I’ve been getting back into anime in recent years, from making my way through the epic pirate saga known as One Piece after enjoying Netflix’s live-action adaptation, to joining the fanbase for the wonderfully wacky Dan Da Dan, which premieres its second season on the 2025 TV schedule next month. It was especially great to check out Terminator Zero last year, given my passion for the sci-fi franchise… well, the first two movies, anyway. The latest anime that has my attention, however, is called Sakamoto Days, and I love the show because it’s like if someone made a John Wick-like comfort watch.
What Sakamoto Days Is About
Sakamoto Days, based off the same-named manga, premiered back in January. While I only just started making my way through the episodes with my Netflix subscription, I knew months back that I was eventually going to check it out based on the premise. This anime follows Taro Sakamoto, who was once the world’s great assassin. However, upon falling in love with a woman named Aoi, Sakamoto agreed to her demands that he stop being a hitman and give up killing.
Keanu Reeves’ title character retired from being an assassin when he met his wife Helen, though he was only able to do so after carrying out the Impossible Task for Viggo Tarasov (which will be covered in the upcoming anime prequel movie). Sadly, Helen died of cancer a few years later, and when the puppy she left him was killed by Tarasov’s son, he reentered the criminal underworld to seek revenge. Doesn’t Sakamoto Days sound like what would have happened if John Wick’s life had gone in a happier direction?
To be sure, the violence in Sakamoto Days is fantastical, comparable to the super-powered action one would find in an R-rated Marvel or DC Comics story. John Wick’s violence is also absurd, but it’s still based in hyper-realism. And like so many shōnen manga/anime, there are a lot of cartoonish gags mixed in.
However, it’s not the action that makes Sakamoto Days stand out most to me, even though I do enjoy watching it. It’s how the show mixes that action with the comforting vibe I mentioned earlier. I get a kick out of watching Mr. Sakamoto and his cohorts just doing everyday activities, from running errands to relaxing at a bathhouse, and dealing with the hitmen who interfere along the way. It’s the kind of slice of life storytelling we don’t get in the John Wick franchise, and it’s all the more hilarious how Mr. Sakamoto easily shrugs off most of the assailants who attack him.
I’m glad I carved out time to watch Sakamoto Days, and I’m glad the next batch of episodes are coming out next month since Part 1 ended on a cliffhanger. If you’re a John Wick fan like me who’s interested in seeing that kind of character placed in a more heartwarming setting, this anime is worth checking out.