This review may contain spoilers
"I want to serve as a bridge between Hawaii and Japan."
"Sakura" is the 29th asadora that I've completed. I've been watching "Sakura" since @heart-ereki began fansubbing it last year. [A great, big thank you to them for subbing it!] I've really enjoyed watching it 2-3 weeks at a time. After watching it for so long, I feel quite attached to this asadora unlike ones that I've binge-watched so this review will be heavily biased [lol]. Oh, it might be a bit rambling...
"Sakura" is a rare example of a nearly perfect modern day asadora. "Modern day" meaning that it takes place around the time that it aired. Modern day asadoras used to be popular, particularly during the early 2000s. Some examples are "Hitomi" and "Dondo Hare." In my opinion, these are more misses than hits. [This is also probably why NHK has moved to a more hybrid format like "Mare," which is set during the 1990s but also takes place during modern day.] "Sakura," thankfully, avoids all of the pitfalls of a modern day asadora. It keeps up its relaxing vibe without any drastic tonal changes. There aren't any supporting character that cause neverending frustration. And it keeps conflict to a minimum.
The asadora follows Japanese-American Matsushita Sakura (played by Takano Shiho) who comes to Japan to teach English at an all-boys middle school. Through Sakura, the asadora gives a lovely, nuanced take on identity. In the first week, Sakura's father tells her that Japan will always make her feel different for being American, despite being fully Japanese ethnically. And, yes, she goes through several culture shocks, though she's slowly able to "bridge" the gap through kindness and understanding. It's quite amazing to see the contrast between the beginning and the ending. Shiho is also the perfect actress to play Sakura. She is able to portray all of her emotions well and her English accent is great.
I really love how the asadora is structured. Each week has a new story sometimes focusing on a supporting character or expanding Sakura's character. Through Sakura's "meddling," we get to know more about characters like one of my faves, Sawada (Noguchi Goro). I also appreciate that certain storylines are given more time to develop. For example, the sweet romance between Sakura's grandmother Yoshiko (Tsushima Keiko) and her first love (Naito Taketoshi). While some storylines I'm grateful were wrapped within a reasonable amount of time, which includes the conflict between Sakura's mother Kyoko (Ohta Hiromi) and her grandfather (Kobayashi Asei). This is mostly to say that I think the storylines in "Sakura" were very well-paced.
As for the romance, it's very rare that an asadora wait so long to settle the main couple. However, considering it's Katsuragi (Ozawa Yukiyoshi), I think it was well worth the wait [lol]. I won't lie and say that the will they, won't they wasn't annoying at all, but the culminating moment in the final week convinced me it was worth it. As a character and love interest, I really like Katsuragi. He is given great character development on his own. Though there's obvious chemistry between him and Sakura, the drama is careful about not making it a romance until after Sakura and her fiance are broken up. [Shout out to Robbie and his actor Camus Thane! I loved him so much too.] When it does turn into a romance, all of the moments are perfect!
I highly recommend "Sakura" for all asadora lovers. I think it comes close to perfection, barring a few moments here and there. Overall, I think this asadora will stick with me for a long time and I know that I will rewatch it one day.
"Sakura" is a rare example of a nearly perfect modern day asadora. "Modern day" meaning that it takes place around the time that it aired. Modern day asadoras used to be popular, particularly during the early 2000s. Some examples are "Hitomi" and "Dondo Hare." In my opinion, these are more misses than hits. [This is also probably why NHK has moved to a more hybrid format like "Mare," which is set during the 1990s but also takes place during modern day.] "Sakura," thankfully, avoids all of the pitfalls of a modern day asadora. It keeps up its relaxing vibe without any drastic tonal changes. There aren't any supporting character that cause neverending frustration. And it keeps conflict to a minimum.
The asadora follows Japanese-American Matsushita Sakura (played by Takano Shiho) who comes to Japan to teach English at an all-boys middle school. Through Sakura, the asadora gives a lovely, nuanced take on identity. In the first week, Sakura's father tells her that Japan will always make her feel different for being American, despite being fully Japanese ethnically. And, yes, she goes through several culture shocks, though she's slowly able to "bridge" the gap through kindness and understanding. It's quite amazing to see the contrast between the beginning and the ending. Shiho is also the perfect actress to play Sakura. She is able to portray all of her emotions well and her English accent is great.
I really love how the asadora is structured. Each week has a new story sometimes focusing on a supporting character or expanding Sakura's character. Through Sakura's "meddling," we get to know more about characters like one of my faves, Sawada (Noguchi Goro). I also appreciate that certain storylines are given more time to develop. For example, the sweet romance between Sakura's grandmother Yoshiko (Tsushima Keiko) and her first love (Naito Taketoshi). While some storylines I'm grateful were wrapped within a reasonable amount of time, which includes the conflict between Sakura's mother Kyoko (Ohta Hiromi) and her grandfather (Kobayashi Asei). This is mostly to say that I think the storylines in "Sakura" were very well-paced.
As for the romance, it's very rare that an asadora wait so long to settle the main couple. However, considering it's Katsuragi (Ozawa Yukiyoshi), I think it was well worth the wait [lol]. I won't lie and say that the will they, won't they wasn't annoying at all, but the culminating moment in the final week convinced me it was worth it. As a character and love interest, I really like Katsuragi. He is given great character development on his own. Though there's obvious chemistry between him and Sakura, the drama is careful about not making it a romance until after Sakura and her fiance are broken up. [Shout out to Robbie and his actor Camus Thane! I loved him so much too.] When it does turn into a romance, all of the moments are perfect!
I highly recommend "Sakura" for all asadora lovers. I think it comes close to perfection, barring a few moments here and there. Overall, I think this asadora will stick with me for a long time and I know that I will rewatch it one day.
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