Sakamoto Days, Vol. 4: Quiet on the Train

SAKAMOTO DAYS サカモト デイズ #4

by Yuto Suzuki

Taro Sakamoto was once a legendary hit man considered the greatest of all time. Bad guys feared him! Assassins revered him! But then one day he quit, got married, and had a baby. He’s now living the quiet life as the owner of a neighborhood store, but how long can Sakamoto enjoy his days of retirement before his past catches up to him?!

The race to rescue Lu takes Sakamoto and Shin deep into an underground lab. However, they’re not the only ones there on a mission—the legendary members of the ORDER are there as well to investigate the mysterious X!

Genres: Manga, Comics, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Action, Comedy, Humor

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 4, 2021

About the author

Yuto Suzuki (鈴木祐斗; Suzuki Yūto) es un mangaka japonés.

Reviews

[Nicolo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ORDER, the cream of the elite assassins of Japan, make a splash, downing a couple of X's sub-bosses and henchmen without breathing hard. Then again, X has his deer-headed lieutenant clean up their mess, and then you think that X has some capable weirdos on his staff.

The deer-headed proved hard to kill, perfect for Sakamoto to go all out without breaking the Sakamoto family rule of no killing.

[Christian Schultheiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series without ever hitting the breaks manages to build such strong emotional and relationship based friendships and acquaintances all while balance on a comedic but still extremely gripping ex assassin story, with what might just be the cutest mom and daughter duo sprinkled in just for fun. Take all that in and mix it with some of the most dynamic and jaw dropping action drawing sequences like jumping through moving trains and throwing over sea bridges, I mean the visualization element of this series is next level and I couldn’t be happier to keep getting closer and closer to current anime, and with the new season about to premiere it just felt like a perfect time.

[Ricarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first volume in the series I truly enjoyed. I'm glad it's picking up!

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This time at its best when not focusing on the main story, it's the one-shots that provide the most entertainment. Whilst volume 4 isn't a huge step down from previous entries when it comes to quality, Shin's backstory arc goes on for just a tad bit too long and starts to result in slight loss of interest by the end. However, it does well to end on a cliffhanger, making readers want to pick up the next installment regardless of how they felt about this one.

[aamna · Rating 5 out of 5]

baby Shin 🥺🥹😭

[DeannaReadsandSleeps · Rating 4 out of 5]

When that Frankenstein monster man thing was on the train trying to find Sakamoto and Sakamoto was sitting right next to him watching him looking around like a fool? Yeah Sakamoto ate that.

[MajesticalLion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slur has one of the single coolest introductions in a manga. Not to mention the train fight. Sakamoto uses PENCIL LEAD. TO BEAT A GUY WITH A CANON IN HIS MOUTH AND BLADES FOR ARMS. This series is insane, and this re-read has only reminded me that it always has been insane.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gotta say, I started to get a little bored as the multi-chapter arc about Shin's origin went on a little too long with its one-note cyborg villain and his invisible ally. Thank goodness a one-off chapter about a bathhouse assassin brought the humor and energy levels back up to where they had previously been.

But now we're going to get another long arc about Lu's backstory, and I only hope it doesn't bring the energy right back down again.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is still SO fun.

Sakamoto is helping Shin get out of this situation with the crazy bastards who use people to experiment. And they kidnapped Lu by mistake thinking she was the experiment. This leads to really fun fights and Sakamoto able to go ALL out because one guy is almost immortal, making for a brutal fight. We get a little more taste of the order as well as Uzuki, the head leader of these crazies who's a bit scary.

Overall great stuff and then we get a fun Spa day with the family that's always a joy.

Next up is Lu's backstory and I'm here for it! A 4 out of 5

[afton · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 reread: the way i genuinely laugh out loud reading this series :)

at it’s core, sakamoto days is a love story. man becomes simp for his lady -> retires from being an assassin -> starts cozy life with family -> everyone wants to end him because of an anonymous bounty -> creates found family in the process of evading death. how can you not love this? the art style is stunning, and the gory deaths are so surprising, it’s amazing. HOP ON THIS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Volume 4 of Sakamoto Days has plenty of the things fans like: solid action, quirky humor, some new character development, and some fun set-pieces.

But it doesn’t entirely hit the mark, and that’s why this volume feels more “good” than “great.” Here are the positives and the drawbacks:

👍 What works

The rescue plot for Lu in the underground lab adds urgency and stakes, and seeing Sakamoto, Order, and the villains collide in one space creates tension.

There are well-executed fight scenes (especially the train fight) that remind you why this series is fun when action and art are in harmony.

The lighter moments (like the spa/bathhouse chapter, or family/anniversary scenes) offer a nice contrast — a breather in between the more intense arcs.

Art continues to be a strong suit — dynamic panels, interesting character/monster designs, good visual variety.

👎 What doesn’t quite land

One common critique is pacing: the backstory arc for Shin takes longer than some readers expect, and some parts of the lab arc drag a bit. This diminishes momentum at times.

The plot occasionally feels a little overstuffed. With so many threads (Lu’s rescue, the Order, “that man” in the shadows, villains’ motives, etc.), some things don’t get as much buildup or clarity.

Emotional or character beats are present, but for some, they don’t hit as hard — the characters you like are likable, but the stakes doesn’t always feel high enough to make character losses or dangers feel deeply threatening.

The cliffhanger at the end is effective in making you want to read Volume 5, but it also underlines that this volume by itself, while good, doesn’t fully satisfy. It leans heavily into setup.

⚙️ Final Thoughts

If I were rating, this volume sits squarely in the middle. It delivers entertainment, cool fights, and steady developments, but it doesn’t quite do enough to elevate itself above the previous volumes in terms of emotional weight or narrative cohesion.

So, a 3-star feels fair here: fun, solid, but with enough flaws that it doesn’t quite become a standout.

[fulcrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

the introduction of slur was so cool, now i wanna have this volume on my shelf (the cover is pretty and stylish too). i like silly nonchalant seba, hope we’ll see him again soon.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Batallas increíbles en el laboratorio y en el metro, con un dibujo de 10. Me encanta lo bien que están combinadas la acción y la comedia. Han aparecido dos miembros de la Order, la élite de los asesinos, con diseños normalitos pero que en menos de un capítulo ya han demostrado que están en Order por algo. También ha hecho una breve aparición el "Señor X", que pinta como un antagonista épico.
El tomo termina con el inicio de un combate en un casino contra un acosador miembro de una triada. Todo muy interesante para el siguiente.

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

While still a great cute series, I have to agree the battle at the lab dragged.
The visit to the spa was fun. The anniversary dinner was great in no small part because the wife knows who her husband was and that he will protect her (Unlike other comics / Manga). The whole gambling at an illegal gambling den to save Lu from her creepy stalker is in bad taste and not fun.

[Blake the Book Eater · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume was great!!! Loved the end of the science base arc and the bathhouse chapter and the anniversary chapter were both top tier as well. This manga is amazing!

[Mizuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

As unrealistic as this assassin story goes, this is still a well drawn and highly enjoyable volume, I will read the rest of the series.

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt vol. 3 to be a bit slumpy, so was I was thrilled to not only see the return of the fun and highly creative Jackie Chan style fight sequences, but also a return to the Assassin's slice of life style story. I thought the Anniversary date, and the trip to the public bath episodes to be especially well done. I also liked that they allowed for a few moments of tenderness or weakness on the part of Sakamoto-san. I'm still less impressed with the supporting cast of characters, but I do like how the villains are becoming more and more menacing, and are promising some twists in the future. I think that Suzuki has finally perfected his own unique formula, so I'm really hoping to see some great moments in future books.
Suzuki-sensei! I'm depending on you!

[☽｡⋆ Shells (jlreads_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty good 👍

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's interesting to see how many chapters this manga has so far (over one hundred), and personally getting around to reading it so late, as there's a scene in Chapter 26 where the Order girl kills two of the "bosses" in the Lab in a single move, which is a trope that usually means "Hey, we're wrapping this arc up because we got canceled!"... But it seems the main focus is on the deer guy, who is but a henchman to X/Slur himself, so there's a degree of planning ahead.

Chapter 26 also has a great ENTER moment for Sakamoto-san....

After the Lab arc wraps up, we get a couple lighter, disconnected chapters, then another arc begins with the entrance of Wutang, a Triad member who wishes to bring Lu back to China so she can run their syndicate. I hope Sakamoto and Shin protect their necks...!

[Nouran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yesssssss more of The Order and their mission to find out who's killing the assassins. Someone by the name 'X' who leaves bodies and an X as his signature. Also we get to see someone from Lu's mafia life.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this while waiting for my appointment at the dermatologist. Continues to have lots of fun action set pieces, like reading a roller coaster.

[Shubhankar Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has to be one of the coldest pages I have read recently :

[Raya · Rating 5 out of 5]

ayyy this is picking up now, let’s goooo

[ej · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 prolly my fave vol yet, this whole x/slur thing is interestin i wish as always that there was more heart n higher stakes as it feels inevitable for our group to succeed, there’s no real suspense for me, beautiful artwork as always - this is where the manga covers got goated

[Marina Oliveras · Rating 5 out of 5]

Divertidíssim. Molt contenta d'haver descobert aquest manga. A veure si el #5 surt aviat 👈🏻

[DonutKnow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Sakamoto family unit! I am always cheering for them- and any new additions 😁

[Neswina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mae mia Mae miaaaaaaa (una review super sesuda, lo sé xD)

[Amanda]

Increasingly violent…but also pretty funny

[Omar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This vol was my fav so far its so goood

[Mikayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always a great read