Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura
Encyclopedia
is an ongoing shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Arina Tanemura
. It began serialization in Ribon
magazine on December 1, 2008 and has been compiled into 8 volumes by publisher Shueisha
since. The series is licensed for English language release in North America by Viz Media
under their Shojo Beat
imprint, who published the first volume on April 5, 2011.
). Since birth, she's been engaged to Prince Oura. Not wanting to marry the prince, Sakura runs away but gets lost and accidentally looks at the full moon, which she was warned to never do. A man-eating demon arrives, referring to Sakura as "Princess Kaguya
" and nearly wounds her, but Prince Oura's messenger and a priestess that Sakura knows arrive. Priestess Byakuya tells Sakura that she is in fact descended from Princess Kaguya and is the only one able to destroy the demons. By drawing a pair of back-to-back crescent moons on her palm, she is able to summon the mystic sword Chizakura and kill the demon. She also discovers the word “destroy” is actually her Soul Symbol (a symbol each person possesses that best represents his or her true nature). Unfortunately, she is now under threat of execution, as Oura is afraid that she will eventually become a demon herself, like her mother and grandmother before her. Sakura flees and found by a cute and sassy young ninja named Kohaku and her childhood friend, who used to be human but was accidentally turned into a frog by Kohaku (although he regains his human form during the full moon). She also learns that once every single demon is killed, she will return to the Moon. Now Sakura must destroy the demons while avoiding those who wish to kill her.
volumes by Shueisha. The series is licensed for English language release in North America by Viz Media, which published the first volume on April 5, 2011. It is licensed for regional releases in Italy by Panini Comics, Taiwan by Sharp Point Press, and Germany by Tokyopop Germany.
and Atsuko Enomoto
, which was released on the internet and on a DVD given as furoku with the November 2010 issue of Ribon magazine. The second is based on a side story about character Asagiri.
The first volume of Viz Media's English edition has sold well enough to rank on the New York Times Manga Best Seller List. The first volume was in 7th place in its first week of publication, fell to 10th place in the second, and stayed in 10th place for another week. Reviews of the first volume of the English version were generally positive. Leroy Douresseaux of the Comic Book Bin gave the volume an A-, suggesting that fans of Tanemura were sure to like the series, but that it's darker than many of her other works. Holly Ellingwood of Active Anime calls the volume "enthralling," also noting the darker tone of the work. Sheena McNeil of Sequential Tart gave the first volume a 7 out of 10, calling it "pretty standard shojo" but seeming to enjoy that "There is excellent detail in the art, as well as a variety of good action shots to balance the "pretty" shojo shots."
Arina Tanemura
is a Japanese manga artist who mainly does shōjo manga. Her debut work was a one-shot work titled , which was later reprinted in her anthology work Short-Tempered Melancholic. Tanemura gained fame with the 1997 publication of I.O.N, a high school romance with a supernatural twist...
. It began serialization in Ribon
Ribon
is a monthly Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Shueisha. First issued in August 1955, its rivals are Nakayoshi and Ciao. Its target audience is young girls roughly 9–13 years old. In 2009, the magazine's circulation was 274,167, down from the previous year's circulation numbers of 330,000...
magazine on December 1, 2008 and has been compiled into 8 volumes by publisher Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
since. The series is licensed for English language release in North America by Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
under their Shojo Beat
Shojo Beat
Shojo Beat is a shōjo manga magazine formerly published in North America by Viz Media. Released in June 2005 as a sister magazine to Shonen Jump, it featured serialized chapters from six manga series, as well as articles on Japanese culture, manga, anime, fashion and beauty...
imprint, who published the first volume on April 5, 2011.
Plot
The story follows Sakura, a 14 year old princess. Her best friend is Asagiri, a cute female Mononoke (a tiny spirit) who she once saved from a life of slavery (unbeknownst to her, Asagiri is really a Yuki-OnnaYuki-onna
is a spirit or yōkai in Japanese folklore. She is a popular figure in Japanese literature, manga, and animation. Yuki-onna is sometimes confused with Yama-uba , but they are not the same.-Appearance:...
). Since birth, she's been engaged to Prince Oura. Not wanting to marry the prince, Sakura runs away but gets lost and accidentally looks at the full moon, which she was warned to never do. A man-eating demon arrives, referring to Sakura as "Princess Kaguya
The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter
, also known as , is a 10th century Japanese folktale. It is considered the oldest extant Japanese narrative and an early example of proto-science fiction....
" and nearly wounds her, but Prince Oura's messenger and a priestess that Sakura knows arrive. Priestess Byakuya tells Sakura that she is in fact descended from Princess Kaguya and is the only one able to destroy the demons. By drawing a pair of back-to-back crescent moons on her palm, she is able to summon the mystic sword Chizakura and kill the demon. She also discovers the word “destroy” is actually her Soul Symbol (a symbol each person possesses that best represents his or her true nature). Unfortunately, she is now under threat of execution, as Oura is afraid that she will eventually become a demon herself, like her mother and grandmother before her. Sakura flees and found by a cute and sassy young ninja named Kohaku and her childhood friend, who used to be human but was accidentally turned into a frog by Kohaku (although he regains his human form during the full moon). She also learns that once every single demon is killed, she will return to the Moon. Now Sakura must destroy the demons while avoiding those who wish to kill her.
Production
On November 11, 2011, during the serialization of Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura, Tanemura announced that she was no longer contractually bound to create manga only for Ribon magazine, though reassuring fans that Sakura Hime would continue in the magazine until the story was complete.Manga
Written and illustrated by Arina Tanemura, Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura premiered in the January 2009 issue of Ribon where it is still serialized. The individual chapters are being collected and published in tankōbonTankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes by Shueisha. The series is licensed for English language release in North America by Viz Media, which published the first volume on April 5, 2011. It is licensed for regional releases in Italy by Panini Comics, Taiwan by Sharp Point Press, and Germany by Tokyopop Germany.
Volume List
Artbook
An artbook featuring illustrations mainly from Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura, though also containing art from other Tanemura titles, was released on April 24, 2009.Vomic
The series has been adapted into two vomics ("voice comics") by publisher Shueisha, the first starring voice actresses Eri SendaiEri Sendai
is a Japanese female voice actress who is represented by Production Baobab.-TV animation:*Atsuko Hongō - Yomigaeru Sora - RESCUE WINGS -*Arika - Medabots*Ayaka - xxxHolic*Ayumu Oume - Best Student Council*Furfur - Umineko no Naku Koro ni...
and Atsuko Enomoto
Atsuko Enomoto
is a Japanese singer and voice actress who works for 81 Produce . Her debut role was Yukino Miyazawa from Kare Kano.-Television animation:*.hack//Roots *.hack//SIGN...
, which was released on the internet and on a DVD given as furoku with the November 2010 issue of Ribon magazine. The second is based on a side story about character Asagiri.
Reception
The series frequently sells well enough to chart on different sales charts. In Japan, the first volume sold 41,125 copies in its first week of publication, ranking 15th in the Japanese Comic Rankings; in its second week it sold an additional 49,923 copies, falling to 27th place. The second volume sold 58,509 copies in its first week, ranking 7th. The third volume sold 36,624 copies in its first week ranking 11th and 35,318 copies in its second week, falling to 30th place. The fourth volume sold 51,007 copies in its first week of publication, ranking 13th place. The fifth volume ranked 10th with 50,543 copies sold in its first week and 23rd place with 31,697 copies in its second week. In its first week, the sixth volume sold 53,883 copies, ranking 16th place, but fell to 28th place with 32,736 copies sold in its second week. The seventh volume of the manga sold 58,316 copies in its first week, ranking 12th before falling out of the rankings. The eighth volume sold 37,652 copies in its first week of publication, ranking 18th, falling to 28th place with 35,289 copies in its second week of publication.The first volume of Viz Media's English edition has sold well enough to rank on the New York Times Manga Best Seller List. The first volume was in 7th place in its first week of publication, fell to 10th place in the second, and stayed in 10th place for another week. Reviews of the first volume of the English version were generally positive. Leroy Douresseaux of the Comic Book Bin gave the volume an A-, suggesting that fans of Tanemura were sure to like the series, but that it's darker than many of her other works. Holly Ellingwood of Active Anime calls the volume "enthralling," also noting the darker tone of the work. Sheena McNeil of Sequential Tart gave the first volume a 7 out of 10, calling it "pretty standard shojo" but seeming to enjoy that "There is excellent detail in the art, as well as a variety of good action shots to balance the "pretty" shojo shots."