Having been best friends since middle school, Haruka Takayama and Yuu Sonoda plan to attend Misato West High School together. However, despite being assigned to the same class, a cruel twist of fate has them seated on the opposite ends of their classroom! To make matters worse, their school will shut down in three years, making them the final intake of first-year students. Undeterred by this chain of unfortunate events, Haruka is set on sticking with Yuu, striving to create many wonderful memories with her.
Much to Haruka's jealousy however, Yuu's easygoing demeanor quickly attracts the attention of their female classmates. Sympathizing with her friend's growing insecurity, Yuu ends up sharing a deep, affectionate kiss with her in an empty classroom. The act intensifies their bond as "special friends," gradually revealing a different aspect to their unique friendship while also inviting new conflicts.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
eririri
This right here is a cult classic, a chef d'oeuvrea buried under erroneous preconceptions and unfounded criticism. This gem is obscured because it does not shine; it is buried because its tone is that of abyssal black. Sakura Trick pries into to the darkest corners of our subconscious, the most visceral of our cognition, the most carnal of our urges, and the most primal of our instincts. Its sublimity will ever be debated yet always remain objectively irrefutable; the fundamental insight it provides into human and perhaps animalistic nature may shape the basis of sexual psychoanalysis for millennia to come. Superficially, Sakura Trick appears tobe an anime which caters to the most lowly and deprived among men; conceited critics dismiss it as such often without a second thought. As self-important as these self-proclaimed critics are, they fail to realize that Sakura Trick is indeed a trick, and they are the ones being tricked. Sakura petals, or cherry blossoms, are commonly associated with a sense of beauty and innocence in Japanese culture. As discussed by Ango Sakaguchi in Sakura no Mori no Mankai no Shita, sakura petals are often a means to enhance and stylize the atmosphere of a scene, be it melancholic, resplendent or sensual. Used famously in 5 Centimeters per Second, the sakura petals constructs an immense yet artificial atmosphere which proved successful in fooling the average fool incapable of critical analysis. What most critics fail to realize, however, is that Sakura Trick is playing them beyond this level. The entire visible layer of Sakura Trick is a euphemistic veil obfuscating the dark and uncanny human psyche which it explores; any tangible material is a metaphor for its meticulous meta-analysis of the metaphysical mentality’s pubertal metamorphosis.
As brilliantly put by Charles Baudelaire, “La sexualité est le lyrisme des masses.” In Ulysses, James Joyce subverts gender conceptions by deconstructing sexual stereotypes; in Lolita, Vladimir Nobakov delves into the abnormal perversion of hebephilia; in Doctor Glas, Hjalmar Soderberg studies sexual catharsis through murder; in Aquarion EVOL, Shoji Kawamori studies the manifestation of repressed sexuality as love. Time and again, great thinkers have demonstrated the immense potential of sexual psychoanalysis in narrative form.
Sakura Trick fulfills this potential.
The exterior plotline of Sakura Trick is straight forward - two damsels unknowingly in love with each other: Sonoda Yuu and Takayama Haruka, start high school in the same class with four other apparent lesbians. This premise alone poses innumerable questions of pertinence - most of which are problematized further and explored as the series progresses. Why are two girls romantically interested in each other? Why are there four more girls of questionable sexual orientation in their class? Were they perhaps influenced by Haruka’s and Yuu’s display of intimacy, implying a nurture over nature determination of sexuality? Do their behaviors suggest abnormalities in their amygdala activity, or is such behavior governed by the wider cerebral hemispheres? Hailed as the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud once said, “The sexual life of adult women is a dark continent for psychology.” The stringency and inadaptability of the traditional approach practiced by psychologists is to blame for this. Sakura Trick is unshackled from such rigidities - by investigating high school girls in late puberty, a time and setting in which sexuality is at its most volatile, and doing so through homosexuality rather than the vapid norm, it sheds light on the enigma which has eluded psychologists for centuries.
Perhaps most imperative and counter-intuitive of all, Sakura Trick investigates male sexuality through the scope of lesbianism. Je veux te baiser, baisez-moi! What is the sexual appeal in a couple which can only engage in abortive reproduction? When exposed to intercourse in explicit yuri, it is plausible that lust for the opposite gender can override the notion of evolutionary feasibility. Despite the lack of explicit intercourse in Sakura Trick, male viewers nonetheless experience a craving for the girls’ well-being instead of jealousy and contempt for one of them as would be rational. This paradox challenges not only the Darwinian theories of evolution, but also Freud’s theories of sexuality. He wrote, “A man's heterosexuality will not put up with any homosexuality, and vice versa.” Sakura Trick proves the exact contrary: heterosexual men more than put up with the homosexuality in the series. According to psychologist Henry Havelock Ellis, “Reproduction… is highly complex and not yet clearly understood. It is not necessarily connected with sex, nor is sex necessarily connected with reproduction.” Havelockian philosophy noticeably makes its mark in Sakura Trick; by taking hold of this anomaly in human behaviour and untangling its implications, it explores the darkest depths of our consciousness which borders between flesh and mind.
In his essay The Sexual Abberations, Freud discusses human disposition to perversions, including hebephilia, as an original and universal disposition of the human sexual instinct which is not limited to the psychologically ill. Sakura Trick takes this theory beyond mere discourse and puts it into practice. The characters in Sakura Trick are impeccably crafted, not only in their characterization and likability but primarily in their support of the series’ psychological study. Rather than each being equipped with sexually inviting traits, some characters are simply “cute”, for lack of a less vulgar word. A certain je ne sais quoi of the girls are successful in generating not just physical, but more importantly emotional cravings from the audience.
The brilliant technique of Sakura Trick’s probing into the atavistic lust is most aptly demonstrated through the analysis of the two main characters: Haruka and Yuu. On the one hand, Haruka is characterized by her lascivious and manipulative personality, pneumatic figure, seductive voice, and red hair indicative of her prurience. In contrast, Yuu has an innocent demeanor, underemphasized curves, a sweet voice characterized by childlike tenderness, and bright amber hair adorned with flowers – all of which are suggestive of a girl in the early stages of puberty. By contrasting these dichotomous traits, Sakura Trick follows in the wake of Vladimir Nobakov and his analysis of the abominable erotic attraction to the so called “nymphets”. A range of recent research by neurologists suggest paedophilia’s origin as a deep-rooted predisposition that does not change, rather than the previous theory of causation by psychological influences. Perhaps influenced by this paradigm shift, Sakura Trick attempts what has never been done before – bringing out, in men, pseudo-paedophilic reactions to girls older than the previously stipulated plateau age of thirteen. This is achieved through the stark contrast between Haruka’s maturity and Yuu’s infantility which tampers with the viewers’ preset dispositions. The additional fact that it succeeds in bringing out such abnormal responses not only in the susceptible older population, but chiefly among the young, truly underscores the groundbreaking impact of Sakura Trick.
La peinture parle d'elle-même, il n'y a rien à dire; to describe the artistic qualia of Sakura Trick would be to describe colour to the blind, wisdom to the young, or life to the unliving. The artistic eminence of this series is utterly unparalleled. The visuals are primarily based on a minimalistic design reminiscent of Frank Stella’s later paintings, yet some of the most visceral moments of the series display a paradoxical resemblance to abstract expressionism. This visual style is augmented by subtly and tactfully altering its background or occasionally foreground objects into abstract patterns or drawings depending on the situation and atmosphere. Certain patterns such as polka dots reoccur frequently throughout the series, showing inspirations from early pop-art but crafting a style most avant la lettre. In a masterful display of expertise in art-direction, these aesthetic shifts are extremely frequent yet uncontrived and never interfere with the viewers’ immersion. This enigmatic and radical style vividly complements the metaphysical nature of the series, reinforcing its character as an original pastiche of the post-modernist movement. It is an embodiment and perfection of the ideals that SHAFT had in mind for but failed to accomplish in their shows such as the Monogatari Series and Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.
Another of Sakura Trick’s aesthetic perks is its use of letterboxing: further cinematic flare is added to the already immersive series through the occasional framing of the video in bars. However, in an bold act of defiance and subversion, Sakura Trick makes use of white bars rather than the traditional black. In addition exuding an ephemerally fey charm, the white letterboxing holds several implications that one may only speculate on. Does it symbolize the series’ immense depth as it creates a dual-layered letterboxing on monitors which do not match its aspect ratio? Does its brightness reflect the series’ enlightening exploration of the previously unknown? Does it indicate the series’ nature as an antithesis to conventional psychology? Incidentally, Sakura Trick shows an abnormal and seemingly perverse focus on the characters thighs. In any other context, this would be plain pandering to the lowest common denominator. Nevertheless, when contextualized in sexual analysis one will realize the use of thighs as a study of fetishistic reactions to sexually inert objects. Sakura trick is sublime not only in the depth of its investigation, but also in its breadth.
Enjoyment may be a pivotal factor of anime-viewing for the ordinary viewer. For experienced critics such as I, however, examining a show of such depth and complexity brings only misery and agony (which true intellectuals welcome, mind you). Attempts at analyzing Sakura Trick’s implications and unraveling its messages necessitate great concentration and effort, which is further exacerbated when so much of my blood flows elsewhere than my brain when viewing this show. As studied in neuromagnetic stimulations, encumbering the brain to a great extent can be a cause for physical pain. We critics are martyrs – through our self-sacrifice we free plebeians of their ignorance and ablute them of their sins.
There have been numerous undisputable masterpieces among anime, such as the Ishihaya Tatsuya’s strikingly realistic classic Clannad or the tactique extraordinaire Code Geass by Taniguchi Goro. Sakura Trick will not join their ranks; its surface is too generic, its themes too provocative, and its messages too obscure. It will remain underground – treasured by the most avant-garde among intellectuals for its edifying if horrifying insight into the fundaments of sexuality. Philistines and self-proclaimed critics alike will shun Sakura Trick, but you can’t fault them for that. It takes boundless wisdom to appreciate its subtleties, and courage to side with the unpopular opinion. Sed domi maneas paresque nobis novem continuas fututiones. The time of Sigmund Freud’s sovereignty over psychoanalysis has passed; Sakura Trick is the herald of a new era that is to come.
smallwaves
At the start of the season, Sakura Trick came in strong. While there has been tons of yuri undertones in anime, characters with physically intimate relationships are still pretty rare, so seeing two high school girls locking fingers and making out was what one would consider "the bees knees", and animation segues in vain of Hidamari Sketch, and even the same DIRECTOR? Hell yeah. Sign me up. This could never get tiring, right? Turns out, it takes a mere half a season for it to go from a novelty to a daily routine. After a dozen and half make out sessions, they stop meaning anything andbegin to seem like a time filler. Beyond LESBIANS~, you are stuck with a cast of characters who are, quite frankly, dull as dishwater. Too much time is squandered away on Haruka, Yuu, and Mitsuki, and the rest of the supporting cast don't get enough individual screen time for themselves or to even get a chance to develop their own side-stories that aren't resolved instantaneously.
While the OP and ED are high energy, the actual OST is rather serene, giving scenes that require a higher tempo BG no punch, and at times, comes off as dissonant with the activities and dialogs being exchanged. Even if backed by a proper OST, it still wouldn't help because gags are too seldom and too few warrant a chuckle.
The visuals are fine, but mostly because it's similar to Hidamari Sketch, except heavily indentured. Part of Hidamark Sketch's charm was the odd animation segues, cutaways, and minimalism. The SHAFTisms separated it from its other SoL peers. Unfortunately, Studio Deen isn't SHAFT. They're a poor company who make low budget garbage like Hetalia, Higurashi, and Pupa, so we're left with the most basic fragments of Hidamari-esque cutaways. Instead of attempting to reinvent Hidamari's SHAFTisms, it's more than content to copycat them very, very poorly. Aside from those little touches, the coloring, while a nice change from many shows that use bright hues, can contribute to the malaise I was feeling as I powered through each episode week after week. The animation is what you would expect from a low-tier studio: most average, but spotty. In terms of quality, it's pretty high end for Studio Deen, so I guess congrats on not making something that looks like complete pigshit for once?
By the end of the season, watching Sakura Trick went from how I kicked off waking up at God-knows-what-hour on Friday mornings to go to college into a chore that I would hold off for several days, finished only out of obligation for coming so far. I really did want the novelty to never die. I really did want to like the characters and find them interesting, but as episode 12 was coming to a close, I had my epiphany: This show is boring as shit.
MelonMilk
Sakura Trick is a refreshingly different Slice of life show, it throws away the concept of static timelines often seen in SOL shows, there is continuity between each episode and changes in each character and their relationships, minor or major, can be felt together with the passage of time. The show presents to us a cast of multifaceted characters and the relationships they share, not solely romantic bonds, but also the ties between friends and between sisters. What I loved most in the show was how it built on its characters. Sakura Trick avoids the use of heavy dialogue and inner monologue as a meansof developing it's characters. Instead, the characters change subtly with the happenings of each episode, leaving space for interpretation on the part of the viewer as well as giving it a natural feel.
For example, as Mitsuki says, Yuu is often not honest with her true feelings, this is something we see through her actions rather than words. I'll give a minor spoiler to illustrate this point.
This trait can been seen from the very start when Yuu makes a phone call to Haruka. She 'checks on' Haruka and quickly hangs up as if just doing a routine check, but the fact that she was awake past midnight and that she called Haruka with nothing substantial to say gives away the excitement she's hiding, she's starting her life as a High School Student after all.
The way the show dealt with dramatic scenes was another thing I liked. There is no reliance on contrived situations nor do they blow mundane problems out of proportion in Sakura Trick. Tense situations are resolved quickly and the characters avoid escalating the issue. Presenting drama this way feels much more natural.
Some might see this as weak storytelling but I would argue in the opposite direction. Because of the show's episodic nature, there is a tendency to dismiss that each scene has significance beyond their respective episodes, but as I previously pointed out, the characters change subtly with each event, the feelings they experience at each point weighs on them and affects the way that they behave.
It's easy to overgeneralize and dismiss the series as purely fan service. Fanservice is present, in terms of selective shots, but this does not distort the characters. Some dumb down the kissing to being a service for the viewers, completely overlooking the relationship between Yuu and Haruka and the emotions which drive each kiss.
If you do plan to pick up this series, try to look at it from your own perspective. Look at the characters as real people rather than try to stereotype them.
Playcool
Sakura Trick is a weird one. For starters, if you dont enjoy yuri at all, it wont reccomend you to try this one out. The main focus is yuri fanservice after all. There is a story with romance, BUT, the way it is executed is poorly most of the times. So again dont like yuri?! SKIP THIS! Now, I said it was a yuri fanservice, so what can you expect, if you do enjoy yuri like myself?? Every episode is divided by 2 mini episodes, most of the times, each has a different kind of mini arc story going on. And for the most part, in each ofthese mini episodes, you can expect some hot yuri scene, there is no mature content here. but the anime doesnt really need it to show its yuri colours, and if you enjoy those, you gonna love when those happen, be flustered even. Honestly some may think of it, like a hentai anime or something to satisfy your "needs", whatever yours are.
But with time, I came to realize it was actually heartwarming for the most part.
The animation is simply, yet enjoyable, and great on the yuri scenes and the sound fits the atmosphere, parts of the OP and ED were very catchy, thought most of the times I only heard the intros for each, then skipped the rest...
Art 9 & Sound 8.
So where did this yuri anime, which seems to have potential by what I wrote failed??
Lets start with the characters, there is not much complexity to each, not really cliche, but still, while the MCs became more decent with time, everything just feels like, "oh, it is another all school girls Slice of Life". Most of the stuff are pretty silly, so the characters had potential to more, but failed to reach it, they stand to support the "story" and the yuri romantic scenes, and for the most part, while the cast is decent for a yuri anime... that is it.
And where comes the big downer for the anime. The story!
I m sure the anime follows faithfully the nature of the origin source, the manga. But by doing so, due to its nature of storytelling, there is almost no sense off progression overall! I dont hate episodic anime, but for a romantic story, it feels kinda lackluster, each episode has its story happening, that for most part seem not to be connected, with some exceptions like the last 2 episodes.
I kinda enjoyed the first episode, and was expecting to get that feeling of progression, that makes you want to see the next episode, to continue the story!
Generally what happened to me was, "gotta progress on Sakura Trick, meh, there is no plot, besides Yuri that I dont feel in the mood for now, what is compelling me to go at it?? Then seeing it, cute yuri!! YESS!... It is over, lets see what is next on my list." That kinda of thing, not memorable at all, a good story makes you want to keep reading it, keeps you wishing to see what will the plot next infold into.
And so... it kills alot of the potential the anime could have, has a proper story, it really does. Okay, most yuri suck, but I have seen some with better stories than this one! And when well explored, the romantic yuri scenes, with proper drama, character and story development, those can became very addicting, a compelling and enjoyable experience, that will make all its yuri fanbase, experiencing lots and lots of doki doki moments!
So, while the story had its moments, it was for the most part mediocre, which if viewed mostly for people that dont enjoy yuri, as trash.
Story 5!
With that left behind, I m a yuri lover after all, so while the story sucked, and probably one of the worst story developments I have seen in an anime yet in these recent years (lucky me, there are worst...), the yuri yuri doki doki scenes, the lighthearted aspect and Yuu and Haruka relationship that while nonsensical at parts, was enjoyable and cute to watch.... all in all, it shined for me at certain moments, and I kinda got surprise that there is lots of yuri every since the beggining, while at most yuri content, you gotta get over alot of progression to start seeing the good stuff. This one, says "Like yuri yuri?? Here take it! Make sure you get your hunger for cute yuri filled, we will not mercilessly make you beat around the bush for longer, enjoy!". Despite the faults, I did enjoyed the anime.
Enjoyment 8
Overall, it will came to be a very polarised experience, it firstly depends of the basis of you enjoying yuri romance, or not.
And then even if you do enjoy, being honest, it could had been so much more.
If only the main aspect, what supports the overall progression you will have with Sakura Trick, the story, didnt fell flat on its face, and the overall cast together had more complexity... I could only imagine, but it would be a really great interesting yuri for sure!
I know it, probably is just the format of the manga, but has I have not yet read it, I dont know if it works there.
If it did, that doesnt means it would surely work with the anime adaptation. So maybe they could had changed, and added more stuff to the adaptation?!
An adaptation doesnt need to be 100% original to its story, IF what is changed/added is for an overall better experience with the adaptation versus the original work...
I m glad yuri seems to be taking more prominience nowadays, but I hope others learn from Sakura's mistakes, and its virtues, and someday make story that fully fleshs out and explores the genre's potential.
Kapodaco
Something that I find fairly interesting about Sakura Trick is the title itself. What comes to mind when "Sakura Trick" is uttered? Sakura, which is a flower with a lovely shade of bright pink, and trick, a fake-out of sorts, which may contain mischievous undertones. What was the inspiration for the name of this title? Every time I see this title, I can't help but feel like I'm about to stumble upon a beautiful disaster, or a "sakura-colored trick," if you will. Of course, the term "trick" can also be defined in other ways, but for the purpose of stating an argument, the previously stateddefinition will be used.
The "trick" in this case, would be the underlying messages that accompany Sakura Trick. On the surface, this title is about two girls who attend a school that is slated to be closed (though, this holds no importance), and decide one day, by complete chance, to kiss each other, in order to strengthen their relationship. Once this happens, their relationship becomes more than that of ordinary friends, as they cannot seem to get through an episode without kissing seven times.
While the kissing between two teenage girls itself is the main factor of the show, it is also by far the worst problem this show has. Not in the kissing itself, but the way it is presented. Contrary to popular media, love is not a drug, and the act of kissing shouldn't be compared to that of taking cocaine. What Sakura Trick does so well is displaying a strange, relieving sense of tranquility while the kiss is going on. Feelings of anticipation, slight awkwardness, and a genuine amount of affection can be felt during (roughly) all of the kissing scenes, and not always necessarily between the two main characters. Despite this, it's both predictable and out of nowhere. When an opportunity arises where the two main characters can be alone, the audience knows they will take it, and the audience know they will kiss, regardless of whether or not the mood suits it. It starts to become the only reason this show has any airtime. This is where the "trick" comes into play.
The two characters that kiss most often are Haruka and Yuu, and are assigned as the show's main protagonists. When these two characters are with each other, they act as though they're a couple, except they aren't. Though, when surrounded by friends, they show discretion, almost as if their kissing is a secret from everyone. Oh wait, it is. Something to note about the characters in this series is that they try to be funny. They try to make the audience laugh and feel good about any situation. Though this might cause the audience to not take anything seriously, there's a larger problem: the characters are dull. Try as they may, most of the jokes aren't that funny. When Sakura Trick decides to spend more time "developing" the relationship between Haruka and Yuu, they brush off other characters to do so, lest the secondary characters have a romantic relationship of their own (all characters are female, by the way). This leaves any screentime not dedicated to girls kissing much to be desired.
The "sakura" within this trick comes through with the animation style. Upon watching this, I would've bet my house that the animation studio responsible for Sakura Trick was Shaft. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out Studio Deen was responsible, as they seemed to dabble in Shaft's mannerisms within Sakura Trick. The art style and design of the entire show will at least keep an audience attentive. There are multiple examples of quick, transitional frames that showcase a character's personality well. Yuu's signature flower clip is shown prevalently throughout, and I could tell that the animators had fun stylizing the characters' features to their whim. It helps an already dull cast of characters seem full of life and charm.
While the animation is fun and the kissing scenes are nothing but passionate, Sakura Trick is conveniently named as a trick. The entire concept of the show and its emphasis on two girls kissing feels shallow altogether, and a lot like bait. Any redeeming factors this show has is muddled down by tryhard dialogue and bland characters. Only the final two episodes of Sakura Trick try to deal with the relationship of Haruka and Yuu in a mature manner, but by then, the damage has already been done. It's a show one can turn their brain off to, through and through. But it's not like we have enough series like that already, right?
DatDamnPR
Romance and comedy comes together quite well! This is a rare occasion that I've watched a "yuri" genre series. But this series is a lot more than just that. Friendship, caring for one another, and being there for one another is what I got most out of this series. Sure it's nice to see cute girls kissing but this series does a great job of not focusing on that. The kisses are well placed so that the story itself is not interrupted. It's a great story! The art and music are fantastic, and the character development is superb. It's very cute, and also leaves youwanting more! Overall, this series is quite unique, and is different. It was a nice change up. : D I do wish there were more episodes for sure.
Pixoniatus
Story: perfect, from the beginning to the end. Each episode bring the same enjoyment, and we follow the story step by step. Haruka and Yuu make us feel plenty of feelings. Art: beautiful. Sound: the OST is wonderfull, I can't stop listening to the opening. Character: Haruka and yuu are just perfect, and the other characters are really good too. Some are funny, some are serious, but each of them has his own story. This is not only about the main characters, this is about their whole life, including their relations with their friends and family. Enjoyment: In first I ws only watching a funny yuri, but once youget into the story this become a firework of feelings, and you can do nothing but enjoy each episode until the last seconde.
Overall: truly a good anime that made me feel a bit empty at the end. We watch, we feel, we cry, and at the very end we understand the true meaning of this story. I'd love to follow Haruka and Yuu in another season.
miochan21
II think the yuri animes that I have watched and I know have bunch of people in one place that are lesbians. Those animes are so unrealistic to the extent and it makes me grin in amusement. They exclude straight people right off the bat and fully focus only in the yuri part. Sakura Trick has a realistic touch that might happen to some of the people around their ages, or even older. The storyline is fairly good; the slice of life comes in and realistic in some ways. We see high school student’s daily lives and ups and downs can be seen in this anime,then how they struggle to their upcoming exams. Not only hets can engage into relationships, but also two of the same sex. Why I said it was realistic? Out 10 people at least 2 or 3 are into homosexuals. Sakura Trick did that seeing Haruka and Yuu and Kotone and Shizuku are in the same sex relationship while the others were normal. We also know how Yuu's sister, Mitsuki, is against them dating. They present that dating two women isn't as seen as normal unlike the other yuri animes out there. That is crossing out the realism in the anime that makes it uninteresting for me, as if the only obstacles in that anime is that a rival between two women and setting aside realism.
Art I love how unique the animation of this anime. Similar to Shaft's but Shaft has a greater animation and far greater than Studio Deen. Well it did catch my attention at least. Seeing Studio Deen is mimicking Shaft methods when they animate their animes =='.
Sound is fine I guess? Just average or below average for the opening and ending.
Character is focused to Yuu and Haruka and a little of the other characters. We would love to see Kotone and Shizuku too, but neglected them for some reason; how disappointing. Haruka is assertive and Yuu is being so stubborn and not honest to her feelings. I love how Haruka's wild imagination kicks in and how Yuu's expectation exceeds.
Enjoyment! Sure, the bouncing boobies and two little girls kissing haha. The moaning part damn why? That kills me! The jokes that really get through at least they try, better not having one.
Overall 10/10! This anime is a gem! It's so hard to find a real pure yuri anime anywhere. Only Hentais have I think? I don't go for hentai that's just too much. This is not just implied, but it is certainly in action. That's why it's 10/10!
chokoichigo
My love for this anime is endless! It's filled with fluff and moe characters who look at least 5 years younger than their actual age, like so many other animes, but still it manages to set itself apart. What I really like about this anime is the fact that a romantic relationship between two girls is not seen as completely normal, because this gives it a more realistic touch, unlike animes like Strawberry Panic! where literally everyone is a lesbian. The anime nicely balances the 'oh, nobody should know, since we're both girls' and the general development of one's first romantic relationship, like 'What should I expectfrom my partner, and what does they expect from me?'
TsundereOsama
It has lesbians in it, but they didn't fuck hard enough with their blurry parts in the first episode so i would give this a 12.1 on the richter scale. i like the part where the yuri and the have no but japansese cartoons are very ok when they have chinese subtitles and russiandub at the same time in korea. how long do i need to make this i can't even think of anymore words i know, so heres a funny joke- hector is mexican 9/11 lesbians fishcats. ok still more words so heres the review story- what, i thought this was hentai outstanding 10- art, notas good as the TOH sprites
sounds- im deaf
characters- kawaii personalities
enjoyment- im empty inside
overall- uijkontg4vweshrfkbnioulkegrsjfvbhedrftiukl;hnbgouik;3wser4dg
ktulu007
Sakura Trick is a yuri anime from this year, started in January finished in March. The manga it's based on was written and drawn by Tachi and the anime version was handled by Studio Deen. Studio Deen has done several yuri series/ series with heavy yuri content before. Including Maria sama ga Miteru, Yamibo and Simoun. So far, none of these series have been bad, although some have come closer than others. That being said, Studio Deen has done some pretty egregious anime in other genres. Such as Kore wa Zombie desu ka. Still, they do have a pretty good record so I'm cautiously optimisticabout this one.
Story:
Our story begins with a group of students entering their first year of High School. Haruka and Yuu, two girls who attended Middle School together, end up in the same class, but on opposite ends of the room. Haruka sees Yuu link arms with other girls and runs to an empty classroom, feeling dejected. Yuu follows to apologise, having known in advance that her actions would make Haruka jealous. The two have a conversation during which Haruka reveals that she thought they were special to each other. Yuu argues that they are and she will prove it by doing something with Haruka that she wouldn't do with anyone else. This leads to the two of them kissing rather passionately.
This has, quite possibly, the fastest hook up I've ever seen in a romance series, with the two leads getting together right away. Most of the series involves them and their friends getting into shenanigans with the two of them trying to hide their relationship while sneaking kisses. In fact, I don't think there's a single episode without Haruka and Yuu kissing at some point. Sakura Trick is something of a rarity since the tension doesn't come from how the two leads will get together. Rather, it comes from two sources. The first being whether or not they'll get found out. The second being that Mitsuki, Yuu's older sister, also develops romantic feelings for Haruka. That's going to make family gatherings awkward. Honestly, I prefer this type of narrative to the more traditional one. If you're watching a romance, you know that the leads are almost certainly going to hook up eventually and it can just get annoying watching or reading a bunch of material that teases about it. At least this format dispenses with all that crap and just lets you enjoy the cute elements of their relationship while also providing some story threads for tension that basic pattern recognition doesn't instantly give you the conclusions for. So, the tension does work pretty effectively, even if most of the series is more dedicated to cutesy or comedic slice of life moments.
There are a lot of comedic elements in this series and, as a whole, they're really well done. Just about every joke hits the mark and there aren't any that don't at the very least elicit a smile. The relationship between Haruka and Yuu is positively adorable. The series also manages to have a narrative that flows pretty smoothly in spite of the episodes being largely unconnected. There's a very clear chronology for the series.
There's really only one problem with the narrative. Unfortunately, it's a pretty major one. There's a secondary romantic couple with two of Haruka and Yuu's friends, Kotone and Shizuku. The problem is that Kotone and Shizuku are cousins. In all fairness, they don't get a huge amount of screen time, but it's still really disturbing every time they get a scene. The worst part is that there doesn't seem to be any awareness that this is a bad idea. It's treated as “cute” within the series. Because when I think of cousins snogging, I think “oh, cute.” Oh, wait, I don't because it's not cute. It's just messed up. There's not even a good reason for them to be cousins. They could've been childhood friends and it would've made no difference to their story arc.
Characters:
The characters in this are really good, overall. Haruka and Yuu are adorable and have great interactions. The major side characters like Mitsuki, Kaede and Yuzu are a lot of fun. Even Kotone and Shizuku have some good character moments if you can ignore their disturbing relationship. Now, the side characters tend to be pretty much non-entities, the teacher, Rina, Sumi and several others. They don't exactly feel like one-dimensional stereotypes, but they come pretty close. Although, to be fair, they do have a purpose within the story even if it is a very small one and it would be highly unreasonable to expect every minor character in a twelve episode series to get developed. Furthermore, they do serve their functions just fine.
Art:
The art in this is kind of lazy. The character designs themselves are nice and there are some good sequences, particularly the way they animate the ending. However, the backgrounds are pretty bare and people who show up in the background are frequently drawn without any features. They're just kind of blank. The artists also dispense with any kind of detail for the backgrounds on several occasions, replacing them with colourful heart patterns or some such thing.
The worst factor in the artwork is the fan-service. There are a few scenes where they use it for the sake of a joke, but more often they just have random fan-service scenes or oddly angled shots for the sake of fan-service. Did they really think they needed to play up to the heterosexual male gaze in a series where girls frequently kiss each other? All the fan-service ultimately does is detract from the cutesy elements.
Sound:
There are some really good actresses in this. Our leads are played by Iguchi Yuka, who was also Mako in Girls und Panzer, and Tomatsu Haruka, who played Anjou in AnoHana. They both do a really superb job and really convey the chemistry between Yuu and Haruka perfectly. They also got Fujita Saki, Ymir in Shingeki no Kyojin, and Fuchigami Mai, who was Miho in Girls und Panzer as well as Alice in Doki Doki Precure. All the actresses do really well in their roles. The music is really good too, helping accentuate the mood.
Ho-Yay:
The ho-yay factor is going to be a 10/10. I know, the fact that this is a yuri romance probably clued you in. Haruka and Yuu have a really good relationship and it does develop and strengthen throughout the series. We also get the kissing cousins, who I really don't want to discuss in any detail. Mitsuki's feelings for Haruka are also really well handled and lead to some good moments, both dramatic and comedic. Rina is also heavily implied to have feelings for Mitsuki, one of the only traits she has. Yuzu and Kaede have a really close relationship that could have pretty easily moved into romantic territory, but never does.
Why no, I don't find anything odd about there being no straight characters in the main cast. And no, I'm not just saying that because straight characters are rare in my own writing. Hurriedly changing the topic, Sakura Trick has a lot of affectionate scenes. As previously stated, pretty much every episode has a kiss at some point and there's also some hand holding, cuddling up and the like, but the series never moves into explicit sexual territory. It prefers to keep things cutesy. Which is a good thing given that the characters are pretty young and cutesy material is far better suited for the atmosphere as a whole.
Final Thoughts:
Sakura Trick is a pretty good romance. Yuu and Haruka make for an adorable couple, the comedy is effective and the sources of tension are really good. Still, the series is hurt by the secondary relationship between Kotone and Shizuku and the use of pandering fan-service. If you can forgive those problems, you will probably enjoy the series for its cute and funny moments as well as the romance between the two leads. My final rating is going to be a 7/10. Next week I'll take a look at Kill La Kill.
Micsupreeme
~A personal journey into the world of forbidden love, buried under a pink veil~ On the surface, Sakura Trick doesn't seem like the kind of anime to have many unique or redeeming elements. Its vibrant, predominately pink colour scheme and slice of life presentation will impress nobody from a glance. With the further belittlement of the Shoujo and Yuri tag associations, its no wonder that few come to appreciate Sakura's delicacy. A lot of Sakura's strength is in its simplicity. It is an uplifting representation of Shoujo, that ironically plays no tricks. Its straightforward almost to a protesting, influential extent, and it exposes the genre from amultitude of viewpoints...
From the predictable Yuri-like intimacies, to the more heartfelt emotional friction between the characters - it may take a few episodes, but one can quite easily begin to appreciate the show's vivid, heart-warming, and surprisingly innocent nature.
Sakura goes on to quite vividly document through everyday life, the highs, lows, struggles and battles no matter how small-scale, from the perspectives of many; as the prominent relationship between the main characters evolves. Due to the (from a critical perspective) self-limiting simplicity of the show, it has to pay close attention to its detail - and this is exactly what it does to counter its endlessly rehashed premise.
The show is inescapably charming, cute, upbeat, very personal, very intimate, dramatic at times, but primarily... delicate (despite first impressions). Throughout, Sakura continuously flicks between casual slice of life-like presentation, with its fair share of comedy; and romantic, more cinematic, serious, and emotionally-driven presentation. This variety adds to its realism and therefore immersion. It allows for the development of a distance between these stances, establishing more contrast, and giving the viewer a "behind the scenes" type feeling, an appreciation of the show's personal and intimate nature.
In terms of presentation, the Art and Sound are flawless, and so despite the often associated one-dimensional nature of Shoujo shows, Sakura appears to know exactly what it is, and plays this mixture of controversy and deeper meaning into the content itself. I definitely was able to engage with the show, as i particularly liked the representation of the intimate awkwardness, and the forbidden, two-vs-society perspective.
That being said though, i won't deny that Sakura has minimal "must keep watching" factors, as the individual character development, alongside the story, is very simplistic. It only has power if you permit it to, and so a show where you are in control of your own engagement, is likely to bore those looking for a more dramatic romance. It's genuinely difficult to rate the show, as a lot can be read into it. If you're an interested SoL and/or Shoujo and/or Yuri fan, it's subjective, but give credit where its due, and you'll realize the beauty of this deceivingly cloudy-looking gem.
Cure-Pastel
ah yes. sakura trick. thats one i havent thought about in a good couple of years. little eight year old me found this anime and was absolutely mesmerised. yes, this anime was quite literally my gay awakening. ....then why am i writing a bad review? well when this anime suddenly popped into my mind again i thought to myself "....wait...this anime was...so weird." of course, i am no longer eight years old. now, being almost a teenager, my mind and opinions has grown and matured with me. and what is my opinion on this show? it's mediocre at best and weird and fetishy and worst. this showholds such a special place in my heart, as mentioned beforehand, but i simply cannot say that this show is good nor do i recommend it to anyone okay, the plot. i havent watched this anime in a good three years so forgive me if i get something wrong but if i remember correctly, our main protagonist haruka gets jealous of her crush, yuu, making other friends and then they kiss so they can make their relationship special or something. now right off the bat, WHAT??? i relate to haruka, i really do, i have major jealousy issues but i dont make a big deal out of it, i just watch it happen, because it is what it is. also, how the hell do you kiss like every day and still be like "oh yeah nah we're just friends though." i mean, you gotta kiss the homies goodnight i guess!! respect. /s.
ummm....nah thats the plot. im not even joking that literally the whole entire plot. nothing happens. you know what the real plot of this show is? haruka and yuu kissing. i kid you not, all their kissing scenes adds up to atleast 25 minutes. the reason people watch this show (presumably men who get no bitches) is to look at two girls--who are CHILDREN--kissing and they probably jerk off to it because they're some greasy freaks. thats wrong on like, two levels. stop sexualising lesbians and stop jerking off to children you sick fucks.
the characters are not much different to the plot. they are as bland as a sheet of paper. hell, i cant even tell you the characters names, let alone their personalities. oh, but if it couldnt get any worse, no. it CAN get worse. you see, theres two side characters who have their romantic subplot of their own, awww....AAAAAAA?!!?!? well apparently not because THEY ARE COUSINS. YEP. COUSINS. im not even gonna comment any further.
the voice acting wasnt bad but jesus christ they put so much effort into the kiss scenes like their rent was due.
overall, it has a special place in my heart but with all due respect this show is icky and if you like it im going to assume you smell bad, have no girlfriend and i would kindly ask you to stand atleast 6 feet away from me <3
dlxuniuniu
So this is the first review I write here on MAL and surely you are asking "Why do you write a review for an anime which aired almost five years ago?" I know we have already July 2019 and Sakura Trick aired in Winter 2014, so almost five years past already. I am not a guy who is good at writing reviews or generally writes a lot. Maybe no one will ever see my review about Sakura Trick, but my intention is not to compare my review with the one's from other users. I have already seen some very good reviews about Sakura Trick andthey have written a lot about it.
So why will my frist review on MAL about Sakura Trick?
First of all I usually only watch animes with MOE, CGDCT. My favorite genres are comedy and slice of life. I don't really like those classic action animes which everybody have watched. It's not like they are bad or something, instead the have a good reason to have 9+ score and everybody likes them. It's just my personal perference to watch animes with cute girls in it and everybody enjoying there and having fun.
So how does Sakura Trick is different from the other Shoujo Ai animes? From all MOE animes Sakura Trick is definitely my most favorite one. First of all, I enjoy yuri a lot and in my opinion kissing is an important part of it (also in real life). Right in the OP there is directly a kissing scene and you just want to watch more yuri romance. You want to learn more about the characters and their development.
Every character here is very cute and adorable, I really love them and they just enjoy their life with another girl. Even if they have problems, they try to solve it together.
The sytle of thies anime is also great. I mean it was from 2014 and it still could be one from nowadays if you compare the styles of it.
As you can see I am not really good at putting my minds into words but I feel like I have to write a review here because I really love Sakura Trick. It's sad that there won't be a second season because the sales were not that great. If you want to know what happens after the anime, you should definitely read the manga, it's also very enjoyable!
(Haruka x Yuu 4ever!)
FrilioFriolo42
There are some animes that have a awesome story, breathtaking art and visuals, extremly well developped characters, and thoses animes are sure to be critically acclaimed as an 10/10 masterpiece must-watch anime. And thoses animes deserves it. But Sakura Trick is something else. There isn't a leading thread to the plot. The visuals are suitable, but not great. The character do not revolutionize anything. But it's an anime that I found so enjoyable and entertaining, that never bored me, with characters that are so cute, that I must give it an 10/10. If I should summarize what this anime made me feel, let's just say that it gave my dick andmy hearth a boner at the same time.
Yuu_Masuhara
Sakura Trick series is simply about everyday lives, which means the plot spins around the heroines. The school becomes the story regularly takes place. It's a lively show, the main heroines are Haruka Takayama and Sonoda Yuu who's currently a classmate and be a damn-too-good friend since Junior HS. Basically we can't ignore the present of other heroines that look really like main characters too, Shizuku Minami, Kotone Noda, Kaede Ikeno, and Yuzu Iizuka. While Yuu and Haruka (main heroines) are so lovey-dovey with each other, almost neglecting other presents, the others are steamed-up and funny. The fusion of slice-of-life, school life, yuri, and comedygenres in Sakura Trick ( •ಲ•)
If you expect that majority of slice-of-life and school life anime stays between the line of average for graphics, well I do so. But it's different with Sakura Trick, from my sight, Sakura Trick stands in the minority of the thoughts, where the visuals really please your eyes. I appreciate the details, colours, and movements here. The colours are soft but placed appropriately, like the rise of shadows, dark colours to bring cloudy aura. For the details and movements are not superb but it is above average for daily life anime genre. I can feel the atmospheres slowly change one into another noticeably by the pleasant scenes through the story.
Since first, the story indeed shows how madly in love Haruka and Yuu is, the first two episodes really set our eyes on their relationship as certainly yuri couple. However, as the time goes, the story reveals gracefully other characters too, how their involvement makes the story to keep moving forward amusingly. At any rate we can find occasionally the story standstill, by standstill I mean, it's only showing us the funny parts of the show before continuing to detailed the characters. Sometimes it goes in the right time but sometimes not.
OP "Won(*3*)Chu KissMe!" by SAKURA*TRICK is a typical energetic song, the pump pump beat and cute voice of the seiyuus. It is really describe the desire of main heroine who loves to chu her beloved partner. My favorite parts are the ending themes. ED "Kiss(and)Love" by SAKURA*TRICK (Haruka Takayama's seiyuu & Yuu Sonoda's seiyuu) is heartwarming while ED for ep 8m "Sakura Sweet Kiss (桜Sweet Kiss)" by SAKURA*TRICK (seiyuus of Mitsuki Sonoda, Sumi Otokawa, & Rina Sakai)♪ is my favorite!
Yuri level is quite high even without ecchi scenes *be careful* (tho' I like it)
JAKQ7111
This was a refreshing look at semi-realistic high school relationships, particularly lesbian relationships. The characters were all quirky and unique, and I enjoyed each of them in their own ways. (except maybe Kotone and Shizuku) The jokes were nearly always funny, and the show did not overdo the yuri fanservice, and instead gave us genuine character interactions which made us love each of them more. This is easily my favorite Studio Deen work, and at this point, my favorite show of the winter season.
SovietWeeb
To be perfectly honest i don't understand the mediocre reviews on this. At the time of writing this has a 7.17 when i feel this should have around an 8-9. This is honestly a good and funny show to watch. The group of friends we see are all fun and interesting in there own way and they all have someone that they fit really well with. But this right here could be seen as a problem. There are duo's that should be couples together but some aren't while the others are. I guess what i'm trying to say is that some are never in an officialrelationship while 1 or 2 feel like they should.
HarukaxYuu
KaedexYuzu
KotonexShizuku
YuukaXRina
These are the group of people that best go together but duo's such as Kaede and Yuzu are kind of teased as being a couple while Yuuka and Rina seem to be perfect for each other ( I think Rina has a Crush on Yuuka) But we are subject to Yuuka having a crush on someone else and it just doesn't really fit. This is the really own big issue i can think that is worth mentioning.
The comedy is good especially how Haruka can be so oblivious to certain things.
The art itself is really good and better than i would have expected from such a story.
All in all i feel this is i nice little gem that i never hear talked about. Nothing really bad with it. Just a nice and funny comedic love show to sit back and watch whenever.
MutedNerd
When it comes to Yuri I try to avoid them because of the possible chance that it could cross the line between Ecchi and P**n, and I do not watch anime for that reason. Sakura Trick was the first Yuri that I went into fully aware of it being a yuri, because of what I had seen around the internet and heard from other people. I was greeted with something that I believe could almost be a kid show in my opinion. Homosexuality is a very touchy subject and not everyone agree's with it in one way or another. But Sakura Trick did something with itthat made it seem like it could be watched by basically anyone (Without Homophobia,of course). Yes, the show has two girls just starting High school kissing each other... a lot and not with reason you might expect from a yuri anime. The anime itself when watching it seemed to not take it self very seriously and it had a certain ease to it without going overboard. The art style is different, in a good way it goes out of it's way to make sure you know who the main character's are and who's important. The music could be better and not very remember-able in my opinion. Character design is nothing short of typical student character's that are represented with human flaw's and quirks. Overall I truly believe if your looking for something a bit different from the average normal slice of life/school related anime give this one a try because it has a great story with a bit of twist all being around one particular thing.
