Imagine if John Wick was the patriarch of a thriving family, that he gives up the hitman business for good, and decides to become a shopkeeper — even gaining a little weight in the process. That, in a nutshell, is the premise behind Sakamoto Days, a hit new Netflix anime that’s taking the streaming giant by storm (it’s #5 in the US today) and which is based on the beloved manga written and illustrated by Yuto Suzuki that tells the story of “the ultimate assassin,” Taro Sakamoto.
In the story, Sakamoto is admired by other hitmen and feared by villains. One day, he falls in love and eventually becomes preoccupied with very un-hitman goals like marriage, fatherhood, and retirement. Fortunately — or, rather, unfortunately for the bad guys — he still enjoys his superhuman strength and skill. “When Sakamoto meets Aoi, the convenience store clerk, it’s love at first sight — and just like that, he retires,” Netflix explains about Sakamoto Days, the first half of which is streaming right now with the second half coming in July.
“Sakamoto gets married, has a daughter, opens a mom-and-pop store in a quiet town, and completely transforms … into a plus-size man. To ensure a peaceful life with his beloved family, the legendary ex–hit man bands together with comrades to face off against the looming threat of assassins.”
Nonstop assassin action ensues from the chaos that follows, interrupting the ordinary life of Sakamoto and his family. Those no-holds-barred battle sequences are one of the many reasons the manga series has captivated fans around the world. Likewise, the way that Sakamoto questions the true meaning of strength in a world overrun by assassins — like the special force “The Order,” from the Japanese Association of Assassins.“ It’s sort of like how the High Table from the Wick movies, which clearly influenced the story and tone of Sakamoto Days, sends armies of paid killers after everyone’s favorite dog-loving hitman.
“When I first had the chance to read Sakamoto Days, I remember how electrifying the powerful action scenes were,” director Masaki Watanabe said in a Netflix promotional interview. “Keeping that feeling at the heart of production, I (wanted) to take all the components unique to the screen — movement, color, and sound — to make Sakamoto Days a dynamic and fast-paced anime, while keeping in mind the humor sprinkled throughout the original.”
