Each year, the anime community looks forward to the next bigShōnen Jumpadaptation.The weekly magazine has been home to the industry’s biggest titles for decades, and has dominated the scene in recent years with shows likeChainsaw Man,Demon Slayer, andJujutsu Kaisen. ThoughShōnen Jumphas struggled a bit to find new manga to replace some of its recently finished heavy hitters, one of its major titles,Sakamoto Days, has long deserved an adaptation.
Finally, in May 2024, that adaptation was announced. Produced by TMS Entertainment, which has worked on shows likeDr. Stone,The Seven Deadly Sins, andBlue Boxin recent years,Sakamoto Dayslanded on Netflix in January 2025, poised to become the next greatShōnen Jumpanime series. However, as the first of its two split season cours approaches its conclusion,fans have begun to express their concernover the anime, and not without reason.
Sakamoto Days Was Overdue for an Anime Adaptation
The Series Has Been One of Shōnen Jump’s Best for Some Time
When a series isable to stick around inWeekly Shōnen Jump, it’s nearly guaranteed that an anime adaptation isn’t far behind. Yuto Suzuki’sSakamoto Dayspremiered in the magazine on July 17, 2025, and was met with instant success,remaining one of the publication’s strongest titles ever since. By October 2022, the manga surpassed two million copies in circulation, a figure which has steadily risen over time, having reached nearly 8 million today.
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Tomokazu Sugita stars as the eponymous hero of the Sakamoto Days anime, but surprisingly, that role was originally the last he ever wanted to play.
However, despite a notable lack of other highly successful series premiering inShōnen Jump, it took nearly four years for any confirmation of an upcoming anime adaptation.Sakamoto Dayswas overdue, and fans were ecstatic to learn they would soon be able to experience the manga’s intense action and lovable cast of characters in the medium of animation. Though with only one episode remaining before its July 2025 return, TMS Entertainment’s adaptation isproving to have a difficult time capturing what makes the series special.
The Anime Fails to Capture Much of the Series' Magic
Yuto Suzuki’s Original Manga Is Proving Difficult to Adapt
LikeSpy x Familydialed up to the max,Sakamoto Daysoffersa blend of blisteringly fast, masterfully choreographed action, and wholesome slice of life elements. The hit-man abilities of Taro Sakamoto, Shin, and Lu Shaotang are every bit as enjoyable as their interactions throughout the series' slower moments, andSakamoto Days' anime adaptation isn’t quite able to hit on either. The art in Suzuki’s original manga is masterfully able to sell the pace and weight of its combat, while exuding a certain ‘cool’ factor with every feat of strength or speed.
While the anime’s visuals are largely top-notch, they often fail to capture the speed at which the manga’s combat operates, and occasionally poor execution takes away from several of the series' most gripping moments. This is very evident during the sniper battle with Heisuke during the middle portion of the anime, which sacrifices intense action and impactful frames for a more methodical, slower-paced sequence. What results is a visually appealing scene,but one that ultimately fails to capture the source material’s style.
Some of the action can also lack weight, which can be chalked up tothe omission of several chaptersthat focused on certain characters' interactions with the Sakamoto family. Without allowing the viewer to build a relationship with the series' cast, a good portion of the conflict can lose its luster. However, despite its issues,Sakamoto Days' anime still offers an entertaining viewing experience,and also one that is ultimately failing as an adaptation.
Sakamoto Daysmight be disappointing for fans of Yuto Suzuki’s original manga, but thatdoesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad anime series. In fact, much of the show features impressive art and animation work, as well as relatively tight pacing to compliment the manga’s unique narrative. Its characters are portrayed well, and the action, despite not quite stacking up to the source material, is visually appealing and mostly entertaining.
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The adaptation does well to serve a different flavor of Suzuki’sSakamoto Days, but those who weren’t after that flavorhave been left largely disappointed. The series' second cour is set to premiere in July, and whether it can come any closer to capturing the magic of the manga or will continue on in its current style remains to be seen. Until then, fans of the anime can check out theSakamoto Daysmangaon Manga Plus.
Sakamoto Days
Cast
Sakamoto Days centers on Taro Sakamoto, a former top-tier hitman who has traded his life of crime for a peaceful existence running a convenience store. Despite his attempts to leave the underworld behind, Sakamoto’s past catches up with him as old rivals and dangerous enemies reappear, threatening his newfound tranquility. Forced to defend his family and business, Sakamoto must draw on his lethal skills while navigating the humorous and unexpected challenges of balancing his ordinary daily life with the chaos of his former profession.
