Reviews for Sakura Tsuushin (4.6)

The animation of this series is okay. It looks like it's an older series, so you can't expect excellent quality. The characters are done nicely and they remind sometimes to Chobits - especially the main character, 'Tonma-chan'.

The voices are done okay. Nothing great, nothing bad, but the OP/END are pretty nice. That made the difference between a 6 and a 7.

The story is decent. It's a regular love story, except for one minor part: the ecchi part. Even though it's a regular comedy-lovestory, the main girl is so daring that the ecchiness will be quite extreme.

Character development is okay, but nothing more. This is probably due to the bad ending; it doesn't seem like it's supposed to end, but it just ends without finishing a story, while there have been opened some more subplots and possibilities. I expected that the real development would start after episode 12 since the story seemed to take a turn after the revelations in ep 12 - but there wasn't anything after episode 12.

The fact that it has stopped at episode 12 makes this series a good candidate for never-rewatch, since the ending is very unsatisfying. If they had made it into a good ending, or added a few more eps to finish the story, it would've been an easy 7 - but now I feel like rating a 4 since they really did a bad job on the finishing.

I did enjoy the series though.

Initially, the very idea of hentai (cartoon porn) made my eyebrows raise and myself frown. After all, cartoon sex seemed to be merely a substitute, and quite lame at that. Yet, while watching several anime I could not help but notice that some of the females are sexy, even voluptuous. So when I had a chance to see few hentai I took the opportunity...
... and saw how little such thing represents, in terms of story and characters. Never ever the term 'gratuitous fan-service' has come to my mind so strongly.

Sakura Diaries would actually benefit from being a hentai.

While aiming for a mark of 'character-driven' anime Sakura Diaries confuses several key definitions, and thus ends as far cry from any romance title that comes to mind.

Starting with enjoyable lead. Here, like in NGE side characters are more enjoyable than main duo. They are more interesting, they get more development and, finally, they are more likeable.

Another confused definition is thought provoking show. Following in the footsteps of Elfen Lied, Sakura Tsuushin has characters that make stunning decisions just out of blue. You never get to know WHY did he do this, or WHAT caused her to act like that. Certainly thought provoking, now is it not?

Last confused definition is ending full of closure. It was mistook for ending straight out of Angel Sanctuary - the one that was made just in half of the story. Clean cut, and rest is for us to wonder.

If not for those confused definitions, Sakura Diaries would most likely earn the proud title of 'character-driven' anime, out of simple truth. There is nothing else out there, beside characters. Story hangs on their interactions (romance and love triangle), there is no subplot, no side story. Animation sole saving grace are character designs (females, oh! those females) and sound doesn't even get honorable mention.



Animation[/b]

Strong point - character designs. Nothing else really catches Your eyes, and they try to avoid even possibilities of You looking. Some tougher to properly animate motions are not shown at all, few times when you are expecting seeing something you are shown close-ups to characters' faces instead. I would not noticed that have I been drawn in the story, but... ON a plus - girls are real eye-candy, and Urara tries hard to get any male viewer interested.



Sound[/b]

Bad use of BGM, dub being a great reminder on why I hate dubs in anime, and even Japanese seiyuus were acting like they were half-dead from embarrassment (can't blame them, really, were I in their shoes, I would act the same).

For a plus... there are country tunes in opening and ending song which adds up for originality, and the violin theme used in the BGM was nicely played.

Mieko's and Mashu's voices were fitting very well, and I liked Kohji's accent (have to admit that ever since Wolfwood this -nya in endings makes me smile).

Yet for all that, sound in Sakura Tsuushin, instead of enhancing the mood, is dispersing of it. First time in my anime watching career I encountered a show, where sound department was so greatly hindering. Or so misplaced.

Particularly one scene when a girl uses her naked breasts to rub against guy's back had me literally floored. She wears just a towel, which slowly slips down, he is naked. He sits on a stool and she rubs her breasts against his back. Slowly. While holding them with her hands, she kneels just behind him and whispers in his ear. You see the image? You feel the atmosphere? And all that time... there is a piano playing in the background that makes one think about confessions, first kiss, romantic love, all that jazz. Never had I met such misplaced BGM. I do not even know whether it's disfigured story's fault or out of place sound's.

That is the worst sound rating I gave ever.



Story[/b]

Having such strongly erotic scene and trying to depict it as 'romantic' is a common directing mistake. Actual story focuses on love triangle, and an indecisive boy. Problem is that for such story either there is other motive in the background, that outlines heroes deeds and shows their struggles in the bigger frame, or the characters should be interesting, so that we could rate the story just by rating the characters. Creators of Sakura Diaries chose second approach and murdered the characters.

Idea itself was not bad, the childhood reminiscence was interesting, it actually managed to evoke some sympathy from me toward Urara. Besides that, for 13 episodes there is nothing here.

Characters[/b]

Mieko, Kohji and Mashu were saving grace here. Watching them grow up, change, realize things was much more interesting, than watching moronic main heroes.

Lonely Mieko, who was cunning vixen first grated on my nerves, but in the last episodes she earned at least recognition from me. Especially the fact that thing which triggered her change was how someone reacted to her dumping him. I liked that scene, it was nicely shown how initially her ego was wounded, and then she realized what in fact happened.

Mashu was initially interesting, later became a bastard and finally I understood he, like Mieko, was burdened by his 'fine origins' and wealthy background, not to mention social status.

Still, character that rocked here (not a feat, mind You) was Kohji. Winning my sympathy by his accent alone, later he not only was kind and easy-going, he was also open to others and their troubles. A kind of buddy who gives You advice or slaps You in a head - just when each was needed the most.

Unfortunately those are side characters (with possible exception of Mieko).

Urara is so dumb, that soon I stopped caring for her. For a girl who acts so frivolous to later change into innocent virgin is truly unconvincing.

Her act caused me to redeem the main guy in his actions. He also had few moments of coolness. Sadly, only a few, and those were there most likely by mistake.

Value[/b]

Had it been a hentai, I would not mind gratuitous nudity, mindless actions of nearly all characters, and specifically two main ones. Overwhelming ecchi motives, constant sex-related dreams, dialogue full of lines annoying with their stupidity - all that would actually be in place, had it been a hentai.

Unfortunately for this show, it is not. And we are left to suffer through slop that will stand on its head before being enjoyable.

Uh huh?!?...[/b]

I'm sorry that's probably not the right way to start a review, but that's really the first thing that comes to mind when you have finished watching Sakura Diaries. It's not a completely lost cause but with an unfinished ending that probably even rivals the king of all unfinished endings Kare Kano, it is very hard to give this show a decent well even an above average rating.

Animation: I'm probably as usual a bit different than most when it comes to what I call good animation, and in this case I thought it was pretty good. Not anything outstanding obviously, this anime is from 1997 all right, but I can't help thinking that Urara (among the other characters as well of course) was drawn extremely well. I like that particular way they made the faces back then, the eyes, mouth, nose, head shape etc. - a drawing style that has been lost over the last 5-7 years which I miss a bit actually. The scenery in general is also ok, the animation as a whole smells alot like a mid-90's OVA production, which means it is very good for a 12 episode TV show.

Sound:Nothing outstanding here, though the relaxing accustic OP was pretty good- good enough to listen to in all 12 episodes, and as for the ED, I heard it once and skipped the rest. I only remember some of the BGM vaguely which means they were neither outstanding nor a big bother. The voice acting was your average job, with the usual high-pitched voice applied to most of the girls. And that's what bothered me a bit, you could almost not tell the voices from each other.

The story and character explanations may contain some spoilers.

Story: The story is about Touma who lives with his parents out in the country and helps them with their hot spring inn. He travels to Tokyo to take the entrance exam into college, and during his overnight stay in a hotel he gets a visit from a very! cute callgirl. He doesn't understand why she knows his name and ends up sending her away. He fails the test and decides to go to cram school instead, and is allowed to live with his uncle and cousin. However his cousin is the exact same girl as the one that almost slept with him at the hotel!

We have seen this kind of high-school romance/drama lots of times, so it's really hard to come up with something really original. Already in episode 1 i felt a strong resemblence to Chobits and Ai Yori Aoshi- but at least since it's from 1997, you can say that it was one of the earlier shows to go this much in depth. Maybe that's why at times it doesn't feel very realistic. I have lots of examples where I was thinking, "huh why the heck is he/she doing that?!" I simply couldn't connect to the people's feelings like I could in shows like "The eternity you wish for" or Kare Kano.

I don't wanna spoil too much, but here are just a few examples: Let's just think about the hotel stay in episode 1. Even after- or let's say especially after you know why Urara likes Touma so much, it doesn't make sense why she would go and sleep with him the very first evening! Yes, I know explanations for this are to follow, but still, what if he was actually going to sleep with her? Much more weirdness follows this, especially when the 2nd girl comes into the picture- you can PM me and I'll gladly explain :^)

The ending is extremely rushed, and as I said before there are probably as many unfinished subplots as in Kare Kano, if not even more. Everything ends in one big mess basically, and what's even worse, you have no idea what direction things are headed whatsoever.

In the end you will really wonder what this show is about. IF you asked me "Is the show really about Touma and Uraras relationship?" after the first few episodes, I'd say "yes of course", now I don't know at all.

Character:Touma is your very very typical male lead in a romance/drama/ecchi. He is extremely shy in front of girls, thinks about boobs most of the time, and has no real idea about what the girls feel. He indeed has a very thick skull and things have to get hammered in before he understands- and still then he acts very weird. At least he show just a tiny hint of character development towards the end, unlike Urara- in fact many of the side characters develop much more than her. And still, the shreds of development he gets is all because of the side characters lecturing him about life, he almost learns none of it on his own.

Urara is much like in Ai yori Aoshi waiting to be reunited with her childhood love and does everything to please him and make him feel good. As i said before she also acts very irrational at times. One example is: At one point she has to realize she lost Touma for the pretty college girl, and tells him she is ok with being just his sister- and yet she plans "time alone" with him on a date. What I'm trying to say is, basically Urara doesn't seem to develop at all, even though Touma's situation changes alot during the show she seems to be static, not adapting to the changes at all. Call it a character trait if you want, I just think it's plain annoying and very unfitting for the story.

I guess people do alot of silly things when in love, but in general stuff happening in Sakura Diaries are a bit unbelieveable.

Value/enjoyment: There is no point for me to rewatch this anime, all I feel is this annoying sensation since the ending was so extremely bad. I gave the enjoyment a 6 since at some point I actually stopped wanting things to work out for Touma, since he acted so stupid and unreal. Instead I was watching to see how much he could mess up things for himself that was at least semi-enjoyable.