Sakamoto Days has no shortage of powerful and bizarre villains. From Kei Uzuki to Takamura, the series is filled with assassins who possess twisted personalities and superhuman strength, all aiming to hunt the legendary retired hitman, Taro Sakamoto. Set in a world where clairvoyance and cybernetic enhancements are a reality, assassins push far beyond human limits to carry out their deadly missions.
One such cybernetically enhanced assassin in the series is Kashima. He is a deadly and eccentric cyborg assassin who is seen wearing a signature reindeer mask at all times. He combines advanced technology with his natural strength, making him one of the deadliest assassins to go up against. First introduced during the Lab Arc, Kashima quickly became a standout character, gaining attention from the fans for his twisted personality and his bizarre array of weapons.
Who is Kashima?
You know a character is bad news when they appear in a reindeer mask everywhere they go and is polite even when they are committing cold-blooded murder. Kashima is one such psychopathic individual. He was first introduced in the Sakamoto Days manga at the beginning of the Lab arc as a high-ranking subordinate in Slur’s organization. Despite having no supernatural powers, Kashima uses his tall physique and strength to his advantage and has a head for meticulously planning several moves in the future. What makes him even more unique, however, are his cybernetic enhancements.
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Kashima’s body is heavily modified with an array of hidden weapons designed for combat. His right arm contains wire-guided, claw-shaped hooks concealed within a machine gun in place of his hand. Inside his mouth, he has a laser gun capable of firing a destructive beam. His left forearm hides a cluster of long, sharp knives, while a rifle is embedded within his ribcage. His limbs can also detach into segments connected by durable cables, allowing for extended unconventional attacks. A compartment in his back stores essential wires for his cybernetic functions and also serves as a hidden space for explosive devices.
What happens to Kashima?
Kashima’s obsession with cybernetic enhancements ultimately leads to his doom. After being captured by Sakamoto, most of his body is destroyed when some of the bombs hidden in his back explode. His body is then modified by Hana Sakamoto into a refrigerator with upgrades such as Wi-Fi, claw machine arms, built-in snack dispensers, and even a jack-in-the-box hidden in his chest. This turns him into an ally of the Sakamoto family, transitioning from a tech-obsessed antagonist to an equally crazy, but comical, supporting character. While Kashima is temporarily allied with Sakamoto, it is because they share a common goal. They both want to stop JAA and Slur’s growing influence, but their end goals differ completely in this equation.
What is Kashima’s personality like?
No word fits Kashima’s personality better than eccentric. He is both a polite, business-oriented man and a stone-cold killer who is ruthless in his dealings. While he weeps for his subordinates when they’re killed by Osaragi and Shishiba, he is the one who gives them the order in the first place. Contradictory and extremely self-righteous, Kashima follows a warped sense of justice and enforces it as he sees fit. He is a deadly and competent antagonist who strikes fear into his own subordinates, as they know he won’t hesitate to kill them for even a minor mistake.
Kashima hates using traditional weapons and takes great pride in his cybernetic enhancements. While the series has not shown a reason as to why he always the reindeer mask, given his personality it might solely be because it just looks cool and makes him stand out from the rest of the crazy assassins in the business. He is an extremely fascinating character and now that he has turned into an appliance, he adds a comic relief element to the story as well.
