Sakamoto Days’ anime made its Winter 2025 and is already a massive hit. The show is based on Yuto Suzuki’s Weekly Shonen Jump manga following a former hitman, Taro Sakamoto. The anime has released three episodes so far, introducing several major characters. The story takes a drastic turn in the second episode when we find out Taro has a bounty of one billion yen on his head. Despite trying his best to live a peaceful life with his family, Taro is plunged into the dangerous world again. He not only has to defeat the hitmen coming after his life, but he must find out the person responsible for placing a ridiculous amount on his head.
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The bounty is also putting his family in danger, but luckily he has Shin to help him out. Sakamoto Days’ anime is being praised for its vibrant color palette and striking animation. While the first episode adapts the debut chapter completely, changes from the manga started being noticed in the second episode. The anime introduced Lu Shaotang by making considerable changes from the manga. Since the pacing is much faster in the new adaptation, we might expect more changes in the upcoming episodes.
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Sakamoto Days’ Anime Removes Scenes From the Manga for Faster Pacing
To introduce Lu Shaotang earlier, the manga removes several scenes from Chapter 2. After scolding Taro and threatening him with divorce, Aoi regrets coming down so hard on him. She tells her friend about it while shopping who comforts her before they part ways. Additionally, Shin and Taro meet an elderly police officer on patrol who warns them about robberies in the area. Aoi is onboard a public bus, which is hijacked by a group of thugs upset about their favorite manga getting axed.
Despite the dangerous situation, Aoi is only worried about the ice cream melting since she knows she will be home late. On their way to a delivery, Taro and Shin discover that Aoi’s bus is hijacked. The hijackers want to crash the bus into the Shuei building, the publication company that axed their favorite manga. They find Aoi’s reaction peculiar, and she expresses her trust in Taro.
Since Aoi knows he will save her despite the circumstances, all she has to do is wait for him to come. The scene in the manga then shifts to a flashback which was included in the second episode. Taro and Shin easily defeat the hijackers while the former greatest hitman hides his face with a funny mask. Aoi apologizes for the morning and promises to cook a special dinner according to family rule number 12.
Additionally, the anime removed Chapter 3 entirely where Officer Nakase was bent on catching Taro for all the damage he did during the bus hijack incident. She believes a man who resorted to violence is just as guilty as the perpetrators. Later, while looking for the masked man, not knowing it is Taro, she runs into trouble and Taro saves her. The anime continues with Chapter 4 focusing on Lu’s introduction.
