Sakamoto Days

Episode 22

At last, we've come to the end of the season for Sakamoto Days and after how action-packed last week's episode was, I was really curious to see how this would wrap it up. The answer, however, is that it frankly doesn't. What this episode actually does is start laying the groundwork for a theoretical third season (which, as of the time of this writing, hasn't been confirmed to be happening), which isn't exactly the worst thing it could do, but ends up making this feel less like a season finale and more the show just hitting the pause button for the foreseeable future.

After finally putting a stop to Gaku's test, the JCC exams come to an end, with everyone having passed (except Sakamoto, who fails due to the technicality of having a bounty on his head). While that does make for a somewhat anticlimactic outcome to this whole ordeal, it isn't without some payoff. For one thing, we finally get to see Toramaru realize she's been in the presence of her idol this entire time, as well as her inevitable breakdown once she takes in Sakamoto's current appearance. Instead of using this for any cheap fat jokes, I'm glad that her reaction is more about the internal realization that caring this much about looks makes her a fake fan, and watching her whole worldview shatter like glass makes for a way better punchline. Sadly, that's pretty much the end of any interactions between the two of them for the time being, but this also certainly isn't the last we'll see of Toramaru.

As it turns out, she and Mafuyu impressed Gaku enough to be welcomed into Slur's ranks, and the two of them get abducted by Kanaguri, who turns out to have been working for Slur all along. Of course, while Slur and his buddies might be anarchists, they aren't plotting to take advantage of their new hires, so we do at least get a quick gag about Kashima offering them a generous employment package before resorting to threats when this still doesn't take. Speaking of anarchy, we also learn that it's essentially what lies at the end of Slur's plans if he succeeds in destroying the JAA, as their work sometimes results in them dealing with criminals that the police never get around to catching. Without the organization's presence, crime could ramp up significantly. With the extent to which the violence assassins cause has been normalized in this show's universe, and the revelation that they do function as some form of crime deterrent in maintaining social order, it's hard not to draw some parallels between them and the organized violence of law enforcement, which does add quite a lot to their presence in the story. Exactly how much of that is intentional is hard to say, but it does make Slur's crusade against the JAA a lot more interesting. It could make for some interesting commentary if we get any future seasons.

Beyond that, though, there's not much meat to this finale. We do get more setup for the JCC infiltration, with Shin posing as a new student, while Sakamoto has to disguise himself as a female teacher to avoid suspicion. However, as surprisingly good as Sakamoto looks in that getup, a powerful character design isn't the same as a good stopping point. As it stands, having this end with a teaser of what's to come without outright confirming a new season makes this last episode somewhat of a letdown. That aside, I can at least say that this season ended up being a good time overall. While it never quite reached the highs that many fans were probably looking for in the fight animation department, it did at least manage to improve over the first cour's offerings and further lean into the Hollywood action movie theatrics that make the manga such a fun read. For all my harping about the lack of a real stopping point here, a new season is probably a matter of when, not if, and when it inevitably returns, I hope we'll get to see this adaptation continue to improve.

Rating:

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Sakamoto Days is currently streaming on Netflix on Saturdays.

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