Following the anime announcement of Sakamoto Days, many are seeing the resemblance between Slam Dunk’s Coach Anzai and Sakamoto Days’ Taro Sakamoto. Their character designs look alike, so it's unsurprising that fans are looking for a connection between the hitman and the demon coach.
It is not uncommon for anime and manga characters to look similar, whether the mangakas intended it or not.
After all, several manga artists begin by working as assistants to successful mangakas, which may explain their inspiration for creating their characters.
Fans Think Sakamoto Days’ Taro and Slam Dunk’s Coach Anzai Look Alike
Taro Sakamoto from Sakamoto Days and Coach Anzai from Slam Dunk share a striking resemblance in their character designs, from their white hair and mustache to their chubby tummy and the iconic eyeglasses that complete their looks
This is the primary reason fans are looking for a connection between the two characters.
Funny enough, some fans create TikTok videos depicting Coach Anzai as a great hitman in his youth, placing Sakamoto's photos next to Slam Dunk's iconic coach to drive their point across.
Others created speculative YouTube videos to connect the legendary hitman and the demon coach.
While the two characters could pass as brothers, they could just be designed using a common stereotype of an older, wiser, and more experienced mentor figure.
It's also feasible that they're created to have contrasting personalities. Taro Sakamoto's out-of-shape state contrasts sharply with his former self, creating a hilarious and intriguing dichotomy.
Coach Anzai's aged appearance contrasts with his extensive strategic knowledge and ability to encourage a competitive basketball team.
So, Is Sakamoto Days’ Taro Sakamoto Inspired by Slam Dunk’s Coach Anzai?
In an interview with Yuto Suzuki from the Jump GIGA 2023 winter issue, the Japanese mangaka revealed that Taro Sakamoto was not modeled after anyone, which means he wasn’t inspired by Slam Dunk’s Coach Anzai, contrary to initial beliefs.
However, Suzuki learned about a 2020 Hong Kong martial arts movie called Enter the Fat Dragon and thought that his series had the same setting as the movie.
In another interview, Sakamoto Days editor Sousuke Ishikawa shared that he believed Sakamoto Days was influenced by foreign hitman films such as John Wick and The Equalizer.
Coach Anzai was not mentioned in both Suzuki and Ishikawa’s interviews at all, which could mean that the fans are the only ones seeing the connection between the two characters.
After all, they are also comparing the character design of Sakamoto’s wife to Chainsaw Man’s Kobeni due to their hairstyles.
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