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Despite many complaints, especially from longtime fans,Sakamoto Daysis still among the most watched shows on Netflix. The series has sparked controversies even before its debut – fans first criticized the trailer for focusing too much on slice-of-life segments, leaving the action behind.
It’s important to note that the action scenes are one of the key features of theSakamoto Daysmanga, and many fans were naturally excited about seeing them adapted into animation. And, of course, they wanted them to be great action scenes, like those inJujutsu KaisenorDemon Slayer. So, it is natural that these fans would be worried or upset by the absence of consistent action scenes in the trailers.
What Global Viewership Numbers Suggest
In its first week,Sakamoto Dayswasn’t featured in Netflix’s global most-watched weekly chart – butit has been ranking in the top ten since its second week. That means the series has been among the most-watched shows for five weeks straight.
In Japan, it’s even better, as the series has stayed in the top 10 for six weeks straight, and it is impressive the series featured in its first week as the episode was released only one day before the end of the “chart week”. It is also noteworthy that Netflix Japan released two episodes on January 11, while only one episode was released worldwide, and the Japanese service is one episode ahead of the global release since then. This meanssome fans might be using VPN to watch episodes before their global release and boosting Japanese viewership numbers.
Analyzing the numbers, viewership declined since its release, as is natural, but hours viewed seem to stay constant. In the first week it was featured in the chart (Jan 13-19),Sakamoto Daysranked at second, with 8,600,000 views and over 7,700,000 hours viewed. In the last two weeks, the series had around 3,000,000 views (each week), but hours viewed are still between 7,000,000 and 8,000,000 (each week). Thus, it seems the audience is solid.
In comparison,by mid-season,Dandadanhad around 3,000,000 views and 7,000,000 hours viewed, which are similar numbers. However, asDandadanwas not a Netflix exclusive series, its overall viewership (considering all streaming services) was likely higher than this.
Criticism Is Not Only About Action Scenes
While the first complaints were mostly about the action, as the show advanced, some fans started expressing dissatisfaction regarding the humor and the slice-of-life segments too. In their opinion, the production iscutting many slice-of-life chapters and scenesthat add to the humor and vibe of the story. And it’s not only about the contents of the show for some, as recent reports have led many to believe thatthe animators are under pressure.
For now, it seems that viewership isnot converting into manga sales in Japan at the same pace. However, numbers from Manga PLUS suggest that many new fans are now reading the latest chapters, which are available for free. So, there might still be a spike in sales in the near future.
Sakamoto Daysis available to stream on Netflix, subbed and dubbed in many languages.
Sakamoto Days
Cast
A 2025 anime, Sakamoto Days is an action-comedy based on Yuto Suzuki’s shonen manga, which debuted in 2020. The series follows Taro Sakamoto, a retired hitman who has been enjoying the family life for years. He spends his days running a small store alongside Shin, but his peaceful existence is regularly interrupted by ghosts of the past.
