Sakamoto Days' hero, Sakamoto, notable does not talk much, and there is a good reason for that.
The new 2025 anime is now streaming on Netflix, bringing to life the world and characters of Yuto Suzuki's beloved manga of the same name for the first time on-screen.
The series centers on Taro Sakamoto a former hitman (think John Wick) who has left his life of contract killing behind to run a Japanese convenience store known as a konbini.
However, just like Keanu Reeves' iconic movie assassin (who is set to appear in this year's Ballerina), Sakamoto is thrust back into action as enemies from his past life come seeking revenge.
Why Does Sakamoto Not Talk in Sakamoto Days?
As Sakamoto Days kicks off its run on Netflix in North America, fans have started to wonder why the show's main character, Taro Sakamoto, does not talk much.
Early in the anime's run, Sakamoto has remained fairly quiet, living his life as a quaint elderly convenience store owner. Even when some loose ends from his previous career as an accomplished international hitman come back into his life, the show's titular hero remains largely mute.
That is not to say fans never hear the character's voice. Instead of talking out loud, he prefers to converse with himself by way of an ongoing internal monologue while letting his actions to his speaking for him externally.
With only a few episodes having aired so far, the anime adaptation has not really had time to dive into why Sakamoto remains a man of few words.
Luckily for fans though, there are hundreds of issues of the manga it is based on to dive into for information on this particular subject.
For as long as there have been anime adaptations of beloved manga, voracious readers have been reading ahead to get a tease of what is to come. Just look at what fans have been doing with the beloved Jujustu Kaisen series in anticipation of the show's return.
In the manga, it is revealed that Sakamoto chooses to speak rarely, as he aims to withhold his feelings. Like any hardened former assassin this emotional restraint is done to protect those he holds dear.
Simply put, the more the enemy knows, the more dangerous they become. By not talking, Sakamoto gives his foes very little to go on when it comes to using emotional leverage against him.
This does not last forever though. Throughout the manga, Sakamoto slowly opens up, expressing himself and talking a bit more as time goes on.
This opening up to his family and those he loves is largely thanks to several extenuating circumstances that make him realize his internalization of emotions may not be the best practice.
One particular example of this comes fairly deep into the manga's run when his daughter Hana is threatened thoroughly by some of his foes. He tries not to show that he is visibly shaken by the threats and nearly drives himself mad because of it.
It can be assumed that if the Sakamoto Days anime can go on for long enough to get to moments like that, fans will be treated to more of Sakamoto actually speaking in the show.
Sakamoto Days is now streaming on Netflix.
