 https://myanimelist.net/anime/58939/ Plot Summary Tarou Sakamoto was considered the greatest hitman of all time. Feared by many, he stood at the top of the underground world until he met and fell in love with a woman. As a result, Sakamoto abandoned his life of crime and now works as a convenience store clerk. Leaving his shady past behind proves more difficult than Sakamoto initially imagined. Many of his former rivals and partners do not believe that he has truly left the business and show up in hopes of taking him out. Barred from killing, Sakamoto must find creative ways to subdue his enemies and prevent them from bringing harm to his family, his store, and the small town he resides in. Other Information Type: TV Episodes: Currently Airing Status: Not yet aired Aired: Jan 11, 2025 to ? Premiered: Winter 2025 Broadcast: Saturdays at 23:00 (JST) Producers: None found, add some Licensors: None found, add some Studios: TMS Entertainment Source: Manga Genres: Action, Comedy Themes: Adult Cast, Organized Crime Demographic: Shounen Duration: Unknown Rating: None |
| Episode 1 While Sakamoto has long since retired as a hitman, having since become a father and got fat after opening his own conveni, some things never change as he still has that hitman's instincts in him. Shin is sent after him as despite being out of the profession, Shin's boss is paranoid that he might leak some important stuff to others. Shin tries to take him down, but even at his age and shape Sakamoto takes up down using only snacks and stuff, and afterwards Shin is treated to a heartwarming meal by Sakamoto's wife. After seeing just how kind the Sakamoto family is, Shin decides to quit being a hitman himself. As Shin has clairvoyance, he knew right away that those guys had no intention of keeping Sakamoto alive even after offering to kill himself in his place. And even though Sakamoto isn't a hitman anymore, he still has his artillery that's hidden inside the store, using that to save Shin and now he's a part-timer at the store. That was a fun way to open things up, and while the production values aren't exactly the best, I can see why the manga was so great. Let's see how things go from here as it's a split-cour show. |
GridironOtakuJan 11, 7:15 AM
| Apparently, Netflix Japan has the first two episodes available subbed and dubbed, while only the first one is here in the U.S. |
| Failure is always an option. |
| From that very first "GAAAAAN!" that Sakamoto uttered, you know it's Tomokazu Sugita. xD I like that there's a supernatural touch to this since if there wasn't, Sakamoto and Shin would just be some overpowered and plot armor wearing MCs. At least with some special abilities, them surviving bullet hell and being outnumbered would make sense. Since OPM S3 wants to take its precious time, I hope Sakamoto can set the bar high for gimmick Anime so that OPM S3 would've a high ceiling to reach. For taking so long, it should be as great, if not better than the first season. |
   |
| Sakamoto still has the skills despite being fat. After failing to convince him to return to being an assassin, Shin reluctantly tries to take him down to prevent someone else from doing the job. When he's stopped dead in his tracks, Shin decides to own up to his shortcomings. His clairvoyance may have seen through his boss's intention of not keeping his word, but it's not all powerful, as a bullet fired without intent hits him in the leg. And then comes Sakamoto cleaning house with a stun gun and a pair of chopsticks. Now Shin's working for Sakamoto again, only this time as a convenience store clerk. Like with the two series that were on Netflix this past fall, this one has a same-day dub. Here's the English VA list for episode 1: Taro Sakamoto: Matthew Mercer Shin Asakura: Dallas Liu Aoi Sakamoto: Rosie Okumura Hana Sakamoto: Grace Lu Kyle McCarley is ADR director for this series. |
| Failure is always an option. |
| Seems that all the Sakamoto in Japan are superheros. |
| <- just trolling |
| A lot of the shots have that facebook pencil drawing filter added on that I really don't like. The action was good though, which is encouraging since creative action sequences is what made the manga stand out. |
| Controversial opinions |
| I hate that anime ends up on Netflix, but you can't say that they don't have some of the highest quality stuff. Is it a coincidence that this has strong Sakamoto desu Ga vibes and they are both named Sakamoto? |
| Episode 2 Now that Shin has quit being a hitman having taken a part-time job at Sakamoto's conveni, it's off to the Yokohama Chinatown to do some shopping, and some hitman hit on a lady, who happens to be a strong martial artist. It turns out that these hitmen are after a key that Xiaotang possesses as it unlocks something very important that the Lu family entrusts Xiaotang to guard with her life. Bacho and Son Hee are sent to kill Xiaotang and get the key as those two killed her parents, but they totally underestimate Sakamoto, who recalls his promise he made to his wife on Christmas years ago to help others and not kill anybody ever again. So Sakamoto deals with those two by using only stuff in the kitchen, and then Xiaotang deals with their boss, and taking a page from Sakamoto's playbook, beats him up, but lets him live. Behind the vault is a lot of treasure, and some family mementoes. Despite all the inheritance, Xiaotang is working at the convenience store. So with that, Xiaotang joins the shop, all while the mafia is placing an even bigger bounty on Sakamoto. Once again, amusing stuff, all while Sakamoto just looks cool using unconventional tactics to fight back. |
| While they're out on a restocking run, Sakamoto and Shin get involved in a mafia scuffle when a girl named Lu falls down on them while escaping from some thugs. A couple assassins are sent after her to take a key that she has, but Sakamoto ends up clocking them with pots, kitchen utensils, and a fridge. The key goes to a vault with treasure and mementoes. Lu is now an employee at the convenience store, but there's also a bounty placed on Sakamoto and Shin. New English VA for episode 2: Lu Shaotang: Rosalie Chiang "Shaotang" is actually the correct Romanized spelling. The error stems from an incorrect kanji from her introduction in the manga that resulted in the English spelling to be "Xiaotang." The Japanese have since corrected that error, but Viz's translation still keeps the erroneous spelling. |
| Failure is always an option. |
| I wonder if Maaya Sakamoto is secretly an assassin. |
| <- just trolling |
| Eh. I've tried both sub and dub and this one just isn't holding my interest. Sakamoto seems more like a gimmick than a character. (Which was also the case with the previous Sakamoto show.) |
| Gotta be honest, this is lacking during action segments. If the comedy is superb then maybe it would be a fine trade off. But the comedy is just fine, especially now that Sakamoto speaks-- it lessens now lessens the impact of jokes with him being less weird/eccentric and mysterious. This should either be very strong in one aspect or have a good balance of both. But so far, it's been so so. I guess this won't be a 'bar-setter' I thought it could be. |
|
| Episode 3 Lu has quite a lot to learn seeing that she can't even put stuff in the right place. And here comes another assassin who can shapeshift in Yoichi Nagumo, who comes in with a warning that Sakamoto has a bounty on his head. And then Sakamoto takes his family and workers to the amusement park, and knowing that the hitmen aren't taking the day off that Shin serves as a lookout. And there's a hitman on the roller coaster and shin engages in battle with him. While Shin's eye sight is impaired, his mind reading lets him know where the hitman will strike, and disguised as the park's mascot Sugar, he beats that guy into submissioin with a dropkick. While Sakamoto can take a day off work, not from being pursued by hitmen as Shin really shows what he can do. |
| Shin and Sakamoto now know about the bounty, and Shin and Lu act as bodyguards on a trip to an amusement park. After dispatching a hitman with a janitor theme, Shin fights another on a roller coaster, but when he's hit with a poison knife, he changes their fight location to a stage show, where Shin battles the hitman as the park's mascot, and Sakamoto coaches him through the fight telepathically. New English VA for episode 3: Yoichi Nagumo: Aleks Le Tatsu: Xander Mobus |
Galaxy-CrisisFeb 1, 7:49 AM
| Failure is always an option. |
| This episode's battle is much better than the last episode's. I quite appreciated the 'Vibe' villain. Hope he show up again at some point. This episode established that this show shouldn't be taken seriously, action-wise, in any way considering they just brushed off some heavy fall damage, and that there's a 'doppelganger' dude whose ability is so easily OP. I don't mind that. This is much better viewed as a Comedy Action than Shounen Comedy. The source of interest would come from the clever ideas they make up for the fights, same way they did with Shin having his 'Mind-reading' ability negated, while also blinded by poison but had Sakamoto as his eyes and mind. |
|
| Aoi and Hana looked extra happy on the floor. |
| <- just trolling |
| Episode 4 In the end, Sakamoto and Shin let Tatsu go after he tells Shin that the JAA posted the bounty and that he works for Dondenkai. But the Hard-Boiled duo of Obiguro and Boiled show up to pick up where Tatsu left off. They are waiting to strike at the haunted house. Sakamoto and Boiled used to be close partners, but his inferiority complex reared its ugly head as he was none too pleased that Sakamoto and Shin were far more popular with the ladies there than he was. So it has been his mission since to settle his grudge with Sakamoto. While Sakamoto fights Boiled, Shin and Lu deal with Obiguro, while she holds Aoi and Hana hostage. Obiguro has Shin tied and makes Lu try and bring out her full potential. Sakamoto finally reveals his true self after being cornered by Boiled as he now remembers who he is and has slimmed down to his peak form in an instant. So Sakamoto still has it in him to be a hitman, and while he's not willing to return to the profession, he can still fight at his peak and look like the guy he was at his prime rather than the fat dude he is in the present. |
| After a few more rides, it's off to the haunted house attraction, where the next group of assassins prepares to strike. One of them, Boiled, is an old colleague from Sakamoto's assassin days, and he's got a chip on his shoulder. When Lu gets drunk, everyone gets separated, and she has to fight Boiled's partner Obiguro, who has Shin tied down on a stretcher with a chainsaw in his face. As for Boiled, he tries to knock Sakamoto down, but he only succeeds in jarring his memory. Plus, Sakamoto has now slimmed down, so the tables are about to turn. New English VA's for this episode: Boiled: SungWon Cho Obiguro: Alexa Bliss |
| Failure is always an option. |
| That's burning calories |
| <- just trolling |
| Episode 5 Lu managed to hold her own against Obiguro as with her drunken fighting, she landed contact after contact thanks to her unpredictability. And Sakamoto showed just how unbeatable he was in prime taking out Boiled and landing inside a Ferris wheel carriage, and afterwards sharing a meat bun as Boiled decides to not pursue Sakamoto anymore. After that, Sakamoto, Shin, and Lu infiltrate the Dondenkai where they encounter Nagumo after he kills everybody else. Or at least that's what he said at first as somebody else got to them first known only as X. So it's back to the shop with assassins coming after Sakamoto, while Shin and Lu are dealing with any assassins coming their way. Pretty silly how things turned out, but this X guy is no joke from the look of things. It sure didn't take long for Sakamoto to pack on the pounds again. |
| Obiguro has so much fun fighting Lu that she actually lets her and Shin go. And Sakamoto pummels Boiled and sends him flying into a Ferris wheel car, where they share a ride. Boiled decides to stop pursuing Sakamoto, but Aoi soon finds out about the bounty, and she's actually more upset that her husband didn't tell her about it. Sakamoto, Shin, and Lu head to the Dondenkai headquarters to find answers, only to find every member killed. Nagumo mentions that the Dondenkai are the latest victims in a spree of attacks on professional hitmen, one so severe that the Order, a group of top-ranking assassins that Sakamoto used to be a part of, is getting involved. New English VA's for this episode: Shishiba: Keith Silverstein Hyo: Imari Williams Iriya: Doug Stone X (Slur): Vinnie Hacker Netflix's dub cast list does not mention who voices Osaragi, who was also introduced in this episode. |
| Failure is always an option. |
| Safety Glasses! |
| <- just trolling |
| Episode 6 Heisuke and his bird Piisuke are after Sakamoto's bounty as he's a homeless guy who is desperate to earn anything. Sakamoto enters an airsoft tournament, needing the money to repair the store, all while Heisuke tags along since this is a team event. Sakamoto's team wipes the competition, but Heisuke decides to pull out a real sniper rifle and start firing at them. Sakamoto and Shin fight back, and Sakamoto throws a rock at Heisuke's rifle to break it. In the end, while Sakamoto won the prize money, almost all of it went towards paying to repair the damages Heisuke caused. As it turns out, Heisuke is somebody who just wasn't good at anything but sniping, and as such he's desperate to make it as a sniper, but while others look down on him, not Sakamoto. Seeing how Heisuke is a dimwitted and honest guy as opposed to the other hitmen that he figures to become a regular customer at his shop with an opportunity to make a living. |
| The next hitman to come for Sakamoto is Heisuke Mashimo, a sniper who's down on his luck because sniping's the only thing he's really good at, and his pet bird Piisuke. Heisuke ends up teaming up with Sakamoto and Shin in an airsoft tournament, but when Lu blabs out Sakamoto's identity, Heisuke turns on them and shows them what he's really capable of. But Shin yells into his radio to create feedback in Heisuke's, and while he's recovering from the noise, Sakamoto hurls a rock to shatter his rifle. Sakamoto's team wins the tournament, but most of the prize money went to paying for damages, leaving little to go towards the store. New English VA for this episode: Heisuke Mashimo: Xolo Maridueña |
| Failure is always an option. |
| This need a spin-off like Broken Rage. |
| <- just trolling |
| Episode 7 Lu wears Shin's apron and the two have an argument, and some assassins in hazmats from the Lab going after Shin kidnap Lu thinking she's Shin because of the apron. With the name tags having GPS technology, Sakamoto can track them them down, but they lose them when Seba uses his invisibility to knock Shin out. As it turns out, Shin grew up in the Lab, and their hideout is under a museum. The Lab used to be welcoming place, but ever since it was taken over by Kashima that it has become a cruel place where experiments are being conducted to turn people into assassins in a cruel manner. Lu is thrown into the slammer where she meets the director Asakura all chained up as she tries to break out. In the meantime, Sakamoto battles some bear and dinosaur statues with hidden guns, and then Shin meets some old acquaintances as he knows why the Lab isn't the same as it was when he grew up, having decided to help them defeat Kashima and his gang. Then they fight Horiguchi, who stuns Shin that causes him to be unable to properly speak, but they take him out. In the meantime, a pair of assassins from the Order show up after being tipped off by Nagumo. Seeing that Shin just showed up in distress that there was bound to be an episode focused on him. |
| (Episode 7) Not sure the "No Killing" rule applied to those goons they smacked out of speeding big bikes. Not to mention, some of it exploded with goons on em. xD Shin also cracked the neck of one of the astronauts. :P Hopefully. this chapter finally produces some solid battles, seeing as there seems to be a lot more enemies involved. But I won't be surprised if they just hold all the action off for the 2nd Part which is set to air this Summer. I appreciated the 'mistaken identity' comedy bit. |
|
| When Shin leaves the store in a huff after an argument with Lu, Lu gets kidnapped by some guys in hazmat suits. Thanks to a GPS tracker in Shin's work uniform, which Lu was wearing, Sakamoto and Shin follow the trail to a museum, where Shin was raised by some scientists as part of an experiment that eventually gave him his clairvoyant abilities. After dealing with some gun platforms disguised as stuffed bears and a moving dinosaur skeleton, they find that the scientists have been taken hostage by a group of assassins. One of them shows up and disrupts Shin's ability to speak properly, but Sakamoto punches him square in the face. Meanwhile, Shishiba and Osaragi have arrived at the museum. New English VA's for this episode: Osaragi: Xanthe Huynh Natsuki Seba: Stephen Fu Kashima: Daman Mills Mad Horiguchi: Todd Haberkorn Asakura: Yong Yea As I mentioned previously, Osaragi was actually introduced in episode 5, but her dub credit shows up here for the first time. |
| Failure is always an option. |
| That is the T-Rex you want to use to cut a leg. |
| <- just trolling |
| Episode 8 Horiguchi recovers as his drug causes makes it tough for Sakamoto and Shin to distinguish friend from foe, while Asakua explains Shin's story to Lu. As it turns out Shin, volunteered to be Asakura's assistant and drank a chemical by accident that gave him clairvoyance. The scientists have been looking for a cure, but Shin decided to run away from the Lab. But now, Shin is looking to save the place and as such Asakura opens the cell and escapes with Lu. While that's going on, Sakamoto and Shin defeat Horiguchi. Then Shishiba and Osaragi come in to confront Kashima, looking for info about X, then leave to find him while Sakamoto deals with Kashima. Then Seiba ambushes Shin, but Heisuke comes in to deal with him. Shin has been through quite a lot, but he has found a place to belong to. |
| While Lu learns about Shin's past history with the Lab, Horiguchi gets up and has made it so Sakamoto's body can't distinguish between friend and foe. It takes a while to get used to things, but Sakamoto and Shin manage to defeat Horiguchi. After getting Horiguchi's needles out of their necks, they head out to find Lu, but Sakamoto falls down a trap door. He lands on the head of the group of assassins who took over the Lab, Kashima, who has encountered Shishiba and Osaragi. Evidently, Kashima's boss, Slur, has a beef with Sakamoto. Shishiba and Osaragi leave Sakamoto to deal with Kashima. Meanwhile, Shin tries to find Lu and regroup with Sakamoto, but he is ambushed by Seba and his invisibility suit. Shin is in a pinch until he notices Piisuke's shadow. He lets himself be cut by Seba and smears some blood on him, giving Heisuke an easy target to shoot. |
| Failure is always an option. |
| Sponsored by Pfizer. |
| <- just trolling |
Reply to MenchiK1
I love how all the lab people are so proud of Shin, and how he grew up to be so well adjusted. Do none of them realize he is an assassin?
| @MenchiK1 Sakamoto's employees don't kill, label them as assassins will damage their rights to self-perception. |
| <- just trolling |
| Episode 9 Seiba may be shot, but he's still dangerous as he sneaks up against Heisuke, but with his last shot he activates the sprinkler to expose his location to Shin for him to move in and finish him off. And then Sakamoto fights Kashima in a battle that spills over into the subway. Despite all the numerous enhancements, Kashima is no match for Sakamoto. And then the place self-destructs, but Sakamoto doesn't take long to finish off Kashima, while Shin uses his clairvoyance to locate everybody to evacuate everybody. But along they way, he runs into Slur, who Shishiba and Osaragi confirm is the one behind this operation. So with that, the case of the Lab has been resolved, but Slur remains at-large and after seeing firsthand just how dangerous he is, Sakamoto best be prepared when facing him. |
| Seba has some tricks up his sleeve, thinking outside the box with his invisibility suit, and he soon gains the upper hand against Heisuke. But Heisuke sets off the fire sprinklers, and with Seba exposed by the water, Shin easily knocks him out. However, explosions rock the Lab; Kashima has rigged the facility to collapse. Meanwhile, Kashima drags Sakamoto behind a passing train, but Sakamoto soon throws him into a subway, and the fight continues there. Sakamoto eventually sends Kashima flying through a subway station, and he tosses him in the trash. Back at the Lab, Shin and Heisuke meet up with Lu and Asakura, and with the help of Shin's clairvoyance, they get everyone to safety. But Shin encounters Slur just before he gets out of there. And Shishiba and Osaragi catch a glimpse of Slur's face before they take their leave. |
| Failure is always an option. |
| I swear the BGM that started at aroun 18:15 reminds me of the Hitman: Codename 47 theme song |
| Episode 10 After a stressful job at the Lab, it's off to the hot springs bath for some relaxation. And little did they suspect that Yutaro runs the place and is another assassin. But no matter what Yutaro throws at Sakamoto, he actually enjoys all the traps thrown at him seeing that he's just an amateur. After failing to take down Sakamoto, as well as seeing him flick away a couple of rude customers that Yutaro decides to give up his career as an assassin and take over the bathhouse. And then Wutang comes for Lu to take over the family, but she has no interest in running a mafia. But with info about the guy who put the bounty, Wutang challenges Sakamoto to a duel at an underground casino, and while Shin's mind-reading is a great weapon for this, neither he nor Sakamoto know how to play these games, all while Wutang has mastered the games already winning big. And in the meantime, Seba has decided to open up a crepe shop with Tanaka. One more episode left before the first cour finishes. |
| The group heads to a bathhouse to relax, but the man running the place that day is an amateur hitman and tries to take Sakamoto out with some traps. Despite being completely unaware of the manager's intentions, Sakamoto doesn't even flinch, while Shin is thrown for a loop. When Sakamoto saves the manager from some rude customers, the manager decides to quit being a hitman. Later, a man named Wutang shows up to try and get Lu to take over her father's position in the mafia, but Lu wants no part of it. Wutang challenges Sakamoto's group to a casino duel for information on who put the bounty on Sakamoto's head, and Wutang is already way ahead in the game. Meanwhile, Seba is running a crepe stand, and his invisibility suit is proving to be effective in drawing in customers. New VA for this episode: Wutang: Howard Wang |
| Failure is always an option. |
| Episode 11 To end this first season, it's the showdown in the casino, and while Sakamoto and Shin don't know the rules, they manage to wing it by using their special abilities to beat Wutang, who relies on card counting. The contest ends in a tie, and to settle things it's a good old fashioned game of Old Maid. Wutang manages to figure out that Shin's ability is clairvoyance and play tricks on his mind to get him eliminated, but Sakamoto responds with his own misdirection to beat Wutang. But they are not out of the clear as Wutang's guards try to take Lu by force before Wutang joins forces with Sakamoto to protect Lu. With that, Wutang becomes an employee to keep Lu safe, while Slur is making his next move, sending four infamous serial killers after Sakamoto. Once again, it's amusing to see just how Sakamoto and company turn the tables just when it looked like the odds are stacked against them. So with that, this show goes on break and will return in July. |
| Sakamoto's group manages to force a draw against Wutang, and they decide to play a game of Old Maid to break the tie. Wutang turns Shin's clairvoyance against him, and Sakamoto uses misdirection and deft skills to try to win. But Wutang's entourage gets impatient and tries to mutiny, and Wutang calls a bluff that allows Sakamoto's group to knock them out. Wutang becomes an employee for a while, and he tells Sakamoto that Slur is the one who put the bounty on his head. Slur has broken four death row inmates out of prison and has sent them after Sakamoto and the Order. New English VA's for this episode: Dump: Tiana Camacho Saw: David Vincent Apart: Erik Scott Kimerer Minimalist: Daniel Walton The series will continue in July. I was worried the U.S. would have to wait until then for today's episode. |
| Failure is always an option. |
| Dang! I didn't even realize until now that episode 11 was the end of the 1st cour. xP Now that the good guys' crew has more members- including Heisuke and Wutang-, and that the story seems to be getting into some very active arcs, I'm expecting much more on-brand comedy and action. This first half was fine enough but nothing too grand-- it left me wanting. Most notable moments for me so far would be Shin's battle against poison guy, and Sakamoto's fight with the last guy (I don't remember their names xP). I also appreciated the 'mistaken identity' bit when the bad guys abducted Lu. |
|
| Just an okay adaptation so far, in my opinion. All of the VAs fit their characters really well and the comedy bits worked for the most part. The art style is lacking for me, personally, and the action scenes didn't have quite the same punch as they did in the manga; the dinosaur fight in the museum was pretty underwhelming. I'll definitely watch the second cour in summer but may end up dropping it if I don't see a noticeable improvement. |
| Controversial opinions |
More topics from this board
» I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability Season 2 DiscussionHOOfan_1 - Jul 9 |
24 |
by MenchiK1
»»
1 hour ago |
|
» My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Discussion ( 1 2 )GridironOtaku - Jul 5 |
62 |
by MenchiK1
»»
1 hour ago |
|
» Clevatess Discussion ( 1 2 )GridironOtaku - Jul 2 |
86 |
by MenchiK1
»»
1 hour ago |
|
» Dandadan Season 2 Discussion ( 1 2 3 )GridironOtaku - Jul 3 |
102 |
by MenchiK1
»»
1 hour ago |
|
» Secrets of the Silent Witch Discussion ( 1 2 3 )GridironOtaku - Jul 4 |
102 |
by GridironOtaku
»»
2 hours ago |