Sakamoto Days Episode 12 Review: A New Challenge Is Up Ahead

The first episode of Sakamoto Days, or SAKAMOTO DAYS Season 1 part 2, was surprisingly good. Let’s discover how this episode plays out.

Sakamoto Days Overview

Sakamoto Days is a Japanese manga created by Yuto Suzuki, which has been running in Weekly Shōnen Jump since November 2020. As of June 2025, the series has been compiled into 22 volumes. It is available in English through Viz Media and the Manga Plus platform, making it easily accessible to international readers and fans.

An anime adaptation of the manga was officially announced in May 2024, produced by TMS Entertainment. The show is helmed by director Masaki Watanabe, with Taku Kishimoto handling the series composition, Yō Moriyama overseeing character design, and music composed by Yuki Hayashi. The anime is split into two cours, with the first airing from January 11 to March 22, 2025, and the second beginning on July 15, 2025. Prior to the second cour’s premiere, its first two episodes were screened early in Japan on June 15, generating buzz and anticipation among fans.

Netflix holds the global streaming rights, releasing each episode in sync with its Japanese broadcast. The series features a lineup of notable theme songs: “Hashire Sakamoto” by Vaundy as the first opening, and “Futsū” by Conton Candy as the first ending. A special ending song, “Somebody Help Us” by Vaundy, appears in episode 7. The second opening theme is “Method” by Kroi, and the ending for the second cour is “Dandelion” by Go!Go!Vanillas. These musical contributions help enhance the action-packed and comedic tone of the show.

Sakamoto Days Season 1 Part 2 Episode 1 Review

This part starts with a lot more action than I anticipated, and I absolutely loved that fact. We see how Slug brought a group of extremely violent criminals to Japan just so they could successfully take out Sakamoto. We get introduced to these new characters, and honestly, they are really terrifying. These criminals are all death row inmates, where Dump comes off as a sadistic woman who loves to kill people after getting excited by their terrified looks before death. Then, we also have Apart, a killer with severe OCD, Minimalist, a murderer who loves to shrink his targets into small balls, and finally, there’s Saw, who is yet to showcase his ruthless side.

However, it’s not like their arrival is not anticipated, as both Sakamoto and The Order are gearing up to counter them. Here, we also got to know about another member of the Order called Takamura, and honestly speaking, he is one of the most interesting characters of this series. I did not expect him to be the way he is. Other than this, one very interesting thing happened in this episode, and we got to know the rank Sakamoto currently has as an assassin. He has plummeted to a mere B rank.

However, the most exciting part of the story is definitely in the second half, where Saw decides to attack Lu and Shin right away. Their fight was one of the best, as even Shin’s ability to read minds was not very helpful. They were completely overwhelmed by Saw, and it showed.

Verdict

I really love today’s episode as the action sequences are a lot more detailed and pronounced. Maybe, this time, they will avoid all the mistakes they made in the first part. I genuinely hope that this season becomes a hit and fans start to see this anime in a better light.

Must Read: Sakamoto Days Episode 6 Review: A Weak-Willed Assassin