7 REASONS TO WATCH SAKAMOTO DAYS
From cozy characters to sick fights, here’s why the uninitiated should binge Netflix’s hottest anime. PG. 5
KILLER VOICES
Matthew Mercer and Vinnie Hacker take us into the recording studio and discuss giving depth to SAKAMOTO DAYS’ hero and villain. PG. 16
KILL OR BE KILLED
Producer Genki Ito talks about subverting the assassination game and what to expect in SAKAMOTO DAYS Part 2. PG. 8
ASSASSIN NATION
Den of Otaku host Daniel Kurland pens an essay on why SAKAMOTO DAYS marks the shonen demographic’s shifting sensibilities. PG. 20
Hear from the creatives behind Netflix’s impressive animation slate, from favorites like Arcane and Love, Death + Robots to a special look at the upcoming Splinter Cell: Deathwatch PG. 24
Jennifer Bartner-Indeck
CEO + GROUP PUBLISHER
Mark Wright
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Matthew Sullivan-Pond
PUBLISHER
Bob Bartner
CHAIRMAN
Pete Indeck
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Chris Longo CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER
Rosie Fletcher EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
David Crow MANAGING EDITOR + FILM EDITOR
Alec Bojalad DEPUTY EDITOR + TV EDITOR
Nick Morgulis SENIOR VIDEO PRODUCER
Andrew Halley HEAD OF VIDEO PRODUCTION
Shamus Kelly VIDEO EDITOR
Lucy Quintanilla CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Jessica Koynock ART DIRECTOR
Kyle Christine Darnell MAGAZINE PRODUCTION
Richard Jordan MAGAZINE SUB EDITOR
Sarah Litt PRINT COPY EDITOR
Nick Harley, Rosie Knight, Daniel Kurland
BY JOELLE SMITH
GENERALLY SPEAKING, a comfort show ought not feature multiple assassins, whether they be reformed or not. But Netflix’s SAKAMOTO DAYS manages to balance the dreamy coziness of a Japanese convenience store with a sickeningly sweet romance between an adorable wife guy and his fiery, steadfast partner. Throw in a dash of sick fights and seriously damaged people coming together to form a family, and this is one of the most rewatchable anime series in recent memory. So why should you check it out? Well…
sandwich to the infectious chants of the animated Ninja Turtles raving, “Bacon, egg, and cheese!” Top chefs like David Chang and Anthony Bourdain have sworn to the superiority of Japanese convenience stores. (Bourdain loved a BEC, and Chang sustained himself during the early days of his career at Lawson, an American convenience store with a profound share of the market in Japan.)
SAKAMOTO DAYS highlights all the ways in which these convenience stores represent their communities. Sakamoto’s store is located in the suburbs of Tokyo, meaning the pace is slower. This also gives the audience time to delight in the workers’ lives and the beautiful design of the shop. It’s a safe place because Sakamoto will absolutely eviscerate (without killing) anyone who decides to disturb that peace. Super cozy, right? And lest we forget the food, there’s an appreciation for the rotating hot dogs and sugary pre-packaged goodness, as well as the rare local fare, like the Chinese buns Sakamoto obsesses over from a vendor across town.
With Bulma and Vegeta as the blueprint, anime has a history of super-tough wife guys—men who worship, defend, and uplift their partner to the point that they have a Darcy-esque revelation and change their hardened ways. Enter Taro Sakamoto, who meets Aoi while she’s working as a cashier. The two share an instant attraction. But when Aoi learns that Taro’s day job is murdering people, she throws herself off a roof in front of him so that Sakamoto learns the cost of what he is doing to others (don’t worry, he catches her).
She’s the one person who frightens everyone who comes through the store. She also establishes an important rule: No killing allowed. And she’s fastidious about keeping this rule. For his part, Sakamoto finds peace within these guidelines and gets blessedly
fat—yet no less deadly—in their sweet and patient romance.
In recent years, a global swell of love for the simple convenience store has begun to appear in pop culture, from the Bodega Boys to Harley Quinn’s quest for a breakfast
In American television, there’s no shortage of overweight men romantically paired with gorgeous women, particularly when it comes to adult animation. Homer Simpson, Peter Griffin, and Cleveland Brown all enjoy the spoils of marriage, and their wives are often left to clean up their messes, kiss their bruises, and forgo the apologies they’re owed for the sake of comedy. In addition to being abhorrent husbands, their size is often the butt of rather cruel jokes, which is not always fun for overweight viewers.
Enter Taro Sakamoto, who is the antithesis of fat-shamed. While characters occasionally comment on his size, Sakamoto is never phased by their judgment. His bodyweight fluctuates throughout the show, from portly to super fit. His abilities, however, do not change. Enemies
who think Sakamoto’s weight makes him an easier target quickly regret their shortsightedness. He’s just as fast, just as powerful, and just as attractive to his partner. His size is a visual representation of his comfort. When Sakamoto’s family is in danger, he loses a bunch of weight trying to ascertain where the threat originated. But the minute he realizes they’re safe, he transforms back to his larger size. Rarely is such care and dignity given to overweight characters.
From behind his counter, Sakamoto oversees the comings and goings of his neighborhood and manages to save and shelter multiple former assassins. By implementing the rule book his wife encourages him to live by, Sakamoto becomes a leader to several lost youths who, in turn, wind up impacting their community for the better. Take his first disciple, Shin Asakura. This boy, who can read minds, was sent by the Japanese Association of Assassins to take out Taro Sakamoto, his idol. Through his powers, Shin sees all the ways in which Sakamoto could kill him, but that he chooses not to. This restraint, combined with the love Sakamoto so clearly holds for his family, is inspiration enough for Shin to turn his back on the guild that
raised him and granted him special abilities. From there, Sakamoto discovers Lu Xiaotang, the sole survivor of a rival mafia hit. She, too, agrees to live by Aoi’s rules. The three reformed assassins continue to convert or defeat rival killers, literally changing the landscape of their communities. It’s a beautiful thing.
The debate between dubbed and subbed anime destroys more relationships than a Sunday in Ikea. The reasons for debate are numerous. Some viewers find subtitles overwhelming, while others find the English voiceover and translation lacking in the style and cadence of the original Japanese cast. But with SAKAMOTO DAYS, friend groups need not melt down, for either selection is truly a winning choice. Starting with the titular character, two rockstars of voiceover take on the role. In English, Matt
Mercer, best known as the host of Critical Role (the popular D&D series featuring celebrated voice actors) and for voicing Robert MacCready in Fallout 4, brings the monosyllabic convenience store owner to life. In Japanese, Sakamoto is voiced by Tomokazu Sugita, who played Tomoyasu Chikazoku in My Hero Academia and Etsuya Eizan in Food Wars. His version of Sakamoto is almost demonic. The deep resonance of his bassy vocals conveys the life of a hardened criminal currently living in a squishy teddy bear body. It’s downright adorable.
Netflix brings back Dallas Liu, who played Prince Zuko in the streamer’s live action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, for the English dub of Shin Asakura. As Taro’s first convert, Liu delivers a cocky swagger and soft heart to the mindreader. In the Japanese version, Nobunaga Shimazaki performs the role of Shin. Shimazaki is perhaps best known as the stern but well-meaning best friend, Tsukasa Fujii, in Your Name.
His variation on Shin is crunchier and more exhausted than Liu’s, but both versions feel like valid interpretations of a young man who has been locked up in a lab for most of his life. So, press play on the dub or the sub; either way, it’s a fantastic time.
The score for SAKAMOTO DAYS comes from Yuki Hayashi, also known for his work on My Hero
Academia and Haikyū!!. Known for crafting memorable landscapes, Hayashi’s work on this series evokes classic action while being infused with video game-like sound effects and racing guitars. Veering between smoky jazz and dizzying high-energy orchestral compositions and gentle piano melodies, SAKAMOTO sounds as good as it looks. And just try not to sing along to the bouncy, rock-y theme song “Run Sakamoto Run” by Vaundy. The 25-year-old songwriter also directed the music video for the
theme song, featuring actor Mio Imada, who played Hinata Tachibana in the live-action Tokyo Revengers.
Secret assassin guilds mean there’s a wide range of fight styles in SAKAMOTO DAYS, including gunplay, swords, knives, and creative hand-to-hand combat. Think of a more wholesome John Wick. And the animators have done the complex work of making each fight feel unique and exciting. What really amps up these fights is location. Sakamoto and friends are often out on the town when they’re attacked, with an amusement park, a bathhouse, and a casino all making for thrilling—and surprising—battle backdrops. Picture it: a casino floor, the good guys are outnumbered, and suddenly everything in sight becomes a potential weapon. But remember, this is a comfy show. So, as long as Sakamoto is there, everything is going to be okay.
BY DANIEL KURLAND
Netflix’s breakout shonen anime hit, SAKAMOTO DAYS, returns with higher stakes and more fatal foes as it embraces and subverts assassination expectations.
THEIR FRIENDLY NATURE MAY BE the reason why they are loved by the audience.”
This is what acclaimed anime producer Genki Ito attributes to the popularity of SAKAMOTO DAYS’ heroes, who just so happen to be cutthroat killers.
Netflix’s newest anime streaming sensation revolves around assassins, serial killers, and Tokyo’s seedy criminal underworld, but these death dealers have become so beloved among fans that they have their own line of adorable plush toys and cute merchandise.
Audiences want to make small talk and go to amusement parks with Taro Sakamoto, Shin Asakura, and Lu Shaotang rather than fear their extermination skills. It’s this unique
affability that turned SAKAMOTO DAYS into appointment viewing for the 11 weeks that it dominated Netflix. Now, the show resumes its celebrated freshman season with its highly-anticipated second half. SAKAMOTO DAYS Part 2 is set to reach even greater heights than its first batch of episodes, which makes it the perfect time to get locked and loaded with the hit anime series and its fast-paced assassination shenanigans.
SAKAMOTO DAYS is a radical story of revenge and redemption that follows a revered assassin’s return to the craft decades after permanently holstering his weapon for a simpler life. The show has won over streaming fans with its anime adaptation, which kicked off in 2025 with
11 episodes. However, nobody would be talking about the anime without its inspirational source material, the manga written and illustrated by Yuto Suzuki. His series’ storytelling and character development have received praise, but it’s the mangaka’s detailed artwork and panel composition that made audiences fall in love with SAKAMOTO DAYS’ universe.
There are various assassins who attack: Comical, cool, scary, GENTLE… They’re good spices for the story.
Pedal, Haikyu!!, and 2019’s Fruits Basket for TMS Entertainment. Ito has certainly been involved with popular anime properties, but SAKAMOTO DAYS has the potential to be his biggest project yet—while also one of TMS Entertainment’s top titles. Ito’s previous series have featured kinetic action and outlandish scopes that likely helped him prepare for SAKAMOTO DAYS’ endless assassin exploits.
“I believe that the cool artwork style and the easyto-understand storyline are the reasons why it is widely recognized by many audiences,” confirms producer Ito, who cut his teeth as a production manager before becoming animation producer on the series Yowamushi
There’s so much potential to go wrong when manga gets adapted into anime. The right animation studio and creative team are paramount. Unfortunately, plenty of beloved manga fail to gain traction as anime because the wrong studio picks up the project. Ito was well aware that it was essential for them to stick the landing in this department. “We knew from the beginning that it would
“It is very difficult to construct the action in a 360-degree view of locations and objects,” says Ito. “This is one of the factors that caused headaches for the director.”
This is saying something, considering that the director in question, Masaki Watanabe, has previously helmed other iconic battle shonen series like Bleach and Rurouni Kenshin. Ito is proud of all the anime’s fight sequences but singles out the battle on the train from episode nine, “All Aboard,” as a favorite. Trains, amusement parks, museums, and casinos are just some of the creative battle environments in Part 1 of the series, while Part 2 promises that viewers should expect the unexpected.
Netflix’s SAKAMOTO DAYS takes painstaking efforts to faithfully capture the manga’s magic and visual language. However, the anime’s acquisition by the streamer in the first place is a testament to how Netflix already recognizes the title’s international appeal. Suzuki’s original manga is still going strong after more than 200 chapters and 22 volumes, yet the franchise’s universe has significantly expanded in the five years since SAKAMOTO DAYS’ debut. There are original SAKAMOTO DAYS novels, a spinoff manga titled Sakamoto Holidays, and a video game, plus more to come. The anime adaptation comes along at the perfect time, as the manga remains one of Weekly Shonen Jump’s top titles. As of May 2025, the manga has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.
Netflix picking up SAKAMOTO DAYS is just one of its many recent decisions to take over the anime streaming market with some of the most talked about titles of the past few years. The company has the streaming rights to Dandadan, Ranma ½, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, and Delicious in Dungeon while also producing its own original anime like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, and Pluto. There are even plenty of vintage, retro classics like Hunter x Hunter, Death Note, and Neon Genesis Evangelion in Netflix’s anime library.
be a challenge to reproduce Suzuki-sensei’s drawings, which are of a very high quality,” the producer says. Undeterred, Ito found a way to not only honor Suzuki’s artwork but also put his own stamp on the franchise through the addition of color, timing, and voices. These extra elements make SAKAMOTO DAYS an even more overwhelming experience, but that was part of the fun and the challenge of bringing the story to life.
SAKAMOTO DAYS’ shonen supremacy speaks to a larger pattern in the medium right now that reflects the demographic’s cyclical nature. Coming off the “Dark Trio” trend where violent and vicious titles like Jujutsu Kaisen, Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku, and Chainsaw Man reigned supreme, there’s now a positive push toward the meticulous worlds of assassins and contract killers. Spy x Family, Mission: Yozakura Family, and Yakuza Fiancé are some of the biggest anime in recent years, all of which wrestle with the same subject matter and
themes, only for SAKAMOTO DAYS to operate as the culmination of its perilous peers.
What makes SAKAMOTO DAYS so successful when it comes to assassin and serial killer subversions is how it never forgets to emphasize a loving warmth that’s present in these cold contract killers. The show is rich in allies and enemies, yet it’s more interested in the loving, foundfamily aspect between Taro, Shin, and Lu rather than ranking who is the strongest.
“Families have a bond from the beginning, but it is necessary for strangers to build a bond with each other,” says Ito. “I believe that the inclusion of various situations and emotions in the process of building a bond makes the story richer and more sympathetic.” Ito credits these chosen bonds as a prevailing factor in why SAKAMOTO DAYS has struck a chord with so many viewers; that it’s so much more than flashy gunplay.
Taro Sakamoto’s duality as his murderous past begins to threaten his happy retired life with his wife is easily one of the character’s most endearing traits. A switch flips in Sakamoto’s brain whenever his loved ones are put in danger, but he also undergoes a radical physical transformation that broadly underscores the anime’s themes and Sakamoto’s multitudes. While it may seem simplistic, Ito views Sakamoto’s middle-aged and outof-shape design as an easy factor for the series’ success and an effective icebreaker for on-the-fence skeptics.
“Simply put, I think it’s unique and interesting to have the main character be overweight,” says Ito, doubling down on Sakamoto’s subversive nature and how he breaks so
many shonen protagonist stereotypes, right down to his largely mute nature. “I also think the way he doesn’t talk much is appealing.”
Ito goes on to expound how Sakamoto’s “against the grain” nature even carries over to the assassin’s fighting style. In a world of careful killers who try to leave as little as possible to chance, Sakamoto is someone who thrives on spontaneity and improvisation. That’s not to say that he’s ill-prepared. He’s just someone who can’t help but rewrite the rules, just like how SAKAMOTO DAYS is reinventing the expectations of a broader shounen series.
“Taro Sakamoto uses anything around him as a weapon,” reiterates Ito. “His enemies fight with various signature weapons of their own, but Taro Sakamoto fights with things found around him.” Ito considers this to be comical and innovative, but the same praise can be placed on SAKAMOTO DAYS as a whole. A tendency to innovate
rather than fall into a formula is why fans are excited for the continuation of this story.
The new SAKAMOTO DAYS episodes are set to adapt some of the manga’s most acclaimed material. Part 2 goes all-in on the series’ Death Row Prisoners Arc, which was teased during Part 1’s final episodes. The Death Row Prisoners Arc is the anime’s longest story arc yet and one that pits Sakamoto and company up against four renegade convicted killers. In many ways, this storyline is SAKAMOTO DAYS in its purest form, and the anime’s decision to frame Part 2 around this momentous storyline is only going to create more fans. “There are various assassins who attack,” Ito explains. “Comical characters, cool characters, scary characters, gentle characters. They’re good spices for the story.”
SAKAMOTO DAYS has a strong cast. However, it sometimes feels like the anime’s supporting characters
are the real secret weapon in this killer arsenal. These heightened hitmen and their signature styles function as compelling, believable worldbuilding that feels natural. Ito agrees that a distinct character design and visual aesthetic can sometimes tell the audience just as much as any backstory. Eleven episodes in, SAKAMOTO DAYS now has the luxury of the audience having a better understanding of its characters and universe. An emphasis on longer, serialized storytelling builds momentum; it’s also Ito’s preferred type of story to tell. “I become more attached to the characters,” he admits.
These eclectic supporting characters include a skilled marksman and his parrot sidekick, a camouflage technology expert, and a clairvoyant psychic. One assassin makes his targets talk backward, while another is basically a human Swiss Army Knife of weapons. These are characters that you won’t find anywhere else, and they’re
Everyone is curious about X (Slur). we can’t take our eyes off him because he is mysterious. We don’t know what he’ll do.
more original than the John Wick movies’ many standout assassins. SAKAMOTO DAYS’ murderers’ row actually lives up to the hype and delivers.
The show’s killers are psychologically rich opponents, yet they’re also responsible for a heavier focus on constant combat as the action turns up a notch.
“From this point on, SAKAMOTO DAYS itself will feature a lot of battles,” Ito says. Articulate action set-pieces are at the center of many of Part 1’s best episodes, so it’s not exactly surprising to see Part 2 further embrace this energy as the characters take on even greater threats. It’s always exciting when a shonen series finally shakes off any growing pains and figures out its ideal plotting and pacing. For SAKAMOTO DAYS, that is the Death Row Prisoners Arc.
The titular death row prisoners find ways to properly push the heroes out of their comfort zones. These new episodes are also an opportunity to shine a brighter light on the cryptic X (Slur), the anime’s main villain and the evil genius who has been pulling many of the strings in this prolonged attack on Sakamoto and his family.
X (Slur) is one of the most popular characters from SAKAMOTO DAYS’ manga, but his appearances in Part 1 barely amount to a cameo. Part 2 is really when X (Slur) gets to let loose and the show provides a deeper look into this twisted mind. If Taro Sakamoto fits into the worlds of John Wick or Kill Bill, then X (Slur) belongs in Hannibal or David Fincher’s Se7en. The villain is a splash of cold water that’s a shock to SAKAMOTO DAYS’ system, albeit for the better.
Ito isn’t oblivious to X’s vocal fans and the power of a character who is shrouded in secrecy. “There are characters who are not only strong and cool but also mysterious,” he says. “I think everyone is curious about this special character because we don’t know his background, and we don’t know his personality. I think we can’t take our eyes off him because he is mysterious, and we don’t know what he will do.” Unpredictability is always something that has helped SAKAMOTO DAYS stand out from its peers. In Suzuki’s universe, boring and predictable is a crueler fate than any assassination.
Ito can’t wait for SAKAMOTO DAYS fans to experience the more challenging storytelling that will be on tap in the anime’s future. However, he is acutely aware of not just the anime’s passionate audience but how they are also best served by preserving the twists and turns that are to come.
“I can’t say too much because it would be a spoiler,” deflects Ito on some of Part 2’s finer details and where Sakamoto and company may end up. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic about the new episodes’ reception. “Please look forward to it to see how everyone’s relationship will deepen even further,” he says.
Ito is elated over SAKAMOTO DAYS’ success, which makes him extra careful not to spoil the experience for any fans. After all, SAKAMOTO DAYS may be on the list of Netflix’s hits, but being on a “hit list” means something very different in an anime that’s full of assassins.
BY DANIEL KURLAND
voices behind
newest anime
extravaganza, SAKAMOTO DAYS, discuss what makes the shonen series so special.
NIME NEVER BEGAN AS NETFLIX’S priority, yet the streamer has progressively turned into one of the premier sources for animation. In fact, Netflix is responsible for 38% of the total anime streaming revenue generated globally in 2023. Audiences are genuinely coming to Netflix for anime, which is exciting for the streaming service’s future. This has led to increased efforts to acquire and distribute some of the medium’s most talked-about series, including Dandadan, Pluto, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, Ranma ½, and of course, SAKAMOTO DAYS, one of 2025’s biggest anime hits and the latest shonen sensation.
SAKAMOTO DAYS, adapted from Yuto Suzuki’s manga of the same name, presents an exciting assassin ensemble story that’s unlike anything else. Taro Sakamoto—a revered hitman in his youth who has since retired, let himself go, and embraced a domestic life with his wife—finds himself pulled back into the game when his family gets targeted by Tokyo’s criminal underworld. At the center of this chaos is X, a mysterious and sadistic serial killer who may have ties to Sakamoto’s bloody past.
SAKAMOTO DAYS’ story might seem familiar, but right from the start, it’s clear that this is far more than bullets and bloodshed. “There are these perfunctory moments of
genuine heartfelt joy and companionship that you don’t normally see in this sort of genre,” Matthew Mercer, Taro Sakamoto’s voice actor, says. “It kind of subverts its own genre in original ways and presents a very, very unique viewing experience for this kind of story.”
Mercer is one of the most celebrated voice actors in the business, receiving 2017’s Voice Actor of the Year award at the Behind the Voice Actors Awards and bringing to life hundreds of characters across his more than 25 years in the business. These include JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s Jotaro Kujo, Levi Ackerman from Attack on Titan, and other iconic pop culture figures like Resident Evil’s Leon S. Kennedy, The Legend of Zelda’s Ganondorf, and even Luke Skywalker (in Star Wars Battlefront II). Despite this impressive resume, Taro Sakamoto still stands out to Mercer. “It’s interesting because I’ve been grateful to have played a spectrum of
characters, many with their own degrees of cruelty and intensity,” he says. “There are a lot of very subtle flavors and layers to him that I don’t normally get to play with in a character of this sort of archetype.”
One of the most interesting aspects of SAKAMOTO DAYS is that it functions as a story that begins after something like John Wick or Kill Bill has come to its close. Sakamoto has already had his happy ending and turned his back on a life of crime, only for his old life to bite back with newfound urgency.
“What I love about it is it brings familiar tropes of that assassin-filled world of danger, intrigue, and criminal underworld, but then layers it with a wholesomeness and
a theme of family,” the actor says. Mercer’s Sakamoto may not look as intimidating as he once did, but his assassin spark rekindles whenever his family and friends are in danger. Sakamoto’s devotion to his wife, Aoi, is even the impetus for his staunch “no-kill” policy, a doctrine that makes survival and victory against other assassins especially difficult. “It also makes him that much more dangerous when that peril crosses the threshold into threatening his family. Then he’s like, ‘All right. Let’s throw down. You’re done.’”
Mercer is one of the biggest names in the anime industry, but SAKAMOTO DAYS adopts a different approach for the heart and soul of its central antagonist, X. Vinnie Hacker taps into X with chilling bravado, but he’s best known as a TikTok influencer and model. Hacker is new to voice acting, but his passion for anime runs deep and has been present since his childhood.
“I’ve been an anime fan for as long as I can remember, starting with Dragon Ball when I was like six years old,” Hacker says. “It’s still one of my favorite series of all time. I’ve always felt something like a passion for that, even when I was little.” Hacker can’t help but feel both grateful and wistful about being a part of this series and inspiring a whole new generation of anime fans through SAKAMOTO DAYS, just like he felt during his youth. “Being in it now and actually having the opportunity to be one of those people is a very exciting moment for me. I’m hoping to see more anime in my future.”
Audiences are just getting to know Hacker as a voice actor, but he’s privileged to be playing one of anime’s most infamous antagonists, X. “I knew a little bit about him beforehand,” he discloses. “But to go and dive deeper into him was something that was a little bit out of the ordinary for me.” Hacker is excited for audiences to finally see his character’s twisted plan go into action. He admits that the
villain’s darkness is a welcome change of pace for him, comparing X to the serial killers from Dexter and the anime cult classic, Monster. “It was something that was very, very different for me. I kind of see myself as more of a happy and eccentric person. So playing somebody that was so cold like that is definitely interesting.”
Hacker has become an important member of the SAKAMOTO DAYS family, but he was already a big fan of X, and SAKAMOTO DAYS as a whole, before he was cast in the Netflix streaming hit. “I actually started the manga before I even knew that I was going to play the character,” he says. “I think it did help me because I can kind of see what’s going to happen and lead into that. It’s kind of like shifting into that character.”
Hacker is enthusiastic about this deeper look into X, but he also can’t help but admire the creativity behind his assassin’s target. “I think that’s something that’s super interesting,” he says in reference to Sakamoto’s duality and family-first mentality. “It’s something that you don’t see a lot, especially in something like this.”
Sakamoto’s devotion to his family allows SAKAMOTO DAYS to vacillate between soft sincerity and cutthroat carnage, albeit in a manner that’s incredibly subtle and natural. These always feel like two sides of the same coin,
fact, one of the reasons that audiences have so openly embraced SAKAMOTO DAYS is because it’s as hilarious as it is suspenseful.
“This show has such wonderful comedy that changes the pace of what is often just action-based shonen anime,” explains Mercer. “That just makes it feel unique, and it’s a lot of fun to play with as a performer. That’s been an absolute joy.” Hacker concurs that SAKAMOTO DAYS’ levity helped him fall in love with the anime, particularly the titular character’s absurd metamorphosis from schlub to scary. “Sakamoto’s transformation was something that caught me off guard,” he says, commending the physical and mental shift that Sakamoto experiences.
SAKAMOTO DAYS has built an excellent foundation for its heightened world throughout its first 11 episodes, and now the season’s long-awaited part two guarantees deeper character development as the Death Row Prisoners arc continues. Mercer teases the ongoing effect of the many friends that Sakamoto lets into his life and how they begin to progressively change him. Of course, in an anime like SAKAMOTO DAYS, more friends also means more liabilities and people for X to target. “His family is getting even more involved in the story, whether he’s ready for that or not, which is a fun journey,” adds Mercer. “There’s so much more coming down the road.”
even when Sakamoto is at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. This tightrope act succeeds because Mercer is careful to find a middle ground between Sakamoto’s two extremes so they don’t sound like two completely different characters. This is one individual who occasionally manages to shed his past baggage.
“It kind of subverts its own genre in original ways and presents a very, very unique viewing experience for this kind of story.”
This warm interpretation of Sakamoto reinforces one of the anime’s central themes: not judging a book by its cover. SAKAMOTO DAYS and its cast are full of surprises, right down to Taro Sakamoto’s atypical character design. It’s as if SAKAMOTO DAYS intentionally avoids the stereotypical sleek young badass in order to remind the audience that heroes come in many shapes and sizes. “You get a little older, you get a little softer, but you’re still as dangerous,” reinforces Mercer.
To this point, the characters’ duality and depth are also reflected through how SAKAMOTO DAYS balances white-knuckle action with broad slapstick comedy. In
With some of the manga’s most popular material set to be adapted in the season’s new episodes, Mercer and Hacker are aware of the fandom’s high expectations. “As a performer, you never know how it’s going to be interpreted, especially when it’s a project like this that has so much anticipation behind it,” admits Mercer. Yet, despite the high stakes, he’s excited and optimistic about what’s to come in the second half. “The internet can be a very cruel place. So it’s been delightful to engage with the fandom and see people so excited for it all.” Hacker agrees: “I’m just excited for you guys to see what season two brings.” If SAKAMOTO DAYS part one’s success is any indication of quality, then fans shouldn’t have anything to worry about what’s next in the shonen epic.
The latest batch of SAKAMOTO DAYS episodes promises bigger set-pieces, more dangerous assassins, and Taro Sakamoto being pushed out of his comfort zone in more ways than one. Mercer is excited to be a part of this ambitious anime for the long haul and is confident that it will continue to take the medium by storm. “I already got my statue,” Mercer brags, in reference to a sleek replica of his killer character. “I pre-ordered it because I’ve got to be that nerd who collects my stuff.” Much like his animated assassin counterpart, Mercer contains multitudes.
BY DANIEL KURLAND
ANIME IS TRULY A LIMITLESS
medium that frequently pushes animation to unprecedented places. More than 200 anime are produced every year, which gives audiences plenty of freedom when it comes to what they watch and prioritize. Despite this level of autonomy, it’s interesting to note that shonen series—stories aimed at a young male audience, usually with an emphasis on action—often cause the biggest stir and become breakout international hits. To this point, nearly every entry in Netflix’s Top 15 mostwatched anime of 2023 and 2024 is a shonen title.
Shonen anime represents the medium’s most popular and mainstream sensibilities, which makes it fascinating to chart and trend the shonen demographic’s evolving patterns.
SAKAMOTO DAYS Part 1 was in Netflix’s Top 10 mostwatched shows for 10 of its first 11 weeks on the air, and it’s already being heralded as one of the biggest anime IPs to come out of the 2020s. The series follows Taro Sakamoto, a mild-mannered convenience store owner who was once revered as a legendary hitman. Sakamoto has spent some time out of the spotlight, but he’s just as adept as ever at his craft. The way in which SAKAMOTO DAYS deconstructs the assassin and contract killer subgenre, as well as the mythical hitman archetype at the center of it all, marks the shonen demographic’s shifting sensibilities, and perhaps where its future is headed.
General anime audiences often turn to shonen titles to get a taste of modern storytelling trends that function as a fascinating microcosm of society. While anime and manga that focus on contract killers is nothing new for shonen, in recent years there has been a push toward more subversive assassin stories that feature unconventional killers who are stuck in some “fish out of water” scenario.
This was an anomaly back when Katekyō Hitman Reborn! and Assassination Classroom came along in the 2010s, both of which used supernatural and sci-fi scenarios to rejuvenate the contract killer hero trope. Now the pages of manga anthology Weekly Shonen Jump are filled with series that lean into such an ethos: Kill Blue, Mission: Yozakura Family, Shinobi Undercover, and SAKAMOTO DAYS.
Shonen’s recent fascination with altruistic and empowered assassins speaks to a world where audiences want to believe that they have the power to rage against the machine and dismantle the status quo through atypical advantages. This is different from shonen series where there are superheroes with supernatural powers. After all, this is a wish-fulfillment fantasy that remains rooted in reality, even when SAKAMOTO DAYS indulges in absurdism.
This emphasis on control is also a natural response to the “Dark Trio” of grim, oppressive dystopian shonen titles—Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku—where victory feels impossible. These past titles push death and pain to uncomfortable extremes that get lost in the trauma and grief of it all.
SAKAMOTO DAYS and the new wave of shonen content create a muchneeded release valve that pushes back from the oppressive misery that used to dominate the demographic.
SAKAMOTO DAYS and its assassin shonen peers feature copious body counts, but this new crop of stories never sensationalizes their murders. Taro Sakamoto even staunchly respects a “no kill” code as a loving gesture to his wife. To this point, these shonen series are more interested in celebrating the tender bonds and sweet emotions that come from family, whether biological or forged together. SAKAMOTO DAYS, Spy x Family, Shinobi Undercover, and more all emphasize the power of family and how a loving community is more valuable than any weapon. This optimistic disposition helps these series stay cheerful rather than diverging into more adult seinen tendencies that get lost in the dark. This empathy is crucial to the equation and why SAKAMOTO DAYS works as well as it does. It demystifies hitmen into peculiar protectors, which helps the anime further establish its voice and push the subgenre to unexpected places.
SAKAMOTO DAYS is leading the pack when it comes to the exciting generation of assassin shonen series. This subgenre’s dominance in shonen anime and manga has been beneficial to SAKAMOTO DAYS’ success, but these stories don’t exist in a vacuum. They’ve also become the norm in American blockbusters. This helps SAKAMOTO DAYS connect on an even stronger level since fiction from around the world echoes its genre, characters, and style of storytelling.
SAKAMOTO DAYS feeds into this energy and is helping the subgenre evolve. It’s an encouraging feedback loop
Empathy is crucial to the equation and why SAKAMOTO DAYS works as well as it does. ”
that reflects a universal trend toward tentpole assassin stories. Netflix movies The Killer and Hit Man were among the streamer’s 2023 and 2024 top titles respectively, and it’s not hard to picture any of Team Sakamoto taking on these heightened hitmen archetypes.
SAKAMOTO DAYS continues to succeed—more so than some of its anime peers—because it capitalizes on this trend. It tells the stories that audiences from across the world want to see, but contextualizes them into a quirky action-comedy anime.
It’s never been so hip to be a hitman.
SPLINTER CELL: DEATHWATCH
The black-ops video game series Splinter Cell comes to Netflix through an original series with John Wick creator Derek Kolstad at the helm.
BY SAM STONE
“IRONICALLY OR NOT, I’ve never really seen myself as the assassin guy,” admits Derek Kolstad, creator of the John Wick films and Netflix’s upcoming Splinter Cell series. Instead, he says, it all comes down to characters.
“One of the things that I like about Sam Fisher, John Wick, and Hutch Mansell [from Nobody] is that, yes, they’re pretty badass at what they do but, more importantly, they’re not the best. They get beat up.”
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch is set to premiere on Netflix in late 2025 and is based on the popular video game franchise Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell by Ubisoft. The
animated series has serious action pedigree behind it as it looks to continue the adventures of black-ops legend Sam Fisher. “I always loved the world of Splinter Cell. I’m a huge fan of army-of-one [stories] if you do it right,” Kolstad says. “And yet, even though he’s had hard decisions to make, it’s refreshing that Sam Fisher’s a hero. He has moments of empathy and having to do this thing when both decisions are wrong, but one is a little less wrong at the cost of his soul and his own personal life, but for the benefit of the rest of us.”
Splinter Cell: Deathwatch opens with Sam Fisher enjoying a life of retirement after years dedicated to
serving the United States as part of the elite clandestine unit, the Fourth Echelon. When Fisher is contacted by a younger colleague wounded and seeking his help, he is ready to put his special set of skills back to use and don his signature night-vision headset again to fight for the greater good. And while Fisher may be a little rusty at first, he finds that being back in the field frees him from the ennui of his retired life, and he quickly falls back into lethally familiar rhythms.
“You have Sam in his retirement phase, hiding in plain sight with most of his enemies long gone. There is this contentment in the order that he’s built, and yet discontentment in his own various regrets and the haunting nature of a vet,” Kolstad says about Fisher’s stoic nature and ability to snap back into action.
“There isn’t this ’80s quippy, grinning, tongue-in-cheek to him. It’s the samurai notion of a soldier. You talk to special forces, with the best among them; when the action goes down, their blood pressure lowers, and their heart rate slows because that’s what they’ve been designed to be.”
Although Kolstad has made a name for himself by writing plenty of no-nonsense lone wolf warriors, he finds himself more drawn to the wider world that the characters live in and the surprising amount of empathy even the most hardened killers possess. That feature certainly includes Sam Fisher and the world of Splinter Cell, something that will figure into Splinter Cell: Deathwatch.
That worldbuilding element will come into play as Fisher acclimates to changes involving the realpolitik of international relations since he was last actively
working with the Fourth Echelon. Not only does this significantly affect the types of battles that Fisher finds himself embroiled in, but his own outlook on his past black-ops service for the government.
“Here’s a guy who saw more than most but realized that he didn’t see everything,” Kolstad continues. “As things come to a head and he’s brought back in, the order has changed. Political enemies are now friends. Past friends are now enemies, and yet not, because you spilled blood and fought in the trenches together. It becomes something natural to him, and yet confusing.”
Of course, for all the worldbuilding and international intrigue of Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, Kolstad is clearly leaning into his storytelling strengths, with the show poised to have plenty of the tautly executed action that fans of the genre and franchise have come to expect. Sam Fisher isn’t looking to talk his way out of black-ops missions and high-stakes skirmishes, but put his finely honed talents to deadly use.
Kolstad sees Sam Fisher as the tip of the spear, increasingly aware of the moral complexities of what he does and who he works for but also able to identify who the real bad guys are as he returns to his usual operating grounds in the shadows. And in a steadily digital world, Sam Fisher is ready to prove that analog solutions are still the quickest and cleanest way to get a dirty deed done.
“That’s what I love about Sam,” notes Kolstad. “You look at the games, and he’s incredibly adept at tech, but sometimes a bullet or a blade or the ripping out of some cord is your best line of defense.”
Tim Miller and Jennifer Yuh Nelson break down their passionate ode to science fiction and animation’s limitlessness.
BY DANIEL KURLAND
NETFLIX HAS NO SHORTAGE of options when it comes to science-fiction programming and experimental anthology series, but Love, Death + Robots is an especially beautiful love letter to science fiction’s chameleonic nature and endless versatility. The unpredictable animated anthology series combines sci-fi with comedy, horror, fantasy, mystery, and romance as it brings gripping genre literature to life through a modern lens. In doing so, Love, Death + Robots doesn’t just celebrate science fiction; it helps it evolve.
Sci-fi is a revelatory storytelling genre that can open the audience’s mind and forever change their perception of reality. The best of it probes, inspires, and admonishes, which is exactly what Tim Miller (Deadpool) and Jennifer Yuh Nelson (Kung Fu Panda 2 and 3) strive for in Love, Death + Robots, which is now in its fourth season. Nothing is off-limits in the series, whether it’s a cat-fueled dystopia, gladiatorial combat atop dinosaurs, or a poet’s feud with Satan. The series aims to create the same level of jubilation
in its viewers as those who discovered these short stories for the first time.
“Pretty much all the show’s vignettes have been based on short stories that Tim’s read throughout his life,” explains Nelson, Love, Death + Robots’ supervising director. “We have hundreds of these stories just piled up.”
There’s a true passion for the source material that helps Love, Death + Robots excel. This enormous collection of genre classics gets carefully selected as each new season takes shape.
“We try to curate the perfect mix, so we have a little something for everybody,” creator Miller elaborates. This has been one of the secrets to Love, Death + Robots’ success. Each collection of episodes is truly unique and feels like a pulpy paperback of short stories. In fact, Love, Death + Robots has even published collections of each season’s stories. “All the money goes to the authors,” Miller proudly adds. “We want people to read the stories! Forget about making them into movies.”
Love, Death + Robots has resonated with sciencefiction fans who appreciate captivating and concise storytelling. That being said, Love, Death + Robots is also a visual extravaganza that pushes just as many boundaries in animation. Four seasons in, the series has worked with nearly two dozen animation studios from around the globe to tell these eclectic stories. Pairing the right studio with the proper episode is a pursuit that’s just as important as the story selection.
“Often, we choose the director and the animation studio according to their specialty,” Nelson explains as she continues to break down the meticulous nature of this process. “If we have two tentpole episodes that look a certain way, we want to make sure that those episodes are going to look vastly different from each other.” For instance, Titmouse’s impressionistic work on season four’s “How Zeke Got Religion” actively enhances the story. “You need to find their thing,” Nelson adds in reference to Love, Death + Robots’ roster of animation studios and what they each bring to the table.
“It’s important for us, especially for this series, to make sure that we’re really showcasing the whole breadth of animation,” asserts Nelson. “Sometimes these directors are very much pioneers in what they do, and no one else is doing what they do. That’s why we end up working with them.” Photo-realistic 3D animation, traditional 2D visuals, and stop-motion are just some of the animation styles on display in Love, Death + Robots. The series has even increasingly dipped its toe into live-action stories that blur the lines between reality and animation. “Rarely do you see such a showcase of animation like this,” Nelson says. “This is a way to show new ideas, new looks, and new innovation by different directors and studios around the world.”
Miller reiterates that it’s a deeply collaborative process where the animation studios have just as much agency as the storytellers. “We push it in the initial direction, and then the directors come in and do their pitch,” he explains.
The final product becomes a synthesis of ideas that are built upon ambition and taking risks. “We try to give [the directors] as much freedom as we can,” Miller emphasizes. This relationship has paid off well, earning Love, Death + Robots 13 Primetime Emmy Awards so far, including Outstanding Short Form Animated Program and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation. The series’ latest batch of episodes is likely to add to this already impressive collection of accolades.
Love, Death + Robots’ 45 episodes provide a broad, brave mix of everything that science fiction and animation have to offer. However, the series continues to look forward and is determined to surpass these heights. “We’ve got a lot of stories,” boasts Miller. “I have the next season—seasons, actually—picked out.” And while there were previously spinoffs and off-shoots in consideration, Love, Death + Robots is the perfect incubator for these stories, whether they’re two minutes or 20 minutes. “The beauty of the show is that we’d never get some of these ideas made if we were asking to do a feature,” admits Miller.
Love, Death + Robots plays by its own rules and continues to redefine anthology storytelling. It’s still the only series where fans can alternate between a string puppet rock concert and Russian Civil War soldiers fighting ancient supernatural evils. “There’s still a lot of room to do new and innovative things that we haven’t done before,” Miller insists. “Although we always seem to end up with too many cat stories. I can’t really explain that.”
Tiny alien-invasion tale “Close Encounters of the Mini Kind” and the post-apocalyptic “400 Boys” (above) are just two of the stories that make up season four of Love, Death + Robots
ARCANE SEASON 2
The creative team behind Arcane dives into the familial themes and big moments from the hit Netflix series’ second season.
BY SAM STONE
NETFLIX AND RIOT GAMES CREATED one of the most acclaimed video game adaptations of all time with the original animated series Arcane, set in the world of League of Legends. After premiering in 2021, the series returned for its climactic second season in 2024, concluding the fiery saga of sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell) and the fate of the fantasy city of Piltover and its undercity, Zaun.
Arcane’s first season dialed up this sibling rivalry to explosive proportions, as Jinx’s reckless antics threatened the fragile peace in place. The second season only ups the complicated family dynamics between its main characters, expanding the scope and depth of familial strife while escalating the consequences and actions as roles are reversed and subverted throughout the story.
Whereas Jinx was branded a terrorist in the first season, the second season sees the unpredictable, explosive figure being regarded by Piltover’s populace as a freedom fighter against its totalitarian rule. Meanwhile, Vi grows increasingly erratic and volatile in the wake of tyranny’s rise, making the two sisters’ reunion all the more awkward. For showrunner Christian Linke, this narrative inversion proved to be “really fun to think about.”
“It’s a really complex moment when Jinx can say, ‘Maybe you’re the baddie,’” Linke says. “So much of the show is about seeing the world through the lens of the other side. I think that is the quintessential moment for them when they have to question how they see their sibling, at which point they have a very loaded perspective of each other.”
This reconciliation in the face of a common enemy leads to the sisters reuniting with their long-lost father Vander (JB Blanc), now resurrected as the feral werewolf-like monster Warwick. Leaning into the inherent horror offered by prominently featuring such a bloodthirsty creature, Warwick’s inclusion underscored Arcane’s tendency to go to extremes regarding tone and visceral action. More than just presenting another adversary, Vander’s transformation into Warwick also gives the show the opportunity to highlight more of Vander’s backstory as he reunites with his adopted daughters in the mines he worked in as a human.
“He went back to this familiar place from his past, and he didn’t know why because it got twisted for him,” screenwriter Amanda Overton observes. “That mining room is the first time that [Vi and Jinx] got to see their father figures as brothers. It just reframed everything for the family dynamics for them.”
The complexity and conflict between familial figures isn’t isolated to Vi and Jinx—there’s also rivalry between Jayce Talis (Kevin Alejandro) and Viktor (Harry Lloyd), who see each other as brothers. Viktor recognized the destructive potential of Hextech, the technology he and Jayce created. Jayce not only didn’t follow through on Viktor’s wish for him to destroy it but used the unstable tech to resurrect Viktor. This turned Viktor into a figure poised to use his connection to Hextech to inadvertently destroy Zaun and Piltover, placing him in direct conflict with Jayce over the fate of the city.
“A lot of season one was about creating the dream technology that could change the world,” Linke says. “When it gets turned into weapons, and they lose control, Jayce and Viktor react very differently. They are also a little bit shocked by the other’s reaction to that. We always knew that there would be a different conclusion when they’re confronted with this reality that humans will use this technology for their own motives and for their selfish goals.”
“That was also the fabric of season two, the things that you can’t see and that you can’t control,” Overton adds. “That’s why Viktor, when he goes down to the undercity, does his part to make that his little utopian commune. He’s trying to make what the topside has down here and compress that gap. It’s beautiful and wonderful, but even that goes awry for him. They always intended the right things, had great intentions, and could not see the consequences of those actions.”
The season also features a surprise interlude with Ekko (Reed Shannon) traveling to a parallel reality where he acquires a time-reversal device crucial to the series’ final battle. More than just giving Ekko this game-changing item, the episode’s lighter tones and depictions of familiar faces gave Arcane a chance to explore elements that the creative team felt were more romantic and more fun in certain aspects. Overton
reflected that more than making Ekko the one to turn the tide in the climax, it restored his faith in both Zaun’s potential as well as Powder’s, the innocent person Jinx used to be.
“In his own world, he lost that faith,” Overton says. “He lost that vision. He had a vision of Zaun that was very similar to that, and he lost faith in it. He needed to see that it was possible to fight for that again and also to believe in Jinx again—in Powder again.”
A beautiful narrative expansion of the world of League of Legends, Arcane ends on a high and hopeful note amidst all the conflict and loss to get there. From its vibrantly animated cities to its memorable and nuanced characters, the Netflix original series has once again set the bar for what video game adaptations can and should be. Available to stream on Netflix, Arcane lives up to the hype as one of the most engrossing and heartfelt animated series around.
