Sakamoto Days Season 1 Review: The Anime Netflix Fans Are Talking About

If you have been searching for your next action comedy obsession, Sakamoto Days Season 1 is a series that deserves your full attention. Based on Yuto Suzuki’s beloved manga, this Netflix anime follows a legendary retired hitman juggling family life, a convenience store, and a never-ending parade of assassins trying to take him out. Sounds fun, right? It is, but there is more to say than that.

This Sakamoto Days Season 1 review breaks down everything: the story, the characters, the animation, how it compares to the manga, and the one big question every new fan is asking. Is it actually worth watching?

What Is Sakamoto Days Season 1 About?

Taro Sakamoto was once the most feared hitman in Japan. Then he fell in love, got married, had a daughter, and traded his weapons for a store apron. His wife Aoi has one iron rule: if he kills anyone, she leaves and takes their daughter. So Sakamoto fights off waves of deadly assassins while refusing to take a single life. That premise alone carries enormous comedic and dramatic potential.

Joining him is Shin Asakura, a clairvoyant former hitman who practically worships Sakamoto, and Lu Xiaotang, the orphaned daughter of a crime boss who becomes part of the found family running the shop. Later in the season, sniper Heisuke Mashimo rounds out the core group.

The plot thickens as figures from Sakamoto’s past emerge, including members of a powerful assassin organization called The Order and a shadowy villain known only as Slur. Season 1 was split into two cours, with Part 1 airing in winter 2025 and Part 2 in summer 2025.

Sakamoto Days Season 1 Story and Pacing

The early episodes take a little time to find their rhythm. The first cour leans heavily on setup, introducing the world, the rules, and the supporting cast through a series of increasingly wild encounters. If you push through the first three or four episodes, the payoff starts to arrive.

Part 2 is where things genuinely pick up. New Order members like Nagumo add an electric energy to the screen, and the storylines carry higher stakes. The show is best understood as a slow burn that rewards patience.

One thing that separates Sakamoto Days Season 1 from other action anime is its tone. This is not a brooding, gritty assassin story. At its core, it is a story about a man who found happiness and refuses to let the world take it from him. That warmth is what makes the characters worth caring about.

Sakamoto Days Season 1 Characters: The Real Strength of the Show

The characters are where Sakamoto Days Season 1 earns most of its goodwill.

Taro Sakamoto

Sakamoto himself is a fascinating lead. He is a mountain of a man who communicates almost entirely through facial expressions and actions rather than words. His refusal to kill while still being an unstoppable force creates genuinely creative fight choreography. The voice performance from Tomokazu Sugita gives him a gravitas that occasionally makes him feel older than his 27 years, but it works once you settle into it.

Shin Asakura

Shin is the emotional anchor of the entire season. His admiration for Sakamoto feels genuine rather than hollow, and his psychic abilities are used in clever ways throughout the fights. He gets the most compelling personal arc of Part 1, and his action scenes are the standout moments of the entire season.

Lu, Heisuke, and the Found Family Dynamic

Lu and Heisuke bring heart to the team. Both characters carry their own histories of loss and displacement, and watching them find belonging at Sakamoto’s shop is genuinely touching. The found family angle is what gives the show its emotional backbone.

Nagumo and the Order Members

Introduced in Part 2, Nagumo became an instant fan favorite. His personality jumps off the screen, and the second cour opening sequence practically announces him as a breakout character. The antagonists Slur and Gaku add a layer of genuine menace that raises the stakes considerably heading into a potential Season 2.

Animation Quality: The Honest Take

This is where the conversation gets real. Sakamoto Days Season 1 was produced by TMS Entertainment, and the animation quality is a genuine talking point among fans.

The manga by Yuto Suzuki is known for its explosive, kinetic artwork. Some of the manga panels convey movement and impact better than the animated sequences, which is a remarkable achievement for a static medium and a notable shortcoming for the anime. Action scenes can feel flat and stiff in places, lacking the visual punch that the source material delivers on every page.

That said, the show is not ugly. Character designs are faithful, and there are sequences, particularly some of Shin’s fights, where the animation comes alive. The opening themes for both cours are visually engaging and well-produced. The overall look improves as the season progresses, suggesting the team found its footing.

If you are coming in as a manga reader, the animation may frustrate you in places. If you are new to Sakamoto Days entirely, it is unlikely to be a dealbreaker.

Music and Sound Design in Sakamoto Days Season 1

The soundtrack is one of the more underrated elements of the season. TMS Entertainment leaned into a noir-influenced musical palette with jazzy cues that underscore the hitman world nicely. The opening themes capture the show’s energy well, and the second cour OP in particular does an excellent job of hyping up the newer characters.

Voice acting across the board is strong. Nobunaga Shimazaki brings Shin to life with the right balance of intensity and vulnerability, and Ayane Sakura gives Lu a lively, spirited presence throughout.

How Does Sakamoto Days Compare to the Manga?

This is a content gap that most reviews skip over, so here it is directly for both manga readers and newcomers.

The manga is exceptional. Yuto Suzuki’s art style is dynamic in a way that is genuinely rare in the medium. The way he draws action, weight, and momentum is a big part of what made Sakamoto Days a hit in Weekly Shonen Jump. The anime captures the story and the characters faithfully but does not quite replicate that visual energy.

For new fans, the anime is a great entry point. For manga readers, it is an enjoyable companion piece that brings the characters to life through voice and music, even if the action falls slightly short.

The good news is that the arcs covered in Season 1 are the build-up. The manga gets even better from here, which means a stronger Season 2 adaptation is entirely possible if production improves.

The Part 1 and Part 2 Split: Did It Hurt the Season?

This is another gap that other reviews touch on briefly but do not fully explore. Sakamoto Days Season 1 aired as a split cour, with Part 1 in winter 2025 and Part 2 in summer 2025. For viewers watching week to week, the gap between halves was a real friction point.

Watching it now as a complete season on Netflix, that problem essentially disappears. You can binge both halves back to back and experience the full arc without the months-long wait. This actually makes the Netflix format the ideal way to watch Sakamoto Days for the first time. The pacing issues of Part 1 feel less pronounced when Part 2 is immediately available.

Is Sakamoto Days Season 1 Worth Watching?

Yes, and here is the straightforward case for it.

The characters are memorable and genuinely likable. The core concept is original and full of creative potential. The humor lands more often than it misses once the show finds its voice. The emotional beats around the found family are earned. And the setup laid in Season 1 points toward a Season 2 that could be significantly stronger.

The animation is not the best this medium has offered, but it does not ruin the experience. If you approach it as a character-driven action comedy with strong source material, you will have a good time.

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Sakamoto Days Season 1 Quick Verdict

Sakamoto Days Season 1 is a fun, heartfelt action comedy that stumbles on animation quality but succeeds where it counts: characters, concept, and genuine warmth. It is not a perfect adaptation, but it is an entertaining one with a strong enough foundation to build something great. Watch it on Netflix, binge both parts together, and let the characters do the work.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sakamoto Days Season 1

How many episodes does Sakamoto Days Season 1 have?

Sakamoto Days Season 1 consists of 28 episodes total, split into two cours. Part 1 aired during the winter 2025 season and covered the early arcs, while Part 2 aired in summer 2025 and introduced major new characters like Nagumo.

Where can I watch Sakamoto Days Season 1?

Sakamoto Days Season 1 is available to stream on Netflix. Both parts of the season are available, making it easy to binge the full season without any wait. You can also discover more anime series to watch anime online at 9anime-tv.pro.

Is Sakamoto Days Season 1 faithful to the manga?

The anime follows the manga’s story and characters closely. The main area where it falls short is visual execution. Yuto Suzuki’s manga artwork is exceptionally dynamic, and the TMS Entertainment adaptation does not always match that energy in motion. The story and character arcs are preserved faithfully.

Is Sakamoto Days Season 1 good for new anime fans?

Yes, it is a solid entry point. The premise is easy to follow, the characters are likable from early on, and it blends action and comedy in an accessible way. New anime fans who enjoy shows with heart and humor will find a lot to enjoy here.

Who is the best character in Sakamoto Days Season 1?

Most fans point to Shin Asakura as the standout. He serves as both the emotional core and the source of the season’s best action sequences. Nagumo, introduced in Part 2, quickly became a fan favorite as well for his expressive personality and memorable screen presence.

Will there be a Sakamoto Days Season 2?

As of the time of writing, a Season 2 has not been officially confirmed, but the manga continues with strong ongoing arcs that provide plenty of material. Fan reception to Season 1 has been broadly positive despite animation criticisms, and a renewal would make strong sense given the show’s Netflix backing.

How does Sakamoto Days compare to other action anime on Netflix?

Sakamoto Days sits comfortably in the mid-tier of Netflix anime originals and co-productions. It is more emotionally grounded than something like Jujutsu Kaisen and more comedic than Vinland Saga. If you enjoy found family dynamics paired with creative action, it fills that niche well. For more comparisons and seasonal anime coverage, check out the 9anime-tv.pro blog.