‘Sakamoto Days’ Was Trying to Be the Next John Wick but Fans Have Deemed It “a cheap Spy x Family”

From the time Sakamoto Days aired, it has been getting both good and bad publicity, dividing fans about it. The initial anticipation that people had for this show has waned because of a lackluster adaptation that does little justice to its original source.

At its core, the storyline is pretty simple but promises full-on entertainment as it revolves around a retired hitman who has settled down with his family. He expects to be left alone and forgotten from the underworld because now, his priority is his wife and daughter. However, things turn problematic, and he is forced to return to his old ways when his past connections refuse to let him go.

With a storyline like that, Sakamoto Days was destined to make its own name in the anime scene without relying on being a copy of anything else. However, rather than being called the John Wick of anime, it is being slandered by fans left and right.

What Sakamoto Days could have been

The reason why a majority of the fans are absolutely livid about the anime adaptation is that many of them know what the manga is about. It is genuinely a snappy and fast-paced story about an ex-killer who may have left the trade but remains a master of his craft. Messing with him is not an option, and if one does try it, he will take care of them, much like a John Wick with a surviving wife.

But, the way the anime stretches things out dulls the story’s intensity and reduces Sakamoto to being just a family man. Not only that, had the animation been fluid and well-executed, things would have still been fine. Sadly, that is not the case, as the grainy quality of the show almost gives it an outdated look that you just can not ignore.

This is not at all the issue with the manga. Sakamoto Days has multiple panels of action sequences drawn nicely, signaling a well-choreographed fight. The family aspect of the plot also gets footage for a limited amount of time, keeping the mood crisper.

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Hence, it can be said that on paper, it definitely could have been the animated successor of John Wick, but it deviates from that significantly. What stays behind is a show that is very similar to a family-oriented anime like Spy x Family.

Is the comparison to Spy x Family justified?

Spy x Family has a very comic, light-hearted slice-of-life tone to it, and from an anime-only viewer’s perspective, Sakamoto Days will feel the same. But the truth cannot be farther from this.

Yes, some parts might come across as similar, but the manga has a lot more to do with the underworld, unlike Spy x Family‘s homely vibe. Those who expected high-octane fights from Sakamoto Days are left with disappointment and poorly choreographed action that ends as soon as it begins.

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A similar blunder of this scale happened with critically acclaimed mangas like Tokyo Ghoul, The Promised Neverland, etc. Fans of these franchises were in disbelief and frustration after watching the abomination in the name of second seasons as well.

Thankfully for Sakamoto Days, there are still fans who are genuinely enjoying this adaptation, but they’re mostly non-manga readers who had no expectations in the first place. Hopefully, the disgruntled people would find their way to the original source and give the manga a chance because it truly deserves all the hype it initially accumulated.