Sakamoto Days it’s basically about this legendary assassin named Taro Sakamoto who just… quits. Falls in love, opens a convenience store, gains some weight, and tries to live normally. Except his past won’t leave him alone.
Created by Yuuto Suzuki back in 2020, it’s this perfect mix of wholesome family vibes and absolutely brutal action sequences. Think if John Wick decided to run a 7-Eleven but still remembered how to kill someone with literally any object within reach.
Let’s break down who’s voicing who, because there’s some serious talent here.
Taro Sakamoto – The Legendary Hitman Turned Store Owner
Matthew Mercer handles the English dub (yes, THAT Matthew Mercer from Critical Role), while Tomokazu Sugita voices him in Japanese.
Taro’s the heart of the whole show. Used to be this unstoppable assassin, then fell in love with Aoi and said “nah, I’m done with murder.” Now he’s running a convenience store and—despite getting, let’s say, a bit rounder—he can still absolutely wreck anyone who threatens his family. The dude weaponizes literally anything nearby. A mop? Deadly. A bag of chips? Somehow lethal.
His whole character is about choosing family over violence, which hits different in a genre that usually glorifies the opposite.
Shin Asakura
Dallas Liu voices Shin in English, with Nobunaga Shimazaki on the Japanese side.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Shin was actually sent to kill Taro initially (awkward), but instead got completely disarmed by how wholesome the Sakamoto family life was. So naturally he just… joined the convenience store staff? Now he works there and basically worships Taro, hoping to learn that same balance of strength and kindness.
Oh, and he’s a telepath who can read minds. Which probably makes customer service either way easier or infinitely more annoying, depending on the customer.
Lu Shaotang – The Tai Chi Master
Rosalie Chiang (you might recognize her from Turning Red) does the English voice, while Ayane Sakura handles Japanese.
Xiaoting’s got this whole backstory—former mafia, escaped from a rival gang, took refuge with Taro and Shin. She’s surprisingly chill for someone with that resume, makes amazing pork buns, and works at the store now. She’s tight with Hana but constantly butts heads with Shin, which honestly sounds exhausting for everyone involved.
Plus she does tai chi, which feels like the most zen possible hobby for an ex-criminal.
The Sakamoto Family
Aoi Sakamoto gets voiced by Rosie Okumura in English and Nao Toyama in Japanese. She’s Taro’s wife, the whole reason he left the assassination business (love at first sight at a convenience store, no less). Mom energy is off the charts with this one—kind, nurturing, amazing cook. The foundation that keeps everyone grounded.
Hana Sakamoto, their daughter, is Grace Lu in English and Hina Kino in Japanese. She’s basically a mini-Aoi, all bright and gentle. Must be wild having a dad whose “retail experience” includes knowing 47 ways to kill someone with a stapler.
Heisuke Mashimo and His Bird
Xolo Maridueña voices Heisuke in English, Ryota Suzuki in Japanese. And Piisuke the bird is Miyari Nemoto.
A master marksman who got fired from his assassin agency (apparently even hitman organizations have layoffs?). Sakamoto saw potential and was like “yeah come work retail,” which is honestly the most wholesome recruitment ever. He’s got a pet bird that apparently warrants its own voice actor, which should tell you something about how weird this series gets.
THE SAKAMOTO DAYS CAST
NARRATORS
Alan Lee voices:
Aleks Le voices:
Andrew Russell voices:
Arthur Romeo voices:
Barbara Goodson voices:
Brent Mukai voices:
Dallas Liu voices:
Daman Mills voices:
Daniel Walton voices:
David Vincent voices:
Doug Stone voices:
Du-Shaunt Stegall voices:
Erik Kimerer voices:
Grace Lu voices:
Howard Wang voices:
Imari Williams voices:
John Eric Bentley voices:
Julie Ann Taylor voices:
June Yoon voices:
Kaiji Tang voices:
Keith Silverstein voices:
Keythe Farley voices:
Kira Buckland voices:
Kirk Thornton
Kirk Thornton voices:
Kyle McCarley voices:
Laila Berzins voices:
Lexi Cabrera voices:
Matthew Mercer voices:
Rosalie Chiang voices:
Rosie Okumura voices:
SungWon Cho voices:
Tiana Camacho voices:
Todd Haberkorn voices:
Toru Uchikado voices:
Vinnie Hacker voices:
Xander Mobus voices:
Xolo Maridueña voices:
YongYea voices:
The Order Members – Elite Operatives
This is where the cast gets really deep.
Yoichi Nagumo (Aleks Le in English, Natsuki Hanae in Japanese) is this master of disguise from the elite Order within the JAA. Former colleague of Sakamoto’s. Acts super relaxed but is actually kind of a dishonest chaos agent who loves antagonizing people. Can’t always tell what he’s actually thinking, which makes him fascinating.
Shishiba gets Keith Silverstein for English and Taku Yashiro for Japanese. Calm, logical Order member who inexplicably hates onions—like irrationally hates them, which is hilarious. Teams up with Osaragi regularly, gives him grief about his Kansai accent. Weapon of choice? Claw hammers. Because why not.
Osaragi is Xanthe Huynh in English, Saori Hayami in Japanese. Recent Order recruit, Shishiba’s partner. Looks delicate, actually is absentminded and gets Shishiba in trouble constantly. Also turns out she’s a huge eater, superstitious, and loves fighting with an electric saw. Talk about subverting expectations.
More Order Members
Hyo (Imari Williams and Hiroki Yasumoto) is this massive justice-obsessed guy who constantly argues with Nagumo. Big voice, big presence, surprisingly empathetic under the tough exterior.
Takamura gets Keythe Farley and Hochu Otsuka. Elderly Order member with a katana and mysterious past. Mutters to himself a lot, which is either sad or ominous depending on the scene. Legitimately intimidating despite (or because of?) his age.
The Mysterious Antagonist
Slur/X/Kei Uzuki is voiced by Vinnie Hacker in English and Daisuke Namikawa in Japanese.
This character is intentionally enigmatic—origin unknown, abilities unclear, motives uncertain. Known for marking kills with an X and recruiting/eliminating rival hitmen. The kind of villain that keeps you guessing, which is always more interesting than straightforward evil.
Why This Cast Works
The voice direction here seems solid across both languages. You’ve got established talent like Matthew Mercer and Tomokazu Sugita anchoring the leads, while newer voices bring fresh energy to supporting roles.
What stands out is the range. You need actors who can handle both the comedy beats and the intense action sequences, sometimes in the same scene. Taro going from discussing produce prices to demolishing attackers with a broom handle requires serious vocal flexibility.
The Japanese cast brings that too, obviously, but there’s something about how the English team handles the tonal shifts that works surprisingly well. Dallas Liu as Shin especially seems to nail that balance between admiration and determination.
Sakamoto Days has this unique vibe, it’s about a guy who chose peace over violence but can’t fully escape his past. The voice cast needs to sell both sides of that, and from what we’ve seen, they’re doing exactly that.
Whether you watch sub or dub (and let’s not start that debate here), the talent behind these characters is legit impressive. Matthew Mercer as a convenience store owner who used to be a hitman? Xolo Maridueña voicing a marksman with a bird? Keith Silverstein as a guy who hates onions? The casting director had some fun with this one.
