Sakamoto Days is undoubtedly one of the most highly anticipated anime adaptations slated for 2025. The manga, penned by Yuto Suzuki, has amassed a loyal following since its debut in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2020. With over 7 million copies in circulation as of late 2024, the series has consistently been regarded as a potential flagship title for Shueisha.
However, the upcoming anime adaptation by TMS Entertainment has become the subject of heated controversy, with Japanese fans voicing serious concerns about both the adaptation’s quality and its choice of voice actors.
What Is Sakamoto Days?
The manga follows Taro Sakamoto, a legendary hitman who retires to live a peaceful life as a convenience store owner, only to have his past come back to haunt him. The series has been celebrated for its dynamic action sequences and comedic tone, making it a standout in Weekly Shonen Jump.
Fans have long awaited an anime adaptation, which is now set to premiere on January 11, 2025, with a planned two-cour run, the second part airing in July 2025.
Given its reputation as a potential successor to other Shonen Jump hits like Demon Slayer or Jujutsu Kaisen, expectations were high for its anime debut. Unfortunately, the reaction to its promotional material has been less than enthusiastic.
“I’m looking forward to it, but when I think about the animation and the voice actors of my favorite characters, I feel a little sad.”
-Comment from YouTube
Fans Not Happy With Studio Choice
TMS Entertainment, the studio behind the adaptation, is a veteran in the anime industry, known for classics like Lupin the Third and Detective Conan. While the studio has had success with recent titles like Dr. Stone and Megalobox, their track record has been inconsistent when it comes to high-stakes adaptations.
Fans of Sakamoto Days seem to believe the studio may not be up to the challenge of faithfully capturing the manga’s fast-paced and visually dynamic action sequences.
The controversy gained traction after the release of the trailers, which showcased animation quality that many felt was subpar. Fans were particularly disappointed with the flat visual style and lack of intensity in the action sequences—elements critical to the manga’s appeal.
“The animation is not that bad, but the battle scenes in the original are so amazing that it just looks so much inferior.” (502 likes)
-Comment on YouTube Sakamoto Days Trailer
Voice Actor Selections
The criticism, however, has not been limited to the animation. The choice of voice actors has become another significant point of contention. While the anime industry often relies on well-known and experienced voice actors, many fans feel that Sakamoto Days would have benefited from casting newer talent. Instead, the cast is filled with some of the most popular voice actors in the industry.
- Tomokazu Sugita (Taro Sakamoto) is known for his iconic role as Gintoki in Gintama.
- Nobunaga Shimazaki (Shin Asakura) is recognized for his work in Your Lie in April and Fruits Basket.
- Other cast members include Natsuki Hanae (Demon Slayer) and Saori Hayami (Spy x Family), both of whom are industry veterans.
Japanese fans have expressed fatigue with hearing the same voices repeatedly, especially in roles they feel do not align with the characters.
Comparisons have been made to the manga’s voiced comic (vomic) adaptation, which featured performances widely praised for their alignment with the series’ tone. Many fans lamented the decision not to carry over those actors into the anime adaptation.
YouTube Comment: “The voice actors for the voiced comic absolutely knocked it out of the park. I’ll forever seethe over Aoi Koga’s amazing performance as Osaragi in the voiced comic not coming true in the anime.”
Comments on Trailers
The trailers for the anime, particularly the second one, have drawn widespread criticism. On platforms like YouTube, the top comments are overwhelmingly negative, with many fans expressing disappointment in both the visuals and the voice acting. u/Electrical_Chance991 compiled some comments from YouTube comment section.
Japanese fans are not happy with the upcoming Sakamoto Days Anime adaptation to the point the studio started deleting negative Japanese comments from YouTube trailers
byu/Electrical_Chance991 inanime
Here are some examples of translated comments from Japanese fans:
- “It’s bad to have people worry about the animation in a PV…” (653 likes)
- “As a reader of the original work, I was hoping for something less flat and more fast-paced…” (348 likes)
- “Not only is the art bad, but the voice actors are not a good fit either. I’ve been looking forward to this being made into an anime for a long time, so the disappointment is huge…” (110 likes)
- “This manga, whose selling point is its dynamic and powerful action, is being made into an anime with this kind of artwork…?” (145 likes)
In response to the backlash, it has been reported that TMS Entertainment has started deleting negative comments on their official YouTube channel. This action has only fueled further criticism, as fans see it as an attempt to suppress legitimate feedback.
YouTube Comment: “Deleting negative comments does not change the fact that people are not happy with how TMS and Shueisha are handling one of its top series. You are just making the fans angrier.”
The growing dissatisfaction among Japanese fans raises concerns about the anime’s reception and its potential success. But this is not the first time a popular manga’s anime adaptation has been criticized.
When Chainsaw Man anime cast was announced, Japanese fans criticized the voice actor choices, especially Makima’s voice cast was heavily criticized in Japanese online forums.
With the manga being positioned as a future cornerstone of Weekly Shonen Jump, the anime adaptation was expected to propel its popularity even further. However, the combination of underwhelming animation, polarizing voice actor choices, and mishandling of fan feedback may jeopardize its ability to achieve that goal.
