Sakamoto Days Episode 2 came out along with Episode 1 on Netflix Japan. Since Netflix owns the streaming rights for this anime, just like it does for Blue Box, it is following the same release pattern. Netflix Japan is always one episode ahead of the other regions.
While fans outside Japan have to wait till 18th January for the episode to be released, Sakamoto Days Episode 2 is already out there in Japan. The latest episode skipped Chapters 2 and 3 from the manga and instead covered Chapters 4 and 5 completely.

I was looking forward to the bus hijacking scene from Chapter 2, so I am hoping they did not completely cut it but might include it in a later episode, like how Bleach TYBW Part 3 did with some chapters.
A small flashback from Chapter 2 was shown during a fight in Sakamoto Days Episode 2, which makes it seem like the anime might not adapt Chapters 2 and 3 fully.
Sakamoto and Shin Fight Son Hee and Bacho to Protect Lu Shaotang in Episode 2
Sakamoto Days Episode 2, titled “Vs. Son Hee and Bacho” starts with Shin dealing with customers at Sakamoto’s shop.
Afterward, he thanks Sakamoto for saving him from the assassins, thinking he killed them. But Sakamoto’s wife overhears the talk about killing, and Sakamoto clears it up, saying he did not kill anyone, those attacks were not fatal.
His wife reminds him about their family rule: no killing. She even warns him that if he breaks the rule, she will divorce him.
Lu Shaotang and the Famous Pork Buns
Later, Shin and Sakamoto head to Nikita Chinatown. On the way, Sakamoto talks about some famous pork buns he loves to buy there, mentioning that they are limited to 50 per customer.
But as they are heading back home, Lu Shaotang suddenly falls from a building and lands on Sakamoto, destroying the buns in the process.
It turns out Lu is running away from assassins who are after her. At first, it looks like she can handle herself, she takes down a few of them.

But then one of the assassins grabs her in a chokehold and almost stabs her. Before that could happen, Sakamoto steps in and breaks the assassin’s knife, saving her.
More assassins show up, and Sakamoto quickly grabs Lu and runs off. Meanwhile, those men go back to report to their boss, Wang.
Truth Behind the Key and Lu’s Fight
He is not happy with their failure, and that’s when Son Hee and Bacho, twin hitmen, show up. To prove a point, they kill one of their own men right in front of Wang. Wang orders them to capture Lu and reveals that she has a key he needs.
We also learn more about Lu, she is from a Triad family. Her entire clan was wiped out by Son Hee and Bacho, all because of that key. The key is said to hold her clan’s treasure.
Shin asks Lu why she doesn’t just get rid of the key since it’s so dangerous, but Lu refuses. She explains that her parents gave their lives to protect the key, and it is her duty to do the same.
Sakamoto asks Lu if she knows how to make pork buns, and she says yes. Sakamoto then makes a deal with her, if he saves her from the assassins, she’ll have to make pork buns for him.
Out of nowhere, Bacho shows up and kicks Sakamoto, sending him flying into a nearby building. The twin hitmen assume Sakamoto is dead and move toward Shin, but Shin blocks them.
Son Hee and Bacho vs Sakamoto
Then, Sakamoto suddenly returns and punches Bacho so hard that the ground breaks, and they all crash through to the floor below.
The brothers mock Lu, saying she’s foolish for choosing the key over her own life. They even brag about killing her parents for doing the same.

Lu, furious, tries to fight them, but Sakamoto stops her. At this point, a flashback plays where we see Sakamoto’s wife, Aoi, upset at him for coming home with blood on his hands.
She reminds him that the people he kills also have loved ones who don’t want them to die. This moment made Sakamoto rethink his actions back then.
Back in the present, Sakamoto gets angry at the brothers for insulting Lu’s love for her family and the key. He and Shin easily defeat the twins, and they all head to confront Wang.

Lu ends up beating Wang herself, and they use the key to unlock the treasure. Turns out, the treasure isn’t just gold or jewels, it is a collection of items left by different clan heads. Lu’s parents left an old bottle of liquor for her to open when she is older.
Lu is a clerk at Sakamoto’s
Sakamoto then pulls out some pork buns he managed to save earlier, and they all celebrate Lu’s victory. In the end, Lu decides to join Sakamoto’s store as a clerk. The episode wraps up by revealing Sakamoto’s bounty—1 billion yen!

Final Words
The animation in Episode 2 was way better than the first one, especially during the fight between Lu Shaotang and the assassins in Nikita Chinatown.
The colors are brighter and more vibrant, but the anime still has that hand-drawn vibe that TMS Entertainment is known for.
That said, I still feel like other studios might’ve been better suited for adapting Sakamoto Days. Shonen Jump anime adaptations deserve higher-quality animation, in my opinion.
Episode 2 of Sakamoto Days has already been released on Netflix Japan, but for the rest of the world it will be released next week. pic.twitter.com/rKjhjrmSsA
— Sakamoto Days Shots (@ShotsSakamoto) January 12, 2025
Even with these thoughts, I think the anime is going pretty strong so far. But the main problem is, that it is airing alongside Solo Leveling Season 2, and when you watch Sakamoto Days and then an episode of Solo Leveling, it is hard for Sakamoto Days to stand out.
Another show airing right now on Netflix alongside Sakamoto Days, Blue Box Part 2, is a totally different genre (sports-romance), but it still has much better animation.
Sakamoto Days Episode 2 is available on Netflix Japan, while in other countries the episode will be available on 18th January 2025 at 6:00 AM PT.