If it remains as good as its initial two episodes, Sakamoto Days will be yet another title to join the wave of excellent stories that Japanese creators have been bringing to audiences.

There’s an infectious chemistry between its characters, despite neither the Japanese nor English dub casts making a strong first impression. However, its premiere episode is held back by a slow-burn start, a confused tone, and a lackluster translation of its source material’s panache and artistry.

I’m feeling an Odd Couple vibe pockmarked with extreme cartoon violence, which leaves me indifferent. Maybe it deserves another episode or two before we dismiss it, but it feels like only fans of the manga will hang on to compare and contrast this with the source material.