What if the world’s greatest hitman retired, got married, put on weight, and opened a neighborhood convenience store? That is the irresistible premise of the Sakamoto Days manga — a series that blends explosive action with warm slice-of-life comedy like nothing else in Shonen Jump.
Created by Yuto Suzuki, Sakamoto Days follows Taro Sakamoto, a former legendary assassin, as he tries to live a quiet family life while his violent past keeps knocking on the store’s front door. This guide covers the story, the characters, the volumes, the anime, and how to read the series through official licensed sources.
What Is the Sakamoto Days Manga About?
Taro Sakamoto was once the greatest hitman of all time. Bad guys feared him. Assassins revered him. Then one day, he fell in love, quit the killing business, got married, and had a baby. Now he lives the quiet life as the owner of a small neighborhood store — and he has let himself go a little, trading his lean assassin’s physique for a dad bod.
The problem: you cannot just walk away from the underworld. Assassins with grudges, debts, and unfinished business keep coming after Sakamoto, and every one of them discovers the same thing — retirement has not made him soft. Sakamoto defends his family and his store with the same terrifying skill he once used to kill, usually without ever breaking his store’s “no killing” family rule.
It is the perfect action-comedy setup: the most dangerous man alive, armed with nothing but convenience-store merchandise and a deep love for his family.
Meet the Main Characters
Taro Sakamoto
The ex-hitman at the center of it all. Sakamoto is calm, kind, and almost comically unassuming — until someone threatens his family. Then he moves like a ghost and hits like a truck. His creative use of everyday objects as weapons is one of the series’ greatest joys.
Shin Asakura
Sakamoto’s former underling and a telepath — yes, he can read minds. Shin is loyal, reckless, and often the straight man to Sakamoto’s absurdity. His psychic ability makes him a powerful fighter, but it also means he constantly hears things he would rather not know.
Lu Xiaotang
A skilled fighter from a Chinese crime family who ends up working at Sakamoto’s store. Lu brings sharp martial arts skills and sharp attitude, and she quickly becomes part of the makeshift family.
Aoi and Hana Sakamoto
Sakamoto’s wife and daughter — the reason he retired, and the heart of the series. Aoi runs the family with a firm hand and a warm heart, and Sakamoto’s devotion to them grounds every ridiculous action scene.
Why the Sakamoto Days Manga Works So Well
Sakamoto Days stands out in a crowded field of action manga for a few key reasons:
- Action choreography that is genuinely inventive. Suzuki stages fights with a hitman’s eye for improvisation — shopping carts, price guns, aprons, and frying pans all become weapons. Every battle feels different from the last.
- Comedy with real timing. The humor comes from character, not just gags. Sakamoto’s deadpan calm in the face of assassin-level chaos never gets old.
- A family worth fighting for. The action lands because the stakes are personal. Every fight is about protecting the store, the family, and the quiet life Sakamoto chose.
- An expanding underworld. As the series progresses, the assassin world grows richer — rival organizations, legendary killers, and the shadowy figures from Sakamoto’s past who want him dead.
- Heart beneath the chaos. For all the mayhem, the series is fundamentally about a man choosing love and peace over violence, and fighting to keep that choice.
The Anime Adaptation
The Sakamoto Days anime brought Taro Sakamoto’s world to television and introduced the series to a massive new audience. The adaptation captures the manga’s blend of kinetic action and deadpan comedy, and it is a great entry point for newcomers.
But the manga is where the story lives in full. The series runs far ahead of the anime, with later arcs expanding the assassin underworld and raising the stakes well beyond the store’s front counter. The publisher also lists spinoffs and extras for fans who want more, including Sakamoto Holidays and the light novel Sakamoto Days: Assassin’s Method.
How to Read the Sakamoto Days Manga Legally
Here is how to read the Sakamoto Days manga through licensed sources and support Yuto Suzuki directly:
1. Digital chapters — New chapters are available digitally through the official publisher’s platforms on release.
2. Print volumes — Collected English volumes are published by VIZ and available at bookstores and online retailers. The publisher’s series page lists the current volumes, which have reached the twenties.
3. Digital volumes — The collected volumes are also available as ebooks through major digital bookstores.
Skip the unlicensed aggregator sites. They do not pay the creator, and their scans are usually poor quality. The official release is affordable, beautifully translated, and keeps the series going.
For the latest volume listings and licensed digital chapters, check the official VIZ series page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created the Sakamoto Days manga?
The series is written and illustrated by Yuto Suzuki. His background in action staging shows in every fight scene — the choreography is some of the best in modern shonen manga.
Is the Sakamoto Days manga finished?
No. The series is still ongoing, with new chapters releasing on a regular schedule and the English collected volumes continuing to arrive. The story is deep into its larger underworld saga.
Why did Sakamoto quit being a hitman?
Sakamoto fell in love, got married, and started a family. He walked away from the assassin life to live quietly as a store owner and father. The entire series is about him defending that choice.
Where can I read the Sakamoto Days manga legally?
The official English release is published by VIZ — check the official VIZ series page for the latest volumes and digital chapters. Physical volumes are available at bookstores, and licensed digital chapters and ebook volumes are available through official platforms. Reading through licensed sources supports the creator directly.
Is Sakamoto Days appropriate for younger readers?
Sakamoto Days is a teen-rated action series with stylized violence, but it notably avoids killing — Sakamoto fights with a strict no-kill rule. It contains action violence and some strong language, making it best suited for teens and older readers.
Sakamoto Days is proof that action manga can be funny, heartfelt, and thrilling all at once. A retired hitman defending his corner store should not work this well — but in Yuto Suzuki’s hands, it is pure joy.
If you like modern action with inventive fights, our Kaiju No. 8 manga guide covers another standout — this one about a man who hunts giant monsters while hiding that he has become one.
