After a long wait, fans of Yuto Suzuki's beloved manga can finally explore the first episode of the anime adaptation on Netflix.
Before the anime's official release, some people had issues with the voice cast, while others were worried about the state of TMS Entertainment's animation and a host of other concerns. It was all up to the first episode to set things straight, luckily it worked.
Anime Sakamoto Days episode 1 is better than manga
Episode 1 of the Sakamoto Days anime not only directly allayed the previously stated concerns but also surpassed everyone's expectations.
The voice cast's acting in the first episode was phenomenal, they perfectly captured the tone and emotions of each character. Nobunaga Shimazaki balances Shin's prowess with a childlike sense of wonder and wonder at being reunited with Taro Sakamoto. While Taro himself, voiced by Tomokazu Sugita, is surprisingly impactful, even with a minimal amount of dialogue.
The actual animation in the episode is fantastic, and the trailers don't do it justice. TMS Entertainment adapted Yuto Zuzuki's unique art style directly from the pages of the manga, accentuating the black and white images in the pages with beautiful pastel colors. As for Vaundy's OP, haters will gradually support this track as the anime gains more fans with each new episode.
One of the most important aspects of Sakamoto Days is the overall feeling. Despite being a story about the world's deadliest assassin with a 1 billion yen bounty, Sakamoto Days is an incredibly optimistic and at times relaxing story. After all, all Taro wants is to settle down and enjoy a peaceful life with his family.
The anime encapsulates this feeling perfectly. Even with action-packed battle scenes, the anime is still filled with positive emotions and makes the audience truly understand why Taro left the world of assassins.
The fight scenes of Sakamoto Days are more effective than in the anime
One of the biggest concerns among the fan community is how TMS Entertainment will handle the fight scenes in the manga. Yuto Suzuki's illustrations and fight choreography are both gorgeous and skillful, as Taro uses a number of non-lethal methods to take down other assassins. The fight scenes in the anime are where it really surpasses the manga. The anime is able to fill in all the gaps when Yuto delivers a high kick after a palm strike, after an elbow strike.
If that's not enough to convince you, the Sakamoto Days anime also adds a perfect opening scene, not found in the first chapter of the manga. The series' opening scene is cut to a cinematic 2.39:1 aspect ratio with a hazy color palette as a young Taro Sakamoto slashes through his henchmen to take down his target. Armed with a pistol and a katana, the scene resembles a cross between John Wick and Kill Bill and sets the perfect backdrop for Taro's transformation into a father later in the episode.
