| I've made a lotta little comments throughout
this website over the last 5 years, but I don't always explain exactly what I mean, or why
I think that way. I've already explained a few other subjects like Ryu, Chun Li, and
Capcom, in other rants. Now it's Sakura's turn. |
| I know I lotta fans out there like Sakura a
lot. Although I have a lot of complaints about her, I don't dislike or hate her.
But on the other hand, I really don't see anything to like about her either.
I think Sakura is one of the most unoriginal characters ever! |
a real
schoolgirl
|
What makes Sakura Sakura is the sailor schoolgirl outfit.
But lemme tell you that the sailor schoolgirl outfit is one of the lamest and most
untrue stereotypes. Schoolgirls in Japan don't dress like that! Well, I've
seen a few, but not many. And haven't we had enough of that look with Sailor Moon? |
| Anyhow, see this Tomomi over there to the left?
That's what the typical schoolgirl REALLY looks like in Japan (click on her to enlarge the
picture). Every school has its own outfit, but most look basically like this.
I've lived there, and I've seen thousands of schoolgirls. And yes, their skirts
really are THAT short! ^_^ Whenever they go up stairs, they have to put their
bag up against their butt (like she's doing here), or everybody going up the stairs behind
her and look in. Are the outfits sexist? No, I don't think so.
Schoolgirls in Japan really seem to be proud of their outfits... it's just one of those
Japanese traditions. |
| Another thing that's stupid about Sakura's
outfit is that she doesn't wear baggy socks! How the hell is a schoolgirl supposed
to be cute without baggy socks? Almost all schoolgirls wear 'em! Check out the
picture of Tomomi again... she's wearing baggy socks! BTW, I'm still hoping that the
baggy sock craze will someday come to the USA too. (who'da thunk that socks could be
such a turn-on! ^_~) |
| You know what else is kind of a stereotype,
and totally unoriginal about Sakura? Her name! It's not that so many girls in
Japan are named "Sakura", but the word "Sakura" comes up all the time
in Japan. "Sakura" means cherry blossom, and if you didn't know, the
Japanese really, really, really love cherry blossoms. I couldn't think of a more
generic name for a Japanese girl. |
| Personally, I almost never like girls with
short hair. You might, so I can't really say that it's bad or good. I just
think that it's unstylish (what can you do with short hair?), and it makes girls look too
much like boys. Dress Sakura in jeans and a t-shirt, and imagine how hard it would
be to figure out if she were a boy or girl! |
| Maybe the lamest thing about Sakura is that
she's infatuated with Ryu! Give me break. Who the hell could like a cheap,
no-style character like Ryu?! And on top of that, Ryu's totally obsessed with
himself, so what's Sakura think he's got to offer her? How does she even know him
when he's wandering around the world all alone, and she's going to high school in Japan?
And the the little nitwit has to try and imitate his style... don't we already have
enough shotoclones? YES!!! I bet Sakura was just created to promote Ryu (as if
he doesn't get enough promotion!) |
| And like all of Capcom's chosen characters,
Sakura's cheap! Especially in SF Zero/Alpha 3, Sakura could pull off some of the
lamest, no-talent combos I've ever seen. And of course she's got all sortsa cheap
priorities on top of that. It sucks getting beat up by a character who's so lame!
I can accept a beating from a real fighter, but not her. Sakura shouldn't
even be in Street Fighter. She's a joke character. She has no realistic chance
of fighting with the best in the world. I think characters like her have diluted the
SF universe and really started to make it just too dumb to take seriously. |
| Well, Sakura not really all bad. I like
her intensity (that scream), and she's got a lotta interesting personality quirks that are
cool (always being late, having a shoe that won't stay on, etc.). And I thought it
was really cool that she crossed over into Rival Schools. Her rivalry with Karin is
cool too (every fighter should have a rival). I think if Capcom updated Sakura, she
might have a chance at being a really cool character. |
| People who criticize but don't give
alternatives or solutions are stupid. So, let's pretend that I get to change Sakura!
First of all, I'd give her an outfit like just Tomomi's (complete with bookbag).
And maybe for a 2nd outfit I'd give her Japanese schoolgirl's gym outfit (which is
what she has on under her sailor uniform). I wouldn't change her boyish short hair,
because long hair is just my personal preference. But I'd definitely give her a new
role model! Ryu sucks. Hey, how about Delta Red Cammy?! Yeah, she's a
good, strong woman that schoolgirl could look up to. Then I'd modify Sakura's
fighting style to something more original. Maybe 1/3 shotoclone, 1/3 Cammy, and 1/3
unique. And to maybe legitimize her qualifications as a world class fighter, I'd
reveal that she comes from a family of gifted fighters (or something like that). On
top of that, I'd make Sakura quit school to train... but her parents think she's still in
school, so she wears her schoolgirl outfit pretending to go to school every day.
Sakura's rivalry with Karin should also be raised to another level. And that's all I
think it would take to make Sakura one of the more interesting and unique SF characters. |
| Anyhow, now you know where I stand with
Sakura, and why I think what I think. That was the point of this rant. If you
like Cammy better than Sakura, I don't really care to talk you out of liking Sakura, but
if you're a misguided soul who ranks Sakura above Cammy... I hope I've changed your mind! |
|
| PS - Am I a hypocrite? I just ripped
Sakura up and down, and yet I own a life-sized Sakura stand-up, a rare animation cel of
her form the SF Zero anime, and a whole buncha Sakura toys! But I only have that
stuff because I either got it for free, or at a VERY low price. Basically, I'm just
keeping it for trade bait in case somebody's dumb enough to trade some Cammy for my Sakura
junk... ^_~ |
