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Sakaki (Azumanga Daioh)
Encyclopedia
, given name
unknown, is a character from the anime
and manga
series Azumanga Daioh
.
Her family name
, Sakaki
, is that of an evergreen tree of Japan (Cleyera japonica) considered sacred in Shinto
, and which is often found on the grounds of shrines.
. In contrast to what other students think of her, Sakaki has no interest in sports and has a secret passion for all things cute. Despite her reserve, she has a very strong desire for friendship, leading her to attach herself to the group. If she is aware of Kaorin's infatuation, she shows no sign of it.
Sakaki's passion for cute things encompasses animals both real and stuffed
(she gives her own stuffed animals names, like a small child). Sakaki is particularly taken with cats, but cannot have one at home because her mother is allergic. Unfortunately, most cats hate Sakaki for unknown reasons—one in particular, a gray cat known as Kamineko, delights in luring her close so he can bite her. Kagura
theorizes cats think her hand smells like fish. One subtitle in the manga explains that the street cats suspect that Sakaki approaches them with murderous intent.
During the class trip to Okinawa, Sakaki bonds with an Iriomote cat
, the first cat that ever let her pet it. After Sakaki returns to Tokyo, the cat, Maya, suddenly appears and chases off a malicious horde of the cats led by Kamineko who were threatening Sakaki and Chiyo
. Confronted by Maya's wildcat "battle aura", the cats wilt and scatter. Sakaki finds out that after the cat's mother was killed, he followed her to Tokyo. She adopts him and names him Maya. Because of Sakaki's mother's allergy, Maya is being taken care of by Chiyo until Sakaki goes to college and has her own apartment.
Sakaki is unusually busty and tall—her height is given as 174 centimeters (approximately 5'8") and "still growing", which is extraordinarily tall for a Japanese woman. Also, she is very self-conscious about her body. In the anime, Osaka
notes that they "have an American among us" because of her large breasts (in episode 4, in girls' locker room parlance, those with medium-sized breasts, such as Yomi, are referred to as "Hawaiian"; those with flat chests, such as Osaka or Tomo, are referred to as "Japanese"). In response, Tomo
remarked that it was hard to believe that Sakaki had been in middle school only a year earlier, which embarrassed Sakaki.
Sakaki is envious of Chiyo
's irresistible adorableness, and is often seen with Chiyo and her Great Pyrenees, Mr. Tadakichi (who lets her pet him). She secretly wishes she looked more like Chiyo so she could openly pursue her interest in cute things. In contrast, Chiyo wishes she looked more like Sakaki so people would take her more seriously. Sakaki occasionally dreams of a floating yellow cat-like creature that claims to be Chiyo's father.
In a Christmas episode, when the girls sing karaoke
, Sakaki sings her character song, "Kokoro wa Shōjo de Parachute". Her beautiful singing voice surprises the other girls.
In her senior year, Sakaki takes the examination for and is admitted to a veterinary college. While initially concerned that it was far from home, requiring her to get her own apartment, she warmed to the idea when she realized that this allowed her to keep "her very own cat", Maya.
in by Kazuhisa Todayama. This book refers also to other Azumanga Daioh characters.
English: Christine Auten
Because Sakaki is a nonspeaking part in the pilot Azumanga Web Daioh (she spends the episode searching for something without participating in other events), she has been voiced by only one Japanese actor.
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
unknown, is a character from the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series Azumanga Daioh
Azumanga Daioh
is a Japanese comedy manga by Kiyohiko Azuma. It was serialized by MediaWorks in the shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Daioh from 1999 to 2002 and collected in four bound volumes...
.
Her family name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
, Sakaki
Sakaki
Sakaki is a flowering evergreen tree native to warm areas of Japan, Korea and mainland China. It can reach a height of 10 m. The leaves are 6–10 cm long, smooth, oval, leathery, shiny and dark green above, yellowish-green below, with deep furrows for the leaf stem. The bark is dark reddish...
, is that of an evergreen tree of Japan (Cleyera japonica) considered sacred in Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
, and which is often found on the grounds of shrines.
Biography
Tall, soft-spoken Sakaki is uncomfortable with her height and her busty physique. Because she is shy, she seldom speaks, and this reticence is misinterpreted and admired as "tough", "mysterious", and "cool"—a reputation compounded by her natural athletic ability. (Later in the series, she speaks out more to her friends.) She is the subject of Kaorin's (largely unspoken) infatuationLimerence
Limerence is a term coined c. 1977 by the psychologist Dorothy Tennov to describe an involuntary state of mind which seems to result from a romantic attraction to another person combined with an overwhelming, obsessive need to have one's feelings reciprocated...
. In contrast to what other students think of her, Sakaki has no interest in sports and has a secret passion for all things cute. Despite her reserve, she has a very strong desire for friendship, leading her to attach herself to the group. If she is aware of Kaorin's infatuation, she shows no sign of it.
Sakaki's passion for cute things encompasses animals both real and stuffed
Stuffed animal
A stuffed toy is a toy sewn from cloth, plush, or other textiles, and stuffed with straw, beans, plastic pellets, cotton, synthetic fibres, or other similar materials. Stuffed toys are also known as plush toys A stuffed toy is a toy sewn from cloth, plush, or other textiles, and stuffed with straw,...
(she gives her own stuffed animals names, like a small child). Sakaki is particularly taken with cats, but cannot have one at home because her mother is allergic. Unfortunately, most cats hate Sakaki for unknown reasons—one in particular, a gray cat known as Kamineko, delights in luring her close so he can bite her. Kagura
Kagura (Azumanga Daioh)
, given name unknown, is a fictional character from the anime and manga series Azumanga Daioh.Her family name comes from Shinto ritual: the kanji for Kagura mean "entertainment of the gods", used to describe the traditional music played at shrines and the Imperial Court...
theorizes cats think her hand smells like fish. One subtitle in the manga explains that the street cats suspect that Sakaki approaches them with murderous intent.
During the class trip to Okinawa, Sakaki bonds with an Iriomote cat
Iriomote cat
The Iriomote cat , is a wild cat about the size of a domestic cat that lives exclusively on the Japanese island of Iriomote. It is considered a "living fossil" by many biologists because it has not changed much from its primitive form...
, the first cat that ever let her pet it. After Sakaki returns to Tokyo, the cat, Maya, suddenly appears and chases off a malicious horde of the cats led by Kamineko who were threatening Sakaki and Chiyo
Chiyo Mihama
, also known as Chiyo-chan, is a fictional character in the manga and anime series Azumanga Daioh. In Japan Chiyo has been voiced by Tomoko Kaneda for the TV series and movie, and by Ayaka Saito for a "Azumanga Web Daioh" short...
. Confronted by Maya's wildcat "battle aura", the cats wilt and scatter. Sakaki finds out that after the cat's mother was killed, he followed her to Tokyo. She adopts him and names him Maya. Because of Sakaki's mother's allergy, Maya is being taken care of by Chiyo until Sakaki goes to college and has her own apartment.
Sakaki is unusually busty and tall—her height is given as 174 centimeters (approximately 5'8") and "still growing", which is extraordinarily tall for a Japanese woman. Also, she is very self-conscious about her body. In the anime, Osaka
Ayumu Kasuga
, more commonly known as , is a character from the anime and manga series Azumanga Daioh.She was voted 7th in the top 100 poll, "Anime Heroines of 2002" by readers of the Japanese anime magazine Newtype in 2003.-Biography:...
notes that they "have an American among us" because of her large breasts (in episode 4, in girls' locker room parlance, those with medium-sized breasts, such as Yomi, are referred to as "Hawaiian"; those with flat chests, such as Osaka or Tomo, are referred to as "Japanese"). In response, Tomo
Tomo Takino
is a fictional character from the anime and manga series Azumanga Daioh. Tomo is voiced by Chieko Higuchi and by Tomoe Hanba in a Azumanga Web Daioh short episode. In the English version Mandy Clark voices Tomo. Tomo's surname means 'waterfall field.'...
remarked that it was hard to believe that Sakaki had been in middle school only a year earlier, which embarrassed Sakaki.
Sakaki is envious of Chiyo
Chiyo Mihama
, also known as Chiyo-chan, is a fictional character in the manga and anime series Azumanga Daioh. In Japan Chiyo has been voiced by Tomoko Kaneda for the TV series and movie, and by Ayaka Saito for a "Azumanga Web Daioh" short...
's irresistible adorableness, and is often seen with Chiyo and her Great Pyrenees, Mr. Tadakichi (who lets her pet him). She secretly wishes she looked more like Chiyo so she could openly pursue her interest in cute things. In contrast, Chiyo wishes she looked more like Sakaki so people would take her more seriously. Sakaki occasionally dreams of a floating yellow cat-like creature that claims to be Chiyo's father.
In a Christmas episode, when the girls sing karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
, Sakaki sings her character song, "Kokoro wa Shōjo de Parachute". Her beautiful singing voice surprises the other girls.
In her senior year, Sakaki takes the examination for and is admitted to a veterinary college. While initially concerned that it was far from home, requiring her to get her own apartment, she warmed to the idea when she realized that this allowed her to keep "her very own cat", Maya.
Crossover
Sakaki makes a cameo appearance as a philosopher who criticizes QuineWillard Van Orman Quine
Willard Van Orman Quine was an American philosopher and logician in the analytic tradition...
in by Kazuhisa Todayama. This book refers also to other Azumanga Daioh characters.
Voice actors
Japanese: Yuu AsakawaEnglish: Christine Auten
Christine Auten
Christine McPeters Auten is an American voice actress, ADR Director, and ADR Script Writer who works for Funimation Entertainment and ADV Films...
Because Sakaki is a nonspeaking part in the pilot Azumanga Web Daioh (she spends the episode searching for something without participating in other events), she has been voiced by only one Japanese actor.
Character songs
- "Kokoro wa Shoujo de PARACHUTE" Words by Aki Hata, music by Masumi ItōMasumi Itoborn May 21, is a Japanese singer and composer from Ibaraki prefecture in Japan. Itō has composed the soundtracks to many anime television shows and is part of the bands Oranges & Lemons and Heart of Air.- Singles :...
- "Mahou Neko ni aeru Hi wa" Words by Aki Hata, music by Masumi Ito