Sakura no Uta (サクラノ詩) is a Japanese visual novel developed by Makura and released on October 23, 2015 for Windows. It is Makura's third game after H₂O: Footprints in the Sand and Root After and Another. It was written by SCA-JI, the creator of Subarashiki Hibi (Wonderful Everyday).
Spring. After the death of his father - a world-famous artist - left him without any living relatives, protagonist Kusanagi Naoya is put under the care of his friend Natsume Kei's family. There, his homeroom teacher Natsume Ai, and Kei's younger sister - the actress Natsume Shizuku - await him in turn. And with the arrival of the new school term, Misakura Rin - Naoya's childhood friend who transferred long ago - reappears right before him.
Beyond the veil of cherry blossom petals blown by the wind - almost like their promised reunion —
Feelings pile up with the passage of time: once the torrent of emotions comes rushing down, what is the spectacle that awaits?
Upon it's release, Sakura no Uta has received multiple prizes and it's widely considered to be one of the best visual novels ever made, both in Japanese and western rankings. It is considered as SCA-JI's best work, on par with, or even better than Subarashiki Hibi.
A sequel, Sakura no Toki (サクラノ刻), would later be released in 2023.
Sakura no Uta provides examples of:
- Childhood Friends: Naoya has three: Rin, with whom he's reunited with for the first time in 6 years, Rina, whom he befriended soon after Rin moved away, and Yuumi, whom he met due to her association with Rina.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Yuumi is very clearly in love with Rina.
- Does Not Like Men: Yuumi makes it very clear that she hates guys, though it's apparent that she doesn't truly hate Naoya.
- Dude Looks Like a Lady: Kei looks girly enough for people to group him together with Ai and Shizuka as the "3 Beautiful Natsume Sister."
Sakura no Toki provides examples of:
- Ascended Extra: Kei gets some time as a protagonist instead of just being a supporting character.
- Demoted to Extra: Rin, Shizuku, and Rina were main characters with their own routes in Sakura no Uta, but are stuck in supporting roles here.
