The title character from one of the most beloved magical girl series
Sakura Kinomoto



Who can deny that Sakura is one of the most adored little magical girls of anime. (Fun fact: She was the very first winner of 2chan's "Sai Moe" popularity contest)

But as someone who, while finding her to be undeniably charming, never really...loved Sakura, what is it that generations of people find so gosh darn endearing?


From the beginning she's sweet to all she meets, good at sports but a little clumsy. She says she doesn't like math but seems to enjoy all her classes and teachers. Comes from a warm family despite the loss of her mother and says she never feels lonely. 

All of her family and friends adore her (even the ones who try to dislike her like Yue cannot resist) and try to protect and nurture her without harming her innocent perception of them. She can be a little dense so she ultimately doesn't know just how much she means to others (Toya and Tomoyo for example)

She doesn't seem as sure of herself of she should, but by the end she learns that she just needs to believe in her own strength and she can overcome anything - and does. 


While I like CCS and I like Sakura,  I could never really bring myself to put it on any of my favorites lists. I think Sakura's all around perfect charm is the reason why. Tomoeda in general is a pretty Utopic setting - everything is nice and peaceful, no one lives in poverty, everyone is accepting of your relationship no matter how taboo it may be IRL. Even those with seemingly menacing actions, really mean well (i.e. - Eriol). Heck, everyone even LOOKS nice. I applaud CLAMP for creating a setting so ideal to what children should be trying to build and Sakura is a pretty perfect role model - nice to everyone & able to overcome anything by believing in herself. 


But I just don't find her as entertaining to watch as say, Doremi from Ojamajo Doremi, she falls, gets scolded, is bit selfish, argues, eavesdrops, and has serious doubts and fears in herself. but is still genuine young girl who loves to help people even if she doesn't realize it. 
Maybe it's because I just like an underdog, and Sakura doesn't ever have deep inner struggles (to me) outside of realizing her feelings towards Yukito and eventually Shaoran. 


So tell me what you think about little Sakura?

I find her ridiculously adorable... although I did prefer Tomoyo, Mizuki, and Yukito when I read CSS... 

-_-

I think Sakura is afraid of not being loved. She saw world without it and in the 2nd movie the Void card would take that feeling away once capture. The feeling of love is the most important feeling to her. I understand why. Yes she is fine without her mother, but that's because the other people's love for her fill that void. She does miss her mother and she wants to feel her mother's love. Not sure if that makes any sense.

I adore Sakura. She's not my favorite magical girl character, but I love her to pieces. To me it's okay to have a character that is almost prefect. I mean there are people in real life that are like that. She does have some faults. She can be clumsy, she's a bit dense, she cries to easily when she's scared, and she's innocent. I'm just glad CLAMP didn't maker her the typical magical girl. The only two traits she has is clumsy and being dense (which is due to being innocent not being in air head.) 

Sometimes is okay to have a setting in a prefect like world. The focus of the show is the cards and the relationship of the main characters not the struggles of life. CLAMP just wanted to show that there many different types of love. That's it. We don't need to see the conflicts the relationships can have. It's an innocent story.

Mew Ami wrote:

I think Sakura is afraid of not being loved. She saw world without it and in the 2nd movie the Void card would take that feeling away once capture. The feeling of love is the most important feeling to her. I understand why. Yes she is fine without her mother, but that's because the other people's love for her fill that void. She does miss her mother and she wants to feel her mother's love. Not sure if that makes any sense.

That's a really good observation! I hadn't thought of it that way. 

Like you also mentioned, I do like that Sakura is a different magical girl than say Sailor Moon. I remember reading the manga for the first time when I was 11-ish and being like "omigod she likes sports" she's a very active girl too contrasting with Usagi/Serena who was depicted as kindof lazy and uncoordinated.

Lol thanks. It actually dawn me when I read about you mentioning everyone loving her. I think it's great Sakura is clumsy and likes to play sports. There are a lot people who would like to play sports, but don't because they're clumsy. Sakura can inspire the uncoordinated to play sports.

My baby! T_T

One of the reasons I have yet to read the manga is because I don't think it can do justice to the fluffy wonder that is Sakura and her world. Particularly the voices. Sakura's voice is just so cute it hurts. I can understand some people finding it a little too high pitched for their liking, but at least it's adorable high pitched. That catch phrase of hers, that "Hoeeeehhh" thing. Really awkward to see spelled out sometimes. "Why is this ten year old calling someone a hoe?"

Today is April 1st, the birthday of the genre's most precious baby. <3 

I don't know who has it worse, Sakura for having this day of pranks and lying as her birthday, or her brother, for having Feb. 29th as his.

I think they both have it worse. I guess her birthday explains her gullibleness.

So I found this image while I was searching for CCS wallpapers. What I want to draw your attention to is her staff. It's changed and I find this interesting. I think that as a magician power grows, their staff changes to reflect not only that magical growth but any character growth at well.

Actually that wand's form is canon and there's a story explanation for it, but it happens way late in the series and it's kinda spoilery.

I've seen the entire Anime and I seriously do not remember this lol it may have just been a while. Can you explain it but put it under a spoiler tag for those who don't wanna know?

Aha. Well it might not have been all that memorable so I can understand someone forgetting it.

Spoiler:

Righht! It's been a long time since I've watched the anime so small things tend to escape me.

Ok, so that happened and her staff changed. I still think that as a magician gains power, their staves can change to reflect that. I wonder when she is more powerful if her staff would turn to look like the above one again or something new?

I like her since I was a ten year old girl, she and Tomoyo are my favorites of the series. Syaoran is cute too, Kero can be rather hilarious, and Touya is a good brother.

I loved Sakura almost immediately when I started reading the manga. What really sold her to me was her ideas of what "great evil" Kero was talking about when she first found him... Staying up late and bending a flower... She's so precious.