Taro Sakamoto used to be the greatest hitman in Japan. He retired to open a convenience store with his wife, Aoi, and their daughter Hana. The anime SAKAMOTO DAYS takes that setup and runs with it, delivering 22 episodes of comedy, action and genuine stakes. It is a series about a man who cannot stop being what he was, even when he wants to be something else.
The show airs on TV Tokyo, TV Aichi, TVQ, TV Osaka, TVh and TSC, first airing on 2025-01-11 and last airing on 2025-09-22. It is 1 season, 22 episodes long, and it runs as a straightforward adaptation of the manga written and illustrated by Yuto Suzuki. The series is produced by TMS Entertainment, and it follows the same structure as the original: a retired hitman, a family he loves, and a criminal underworld that will not let him rest.
Trailer, via Netflix.
A Hitman Who Refuses to Be One
The premise is simple. Taro Sakamoto was once feared and idolized by the criminal underworld. He met Aoi, fell in love at first sight, and agreed to her condition: he must quit being a hitman and never kill again. He retired, married Aoi, had a daughter named Hana, and opened a convenience store in the suburbs of Tokyo.
Several years later, Sakamoto is portly and settled into a quiet life. The world of hitmen finds him, and many attempt to target the Sakamoto family. Sakamoto must protect Aoi, Hana and his store while maintaining Aoi’s no-kill policy. The show is a comedy about a man who cannot stop being what he was, even when he wants to be something else.
The Convenience Store Cast
Sakamoto is voiced by Tomokazu Sugita, who gives the character a gruff, weary warmth. His former colleagues become a strange family of their own, each with their own reasons for working at the store.
- Shin Asakura, a clairvoyant hitman, is voiced by Nobunaga Shimazaki. He is the show’s resident psychic and a constant presence in Sakamoto’s life.
- Lu Shaotang, an orphaned crime boss daughter, is voiced by Ayane Sakura. She brings a dangerous edge to the group, as a woman who grew up in the criminal world.
- Heisuke Mashimo, a sniper, is voiced by Ryota Suzuki. He is the most straightforward member of the cast, a marksman who is now a store employee.
Nao Toyama voices Aoi Sakamoto, the wife who gave Sakamoto the ultimatum that changed his life. Hina Kino voices Hana Sakamoto, their daughter. Natsuki Hanae voices Yoichi Nagumo, who is part of the group that helps Sakamoto. Taku Yashiro voices Shishiba, Saori Hayami voices Osaragi and Hiroki Yasumoto voices Hyou. Hochu Otsuka voices Takamura, and Daisuke Namikawa voices Kei Uzuki.
Comedy That Earns Its Stakes
The show is a comedy, but it never forgets the weight of the premise. Sakamoto is a man who can kill anyone he wants, yet he is bound by a promise he made. That tension is the engine of the show. He can use his skills, but he cannot cross the line. When he does, the show makes sure you feel the cost.
The comedy comes from the contrast between Sakamoto’s brutal past and his current life. He is a man who can take on a criminal syndicate, but he is also a man who works in a convenience store. The show plays this contrast for laughs, but it never lets the stakes slip completely away.
A Season of Twists
The first cours ran from January to March 2025, and the second cours ran from July to September of the same year. That split means the show had to build momentum twice. It does not always land. Some arcs feel rushed, and some villains are less memorable than others. But the show finds a rhythm by the end of the season.
The show leans on its supporting cast to keep things interesting. Shin Asakura’s psychic abilities, Lu Shaotang’s shadowy past and Heisuke Mashimo’s sharpshooter skills all contribute to a group that feels like a real team. The show does not just put them in a store to get in the way. It gives each character a reason to be there, and it pays off that investment by the season finale.
The No-Kill Policy
Aoi’s no-kill policy is the show’s central rule. Sakamoto can defend himself, but he cannot kill. This is not a quirk. It is the emotional core of the show. Every episode deals with this rule in some way, either through a direct confrontation or through the consequences of a past action.
The show does not just state the rule. It shows the consequences. When Sakamoto’s former enemies come looking for revenge, the show forces him to choose between protecting his family and breaking his promise. That tension is what makes the show work.
The Animation and Voice Work
The animation is clean and efficient, with a style that matches the source material. It is not flashy, but it does not need to be. The show is about people, and the animation serves that.
The voice work is strong across the board. Sugita gives Sakamoto a gravelly, exhausted voice that suits the character. Shimazaki brings a quiet intensity to Shin Asakura. Sakura plays Lu Shaotang with a cool detachment. Suzuki gives Heisuke Mashimo a dry, professional tone.
The show also does a good job with the[jj-removed] shorter episodes. The show is not afraid to let a moment breathe, and it trusts the audience to follow the story even when it slows down.
The Season Finale
The finale of the second cours brings everything together. Sakamoto faces a final confrontation with a threat that forces him to decide whether he can protect his family without breaking his promise. The show does not give him an easy way out. He has to make a choice, and the show shows the cost of that choice.
It is a satisfying end to the season, even if some arcs felt rushed. The show builds to a point where Sakamoto’s past and his present collide, and he has to choose between the man he was and the man he wants to be. The show does not resolve everything. That would not be true to the character. But it does give him a moment of clarity, and it does give the audience a reason to keep watching.
A Score of 8.1
The show is not perfect. Some episodes drag, and some arcs feel rushed. But the core is strong. A retired hitman, a family he loves, and a criminal underworld that will not let him rest. That is a good setup, and the show mostly delivers on it.
The show earns its score of 8.1 out of 10. It is a show worth watching, even if it is not the most ambitious animation of its year. It knows what it is, it delivers on that, and it does it with a cast that sells the premise.
The show is a comedy about a man who cannot stop being what he was, even when he wants to be something else. It is a show about the cost of promises, and the weight of a past that will not stay buried.
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