carnage without being distracted by feelings of pity.

"Is this a Jojo's reference?"

The first half of the season is relatively calm and moderately insane. Then Sakamoto goes after the main villain, and complete madness begins. Buildings collapse, planes crash, vehicles are destroyed, and people seem not to notice any of it.

Bright characters in unusual clothes appear, as if they escaped from the anime "JoJo." They violate all laws of physics, survive in any conditions, and strike dramatic poses. All the best assassins consist of such characters, as does the opposing "Organization X."

The leader of "Organization X" is completely out of this world. He constantly reads instructions: "how to draw" or "about human behavior." At the same time, he believes he knows society better than others and wants to change it. This makes him a dangerous and unpredictable villain.

Diagnosis

"Sakamoto Days" follows the formula of classic anime, and in some cases, improves upon it. Colorful villains are introduced and announce attacks according to all the rules, but the fights are not drawn out. Almost all characters have a tragic story, but its telling is not prolonged either. Most importantly, the anime is not afraid to be bright and insane, while others try to be more realistic and gloomy.

The main characters are indecently strong, but the anime avoids the cliché where enemies are nothing special. Many assassins make Sakamoto sweat or find a way to deal with their opponents' superpowers. It becomes interesting: "how will the heroes defeat such an enemy, and without killing him?"

Most of all, "Sakamoto Days" captivates with its fight choreography. Each fight is unique and full of unexpected twists, which makes you watch the first season in one breath. The second season will be released in 2027, but the anime is worth watching now – for its unique atmosphere of madness, pathos, and well-staged fights, which have become rare in the modern anime industry.