Image: TMS Entertainment
Shin and Sakamoto defeat the mad scientist Higuchi.
The slow but steady way the Sakamoto Days anime has been improving gives a manga reader like me some hope. After introducing some colourful characters in the previous episode, the latest entry to the anime showed us what they can do. Sakamoto and Shin, despite having a disadvantage, ultimately defeated Mad Higuchi. Lu, on the other hand, learned about Shin’s upbringing and was understandably touched. But what came after was even more entertaining.
Spoiler Alert: this article contains spoilers from the Sakamoto Days anime
A mad scientist on steroids and a dad with regrets
The episode began with Heisuke promising Hana, who was crying, that he would bring Sakamoto, Shin, and Lu back. Back at the lab, Mad Higuchi, the crazy scientist, injects Sakamoto with something that makes his brain malfunction. He ends up hitting Shin, his friend, when he tries to hit Higuchi, his foe. Although Sakamoto overcomes it easily, it was fun to see Shin babbling nonsense. Higuchi then went all out, using what I can only describe as steroids on steroids, on his own body. He turned into a massive muscular being, but Shin and Sakamoto’s teamwork leaves no room for mistakes.
We also see Lu, who learns from Shin’s adoptive father how he was left in the lab by a friend when he was little. Shin grew up amongst the scientists, and Asakura, the overseer of the lab, became his father figure. One day, after accidentally drinking something Asakura was working on, Shin gained the ability to read minds. But soon, he was pushed away by the lab workers as they thought he was creepy. Ever since Shin left, Asakra had been living with guilt, which was hard to see. I understand why Lu was crying so much after hearing the story. I was also glad to see Shin taking charge of his own power and using it as an advantage in battle instead of a drawback.
The danger duo and the deer man
Although packed with some great action, the first part of this episode paled compared to the second part. Order members Shishiba and Osaragi, were approached by the man with the deer mask and two other assassins. It was soon apparent how powerful the Order is when Osaragi, an unassuming girl of short stature, beheads the two guys in a split second. But what’s mind blowing was Kashima, the deer-headed guy, taking off the stitches on his body, to reveal his modified limbs that have been turned into weapons.
Seriously, seeing it so long after reading the initial chapters of the manga was a bit shocking even for me. I would say the anime did a pretty great job at showing Kashima’s strength and his devotion to the leader of Slur. Now that he’s facing none other than the legendary hitman Sakamoto, I can’t wait to see if the next episode does their battle justice. Heisuke also reached the facility just in time to injure Seba, the invisible guy, who almost killed Shin. It’s likely that Asakura and Lu will meet them soon.
Overall, a good episode with not that many disappointments. Of course, the animation still has a lot of room for improvement, but my GOATs Shishiba and Osaragi’s introductions didn’t completely fall flat. I loved how the episode managed to get some laughs in despite the high-intensity action, like the time when Osaragi thought Sakamoto looks like a teddy bear. The next episode of the series will air on Saturday, 8 March, 2025.
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