The ‘Sakamoto Days’ Anime Is Indirectly Threatening the Manga’s Extraordinary Run

Sakamoto Days is a beloved and popular Shonen manga about an ex-hitman who has turned his life around after getting married and settling down. He doesn’t want anything to do with his past life, but his colleagues and enemies from before would not let him live in peace. This is why he is forced to return to his old trade, not by choice, but because he must make them understand to leave him and his family alone.

From the moment Sakamoto Days anime dropped, it has been getting criticism left and right. The original manga fans are shocked by the blatant disregard of the source material, and the anime-only fans are unimpressed by the lackluster production.

What could have been a great marketing chance for the manga has turned against it. Now, there is a high probability that the manga, which otherwise has high sales, will bear the burden of this mess.

Anime adaptation can make or break a franchise

Getting an anime adaptation is a huge deal in the manga industry because it proves the work has become a successful venture. Anime is also a tool to reach a wider audience as it is way easier to access than manga. This also helps in the sales of not just the source material but also official merchandise and novels, creating more potential customers.

A great example of this is Jujutsu Kaisen, which became a huge hit after the first season of anime dropped in 2020. By 2024, Jujutsu Kaisen manga sold almost over 100 million copies, which included novels and digital versions, becoming one of the highest-selling manga series of all time.

Another example where the manga suffered negatively because of a poor anime adaptation is Tokyo Ghoul, which was hailed as a masterpiece after its first season dropped. However, the rushed adaptation of the second season completely destroyed the franchise, making fans discard the series without giving a chance to the absolute gem of a manga.

Can Sakamoto Days manga be affected by the anime?

The bad reputation that Sakamoto Days is getting repeatedly can very much affect the franchise adversely. However, it is also not anyone’s fault, other than the makers, that the anime is getting criticism because it is very much justified.

They have been cutting corners and leaving out key situations and instances from the manga, like the very important bus scene from chapter 2. The significance of this particular scene is immense because of how it showcases the strong bond between Sakamoto and his wife, Aoi. Here, we see her having full faith in her husband that he will come and save her even though they fought that morning.

The flashback part from this chapter was adapted in episode 2 of the anime, but because of its treatment, it significantly loses the impact it should have delivered. On top of that, the animation is also not anything special that it can attract viewers on its own.

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Till now, we have only gotten six episodes in the first cour of the anime, and there is a second cour that is supposed to premiere in July 2025. One can only hope that they get things right, at least from July, and give fans a chance to appreciate Sakamoto Days like it should be appreciated.

Watch all the latest episodes of Sakamoto Days on Netflix.