It was only last week when I was praising Sakamoto Days for being consistent with its storytelling. Things had been good and despite all the criticism it had been gathering, there had been a deeper story being told mixed with the comedy and action. Now, that doesn’t seem to be the case, much to my dismay. I was finally okay with how the anime had been going and was wondering if this would actually make me support it wholeheartedly. I was wrong.
There are many anime adaptations that have to skip out on arcs and chapters because of some or the other constraint. What matters is how the absence of those skipped chapters is handled and how the flow of the story feels natural in the process.
This important factor is what makes Sakamoto Days feel so lacking despite the attention its manga had garnered prior to the anime’s release. Immediately, I felt something different, not because of the cliffhanger the previous episode ended in, but because of how odd the timing felt.
Sakamoto Days is missing steps
Sakamoto Days is falling off in ways that it shouldn’t. It has the perfect story to make things right, yet somehow, it’s impossible to keep up with the demands that fans have. However, they aren’t wrong, either. For a manga that is so loved, it is almost criminal to undermine its success. Instead of adapting better fillers and making the anime more of an action-comedy that blends into the slice-of-life side, it chooses to focus only on action-comedy, no matter how good or bad it may be.
What should have been adapted were the chapters involving Sakamoto’s anniversary date. All the chapters that seem interesting to adapt simply get sidelined. This makes Sakamoto’s relationship with Aoi feel very lacking despite them being married and having a child together.
She feels like an absent character most of the time, even though she is the lifeline to the most dangerous assassin in the world. This constant back-and-forth between what to adapt and what not to adapt makes the entire anime feel like it’s juggling with itself.
The bath house episode felt unneeded. I know it can be defined as a filler, but even fillers can be good. This one simply wasn’t. Although it showcased what Sakamoto’s definition of comfort was, it didn’t really make up for anything interesting. Although, I did find it funny that Shin was the one enduring all those extreme conditions while Sakamoto was enjoying his day of relaxation.
Shin is stealing Lu’s spotlight
The second half of the episode focuses somewhat on Lu. I know that the manga forgets about her in later chapters, but the anime is already doing the same. She feels like a secondary character who shows up time and again. It’s almost like they’re promoting Shin and Sakamoto rather than Sakamoto, Shin, and Lu. The imbalance is getting more and more obvious.
The second half of the episode brings out Lu Wutang, a creepy stalker and ally of Lu’s. He wants her back in the mafia because of the gaping hole that has been left in the absence of her parents. However, she is happy with her life working in the Sakamoto family shop. Upon being offered to battle it out, both Shin and Sakamoto assume it would require their brawn, something they are quite comfortable with. However, Wutang introduces them to the mafia way of things and takes them to an underground casino.
I have noticed that the anime isn’t afraid to adapt anything that might sideline Lu, but whenever Shin is to get out of the picture, that immediately becomes a big no. The anime clearly has a favorite, and it’s not even the titular character of the series. If this keeps going, Lu would soon blend into the background and we as fans would eventually forget about her.
Rating: 4/10
Sakamoto Days is available to watch on Netflix.
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