Slur

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The following contains spoilers for SAKAMOTO DAYS Episode 9, “All Aboard”, available on Netflix.

Summary

  • Continuity issues in the episode were distracting and took away from the overall experience.
  • The battle between Kashima and Sakamoto brought humor to the episode, despite being average.
  • Shin’s encounter with “Slur” added a serious tone as they worked to save people from the self-destructing lab.

In the ninth installment of SAKAMOTO DAYS, The Lab Arc reached its satisfying conclusion. This episode delved into Shin’s extraordinary childhood and the origins of his powers, while simultaneously featuring a twofold climax: Sakamoto versus Kashima, and Seba, Kashima’s underling in an invisible suit, against the team comprising Shin, Heisuke, and Piisuke. Overall, it was a good wrap-up for the arc, but certain peculiar instances within the episode detracted from the overall enjoyment as they were noticeable and disruptive to the flow of the story.

The climax of the episode was particularly intense following Team Sakamoto’s victory, as Shin found himself confronting the intense, violent hunger that characterized the main adversary, leaving a palpable sense of menace surrounding the figure we know as “Slur”.

Continuity Errors or Unclear Mechanics?

Shin & Heisuke vs Seba Went in a Strange Direction

In the continuation of the previous episode, Sakamoto faces the erratic assaults of Kashima, the weapon-wielding adversary, yet remains unfazed throughout their encounter. Contrastingly, Shin narrowly escaped a perilous situation against Kashima’s subordinate, Seba, but received aid from Heisuke at a critical juncture, which ultimately tilted the balance in their favor, albeit slightly. The climactic scene of SAKAMOTO DAYS episode 8 was marked by Heisuke’s arrival at the Okutabi Science Museum, not just because he arrived in time to assist Shin, but because Shin had been injured by Seba, who has a knack for hiding himself, and used his own blood as a trail that Heisuke could follow. However, puzzlingly, in SAKAMOTO DAYS episode 9, the blood trail left behind by Shin on Seba’s invisibility suit had vanished, along with the remnants of his own blood from the shoulder wound he sustained earlier, despite being shot.

In this scenario, since the invisibility cloak failed to work as intended, Heisuke found it challenging to accurately hit his swiftly moving adversary who devised a cunning strategy to incapacitate the sniper: wrapping his invisibility garment around a shard of pipe and hurling it forcefully at him. Pinned down with an injured shoulder, Heisuke retaliated with his ingenious ricocheting bullets, but Seba remained remarkably unperturbed after another bullet was lodged in his other shoulder. Despite the wound, he skillfully stabbed Heisuke without any issues before concealing himself once more inside his blood-stained jacket. The puzzle is why the blood appeared significant upon Heisuke’s arrival, but now seems irrelevant. Perhaps the suit can assimilate stains over time, though this wasn’t elaborated on. Utilizing Shin’s abilities to his advantage, Heisuke made a desperate attempt, firing a bullet delivered by Piisuke that ricocheted multiple times before lodging itself in the sprinkler above Seba, causing a deluge of water that rendered his invisibility powerless. With this, Shin triumphantly subdues him using an impressive flying scissor kick maneuver.

Kashima vs Sakamoto Brings on the Comedy

A Battle as Funny As the Enemy is Weird

One standout aspect of the latest episodes of SAKAMOTO DAYS is undeniably the scenes that shine the limelight on Kashima. Episode 9 was no exception, as the confrontation between him and Sakamoto not only provided a lot of laughter but also incorporated humor in various forms, including some situational and even slapstick humor. For instance, their battle took them on a train ride, and at one point, a more streamlined Sakamoto unexpectedly appeared behind an unaware Kashima. Later, after they had physically fought and assumed he was safe when he sent Sakamoto flying into the next train car, Kashima casually sat down next to an oblivious elderly woman, seemingly catching his breath – only for Sakamoto to reappear menacingly as if from nowhere, almost like a supernatural entity. Additionally, it’s worth noting that despite the fact that this man with lavender hair was clearly equipped with multiple blades on each wrist, there were no signs of fear or worry beyond checking his well-being.

In a less predictable group of background characters, the main fight itself was merely satisfactory. The fight between Sakamoto and Kashima wasn’t particularly memorable, but Kashima’s peculiar powers and combat decisions, along with the setting contributing to a humorous tone amidst a serious confrontation, made it quite entertaining. Mostly taking place on a train, their battle concluded when the train reached its destination, with Sakamoto defeating Kashima using his own train pass, adding an unusual yet fitting ending to their duel. Additionally, there were hints about Kashima’s loyalty to someone called “Slur”, setting the stage for Shin’s future encounter with the show’s main antagonist later in the episode.

Shin Encounters “Slur” Himself

Escaping the Lab Could Have Been Fatal

The climax of this episode is intense as Shin arrives at a critical moment to prevent Lu from falling, finding her with Asakura and the bumbling kidnapper Tanaka. The facility begins disintegrating due to self-destruct mechanisms, leaving no time for reconciliation between Shin and Lu, but their feelings burst forth as they ultimately resolve their issues. Additionally, there’s a rushed reunion between Shin and his mentor figure, who must work together to save the remaining people in the facility. Using his psychic abilities, Shin pinpoints the location of the remaining scientists and moves towards them alongside his mentor.

During their journey, Asakura is moved to tears as he realizes how vast and reliable he’s grown, and the burden of guilt he’s carried for years seems to vanish almost entirely when he sees how much Shin has improved his abilities since their last encounter. Meanwhile, Osaragi and Shishiba are scrutinizing surveillance footage in search of their quarry, but it turns out that the unlucky one who crosses paths with him is none other than Shin. While attempting to save some of the remaining scientists, Shin encounters him. The chilling aura radiating from “Slur” nearly paralyzes him, but he merely instructs him to deliver his greetings to Sakamoto. This dramatic debut of the main antagonist in SAKAMOTO DAYS left a significant impact, and the impact of “Slur” on Shin, coupled with his unsettling demeanor, intensified the menace of “Slur” in the viewer’s mind.

All’s Well That Ends Well

Hana Finally Gets to Talk About Bring Your Parents to School Day

In the end, Shin and his group successfully ensure everyone’s safety by evacuating them from the museum. Afterward, they gather outside where the scientists express gratitude towards Shin for saving their lives. A heartwarming scene unfolds as Shin listens to kind words about him from his previous family members. The Slur encounter is swiftly put aside as the Sakamoto family gathers for a large meal at home following an action-packed day. This time, Hana gets to share her Bring Your Parents to School Day experiences, and despite their usual squabbles, Shin and Lu manage to patch things up. Overall, this episode of SAKAMOTO DAYS was more entertaining than the last one, and the arrival of the series’ main antagonist could be considered the most impressive debut in the series thus far.

SAKAMOTO DAYS is available to watch on Netflix.

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2025-03-10 20:36