Sakura Kasugano
Encyclopedia
is a player character
in the Street Fighter
series of fighting games. Sakura is portrayed in the series as a young Japanese schoolgirl who idolizes Ryu
, whom she wants to be trained by.
, where she had begun to participate in street fighting after watching Ryu win the first World Warrior tournament. She was searching for him and wished for him to train her to be a better fighter. She eventually came across Ryu who tells her he could not train her as he still had much to learn himself shortly after a sparring. In Street Fighter Alpha 3
, Sakura decided to travel the world to find Ryu. After trying to save him from the warrior M. Bison, Ryu promises her a rematch. She is also playable in the spin-off Street Fighter EX3
. In Street Fighter IV
, years have passed since Sakura last saw Ryu, so she decides to find Ryu again for a match in the new worldwide tournament. In introduction sequences of Super Street Fighter IV
, she is often seen in a group of three with Dan Hibiki
and Blanka
.
Rival Schools: United By Fate
saw Sakura involved in the adventure between her school and various others in Aohura City. After helping her childhood friend Hinata and the others out from within the ordeal, she realizes how much it means to her to protect something she cares about.
Sakura has also appeared in various crossover games, including the Marvel vs Capcom series, the Capcom vs SNK series, the Namco vs Capcom series and Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix
. In Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter
, she also possesses her own alter-ego, "Dark Sakura", who uses the techniques of Akuma
.
shirt and hakama
pants, but was later abandoned in favor of a Japanese sailor outfit with red bloomers.
where she becomes a fighter in order to fight Ryu. She is also feature in the comic book miniseries Street Fighter Legends: Sakura, also appearing in other Street Fighter comic books and the Rival Schools comic.
, and appears in the episode "Second to None" of the animated series Street Fighter
.
released a drama CD Street Fighter Zero 2 Another Story in July 1996, which had Sakura as the lead character. There was a sequel in October of the same year.
The Sakura theme song "Kono Omoi o Tsutaetai", sung by Yuko Sasamoto, was released commercially.
, after only Chun-Li
and Cammy and before Ryu. In 2007, Joystiq
ranked her fifth on the list of the top ten girls of PSP
for the "super hotness" of her school uniform and "cuteness to spare and lots of determination no matter what the odds". In 2008, IGN
ranked Sakura at 22nd in their list of Top 25 Street Fighter Characters, noting that while the Japanese schoolgirl design was "obvious", her attitude and funny moments offered a pleasant contrast. She also placed 13th on the list of Top 20 Street Fighter Characters of All Time by GameDaily
in 2009. In addition, she was featured on GameDaily's list of "Babes We'll Wait For" with them commenting "The fact that she dresses like a Japanese schoolgirl gives her lots of bonus points.". GameDaily also listed her under "Hot, But Annoying", questioning her about always following Ryu and wanting him to fight her and adding "She's either an innocent fan or a psycho.". In 2010, UGO Networks featured her on the lists of Top 50 Street Fighter Characters and Best School Girls Ever.
The character's outfit received criticism from critics. Play listed her eighth in the "Top 10 inappropriate outfits" due to her exposure in fights. Dave Cook
from Now Gamer listed a fight between Sakura and Ling Xiaoyu as one of the fights he wished to see in Street Fighter X Tekken
as while the two shared unsuitable outfits, the two are entertaining in terms of gameplay.
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
in the Street Fighter
Street Fighter
, commonly abbreviated as SF, is a series of Fighting Games developed in Japan in which the players pit the video games' competitive fighters from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style, against one another...
series of fighting games. Sakura is portrayed in the series as a young Japanese schoolgirl who idolizes Ryu
Ryu (Street Fighter)
is a video game player character created by Capcom, the main protagonist of the Street Fighter series. Having premiered in the first Street Fighter in 1987, Ryu appears as the lead character from the game along with his best friend Ken Masters participating in the Street Fighter tournament...
, whom she wants to be trained by.
In video games
Sakura first appeared in Street Fighter Alpha 2Street Fighter Alpha 2
Street Fighter Alpha 2, known as in Japan, Asia and South America, is a fighting game originally released for the CPS II arcade hardware by Capcom. The game is both a sequel and a remake to the previous years Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams, which is itself a prequel to the Street Fighter...
, where she had begun to participate in street fighting after watching Ryu win the first World Warrior tournament. She was searching for him and wished for him to train her to be a better fighter. She eventually came across Ryu who tells her he could not train her as he still had much to learn himself shortly after a sparring. In Street Fighter Alpha 3
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Street Fighter Alpha 3, known as in Japan and Asia, is a fighting game by Capcom originally released for the CPS II arcade hardware. It is the third game in the Street Fighter Alpha series, following Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams and Street Fighter Alpha 2...
, Sakura decided to travel the world to find Ryu. After trying to save him from the warrior M. Bison, Ryu promises her a rematch. She is also playable in the spin-off Street Fighter EX3
Street Fighter EX3
Street Fighter EX3 is the third console installment in the Street Fighter EX series developed by Arika and published by Capcom. The game was released in 2000 for PlayStation 2 in Japan and North America, and subsequently released in Europe in 2001....
. In Street Fighter IV
Street Fighter IV
is a fighting game produced by Capcom. It is the first numbered Street Fighter game released by Capcom since . The coin-operated arcade game was released in Japan on July 18, 2008, with North American arcades importing the machines by August...
, years have passed since Sakura last saw Ryu, so she decides to find Ryu again for a match in the new worldwide tournament. In introduction sequences of Super Street Fighter IV
Super Street Fighter IV
is a 2010 fighting game produced by Capcom. It is an updated version of Street Fighter IV and has been said to mark the definitive end of the Street Fighter IV series. Having been deemed as too large an update to be deployed as DLC, the game was made into a standalone title, but given a lower price...
, she is often seen in a group of three with Dan Hibiki
Dan Hibiki
is a video game character from Capcom's Street Fighter series of fighting games. Introduced in Street Fighter Alpha, Dan is consistently portrayed as an arrogant, overconfident, yet utterly feeble character.-Concept and creation:...
and Blanka
Blanka
is a video game character from the Street Fighter series of fighting games. Blanka is depicted as a feral savage, with green skin and long orange hair, resembling a monster more than a human...
.
Rival Schools: United By Fate
Rival Schools: United By Fate
is a competitive fighting game produced by Capcom originally released as an arcade game in 1997 and ported to the PlayStation in 1998.- Gameplay :The main fighting game is best described as a polygonal Marvel vs. Capcom game, with some notable differences...
saw Sakura involved in the adventure between her school and various others in Aohura City. After helping her childhood friend Hinata and the others out from within the ordeal, she realizes how much it means to her to protect something she cares about.
Sakura has also appeared in various crossover games, including the Marvel vs Capcom series, the Capcom vs SNK series, the Namco vs Capcom series and Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix
Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix
Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix, released in Japan as , is a fighting game released by Capcom in September 1997 for the CPS II arcade system. It was ported to the PlayStation , Sega Saturn, and WonderSwan, as well as PlayStation 2 as part of the Street Fighter Alpha Anthology.The game uses the same...
. In Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter
Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter
is the fourth Marvel Comics-licensed fighting game produced by Capcom . It is a sequel to X-Men vs. Street Fighter which replaces most of the X-Men characters with characters from Marvel Super Heroes. In an attempt to balance the previous games' problems, the game engine was altered, although it...
, she also possesses her own alter-ego, "Dark Sakura", who uses the techniques of Akuma
Akuma (Street Fighter)
Akuma known in Japan as , is a video game character from the Street Fighter series of fighting games. Akuma made his debut in Super Street Fighter II Turbo as a secret character and hidden boss. In the storyline of the Street Fighter video games, he is the younger brother of Gouken, Ryu and Ken's...
.
Character design
An early design for SFIII featured her in a kimonoKimono
The is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" , has come to denote these full-length robes...
shirt and hakama
Hakama
are a type of traditional Japanese clothing. They were originally worn only by men, but today they are worn by both sexes. Hakama are tied at the waist and fall approximately to the ankles. Hakama are worn over a kimono ....
pants, but was later abandoned in favor of a Japanese sailor outfit with red bloomers.
Gameplay
Sakura is controlled in the same way as Ryu and Ken, however, her special moves flow differently and are less powerful.Manga
Sakura is the titular character of the manga series Street Fighter: Sakura Ganbaru!Street Fighter: Sakura Ganbaru!
is a manga series written and illustrated by Masahiko Nakahira. The story follows Sakura Kasugano in her quest to become a street fighter and meet Ryu.- Characters :- Volumes :Sakura Ganbaru! has been released in tankōbon and kanzenban formats....
where she becomes a fighter in order to fight Ryu. She is also feature in the comic book miniseries Street Fighter Legends: Sakura, also appearing in other Street Fighter comic books and the Rival Schools comic.
Film
She is also a character in the anime films Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation and Street Fighter Alpha: GenerationsStreet Fighter Alpha: Generations
Street Fighter Alpha: Generations is a 2005 Japanese animated film produced by Studio A.P.P.P. and released by Manga Entertainment based on the Street Fighter Alpha video games by Capcom. Its production is unrelated to 1999's Street Fighter Alpha: The Movie, which was produced by Group TAC...
, and appears in the episode "Second to None" of the animated series Street Fighter
Street Fighter (TV series)
Street Fighter is an American animated series produced by InVision Entertainment based on the Street Fighter live action movie, which was in turn based on the Street Fighter video game franchise. The series aired as part of the USA Network's Cartoon Express and Action Extreme Team lineups...
.
Other
Victor EntertainmentVictor Entertainment
is a subsidiary of Japan Victor Company that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It was formerly known as...
released a drama CD Street Fighter Zero 2 Another Story in July 1996, which had Sakura as the lead character. There was a sequel in October of the same year.
The Sakura theme song "Kono Omoi o Tsutaetai", sung by Yuko Sasamoto, was released commercially.
Reception
Sakura's reception was positive by the critics and fans alike. In 1997, Sakura ranked third in the poll of Top 50 Characters of 1996 in the Japanese arcade game magazine Gamest. In 2002, Sakura was voted the third most popular Street Fighter character in Capcom's own poll for the 15th anniversary of Street FighterStreet Fighter (video game)
is a 1987 arcade game developed by Capcom. It is the first competitive fighting game produced by the company and the inaugural game in the Street Fighter series...
, after only Chun-Li
Chun-Li
is a video game character produced by Capcom. First introduced in Street Fighter II, she has since appeared as a player character in nearly all subsequent games....
and Cammy and before Ryu. In 2007, Joystiq
Joystiq
Joystiq is a video gaming blog founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. family of weblogs. It is the centerpiece of WIN's own network of video gaming blogs, which also includes a blog dealing specifically with the popular MMORPG World of...
ranked her fifth on the list of the top ten girls of PSP
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
for the "super hotness" of her school uniform and "cuteness to spare and lots of determination no matter what the odds". In 2008, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
ranked Sakura at 22nd in their list of Top 25 Street Fighter Characters, noting that while the Japanese schoolgirl design was "obvious", her attitude and funny moments offered a pleasant contrast. She also placed 13th on the list of Top 20 Street Fighter Characters of All Time by GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
in 2009. In addition, she was featured on GameDaily's list of "Babes We'll Wait For" with them commenting "The fact that she dresses like a Japanese schoolgirl gives her lots of bonus points.". GameDaily also listed her under "Hot, But Annoying", questioning her about always following Ryu and wanting him to fight her and adding "She's either an innocent fan or a psycho.". In 2010, UGO Networks featured her on the lists of Top 50 Street Fighter Characters and Best School Girls Ever.
The character's outfit received criticism from critics. Play listed her eighth in the "Top 10 inappropriate outfits" due to her exposure in fights. Dave Cook
Dave Cook
Dave Cook is an award-winning video game journalist and former PR consultant from Edinburgh, Scotland, now living in Bournemouth, England. Dave has written game reviews and features for a range of online and print publications, his previous work includes writing for gaming magazine, GamesTM, online...
from Now Gamer listed a fight between Sakura and Ling Xiaoyu as one of the fights he wished to see in Street Fighter X Tekken
Street Fighter X Tekken
is an upcoming crossover fighting game being developed by Capcom. The game was announced at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International by Capcom producer Yoshinori Ono. The game is set to release on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and PlayStation Vita sometime in March 2012. The game...
as while the two shared unsuitable outfits, the two are entertaining in terms of gameplay.