Sakamoto Days is a Shonen anime packed with action blended with quirky yet witty humour. It follows a middle-aged man, once a top-tier assassin, whose life takes a surprising turn after a romantic encounter. Now he lives peacefully as a convenience store owner with his wife and daughter at the city’s outskirts. The anime premiered in January 2025 and, with 22 episodes, has maintained strong performance on streaming sites.
If you’re a fan of this anime and searching for similar anime to Sakamoto Days, these top ten action comedy anime recommendations will give you the same thrilling experience with lots of humour, former assassins, and chaotic storylines.
10. Black Cat
Genre: Action, Comedy, Science fiction, Drama
Release: Fall 2005
Statuts: Season 1 and a side story (completed)
Black Cat tells the story of Train Heartnet, a legendary assassin known as “Black cat” who abandons his life of killing for the organisation Chronos to become a Bounty Hunter or “Sweeper”. The series follows Train’s journey as he grapples with his past, his new life.
It follows a former assassin protagonist, action-oriented, which can provide a feeling of relativity with Taro Sakamoto, who also abandons his life of killing for his wife and family. But it is more formulaic than comedy.
9. Durarara!
Genre: Action, Mystery, Comedy, Drama, Supernatural
Release: Winter 2010
Status: Season 3 (completed)
Durarara! follows a diverse cast of characters in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, as their lives intertwine and become entangled in the city’s mysteries and underworld. The story centres around Mikado Ryugamine, a high school student who moves to Ikebukuro and Celty Sturluson, a Dullahan (headless horseman), searching for his lost head.
The anime explores the chaotic and interconnected nature of the city, featuring gangs and mysterious internet-based groups called the Dollars and various individuals with unique pasts and motivations. It contains Underworld intrigue, eccentric characters, and chaotic energy, which feels similar to Sakamoto Days, with less comedic but equally bizarre.
8. Gungrave
Genre: Action, Drama, Science Fiction
Release: Fall 2003
Status: Season 1 (Completed)
Gungrave anime series tells the story of Brandon Heat, a man who is betrayed and killed by his best friend, Harry MacDowell. He is resurrected as “Beyond the Grave” and embarks on a quest for revenge against the mafia syndicate Millennion, which Harry now leads.
The series explores their past as close friends rising through the ranks of the Mafia, highlighting the themes of Loyalty, betrayal and the corrupting influence of power. This really fits with the “former killer’s past catching up” concept, shown in Sakamoto’s days.
7. Hinamatsuri
Genre: Comedy, Slice Of Life, Science Fiction, Supernatural
Release: Spring 2018
Status: Season 1 (completed)
Hinamatsuri (Also Known as Hina Festival) is about Yoshifumi Nitta, a yakuza member whose life is turned upside down when a powerful telekinetic girl named Hina literally drops into his life from the future. He reluctantly takes her in, becoming her guardian. Their lives become chaotic, and as other characters with time-travelling abilities also appear in the story afterwards.
It is a strong mix of absurd humour and heartfelt family-like bonds, plus some yakuza elements which feel familiar with the family of Taro Sakamoto at the convenience store and their chaotic life due to other characters’ interventions.
6. Great Pretender
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama
Release: Spring 2020
Status: Season 2 (Completed)
Great Pretender follows Makoto Edamura, a Japanese con man, who gets involved with a more sophisticated French con artist named Laurent Thierry. After a failed attempt to swindle Laurent, Makoto is drawn into a series of elaborate confidence scams targeting wealthy and powerful individuals around the world.
It revolves around stylish, clever crime/heist plots, colourful characters, humour blended with dram,a which shake hands with the bizarre characters and action plot with witty humour of Sakamoto Days.
5. Black Lagoon
Genre: Action, Dark Comedy, Drama
Release: Spring 2006
Status: Season 3 (Completed)
Black Lagoon centers on Rokuro “Rock” Okajima, a Japanese businessman who joins a band of pirates/smugglers called the Lagoon Company after being abandoned by his company following his kidnapping. This series follows a dangerous job criminal underworld of Roanapur, a southeast asian port city
The anime revolves around the following activities as they get engaged in gunrunning, drug trafficking and other illicit activities which matches with the key concept of Sakamoto days, as they also get involved in this kind of matter as the series continues.
4. City Hunter
Genre: Action, Comedy, Adventure, Romance
Release: Spring 1987
Status: Season 4 (completed)
City Hunter is an anime series following Ryo Saeba, a “sweeper” or mercenary, who takes on dangerous jobs in the neon-lit streets of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Alongside his partner, Kaori Makimura. Ryo protects those in need, using his skills as a detective, bodyguard, and sometimes assassin.
The series blends action, humour and detective work, often featuring Ryo’s perverted antics and Kaori’s attempts to keep him in line with her trust hammer, which also fuses a sense of humour all along the series, just like Sakamoto Days for the viewers.
3. The Way Of The Househusband
Genre: Action, Comedy, Slice of Life
Release: Fall 2017
Status: Season 2 (completed)
The Way Of Househusband (Japanese Name: Gokushufudou, Synonyms: Yakuza goes Houseman) follows the comedic adventures of Tatsu, a fearsome former yakuza boss known as the “Immortal Dragon,” who has retired from his life of crime to become a househusband for his wife, Miku. Despite his intimidating appearance and past, Tatsu is devoted to his role as a Homemaker.
This Netflix Original Anime shows the way a former Yakuza, Tatsu tackles household chores and errands with the same intensity he once brought to his criminal activities, often resulting in comical situations which feels similar to the after-marriage condition of Taro Sakamoto and provide the same level of feeling in both the animes.
2. Great Teacher Onizuka
Genre: Action, Comedy
Release: Spring 1999
Status: Season 1 (Completed)
Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO) follows Eikichi Onizuka, a 22-year-old ex-biker gang leader, as he strives to become the greatest high school teacher, primarily to meet pretty girls. However, his dream class of attractive students turns into a class of delinquents, and he faces the challenge of winning them over with his unorthodox and often inappropriate teaching methods
The concept of the main character’s personality & past life of Onizuka matches the vibe of Taro Sakamoto and the comedy with serious moments also get infused with the transitions of Sakamoto Days, making it certainly more similar than any other anime in the list.
1. Bungou Stray Dogs
Genre: Action, Mystery, Supernatural
Release: Spring 2016
Status: Season 5 (Completed)
And the crown goes to, Bungou Stray Dogs. It is a Supernatural action series following Atsushi Nakajima, a young man with a mysterious past who joins the armed detective agency in Yokohama. The agency deals with cases involving individuals with supernatural abilities, often chasing the dangerous portmafia and other threats.
The series blends mystery, action and character-driven narratives, exploring the complex relationships and backstories of its diverse cast of characters. When the action comedy plot gets hand-to-hand with the high-speed combats with colourful animations, it reminds me of Sakamoto days.
There are also other famous anime like 91 days, Lupin III, etc, which also provide a similar experience of an action comedy with dark humour, binding the concept of gangs, yakuza, Gunfights anime, featuring many illegal activities.
Sometimes, the content ties up the simplicity of action comedy ,while sometimes influenced by dark stuff unknown to the normal world, which eventually gives a broad perspective to the viewers. Bookmark Otaku Mantra for more amazing content!
