First Impressions / Sakura Trick

「会長はお姉ちゃん／プール掃除でお約束」 (Kaichou wa Onee-chan/ Puuru Souji de o Yakusoku)
“The President is Onee-chan / Pool Cleaning Promise”

I sense a sister yuri love triangle in the formation even as the kissing gets heavier and hotter!

Onee-chan Kaichou

I feel like we’ve only gotten the tip of the iceberg with Yuu’s older sister and president of the student council Sonoda Mitsuki (Fujita Saki). Her suspicion about Yuu-chan and Haruka’s relationship is of course well deserved, but what I appreciated was that they didn’t make a big deal about her finding out. I mean, she found out immediately and there was no drama! Though I do admit that having them try to hide it from her for a while might have been entertaining.

The big question is, is Mitsuki smitten with Haruka? All that doki doki business when she was bringing them drinks would seem to indicate a little something. If not that will be a huge red herring (at least to me), and if so…well, I’m all for it! Why do I say that? Because Haruka x Yuu are a total OTP, and nothing will break them up. All Mitsuki would do is add a little spice and comedy to the whole situation, and I’m okay with that. After all, she’s been pretty fun so far.

Yuu – Embarrassed or Protecting Their Relationship?

One of the more interesting lines was when Yuu was getting all embarrassed about the shameless swimsuits Haruka modified. She said something like “If our secret leaks out, our relationship will be over!” What I find fascinating – and often, morally troubling – about shows like this is that they’re not trying to take a moral or social stance on the subject of same-sex couples, but the subject matter pretty much demands it. While Haruka would already have them up on the altar in a pair of wedding dresses, Yuu-chan seems to think there’s something wrong with their relationship…or maybe not. Honestly I think she’s just embarrassed, but the words she chooses to use to hide that are at least indicative of the culture they live in, and it’s one that doesn’t go “Yuri couples? Full power ahead Captain, this is a sure thing!” Which is a shame I think, because yeah equality and all that, but also look at them!!

Haruka’s Oppai

I can’t help enjoy an episode largely devoted to Haruka’s oppai. That’s all. Just…enough said.

Looking Ahead – Turning Up the Heat

What is this, Amagami Redux!? Not that I’m complaining. It looks like they’re going to turn up the heat even more next week, which works for me. Yuu straddling Haruka HHNNNNNGGGG!!!

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – I think Yuu’s onee-chan might have a crush on Haruka? If not, at least we still have Haruka’s oppai \o/ #桜Trick 03

Random thoughts:

Check out my blog about storytelling and the fantasy novel I’m writing at stiltsoutloud.com. The last four posts: Dogfights, battleships, & sword fights, Combo counter update – It’s going well, it’s going not so well, I really like this scene, and Unveil an actuality. My current combo counter: Editing chain, 13 days. Writing chain, 1 day.

Full-length images: 15, 27, 28.

 

Preview

End Card

51 Comments

  1. Omg that was such a good episode, and I never get tired of looking at those kiss scenes, 3 ep in and they are still spicing up their relationships with all those kisses, and as Stilts said, “Yuu straddling Haruka” in next episode, YES my body is ready!! XD

    But still, I’m wondering, am I the only one who made a reference to pomf pomf pomf when Haruka face planted (pomfed) into Yuu’s sister’s oppai? 😛

    TrapMaster
    Reply

    1. Lewd kisses, lewd legs, lewd hand-holding, lewd everything. This is such a wonderful yuri anime. And Mitsuki-nee-chan is like the blondie Akane/Ayano (YuruYuri). And Yuu is sounding more like Miku (Symphogear).

      JohnHayabusa
      Reply

      1. ALL HAIL YURI!! :3 I mean who doesn’t love yuri, and it’s full on lewd yuri not to mention, it’s just too HGNNNNNNN for me, I don’t think I can last 12 episode of this, but at least I will go down trying!
        ONWARD, COMRADE FOR THE GLORY OF YURI!!

        TrapMaster
        Reply

  2. I came prepared this time with 2 doubles of brandy and soda. Needless to say they were required.

    First we have dear sister encounter the forbidden fruit, then Haruka tries to beckon to the heavens the sanctity of her OTP with Yuu-chan (swimsuit advertising, ingenious). Finally we reach glorious ending of Haruka-Yuu lip locking in the storage room (with more cherry blossom petals of course) as dear sister begins to break down in the knowledge that yes, Yuu might in fact be doing that.

    Best part though? Yuri couple #2 being all sophisticated on the pool bench. High class yuri, when standard yuri isn’t enough.

    If all of that still wasn’t enough for you we get even more adventurous next week. I’m not sure if my body is ready, but at least I know it’s nothing more booze cannot fix 😀

    Pancakes
    Reply

  3. I just have to ask: Why is not taking a stance on same-sex relationships morally troubling? Some people are straight, some people are gay, there are also other orientations and that’s just life.
    So perhaps not trying to make a point out of it IS the point!

    Sylpher
    Reply

    1. Erh–but what you say is taking a stance. Until same-sex couples are as widely and openly approved of as opposite-sex couples, the mere fact that they’re in a show implies taking a stance. Many yuri shows try to dodge the whole issue by not making them actually gay. They’re just playing around, kids, who knows if they are or are not, eh? Wink wink, nudge nudge, etc.

      In this show though, a lot of the girls are really, really gay. Them not making a big deal out of it seems to be the stance they’re taking…but then Yuu says stuff like I quoted in the post. Like I said, probably more indicative of the culture they live in than anything else.

      Stilts
      Reply

  4. Hmm… I got an overprotective sibling vibe off of Mitsuki, but not a crush-on-Haruka vibe. …Stilts, are you still wearing your yuri goggles while watching this? You’re gonna kill yourself, man! :p

    I want to play with Shizuku’s twintails!

    Hey, I have dibs! >:(

    You know, for all of Yuu’s bashfulness, it seems fairly clear that, at least among their little group, the two of them haven’t really succeeded in hiding anything. Kotone nearly tricked Haruka into asking Mitsuki for Yuu’s hand in marriage, and really I’d be shocked if Kotone hadn’t figured the two of them out long ago. I’m not entirely sure about Yuzu and Kaede, but that thought they had in unison about Haruka and Yuu flirting seems suggestive of at least some recognition.

    Wanderer
    Reply

    1. Pffft, everyone knows. Yuzu and Kaede both pretty much said it, and there’s no way Kotone missed it. Pretty sure Shizuku wouldn’t miss it either.

      You’re fooling no one, girls!

      Stilts
      Reply

  5. On a more serious note it’s not surprising the lack of moral discussion in the show. Sakura Trick like similar shows has always been about the fanservice, it’s designed to cater to a particular niche. In a sense it’s like spank mags, you’re not using them to get an objective debate on merits and/or vices of p*orn.

    I think too Yuu is simply embarrassed with the relationship rather than thinking there is something wrong with it. She simply doesn’t want to be caught in spotlight. If Yuu thought it was wrong you would definitely see more push and pull between her and Haruka (i.e possess a tsundere complex). That, however, would push this show right into the drama realm when it’s clear that the focus is designed to be on “cute girls doing cute (yuri) things.”

    Pancakes
    Reply

    1. Yeah, I agree, I think she’s more embarrassed than anything. And like Sylpher said above, not making a big deal out of it may be part of the point.

      Or, ya know, they just wanted to tell a cute yuri story and didn’t give a second’s thought to all that shiz. Wouldn’t be the first time I think too much about a story XD

      Stilts
      Reply

    2. It’s the problem with critical thinking sometimes, eventually you get to the point of always looking for the “hidden meaning” in everything 😛

      That’s why we watch yuri Stilts, for the answer to yuri is obviously more yuri.

      Pancakes
      Reply

  6. – The big question is, is Mitsuki smitten with Haruka?

    Agree with Wanderer on this. To me Mitsuki is worried about her little sister’s uncertain relationship with this “unknown” person though I can see how you get that impression. Given how she reacts to the thought of Yuu and Haruka romantically linked, I have trouble considering her all doki doki for Haruna. Even IF Mitsuki did have feelings for Haruka, pretty clear that Haruka is completely in love/smitten with Yuu so I don’t see any love triangle possibility.

    – Haruka’s Oppai

    As impressive as they are, I was surprised by the fact that Kotone <3 rivals (exceeds?) Haruka in that aspect.

    – It looks like they’re going to turn up the heat even more next week…

    Yeah, I think it’s safe to say that. XD I can only wonder where we end up on that front by season’s end… and will I have enough blood to last through all the nosebleeds.

    daikama
    Reply

    1. I think Mitsuki is just surprised right now that she’s getting turned on by seeing Haruka. Haruka was always the “mystery woman” that she kept missing. True, the chance for a triangle is nil, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t going to be a chase after Haruka by Mitsuki. Certainly, there have been a few weird vibes that Haruki has given off: Striping in the meeting, burying her face in Mitsuki’s chest.

      AFA competing chest sizes, this requires precise measurement. Assistant! Hand me my tape measure!

      Bear
      Reply

  10. Though Haruka would probably be totally into getting both sisters for a yuri threesome, I don’t think Mitsuki is smitten or anything. The vibe I got from her is more along the likes of her discovering her little sister’s big secret and not knowing how to deal with it. She probably does have a big sister instinct towards her imouto, after all. Amusing character nonetheless, so I’m wondering what else she’ll be up to.

    As for more serious overtones, while this is mostly just a fun, fanciful yuri anime, I do get the feeling that more realistic aspects of such a relationship are subtly weaved in throughout the series. I actually had a conversation on the subject with an actual lesbian watching the show, and she said that the anime reminded her of her own high school days in a lot of ways. Like people getting curious because she couldn’t stop talking about a certain girl, friends that joke about it because they’re picking up the signals, awkward moments and being in a relationship where one girl is really open about it while the other is still secretive about it because she’s still struggling with coming out. That latter part could explain why Yuu’s acting the way she does. Especially in a society where the subject is still kind of a taboo. So a niche fanservice show that avoids big drama it may be, but it certainly is still grounded in reality and it does, in a way, acknowledge the problems that come with such unions.

    A reality where yuri-power makes gravity-defying leaps possible, but still.

    Also, Haruka’s huge…tracts of land make me wish I was a girl. Dammit Yuu, I’m jealous.

    Dvalinn
    Reply

    1. Protip: You can enjoy those tracts of land even if you’re not a girl. Sometimes they let us touch them too. You just have to ask politely, and be the right amount of an asshole.

      Stilts
      Reply

  11. Hmmm…isn’t that the Class Pres would yell “TAKAYAMA HARUKA” hmm…i remember the seiyuu of yuu’s sister, i remember of something like “Raspberry” oops i mean Sugiura Ayano…the other Class Pres…but unlike Sugiura she is more shy…

    Namaewoinai
    Reply

  12. Yuri….

    Sweet sweet yuri…..

    Full 30 mins of it…..

    The last time I saw this was in Strawberry Panic…..

    It was hilarious to see Kotone troll Harupopo during the meeting and yuri ojousama Kotone is the best IMO…’

    Anyway Stilts… I wonder if you caught this in the store room scene where Harupopo said this line “She’s heavy….. NO…… My swimsuit’s getting wet!!!!”

    c2710
    Reply

    2. I remember catching that and spitting out my drink. The perfect situation for that picture of George Takaii going “oh my”.

      At this rate Haruka will be making the sexy times to Yuu by episode 5-6.

      Pancakes
      Reply

    2. I thought that was the whole point of her swimsuit. It’s a pun (English ‘You’ sounds like Yuu) and she was trying to point it out and they were being ‘intentionally?’ dense and not getting it.

      Scruffy
      Reply

  19. “Takayama Haruka!” is the new “Toshino Kyoko!”!!!
    Other than that, any place and occassion is OK for a good kiss and a healthy dose of skinship. Pool, floor, gym storage…

    ewok40k
    Reply

    1. Says the one who gave a 9/10 to Free: https://randomc.net/2013/09/28/free-12-end/

      Both shows pander to a different crowd (Free to fujoshis and Sakura Trick to otaku), but the most important difference between this show and Free is that Free was in denial over the fact that it was pandering to its target audience and instead desperately tried to convince the audience that it was just about friendship and competitive sports, but they weren’t fooling anyone except for the most delusional KyoAni fantards. On the other hand, Sakura Trick is honest in the fact that they’re pandering to a specific audience and doesn’t disguise this with a thin layer of bullshit like Free did. Both series are guilty of pandering, but Sakura Trick admits it and rolls with it whereas Free remains in denial and refuses to come out of the closet.

      LaughingMan
      Reply

    2. The point? Well, all SOL, especially the one based on 4-koma manga are not made for heavy discussion from the begin with. They are something you watch for relaxing. They are made for a weekly enjoyment. This show has Yuri element ,so Yuri fans can also enjoy it.

      If that’s not what are you looking for then I guess you’re watching the wrong type of show or you don’t know what to expect from SOL anime.

      (You are’t expect this to be a serious yuri anime like Maria-sama or Strawberry Panic right?)

      mm
      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *