Sakura trick is a fan-service Yuri-light anime that focuses on the developing relationship between two girls, Haruka and Yu. Over the course of the series, the girls make the decision to make their relationship special and apart from that of their new friends by sealing it with a kiss.
This of course, leads to petting, lots of kissing, and some suspicion from Yu's older sister as to the nature of their relationship.
Story.
The good and bad thing about this show is that there is only very light story over-reach. This means each episode has the girls dealing with an outside factor in a lesbian relationship without any lesbian role-models. The downside is that some episodes feel really flat, and very one-shot in theme and design.
While the Yuri feels only slightly exist, and the story makes you feel generally happy for the two girls, there are parts of the anime that fall short, because no other relationships are really explored very thoroughly.
The story basically sums up as: "Girls who are lesbians kiss a lot. Also have Lesbian pals."
Art.
The art is a mixed bag. The character designs are pretty basic. A couple supports break away from the mold, as does Haruka, being taller and less glamorous than is typical, but I've seen about 20 Yu carbon copies in my limited anime experience.
Worse, there are times when the animation gets still frame, and all you do is slide up the sketch of the girls knee -> thigh -> skirt -> boobs, as if this were an anime dating game.
The fan service is non-stop, and was overall a detraction.
Sound.
The sound was fine, the songs okay, the VA was decent, the main problem is too much dialogue devolved into high pitched "anime girl whines", that sounded more like a horde of cats singing than a girl being embarrassed.
Characters.
This is where I was disappointed. Haruka was a good character. She had insecurities, jealousy, and a number of okay points, but the rest of the crew were just flat. You knew about 20 seconds of exposition dialogue about each, and that was it.
Enjoyment.
Okay. So like I said earlier, this is why we need more Yuri. Whether it's a dedicated series, yuri characters, or whatever, the fact that there is so little of it is why Sakura Trick gets gobbled up and seen by Yurifans.
It's a weak offering, but without many competitors, it's used as a "Yuri Classic" example. If ST had stronger characters, real conflict, and a more engaging story that tried to talk about the struggles of young lesbians without models to base their relationships on, it would have been amazing. Instead, we get a fan-service fest that goes out of it's way to lock two young girls in rooms alone as possible so they can suck face and be bashful it.
It's things like ST that keep the genre from being taken seriously. Anyone who decides to dip into the Yuri world and sees this is going to assume all yuri-ai is nothing but moe-fests with whimpering teenagers who are drawn as pedo-bait protagonists with mush for brains.
**semi spoiler**
The worst part was at the end, when it's all said and done, and a scene happens where the characters who have talked about how they are special to each other all series long suddenly come to the epiphany that they have no idea what love is and they'd rather not talk about it, because they are special friends, not girlfriends.
Really?
Overall.
I grudgingly give a 6. There were enough moments to make me smile, but end the end, all I could think was "This.. this could have been so much more."
Pros and Cons
+ Real Yuri. The girls are in a relationship from the start.
+ Good use of color and visual technique, when not in dating sim mode.
+ Cute, if standard, character designs.
+ If you want moe moe moe, this is your show.
+ If you need fan service every 30 seconds, your in luck.
- Real Yuri Action, No Yuri feels. The longer the show goes, the less it feels like two girls in love and the more if feels like bi-curious besties who are young with no sense.
- The fanservice is more intrusive than I like. I don't care about screens full of uniform boobs, it's what the minds and hearts behind those boobs are doing that I desire to experience.
- No real depth to anything. Whats offered on the surface is what you expect everywhere.
- Watches at times like a dating sim. 10 second screen freeze and slides of girls giggling and doing nothing else.
