SAKAMOTO DAYS: Shin’s Mind-Reading Flaw Exposed!

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Summary

  • Shin’s mind-reading ability has limitations that were actually quite apparent.
  • Lu Wutang exposes a crucial weakness in Shin’s mind-reading ability and exposes this weakness.
  • Shin reads only the most superficial layer of the mind, making him unable to read thoughts at deeper parts of the psyche.

In the final episode of the first season of SAKAMOTO DAYS, Lu Shaotang’s past catches up with her as Lu Wutang, the advisor of the Lu Mafia, arrives in Japan to bring her back home and assume leadership of the clan. During a crucial card game of Old Maid, which would decide who gets to keep Shaotang between the Sakamoto family and the Lu Clan, Shin believes he has an advantage due to his mind-reading abilities.

By possessing this psychic talent, he could penetrate the strongest poker masks. However, a twist occurs in this straightforward scheme when Wutang raises an intriguing question that not many have pondered before: what parts of the human mind does Shin truly have access to?

Shin’s Mind-Reading Ability Isn’t Foolproof

Lu Wutang Figures Out a Vital Weakness of Shin’s Mind-Reading

Through episode 11 of “SAKAMOTO DAYS”, it’s been observed that Shin’s mind-reading ability works effectively in close proximity, however, it can become taxing when he’s confronted with an overwhelming number of thoughts all at once while trying to concentrate on a singular thought stream. Every instance we’ve seen so far has Shin hearing the voice of the person within his mind, similar to how one perceives their own thoughts. However, what Wutang proposes adds an intriguing twist to this mechanism.

From my perspective, I observed that the human mind is composed of three distinct segments. The uppermost part, where thoughts are expressed in words and sentences, is known as the verbal layer. This layer stands apart from the deeper subconscious layers that harbor unspoken thoughts. In a fascinating turn of events, Wutang intended for Shin to perceive his thoughts by overwhelming his conscious mind with an abundance of information, depositing it all onto the verbal layer. Overwhelmed by this torrent of details, Shin’s brain became overloaded and he was ultimately incapable of continuing our game of Old Maid.

It appears that Shin primarily focuses on the spoken or verbal aspect of thoughts, which can be likened to an inner voice in one’s head. These thoughts often take the form of a personal conversation or internal dialogue, rather than abstract concepts or visual imagery. This could explain why Wutang found it difficult for Shin to comprehend Heisuke Mashimo’s mind, as Heisuke has a simple, childlike thought process that, in a way, is endearing when we learn more about his character.

It could be that Heisuke’s thoughts being so straightforward are consistent with Wutang’s findings from the end of season 1, part 1. It remains uncertain whether Shin can delve beyond the surface level in reading minds; however, it is evident that he’s become more skilled at this ability compared to his childhood, implying that Shin may continue to develop his mind-reading capabilities.

A Complication

The Explanation Makes Sense, But Not Really

During their Old Maid battle, Wutang managed to overwhelm Shin’s conscious mind with an endless flow of information, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the vulnerability they exploited was a lack of ability to delve into deeper aspects of the human psyche. Instead, it was Taro Sakamoto, a singular entity, who prevented Wutang from assuming that Shin couldn’t perceive deeper levels of people’s minds.

In the anime titled “SAKAMOTO DAYS“, a recurring joke revolves around Shin exceeding certain boundaries which results in him being “erased from Sakamoto’s thoughts” as a form of punishment. Even outside of his encounters with Sakamoto, there is an important event in episode 9 where Shin crosses paths with the main villain, “Slur”. The chilling aura of death emanating from Slur makes Shin momentarily believe he would be dismembered. This suggests that Shin might not only perceive the spoken thoughts but also possibly penetrate the deeper layers of a person’s mind, which can be thought of as their “Inner Vision”.

SAKAMOTO DAYS is available on Netflix.

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2025-04-05 02:35