Sakura-Gari

Description

Sakura-Gari is a Taishou-era romance story, ten years in the making. It centers on 16-year-old Tagami Masataka as he is aiming to find his place in life. While attempting to start prep school as a rounin, he encounters Saiki Souma, the son of a distinguished noble of the Saiki Koushyaku family, and becomes part of the Saiki household.

It seems as though this will be the story of Tagami's life, taking us through both him growing up physically and emotionally.

Type

Manga

Related Series

N/A

Associated Names

Cherry Blossom Harvest

Cherry Blossom Hunting

Sakura Gari

Sakura Hunt

Sakuragari

The Hunt for Cherry Blossoms

樱狩

櫻狩り

Groups Scanlating

Watase's Sorai

Latest Release(s)

v.3 c.9 (end) by ? [Add] 15 years ago

v.3 c.8 by ? [Add] 15 years ago

v.3 c.7 by Watase's Sorai 16 years ago

Search for all releases of this series

Status in Country of Origin

3 Volumes (Complete)

Completely Scanlated?

Yes

Anime Start/End Chapter

N/A

User Reviews

N/A

Forum

2 topics, 24 posts

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User Rating

Average: 8.6 / 10.0 (891 votes)

Bayesian Average: 8.53 / 10.0

49%

18%

12%

Last Updated

March 30th, 2025 8:13pm PDT - 1 month ago

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Genre

Drama Historical Josei Mature Mystery Psychological Tragedy Yaoi
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Categories

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Category Recommendations

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Ayako

Recommendations

Onani Master Kurosawa

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Flowers of Evil

Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan

Author(s)

Artist(s)

Year

Original Publisher

Shogakukan

Serialized In (magazine)

Rinka (Shogakukan)

Licensed (in English)

English Publisher

N/A

Activity Stats (vs. other series)

Weekly Pos #747

(-4)

Monthly Pos #1593

(-78)

3 Month Pos #2600

(-50)

6 Month Pos #3208

(+181)

Year Pos #3465

(+298)

List Stats

On 552 reading lists

On 669 wish lists

On 1671 completed lists

On 56 unfinished lists

On 557 custom lists

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Forum Posts Click to view the forum

Thoughts on Sakura Gari Ending

13 years ago

Watase Ends Sakura-Gari

15 years ago

User Comments [ Order by usefulness ]

Not perfect but worth reading

by meniel
2 years ago

Rating: N/A

A great historical family drama, with some excesses that I wish I were spared but still a great work in its genre.

What I appreciated the most was the historical setting, probably among the best I've ever read in manga. The atmosphere is cared for and while reading I really felt as if I were living in Japan during the Taisho period. The beautiful background art played an important part in this.

The family drama was interesting and full of plot twists, but also a bit too much for my taste. Basically NOBODY was mentally sane and at some point it started looking fake (could have done without "Sakurako-sama" ). I wish the whole Souma family drama was a bit less over the top, like Masataka's personal history, which felt truer to me. Although I do acknowledge stories that sound too weird to be real do exist in our world, especially when it comes to trauma and abuse.

Speaking of abuse,

I think the mangaka cleared why Souma raped Masataka. Because of how he was treated by others, Souma always thought of himself as not deserving to be alive - but Masataka saw the good in him. Souma wanted to believe in Masataka's idea of himself, and become a good person. When Masataka discovered the pictures his idea of Souma collapsed, and so did Souma's hope to be a better person. He felt rejected by Masataka, and fell back into being the horrible person others always made him out to be. It was the same old self-fulfilling prophecy he was living in for most of his life. "If, after all, I cannot be the good person Masataka thought I were, then I might as well be as evil as everyone thinks I am, and get what I want no matter whom I hurt - my connection with Masataka is broken anyway" something like that. It makes sense to me that he ended up abusing Masataka - having he himself been abused throughout his life, in one way or another. However, I think having him rape Masataka again and again was just too much. Masataka forgiving one rape because he understood it was the action of a broken man who was himself abused would have made sense. But forgiving countless sexual assaults and horrible abuse? I don't know...

If you can forgive these excesses, though, Sakura-gari is a beautiful story of sorrow, sin and redemption, definitely one of a kind among BL series.

... Last updated 2 years ago

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Dark and twisted

by ajhksx000
5 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

I finished it in one night and i don't was it worth it or not because i cried several times because of this masterpiece

It full of twists and i think there is a really big message that watase want to tell. I even not bother with the sex scene because i was so focus with the story (usually i read this kind of comic just for the sex scene hehe)

Will i read it again? I want to, but i'm not ready to be tortured by the story again

Update: i reread it again, and still beautiful

... Last updated 3 years ago

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Good read.

by LUEser
8 years ago

Rating: 8.0 / 10.0

I'm not really a Yuu Watase fan even though I've read her more popular works. This one is surprisingly one of my favorite out of her entire work.

In the beginning, it does drag a little considering that there was a need for comfort between characters (since we are following the MC's life in where he transitions into his internship) and the mystery behind the history of the characters. I honestly fast-tracked into the middle of the story and personally, I don't think that fast-tracking at the beginning affects the middle of the story (I don't recommend skipping it entirely). It does start to pick up from the middle of the story and towards the end, the plot was a little confusing; I had to reread one to two times to understand what happened first to cause the next scene of events. I have to admit, this manga did affect me somewhat emotionally just because the mood throughout the entire manga is pretty consistent. So readers are rather involved in the plot and the aura.

The artwork is pretty consistent with Watase's other stuff, so for me personally, it's really nothing to brag about but the transition of one panel to the next is pretty smooth as ever. I'd recommend it for any Yaoi lovers and anyone is loves Watase's works.

... Last updated 5 years ago

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The Ending

by toastmuncher
8 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

Is really unfair. I know how ridiculous it sounds to say this but I just liked this series so much that I had to say this.
To be honest though my first reaction was; wt*? I mean really? REALLY?
And I dropped this. But after a month or two again, with nothing to read, I picked it up, and I am glad that I did. It's still horribly disturbing for me, but still well done.

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ugh

by aksiane
9 years ago

Rating: N/A

Cons

Everyone just can't help but rape others.
They can't help it.
Main character is always apologizing for how horrible a person he is
Main character was told he grew (positively) from his experiences and that one person "changed him". Said experiences were multiple rapes. That "one person" mentioned was his rapist. Main character falls in love with rapist. He grew from the experience. This is a great manga
All characters are empty people. Their motivation is either to have sex with main character's rapist or have sex with the main character. Or they are the main character.
Too many poems
That ending LOL

Pros

The beginning part in which main character and main character's rapist's relationship is developed and the girlboy little sis wasn't there was done pretty well.
Main character's hair
Art

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Beautifully haunting

by 801crazed
10 years ago

Rating: 8.8 / 10.0

As a warning, this series contains non-consensual sex. However, it is treated in that manner, so there is no rape=love here.

This story was dark, yet beautiful at the same time. The translators did an amazing job. I loved their extensive notes on the poetry and cultural norms. It really helped me understand the nuances better.

As for the content it self, I was impressed. The character development was done very intricately. Some plot points were melodramatic at times but I enjoyed everything as a whole. The second half of the last volume might seem a bit rushed but helped wrap up some of the not-so-obvious plot points. I liked the open ending personally. A happily ever after would not fit this series at all, so leaving it up to the reader to decide was perfect (however, the Q & A with the mangaka offers some closure).

The art was lovely. It was gothic and did not have the shoujo feel of her other works. The cheeks were not overly round (which was a pet peeve of mine in Fushugi Yuugi) and the anatomy made sense.

I hope Yuu Watase writes more in this genre in the future.

... Last updated 10 years ago

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Love it

by NekuNeko
10 years ago

Rating: N/A

Wow, I really liked this story. It left me wishing for more chapters/a sequel TT LOL I feel like a tear almost escaped my eye ;-;... Almost. The ending was really saaaad but I guess its this types of stories that attracts me the most -

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Beautiful, Disturbing, Tragic

by Sayax0
10 years ago

Rating: N/A

I would call it a masterpiece of a love story. It is dark from possessiveness, traumatic histories, blackmailing, and even murder, but innocence, love, and forgiveness are at the center of it all.
As for the ending,

I think there was a reason Watase wrote in Souma's last thoughts that he will live on and they will meet again someday, so I personally don't think he dies at the end

A must-read masterpiece.

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Don't read it!

by nyanya07
11 years ago

Rating: N/A

For those who are easily move persons (like me). This is my second manga that made me cry, made my tissue almost run out, and made me sleep really late just to finish it and then the ending BOOOOM!!
Now I don't have the spirit to read another manga. >.<

Well. It was truly splendid story that will make you remember it really well.

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Sakura Gari - A story of redemption

by lrenne
11 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

Such a powerful story, filled with pain and sadness. The ending is full of hope though, at least in my view. I've been haunted by their love since two days ago, hence this post. I'm speechless as to how to describe this masterpiece. It's a beautifully crafted story with well developed characters and gorgeous art. The advancement of the plot covers every angle. Everyone acts/reacts as they should given their lots, and by that I mean realistically, not predictably.

Synopsis:

Souma was a kind and gentle boy doomed by his own beauty and the indifference of those around him. Tormented and damaged, in one moment of despair, he reached out to the wrong person and because of that, slid down the slippery slope and fell into the deepest darkness. Years later, Masataka, a pure and innocent boy, came into his life. For the first time, Souma felt the warmth and gentleness of another human being extended to him, bringing him out of his cold and lonely existence. As a response, all the warm and gentle feelings of his own, bottled up for so many years, finally broke their barriers, filled up his heart and soul to the brim and turned into painful longing and obsessive passion. Before they knew it, they were both swept into a whirlwind of frightening emotions that shook their being to the core, with only one escape route: redemption, for oneself and for others.

... Last updated 11 years ago

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