Over the weekend, Netflix released the opening sequence for Sakamoto Days, which is set to debut on January 11. However, what seemed like good news has actually left fans worried about the quality of the animation.
Sakamoto Days is one of the most anticipated anime not only of the Winter 2025 season, but the year as a whole. It’s one of the biggest Shonen Jump hits today, especially considering that My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, and other major titles have recently ended.
But fans (particularly those in Japan) have expressed concerns about the trailers. While Sakamoto Days follows a former hitman trying to live a normal life, it’s an action-packed series in which Sakamoto’s past frequently haunts him, putting his family in danger.
Fans have criticized the trailers for not highlighting enough action sequences, focusing more on the “slice of life” aspect of the show. This has raised worries that the animation quality will not live up to the show’s hype.
On the Reddit’s largest anime community, the top comments about the opening are mostly negative, with users claiming the new video just seems to confirm their previous concerns about how TMS Entertainment doesn’t seem to be handling the series properly.
One user wrote, “Going into this one blind, but that’s about as low energy of an opening as I’ve ever seen.”
Another added, “Going into this having read the manga and a massive fan of it and yeah I agree. I’m whelmed.”
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A third also commented, “The song is good but something is missing in the visual department of the animation. There is nothing outstanding that would catch a new viewer imo.”
Why is Sakamoto Days’ opening sequence so important?
Opening sequences are typically one of the first things viewers see when a show premieres, so it’s no wonder they’re considered some sort of display case for a series/It’s not hard to find anime that are generally considered mild or even bad with great opening sequences.
Studios are aware they need to impress the audience with opening sequences, and they often put a lot of effort into doing so. As these segments are also made in advance and repeated over episodes (though sometimes with minor changes between episodes), they tend to feature higher-quality animation than the episodes themselves (anime episodes are generally produced weekly as the show is airing, so it’s hard to keep up the high-quality standards all the time).
As a current Shonen Jump hit, Sakamoto Days is expected to have top-tier animation (or at least as good as possible, given the tight deadlines). If the opening sequence isn’t meeting expectations, it’s definitely a concerning sign.
Fans who are claiming that the sequence falls short are not entirely wrong. There is less movement in this opening compared to series like Jujutsu Kaisen, Solo Leveling, or Demon Slayer. It would look impressive for a 2000s-2010s show, but for such a highly anticipated anime in 2025, it’s a bit disappointing.
Meanwhile, check out more on the first episode of Solo Leveling Season 2.
