The following contains spoilers for Sakamoto Days Season 1, Episode 11, “Casino Battle,” streaming now on Netflix.
After pitting the Sakamoto Days cast against cybernetically enhanced assassins and killers in invisibility vests, the final episode of the season takes a different approach. Logic dictates that some quirky and powerful enemy would push toward an epic final fight to end Sakamoto Days Season 1. However, Sakamoto has a different kind of challenge in store for its characters. By now, fans are familiar with the anime’s propensity for not following the usual shonen tropes. The finale moves at a lackadaisical pace, balancing intrigue and exposition awkwardly. However, fans still get a cool fight scene with the infamous Sakamoto theme in the background.
Sakamoto Days Season 1, Episode 11 takes the trio on a gambling spree, weaponizing their unfamiliarity with casino games as a launching point for the comedy. Whether reading the minds of one’s opponents to win or using the trickery of a skilled assassin, the trio of Sakamoto, Shaotang, and Shin make their own luck as they go. Sakamoto Days Season 1, Episode 11 is a fun-filled caper that ends in a frantic little fight, but it’s ultimately just another side mission that hardly takes the protagonists any closer to solving the mystery of Slur and his deadly organization. With another episode that feels like a filler, the Sakamoto Days Season 1 finale resigns to hyping up the next season rather than finishing this one with a bang.
Sakamoto Days Season 1, Episode 11 Shows Even a Mediocre Affair Can Be Fun
The Sakamoto Days Cast Sticks to Entertainment Without an Important Plot Driving Them
Continuing from the cliffhanger ending of Episode 10, Sakamoto Days Season 1, Episode 11 welcomes fans to the other side of crime, where glitz and glamor speak louder than action. In a complete turnaround from the bloodbath of the Lab story arc, the Sakamoto Days finale offers a James Bond-esque mission: win the bet and take home the prize with your life intact. The optics of the only woman on the roster being the prize looks bad, but Shaotang proves she is no damsel-in-distress before the end. As for Shin and Sakamoto, they face the task of winning more money than Wutang or risk breaking up their comedic trio forever. All these make the stakes climb higher on paper when, in reality, the audience hardly feels the same pressure as the characters. The story’s tone plays an influential part in making fans feel at odds with the characters.
The story makes things easier for the audience as it progresses, making the individual narratives fun as the former assassins get to put their wild skills to use. At a certain point, the mystery of knowing how these characters will use their powers to get out of the pinch becomes more intriguing than the plot itself. Can Shin use his mind-reading ability to win at poker? Will Sakamoto use his fast reflexes to win a rigged roulette game? Sure, they can, and sure, they will. All that matters is how. Needless to say, this intrigue reaches its peak with the climactic scene when the characters actually feel like they are in danger. The fight that ensues isn’t on par with the others, but it has some cool animation. However, neither the story nor the action offers anything special to the Sakamoto Days Season 1 finale.
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Meanwhile, the plot of Sakamoto Days Season 1, Episode 11 is paper-thin. Although the plot isn’t the story’s strong suit, the disparity between the episode’s rising action and resolution leaves a lot to be desired. Even the pacing takes a hit as the episode starts strong but meanders to a stop once Sakamoto and his gang have their showdown with Wutang’s men, which happens right at the runtime’s halfway mark. Still, there is some fun to be had from the comedic timings of the characters and even the exposition. Shaotang and Wutang’s backstory is generic, but the villain revealed at the end brings some serious tension to the plot, but too little, too late.
Wutang Leads the Plot Sakamoto Days Season 1, Episode 11
Wutang Is Central to Almost Everything in Sakamoto Days Season 1, Episode 11
Sakamoto Days Season 1, Episode 11 finally reveals something about Shaotang’s past other than just her mafia background. With the anime already having a field day with Shin’s backstory, this was undoubtedly Shaotang’s time to shine. Yet, somehow, the episode feels more like a story about Wutang than about the woman he has come to take home. The very premise of the episode hinges on Wutang’s bet, and his motivations play a crucial role in tethering the characters to the high-stakes situation. As Wutang reminisces about his past in China, the story transports the audience to the first moment when Wutang and Shaotang first met. Shaotang rescues Wutang from his bullies, but their friendship has soured since then. Without too many details, the scene beautifully illustrates how Wutang fell for Shaotang.
Sakamoto Days Season 1, Episode 11 has quite the ensemble cast. Since the audience knows all about the Sakamoto gang, the episode takes time to explore the new character in their midst as well. Wutang is both smart and intelligent to fault. His faith in his cerebral qualities makes him overconfident, which is not good in the mafia business, where cutthroats run the show. Eventually, he reaps what he sows. In this chaos, Shaotang gets to show both her caring side and her kung-fu moves. The story conveniently decommissions Shin in a bid to show Wutang’s unbridled intelligence. Still, it helps Shaotang break out of her usual nagging and bickering self and show her other qualities that usually get overshadowed by the quirks of her male counterparts.
“For the first time in my life, I felt accepted. I realized that I could be myself.” — Wutang Lu
Sakamoto is still the boogeyman who can only be called once per episode to turn the tide in the favor of the heroes. And the former assassin obliges, giving fans a knuckle-dusting fight to keep them going. While he hardly plays a pivotal role in the overarching plot, he remains a threat to Slur and his organization. The villains that reveal themselves toward the end of the finale are here for the protagonist. So, the story is at a juncture where Sakamoto’s reputation is following him rather than the character himself going out and chasing after his enemies. It’s one reason Sakamoto Days feels more relaxed than its shonen counterparts; it all oozes from the guy himself, with Tomokazu Sugita’s voice helping along the way.
Sakamoto Days Season 1, Episode 11 Animation Redeems the Show’s Reputation
Sakamoto Days’ Biggest Problem Isn’t the Animation for Once
Sakamoto Days‘ animation was not the shining light people expected it to be. However, Sakamoto Days Season 1, Episode 11 isn’t so bad, and even has a few flashy moments. Since the majority of the story happens inside a casino, flashiness comes with the territory. Where the animation truly shines is when the action hits the floor. Sakamoto and Shaotang dispatch wave after wave of enemies with style and panache, and the animation reacts to their sharp moves, giving the audience fluid frames of non-stop motion. Whether it is Shaotang kicking or Sakamoto hitting multiple enemies with the strike of a cue stick, the frames follow their every move to a tee.
The casino is not the only setting in the episode. Sakamoto Days Season 1, Episode 11’s visuals range from the overcrowded residential complexes of Hong Kong to a flush fast-food restaurant as the story races from one character to another. It seems as if the background art team wanted to show off for the last time before the anime goes on a break. Especially intricate attention to detail is present in the Hong Kong scenes where every window pane and building floor is animated in grimy detail. Surprisingly, significant gore appears in the episode, raising its shock value if nothing else.
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Sakamoto Days Season 1, Episode 11 revels in mediocrity. From character backstories that are not that memorable to lazy humor, the episode hardly feels like a season finale. Even the episode’s one major fight scene cannot salvage the anticlimactic plot despite being well-animated. Most of the effort in the Sakamoto Days Season 1 finale goes toward setting up the story for the next season. Sakamoto Days Season 1, Episode 11 is not a complete disaster, as the audience still has some fun watching the beloved Sakamoto gang come up with innovative answers to some narrative curve balls, but fans were hoping for more from the finale than more setup for the future.
Sakamoto Days Season 1, Episode 11 is streaming now on Netflix.
- Fun fights and intriguing character interactions keep the audience tethered to the screen.
- Soundtrack and animation bring cool vibes.
- Lack of a plot and the flatlining pace is undeserved of the finale.
- New characters do not equate to memorable moments.
