Sakamoto Days has been a sensation ever since its release and has captivated the attention of fans worldwide. The John Wick of anime, this series follows the life of Taro Sakamoto – formerly the best assassin in the world and currently running a convenience store with his wife, Aoi, and daughter, Hana. When a bounty gets placed on his head, Sakamoto is forced back into the grim world he once left behind.
While Sakamoto is a deadly assassin with a terrifying set of skills, not everyone is blessed with his talents. One such character happens to be Lu Wutang. An important member of the Triad Mafia organization, Wutang first appeared in the series during the Death Row Prisoners Arc. Despite being a minor side character who only appeared in the manga for three chapters and in the anime for two episodes, he has left quite an impression on fans, making them want to learn more about him.
Who is Lu Wutang?
Lu Wutang is a good-looking young Chinese man with a sharp intellect who is a member of the criminal organization called the Triad. While he is not an exceptional fighter like Sakamoto or a prolific mind reader like Shin, Wutang managed to climb up the Triad ranks, becoming a strategist of the clan with the help of his superior intellect. A testament to his intelligence, he can win at Blackjack just by counting cards. He is a very perceptive individual who can read someone’s personality based on their actions and mannerisms. He deduced how Shin’s mind-reading worked and managed to use it against him, which is an impressive feat.
However, what makes him so interesting for fans is his infatuation with Lu Shaotang, the daughter of a Triad family who left the organization following the death of her parents. While Wutang is pessimistic and unsociable, he turns into a completely different person when he sees Lu as he’s had a massive crush on Lu ever since they were kids.
What is Wutang’s Relationship Like With Lu Shaotang?
Wutang has been infatuated with Lu ever since they were children. She once saw him being beaten by fellow Triad members and stood up for him, fighting off the bullies. They then had a conversation on a rooftop balcony where Wutang told her that he was enduring this kind of treatment because he wanted to play the long game. Lu was impressed with his intelligence and told him to keep honing his strength. This is what sparked his infatuation with her. However, this is strictly a one-way relationship, as Lu doesn’t feel the same way about him and sees him as a bit of a stalker.
What is Wutang’s relationship like with Sakamoto?
Wutang made his first appearance in episode 10 of Sakamoto Days and was portrayed as a competent character who could be clumsy at times. In the series, Wutang approaches Lu asking her to take leadership of the Triad chan, an offer that she straight away declines as she likes her peaceful life with Sakamoto. Left with no other option, Wutang challenges Sakamoto and Lu to a gambling challenge, promising that if Sakamoto wins, Wutang will give him information about Kei Uzuki, also known as X or Slur. However, if Wutang wins, Lu would have to rejoin the mafia and return to China.
Both sides win their games, resulting in a tie, but Wutang is betrayed by his guards midway through the tiebreaker game, as they want to take Lu away by force. This causes Wutang and Sakamoto to join forces and defeat them together. Wutang then reveals X or Slur has recently freed four infamous serial killers to finish off Sakamoto. Following their team-up, Wutang is now employed by Sakamoto and they are seen tolerating each other which is probably the best their relationship will get. Wutang is a fascinating character who uses his brain to advance in the criminal world of Sakamoto Days rather than brute force. It will be interesting to see if he makes a return to the series in the future.
