Common Name: Sakura Quest
Score: 10/10, 5/5
Length: 25 Episodes
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Summary: Ever since she was a little girl, Koharu Yoshino has dreamed of being the queen of her own country. Of course, the real world has no place for such a nonsensical dream. After getting turned down for 30 different jobs, that fact is starting to seep into her rebellious skull. Yet, oddly enough, when she finally caves in and starts going for temp work, she gets sent off to the boonies to become the idol-like queen of the "Kingdom of Chupakabura." While that name might sound unrealistically strange, Yoshiko has been given the very real task of reviving the
forgotten rural village of Monoyama and its idiotic "kingdom." Of course, this won't be an easy task for an outsider who knows nothing of the village's people, their traditions, or their struggles, but maybe a fresh perspective is exactly what it'll take to get Manoyama back on the map.
Review: While I personally find it difficult to properly define what it is that makes a great anime, I can't deny that there is something awe-inspiring and worthwhile in those few anime out there that try to address and competently handle a difficult topic. Sometimes, that topic can be something extremely personal like the loss of a friend (as seen in shows like AnoHana) or something that just needs to be talked about on some level (such as the representation and struggles of the deaf, as seen in Koe no Katachi). I think my personal favorites, however, tend to be a mixture of those two things--shows that have something to say but go about saying it through very personal and relatable means. That's why, in spite of how clumsy it is at the start, I greatly appreciate the existence of and had a lot of fun with Sakura Quest, a show that tackles the depopulation and extinction of Japan's rural villages. Yet, in spite of how much I enjoyed it, I'm having a difficult time deciding whether or not my enjoyment was born from its critical successes or my personal preferences.
To make matters all the more confounding, I'm pretty sure the show actually addressed
this rational vs. emotional struggle at one point.
Setting aside my struggles for a moment though, I feel like I should make something perfectly clear: Sakura Quest is a fantastic show by almost every measure, yet it gives off something of an unassuming nature that seems to hinder that nature. Coming across this show was kinda like finding a diamond in the rough that, for one reason or another, insisted on staying in the rough just to make the whole thing seem all the more appealing. In fact, that's basically how the show itself runs its course. While it is made blatantly clear from the start that is is a show that wants to talk about the extinction of rural Japan, it usually lets that little gem sit to the side so it can work on establishing the show's characters, their hang-ups, and the general feel of the town of Manoyama. While that might sound pretty appealing, for fear of driving that main point a little too hard, I won't deny that I quickly grew bored from all the establishment, mainly due to the fact that the show handles it in much the same way every other anime does. Namely, it follows the course that a nobody outsider comes to a world different from their own, meets new friends, learns about their problems, and then magically/systematically solves all those problems until it's time for "and they lives happily ever after."
Yep, just your standard anime story if ever there was one.
During the show's first cour (12-13 episodes), it feels like it drags on for eternity while we learn all about the millennial icon Yoshino, the happy bumpkin Shinomiya Shiori, the stoic otaku Oribe Ririko, the flighty creative Kouzuki Sanae, and the failed actress Midorikawa Maki, as well as the fact that their job is pretty much impossible. I mean, consider if you will the situation our cast of characters is in. Their job is to revive a town with an elderly population that has nothing novel or interesting going for it except for a dilapidated and ill-conceived rebranding as a "Chupakabura Kingdom," effectively turning the town into a tourist trap at best. Would you want to live in a town like that? I'm going to go out on a limb and say most of the answers to this question range from "probably not" to "no way in hell." So, why bother right? What's the point in even trying to save a doomed village? What could a new face hope to offer that hasn't been tried before? Well, surprisingly enough, the show has an answer to all those cynical and frankly cruel questions and it's actually a pretty personal answer.
For starters, who better to have an insight on what this town can offer newcomers
than someone who is, for all intents and purposes, a newcomer.
While I said at the start that this show is kinda unassuming, I don't think it can really be appreciated until its quiet and thoughtful genius comes to light. Crazy as this might sound, I'm pretty confident in claiming that the awkward, clumsy, and dull feelings given off during the show's first cour were entirely intentional. I say this because the show's narrative movements and pacing seem to follow the exact same course as Yoshino's growth as a character. Awkward, clumsy, and out her depth are just a few of the things that describe Yoshino at the start of the show, which is understandable given that she is a young, incompetent newcomer who has been thrown into a situation she simply can't handle as she is now. Over the course of the show, however, she finds friends to lean on and rely on who will carry her toward success, but not without suffering several, humiliating failures along the way. The key thing to note, however, is that none of these failures stop her from trying however because she's slowly and steadily finding a reason to fight for this town, her new home. As she grows more and more connected to her friends, her friend's friends, and even the town at large, she tries and tries until she eventually has the experience necessary to actually create some change in this town. More importantly than that, however, her tireless effort and dedication to Manoyama itself is what convinces the people of this town to let her, the not-so-new newcomer, change things. So, once that level of connection, trust, and experience is gained, the show is finally set to really get the ball rolling and tackle the show's important message.
Which makes total sense to me. It's just not a good idea to fight the final boss until you're properly leveled-up.
What I appreciate most about the show, however, is the thoughtful realism behind each and every action over the course of the show. While I've said that Yoshino eventually begins to learn because of her failures, it's worth noting that all of these failures are things you'd actually expect to see from a town that's fighting for its life. Most, if not all, of the failures at the start are because they follow a trend of doing something big to get people's attention, which will then get them to stay--the equivalent of a "get rich quick" scheme. While the show doesn't go so far as to claim these failures were pointless, it does highlight the fact that they all failed to address one big, important issue: Manoyama isn't a very lively or inviting town. Once that is understood, the process of reviving Manoyama actually starts chugging along through similar, small schemes that are meant to get people's attention as well as improve the atmosphere of the town itself. In other words, while Yoshino might not be able to immediately save the town, she does find a way to plant the seeds that'll one day grow into a warm and inviting home for anyone.
That might be thinking a little too far into the future, but sure, that is ultimately the end goal.
Yet the town's revival isn't the only thing this show recognizes as a process. While I said that this show takes the approach of almost any other drama where the hero character just magically solves people's problems, I'll admit that isn't entirely the case. While Yoshino does take steps to help people overcome their hang-ups, the characters don't just stop developing when all is said and done. Put simply, life is a process too. Though she might help them get over anxiety one day, that doesn't mean those fears and trepidation won't come back in a week or so. So, rather than outright solving their problems, Yoshino supports her friends until they've reached a place where they can move forward without much outside help.
It's the recognition of that thoughtful and realistic insight that really got me hooked on this show. So, while I do love this show out of personal preference, I can't deny that this show had some masterful work put into it. I mean, everything from the art and music to the tone and pacing was spot on from start to finish, particularly when you consider the intentions behind that awkward first cour. All that is, of course, also bolstered by the show's main message and focus, turning this anime into more than just a form of entertainment. It's a message that needs to be handled without a heavy hand and without moralizing the problem with "right" and "wrong," and I think it does that for the most part. While it might not be a step-by-step guide to solving the problem, regardless of its realistic approach to the issue, it is certainly a good way to get the word out and, more importantly, get people thinking. With that said, I think this show is well worth the watch. It's a fun, dramatic, and often silly show that is unlike anything I've ever seen before.