Qiuqa put together 10 key points after watching Sakamoto Days Episode 3.
1. Two Sakamotos
Shin reprimands Shaotang for showing up two hours late for her shift at the convenience store, though she dismissively claims she was only a little tardy. Shin is further aggravated by her careless stocking, like putting detergent in the refrigerator alongside the drinks. Assuming she has never held a job before, Shin isn’t surprised by her incompetence. However, Shaotang fires back, claiming she used to help her mafia boss father dig massive holes to bury mysterious weapons. Frustrated, Shin marches over to Sakamoto, who is sitting at the register reading a newspaper, and demands he fire her immediately.
Surprisingly, Sakamoto politely scolds Shin for speaking so harshly to others. He then turns to Shaotang, gently asking her to apologize for her tardiness. Both Shin and Shaotang are stunned by Sakamoto’s sudden shift in demeanor, noting that he is talking far more than usual.
The shock deepens when the store door opens and another Sakamoto walks in. Suddenly, two Sakamotos stand before them. The newcomer calmly strolls to the counter, sits down, and begins reading a newspaper, while the first Sakamoto immediately accuses him of being an imposter.
Without hesitation, the first Sakamoto thrusts a knife at the newspaper held by the second, but the second simply tilts his head to dodge. They instantly clash—the first aiming a pistol at the second’s neck, while the second presses a box cutter against the first. The standoff freezes as they wait for the other to make a move.
The second Sakamoto casually remarks that it’s been a long time since he last saw Nagumo. Instantly, the first Sakamoto drops his disguise, revealing himself as a young man. He praises Sakamoto for still moving so sharply. Shin is amazed by Nagumo’s lightning-fast transformation and realizes his esper abilities cannot read Nagumo’s mind at all.
2. Nagumo Reveals the Bounty
Sakamoto explains to Shin and Shaotang that Nagumo is a 27-year-old former colleague from his hitman days. Prior to the reveal, Nagumo had pranked Shin and Shaotang by claiming to be a 19-year-old cashier from the supermarket across the street; annoyed by his jokes, they had tied him to a chair.
Nagumo reveals that the assassin association recently placed a 108 billion rupiah bounty on Sakamoto’s head. Shortly after, a pizza delivery man enters the store to drop off an order. Reading his mind, Shin instantly realizes the man has lethal intentions—he is a hitman.
Wielding twin pizza cutters, the delivery man threatens to slit Nagumo’s throat while he is still bound to the chair. In the blink of an eye, Nagumo appears behind the man, placing him in a tight chokehold. Calmly, Nagumo proves his point: Sakamoto is actively being hunted.
Just as Nagumo prepares to snap the assassin’s neck, Sakamoto orders him to stop. Nagumo complies without a fuss, but questions if Sakamoto truly intends to uphold his “no-kill” rule against the endless wave of assassins coming for him.
Nagumo then asks how Sakamoto plans to handle the Order—the elite organization Nagumo currently belongs to, and which Sakamoto formerly served. Seeing Shin and Shaotang begin to panic, Nagumo quickly laughs it off, claiming he is only joking. However, he ominously notes that the Order specializes in killing other assassins.
3. Why is Sakamoto a Wanted Man?
As Nagumo prepares to leave, Sakamoto stops him, asking who stands to benefit most from his death in retirement. Nagumo admits he doesn’t know for sure, but speculates it is a consequence of Sakamoto being too flashy when he dismantled the Dan Corporation.
Before departing with the unconscious pizza assassin slung over his shoulder, Nagumo bids them farewell. He cheerfully remarks that he is glad to see Sakamoto’s face one last time before his inevitable death, then vanishes at incredible speed.
4. Sakamoto Threatens the Dondenkai
The Dondenkai syndicate holds a meeting, projecting a live feed of Sakamoto’s face onto a screen. After watching their pizza delivery assassin get effortlessly taken down, Jamal berates his subordinates for underestimating their target.
Jamal orders them to eliminate Sakamoto by any means necessary, exploiting time, location, and the environment. He reminds them that Sakamoto is a former member of the Order; if they act recklessly, Sakamoto will butcher them all.
Tatsu argues that since Sakamoto has been retired for five years, killing him shouldn’t be a problem. Unbeknownst to them, the projected face of Sakamoto is actively watching and listening to their entire conversation.
Sakamoto had discovered a hidden camera inside the pizza box. Pointing his gun directly into the lens, he warns the syndicate that if they continue to bother him, he will send them straight to hell. The syndicate members reel in shock as they realize they’ve been compromised. Without hesitation, Sakamoto shoots the camera, severing the feed and leaving the room in a tense silence.
5. Shin’s Esper Abilities
The next day, Sakamoto takes his wife and daughter to Sugar Park in Tokyo. Shin and Shaotang trail behind as undercover bodyguards. Shin explains to Shaotang that their mission is to silently eliminate any assassins targeting Sakamoto, ensuring his family enjoys a safe, peaceful vacation in the crowded amusement park.
Shin elaborates on his esper powers, explaining that he can read minds within a 30-meter radius. By tuning his concentration like a radio dial, he detects individuals harboring murderous intent, as they emit strong emotional turbulence and a distinct red aura.
Suddenly, Shin senses danger. Speaking into a concealed microphone, he alerts Sakamoto—who is wearing an earpiece—that an assassin disguised as a janitor is approaching from his two o’clock. The man, Kuri, is pushing a cleaning cart.
Wasting no time, Shaotang distracts Aoi and Hana by leading them toward the park’s mascot, a cute clown rabbit wandering nearby.
6. Sakamoto Strikes Without Looking
As Sakamoto crosses paths with Kuri, the assassin readies a concealed blade to strike from behind. Without even turning his head, Sakamoto calmly plucks a pen from Kuri’s front pocket and drives it squarely into the assassin’s chest. The strike perfectly incapacitates Kuri without killing him.
Shin and Shaotang quickly dump Kuri into the cleaning cart and wheel him into the woods. Shin marvels at Sakamoto’s precision—stabbing with a pen to bypass vital organs and arteries with the accuracy of threading a needle. Meanwhile, Aoi and Hana remain completely oblivious. Sakamoto calmly rejoins them as if nothing happened.
Elsewhere, sitting on a park bench, Tatsu reviews Sakamoto’s dossier, struggling to believe the overweight man is a legendary hitman. Shifting his attention to Shin’s file, Tatsu recognizes that Shin’s telepathy will be a nuisance. However, he quickly formulates a countermeasure: by simply quieting his inner monologue, Shin won’t be able to read his mind.
7. Shin vs. Tatsu
Sakamoto, Hana, and Aoi take the front seats of a roller coaster, while Shin and Shaotang sit in the very back. As the ride starts, Shin suddenly picks up a stray thought from Tatsu, a silver-haired man sitting two rows back, who accidentally thinks about his plan to attack.
Through the earpiece, Sakamoto receives Shin’s warning. Tatsu abruptly draws a gun and fires at Sakamoto’s head. Sakamoto turns just in time, and the bullet bounces harmlessly off his bulletproof glasses. Tatsu is completely stunned.
Without hesitation, Shin unbuckles his safety harness and launches himself into the air as the coaster hits a loop. He crashes into Tatsu’s seat, pulling the assassin out of the car, and the two plummet onto the coaster tracks below.
Shin quickly realizes Tatsu is a dangerous opponent, as his mind is completely silent, making his movements unpredictable. When the speeding roller coaster circles back and nearly runs them over, both men leap into the air. Mid-jump, Tatsu exploits Shin’s momentary distraction, hurling two throwing knives. One slices deep into Shin’s leg.
Shin collapses, his vision blurring. He instantly realizes the blades were coated in poison.
8. Something Precious
Tatsu smirks, claiming he can judge a person’s readiness to die just by looking into their eyes, noting that humans weaken when consumed by the fear of death. He admits he saw that fear in Sakamoto’s eyes, and now sees it in Shin’s, which is why Shin failed to dodge the poisoned blade.
Summoning his remaining strength, Shin stands back up. With unwavering resolve, he declares that Sakamoto carries the heavy burden of protecting his family for the rest of his life. A man fighting for something precious does not fear death, and neither does he.
Tatsu notices Shin’s condition worsening as his eyes turn bloodshot from the venom. When the coaster barrels toward them again, they both jump. Shin, whose jump is lower, brilliantly kicks off the side of the coaster cars. Using the momentum, he tackles Tatsu mid-air.
The two brawl atop the speeding coaster, but Shin’s vision continues to fade. Relying entirely on his esper abilities, he tracks Sakamoto and Hana’s location by their voices. Once he pinpoints them, Shin grapples Tatsu, forces them both off the ride, and sends them crashing through the massive roof of a circus tent.
9. The Circus Fight
Shin and Tatsu crash onto the main stage of the Sugar Park mascot show, kicking up a thick cloud of dust. In the chaos, Shin somehow manages to slip inside a spare Sugar mascot costume. Brimming with confidence, he challenges Tatsu to a fight in front of hundreds of spectators.
“Now that I can see you clearly, it’s time for round two! I’m going to kick your ass!” Shin taunts.
Tatsu, underestimating the poisoned Shin, casually readies his knives. He refuses to believe Shin’s eyesight has recovered. Before he can even react, a devastating punch lands squarely on his face. Tatsu is completely bewildered by Shin’s accuracy.
The circus ringmaster, assuming the crash is part of the show, enthusiastically hypes up the crowd, cheering for the Sugar mascot’s spectacular punch. The audience erupts in applause, completely throwing their support behind the mascot.
Moving with incredible agility, Shin weaves through Tatsu’s flurry of knife strikes, grabs his arm, and delivers a brutal uppercut to Tatsu’s jaw. Tatsu is baffled—Shin shouldn’t be able to see, yet his strikes are perfectly precise.
10. Sakamoto Guides Shin’s Fight
In the stands, an impressed Aoi remarks, “Wow, this show is so realistic!” She glances at Hana, then points to Sakamoto, who is staring at the stage with intense focus. Seeing his rigid expression, Aoi and Hana burst into laughter. “He looks like a little kid watching his favorite cartoon!” Aoi jokes.
They have no idea that, internally, Sakamoto is barking rapid-fire combat instructions. With intense concentration, he telepathically guides Shin’s every move—telling him exactly when to dodge and where to strike. Thanks to his esper abilities, Shin hears Sakamoto’s inner voice clearly, allowing him to fight perfectly despite being blinded by the poison.
Tatsu is losing his mind. “How is he reading my moves?!” he mutters. Slashing his knife, Tatsu rips the mouth of the mascot costume open and is horrified by what he sees: Shin’s eyes are completely shut.
In a flash, Shin leaps and drives a massive double dropkick into Tatsu’s stomach. The impact is so powerful it launches Tatsu across the stage, where he crashes and finally loses consciousness.
The ringmaster, still fully committed to the act, shouts, “And there it is—Mascot Sugar’s ultimate finishing move!” The arena explodes with cheers and applause, celebrating the mascot’s victory. Amidst the cheering crowd, Sakamoto quietly shoots Shin a thumbs-up. Shin, beaming with pride from inside the costume, gives a thumbs-up right back.
