Sakura Diaries (1997) User Reviews

A heart touching story

[pawwof · 23 April 2006]

Watching this series for the first time I am still sitting here in front of my PC not believing it is over. The story was so real and the daily life problems of the people so, so, well so much like mine I feel like I have looked into a mirror. The strange thing for me was that I thought I would have related more to Touma, the male lead, but in fact I related to Urara the most. With out telling to much of the plot it is hard to say much but that her confusion and pain dealing with life is done so very real it will truly hurt your heart to watch her.

This series does a great job of giving the viewer a look into the inner drives and thoughts of each player in the story that even when they are behaving badly, which they often do, you can't help but feel for them and wish them the best. If you are looking for an anime that will truly touch your heart and one you will make you look at your one life and what drives you. Sakura Diaries is your anime.

The only thing I did not like about the series is that it had to end. :D 5 out of 5 stars

A likable "PG-17" anime series

[HallmarkMovieBuff · 11 January 2007]

This review is based on the 2001 U.S. Collector's Edition, which is in Japanese with English subtitles, and which does not contain the work of actors whose English voice credits may appear elsewhere in the IMDb entry for this title. The package is labeled "Contains mature situations. Parental guidance is suggested" and "Suggested 17+", due no doubt to nudity and teenage sex, some violent.

Briefly, Tokyo high school student Urara has been bearing a crush for her "country bumpkin" cousin Touma (Tonma-chan to her) ever since they were children, when he promised to protect her after her mother's death in a car accident. Urara "bares" her crush when her Tonma-chan arrives in the city to try out for prestigious Keio University by taking the entrance exams. Urara arranges for Touma to stay with her "and her father," who never appears in the flesh, due allegedly to some mysterious, erratic work schedule. He later "phones in" his part, literally, and Touma discovers the truth.

At the exams, Touma meets and falls head over heels for lovely well-to-do Meiko, thus setting up a love triangle. Unbeknownst to Touma and to us is the fact that Meiko already has a fiancé whom we learn much later is studying abroad.

Meiko matriculates in Keio University, and has all the boys falling for her, including handsome Mashu (a.k.a. "Keio boy") upon whom Urara's best friend, Komi, has developed a crush of her own. (Urara and Komi, remember, are still in high school.)

Touma, meanwhile, has failed the entrance exams and enters "cram school" to prepare for retaking the exams. But because cram school students are the subjects of ridicule by university students, Touma lies and claims he passed in order to pursue a relationship with Meiko. This lie of course begets other lies. Indeed, lies and deceptions by the various characters are pivotal in several relationships and motivate conflicts which propel the story.

After watching and enjoying all twelve episodes, this viewer was a bit disappointed in the ending. There was no conclusion, per se, but merely dreamy allusions regarding where the characters wound up and where they may be headed next…leaving the door open, perhaps, for a sequel.

The original story is credited to "Ujin (Shogakukan Young Sunday Series)". Does this parenthetical credit indicate the day this series was televised? In particular, at what time of day was this series seen, and who was the original intended audience for this Japanese teen sex farce too explicit for U.S. teens?

Anime Bliss

[Anime_Freak · 29 September 2004]

Sakura Diaries is one of the best animes i have ever seen, the story is very well done, the animations are top notch, and if i said what i truly liked about it i would be spoiling the 12 episode series.

But i can say this, this is a romantic comedy.......... A WELL DONE ROMANTIC COMEDY!! This isn't one of those J-Lo movies, this romantic comedy is worth taking a look at.If your into anime as much as me, and i think you are you'll find sakura diaries a whole lot of fun and quite possible, a must buy for the anime collection.

I give sakura Diaries.....

10 out of 10