Sakura Diaries (2005)

Tuoma Inaba is a country boy who's determined to make a big splash in Tokyo, but things start to go wrong the moment he arrives to take his college entrance exams and a gorgeous call girl turns up in his hotel room. Tuoma's not too bright and he fails all of his entrance exams, but not before he's fallen for Meiko, who's heading for the prestigious Keio University. Meiko is only interested in dating a fellow college student, so Tuoma lies, telling her that he passed the Keio entrance exam. Now Tuoma has to lead a double life, pretending to be a Keio student while attending a Tokyo cram-school. His life gets even more complicated when he goes to stay at his uncle's house and the door is answered by the call girl, who turns out to be his cousin Urara. Urara is a high school senior who has loved Tuoma since they were both kids, and she knows that her cousin is lying to Meiko. She also knows that Meiko has a boyfriend. Things are going to get messy. Sakura Diaries deals with mature themes, but it is not as explicit as the cover art suggests. Instead it's a funny and surprisingly sophisticated sex comedy about a naive young man whose obsession with one woman blinds him to the love of another. It's an old story, but these first episodes suggest that Sakura Diaries may have some surprises in store. Rated 17 and up for nudity and sexual situations. --Simon Leake Amazon.com

Loads of fan service for those who enjoy it!

In 1997, an anime adapted from the popular UJIN manga series, Sakura Diaries was released as an 12-episode OAV (also heavily edited for television) series which focused on the life of 18-year-old virgin, Touma who is trying to get into college by trying to pass the exams.

His parents want him to run the family's INN but Touma really wants to get into a prestigious college in Tokyo.

One day, a girl named Urara comes to his room and starts taking off his clothes.

Unfortunately, this has become a distraction for Touma and he fails getting into two of the three colleges.

During his third and final try, he meets the beautiful Mieko who he starts to become attracted to but he fails getting into the third college and lies to Mieko that he passes. So, he pretends to be a student of the college and tries to get close to Mieko.

As for Urara, Touma doesn't want anything to do with her because he thinks she is a stalker responsible for taking his focus away from the entrance exams.

What he doesn't know (or remember) is that Urara, is a distant cousin who happens to have feelings for him.

The original Sakura Diaries DVD was released in 2001 in America with three episodes (a total 12 episodes in all) but the new 2005 release features six episodes.

The DVD video quality is typical of the quality of anime TV series from the 90's. And for an older anime, I enjoyed the animation.

The audio quality is 5.1 in English and Japanese 2.0. I watched both languages and I was pleased with the English dub.

The special features included an unused closing theme, liner notes and clean opening and closing themes.

Sakura Diaries is actually a very fun and enjoyable anime. It does fall in the category of typical anime featuring the plot of girl likes guy, girl is from guy's past but guy is totally oblivious of what's going on.

But of coure being adapted from a UJIN manga, it's a musthave for a UJIN manga and anime to have perverted comedy, loads of fan service and nudity.

So, If you are in the mood for a fun, yet perverted anime, definitely check out Sakura Diaries. September 4, 2008

A CUTE GIRL TOO SEXY FOR HER OWN GOOD

Touma Inaba isn't the brightest light bulb in the universe, if you know what I mean. I didn't want to have to say dumb, it's more like he has a problem focusing on his studies. He's arrived in Tokyo to take his college entrance exams so he's staying at a hotel. He's from the country so the big city seems a little daunting to him. He might have passed his tests if he had went to bed about then, but his world is about to be rocked when what he thinks is a prostitute shows up knocking on his door. This cute high school girl tries every method she can to get him into bed, but she fails. Little does Touma know that this "call girl" is really his cousin, Urara, that he met years ago when they both were kids. She fell in love with Touma back then and she's there to "cheer him up" before his exams. Touma has no idea who this girl is, so he kicks her out! Not suprisingly, Touma fails his entrance test, but while he was there he met a beautiful young thing named Mieko. The problem is that she will only date a guy that is attending the most prestigious college in Tokyo. Touma of course lies to her and tells her that he goes there, but he really is enrolled in a year of cram school to prep for retaking the test. He moves into his uncle's house and finds out the truth about Urara and the romantic hijinks begin. Touma of course is so blinded by Mieko that he fails to see the love Urara is dying to give to him!

Volume 1 of Sakura Diaries contains six episodes and is quite risque for mainstream anime. It's meant more for an older audience, since it contains a lot of sexual situations and conversations. Not that this is a bad thing. The problem with Urara and Touma is that since they are both virgins, when it comes to sex and love, they don't really have a clue as to what fire they're playing with, and they also confuse the two. Urara, for example, cooks for Touma and when she serves the food, she is wearing an apron and nothing else under it! But when Touma attempts to force himself on her later in the DVD, she's shocked! These are in reality juveniles playing at being adults, and screwing each other's minds in the process. Sakura Diaries is a sex comedy-drama with a sugar coated heart at center and it will be interesting to see which relationships work out...if any!

For a similar theme and treatment I would recommend the manga Flowers & Bees. June 7, 2006

A love triangle...

Urara loves Touma. But Touma seems to lust after Meiko. And Meiko will only go out with a college man. So, of course, Touma, being the Japanese male that he is, lies.
Now Touma HAS to get into SOME school, while Urara has to keep his secret. Or maybe she should use it to ruin his chances with another girl?
Lots of humor and fan service, plus GREAT character design. They look like the artists used photos. But just a few warnings - first this DVD holds 12 ADV previews but only THREE episodes of this anime! And while the word s-e-x (or sexy) is used all over the DVD cover you won't find any in this disc. 90 minutes of fun and humor, but it's pretty clean. Mature, but mostly clean - what little that does happen is never shown. The only reason I might continue with the anime is to see what happens. I've heard mixed reviews of the anime and wish to see what happens on my own. December 13, 2004

Not so overcomplicated love triangle.

United States Sakura Diaries is a somewhat basic love triangle story between Touma (who's hoping to find true love, and is always feeling guilty), Urara (Touma's younger cousin who fell in love with him six years earlier, and who's always keeping a positive outlook) and Mieko (the beautiful redhead who attends Keio University where Touma pretends he goes).

It's a cute story with lots of misunderstanding, some lies, and a fair amount of fan service.

Possible spoilers...

Chapter One - Tokyo Success
It's Touma's first night in Tokyo. He's moved to the big city because he's testing to get in Keio University. On his first night a call girl arrives at his hotel room. The call girl, Urara, who we find out later is Touma's cousin, recognizes him but he has no idea who she is. Nothing really happens because Touma is waiting to find true love. The next day on campus Touma runs into the doe-eyed Mieko and falls in love.

Chapter Two - My Cousin Is a High School Call Girl
Touma doesn't make it into Keio but Mieko does. He doesn't tell Mieko and enrolls into a cram school. Touma knocks on the door of his uncle's house and Urara, suprisingly, opens the door. She explains that the whole call girl act was just a joke.

Chapter Three - Is the Fake Student a Slave of Love
Touma goes to campus to tell Mieko the truth but overhears her telling potential suitors that the only requirement for her is that the guy must attend Keio university. Urara and her best friend, Komi come to campus and spy Touma telling Mieko that he's been accepted into the school's economic program. November 27, 2003

Not so overcomplicated love triangle.

Sakura Diaries is a somewhat basic love triangle story between Touma (who's hoping to find true love, and is always feeling guilty), Urara (Touma's younger cousin who fell in love with him six years earlier, who tries to keep an upbeat outlook) and Mieko (the beautiful redhead who attends Keio University where Touma pretends he goes).

It's a cute story with lots of misunderstanding, some lies, and a fair amount of fan service.

Possible spoilers...

Chapter One - Tokyo Success
It's Touma's first night in Tokyo. He's moved to the big city because he's testing to get in Keio University. On his first night a call girl arrives at his hotel room. The call girl, Urara, who we find out later is Touma's cousin, recognizes him but he has no idea who she is. Nothing really happens because Touma is waiting to find true love. The next day on campus Touma runs into the doe-eyed Mieko and falls in love.

Chapter Two - My Cousin Is a High School Call Girl
Touma doesn't make it into Keio but Mieko does. He doesn't tell Mieko and enrolls into a cram school. Touma knocks on the door of his uncle's house and Urara, suprisingly, opens the door. She explains that the whole call girl act was just a joke.

Chapter Three - Is the Fake Student a Slave of Love
Touma goes to campus to tell Mieko the truth but overhears her telling potential suitors that the only requirement for her is that the guy must attend Keio university. Urara and her best friend, Komi come to campus and spy Touma telling Mieko he's got into the schools economic program. November 26, 2003

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