Sakamoto Days episode 2 retains the same animation quality from the first episode, with a few scenes focusing more on impact than action.
In episode 2, we meet Lu Shaotang, a member of the Lu clan, a family of the Three Emperors. Shaotang's parents (who died before she appeared in the manga) gave her the key to the family's secret vault, and now a rival faction is after her.
She runs into Shin and Sakamoto in Niikita Chinatown, and gets their help. The opposing faction sent the cruel twin murderers Son Hee and Bacho, but they were defeated by the trio. Lu is now a new employee at Sakamoto's convenience store.
Notably, this episode mixes events from chapter 2, chapter 4, and chapter 5, completely ignoring the events of chapter 3, thus cutting out the introduction of Officer Nakase.
Who are Lu Shaotang and Officer Nakase?
Lu Shaotang will be a major supporting character this season, but she probably won't stay for long. Although initially a recurring character, she later no longer appears in the story.
When Suzuki tried to cast her in the lead role, fans didn't like it. Manga sales dropped significantly, so she was pushed into the background. For this reason, some fans jokingly asked “Who is this girl?” when mentioning her in promotional images and trailers, as she becomes irrelevant to the story.
Nakase, who was cut from the episode was a police officer who wanted to help people in chapter 3. She first appeared when she scolded Sakamoto and Shin for parking in an inappropriate place, and later she became suspicious of them.
Later, when Nakase tried to stop some guys from harassing a woman, she discovered they were members of a gang and in possession of banned substances. This puts her in danger, but fortunately, Sakamoto and Shin are able to save her.
In fact, cutting chapter 3 from the adaptation is reasonable, because Officer Nakase has not appeared again in the story. Some people think she will be a recurring character in the series, but that hasn't happened yet.
The final story could still adapt this chapter in future volumes, making appropriate changes.
