At long last, Netflix is about to debut the much-anticipated action-comedy anime Sakamoto Days this weekend and, to celebrate, the streamer has share
At long last, Netflix is about to debut the much-anticipated action-comedy anime Sakamoto Days this weekend and, to celebrate, the streamer has shared one final trailer introducing viewers to Taro Sakamoto. Once a legendary hitman at the top of his game, he abandoned his profession to settle down with his family and run a convenience store. Leaving the criminal life behind isn’t basic, however, and it isn’t long before his past catches up with him and threatens those he loves. The footage shows Sakamoto using his fabled skills to protect the cozy life he’s built, with Critical Role host Matthew Mercer lending his voice to the former killer for the star-studded English dub.
Beginning like a tense action thriller, the modern teaser gives a glimpse at Sakamoto’s elderly life of slicing through and mowing down gang members with ease and striking fear into the hearts of everyone in the criminal underworld. However, all of that changes when the love of his life, Aoi, begs him to promise her that he’ll never kill again. Just like that, he retires, gets married, has a child, and grows into an overweight, unassuming convenience store owner that juvenile fellow former assassin Shin Asakura can barely recognize. His skills haven’t faded one bit though, and he’ll need everything from his ability to catch bullets with chopsticks to his fearsome hand-to-hand skills to fend off the myriad of colorful characters who want to claim the 1 billion yen bounty on his head. Although he’s free to beat the tar out of them (and profit from the bandages they have to buy), if he violates the family rule and kills anyone, he’ll be served his divorce papers on the spot by a vengeful Aoi.
Sakamoto Days promises a blend of silliness and hot family fuzzies with action and high stakes as Sakamoto and his comrades defend their little family. It’s based on Yuto Suzuki‘s wildly popular manga of the same name serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump and hails from director Masaki Watanabe and Dr. Stone production company TMS Entertainment. Speaking to Tudum, Watanabe wants to ensure that, while the series will offer plenty of laughs, the action will never take a backseat and will reflect the same intensity he felt reading its source material:
“When I first had the chance to read Sakamoto Days, I remember how electrifying the powerful action scenes were. Keeping that feeling at the heart of production, I want to take all the components unique to the screen — movement, color, and sound — to make Sakamoto Days a dynamic and fast-paced anime, while keeping in mind the humor sprinkled throughout the original. We intend to faithfully portray the character of Sakamoto, the family man and the killer who doesn’t kill. Our staff are putting their all into this, so stay tuned!”
‘Sakamoto Days’ Boasts a Star-Studded English Dub Cast
Adding to the excitement for the series is the English dub cast, which sees Mercer joined by a mix of Netflix and anime favorites. Dallas Liu, who plays Prince Zuko in the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender, voices Shin, with Cobra Kai‘s Xolo Maridueña as Heisuke Mashimo, Solo Leveling‘s Aleks Le as Nagumo, Turning Red‘s Rosalie Chiang as Lu Shaotang, multi-talented YouTube star Rosie Okumura as Aoi, and Delicious in Dungeon‘s SungWon Cho as Boiled. Also on board are WWE superstar Lexi Cabrera, better known as Alexa Bliss, Tik-Tok sensation Du-Shaunt “Fik-Shun” Stegall, and Toru Uchikado.
Sakamoto Days Season 1 Part 1 will feature 11 episodes airing weekly starting this Saturday, January 11. Part 2 will debut sometime in July.
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Taro Sakamoto, a legendary hitman who retired to run a petite convenience store, finds his silent life interrupted by former associates and enemies from his past. As threats emerge, Sakamoto must rely on his extraordinary combat skills to safeguard his family and maintain his peaceful existence. The series blends action and comedy, following Sakamoto as he navigates the dangers of his former life while trying to lead a normal life in the present.
Release Date
January 11, 2025
Cast
Matthew Mercer
, Dallas Liu
, Rosalie Chiang
, Rosie Okumura
, Xolo Mariduena
, Aleks Le
, Alexa Bliss
, SungWon Cho
, Dushaunt Fik-Shun Stegall
, Toru Uchikado
Seasons
1
Watch on Netflix
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