Yaoi works tend to get a pretty bad reputation for not being very good, indulging in a lot of cliches and regressive stereotypes and Melodrama, poor depictions of gays, and lots and lots of rape and dubious consent. But even in a genre that's well known for its poor quality, Sakura Gari stands out from all the rest by not only being well drawn, well written, and extremely compelling, but by just being genuinely good in general. Also, Yuu Watase made this. What more could you want? And this is coming from someone who normally hates her work.
The story, while it is pretty much a gigantic soap opera filled to the brim with melodrama, is extremely tight and well told. There's no filler, the story is always moving forward, something interesting is always happening, and it's filled with so many twists and turns that make you really want to know what's going to happen next. It helps that the story is very short, too, with 9 chapters in three volumes, so its a short read. A very, very painful short read. So if you're looking for a sweet shoujo story with sparkles and bishies and feels, this isn't the manga for you.
Why? Because Sakura Gari is dark as all hell. I am not exaggerating. This manga contains murders, suicide attempts, people being burned alive, rape, sexual exploitation, and graphic on-page depictions of child molestation. The main character is raped repeatedly by his boss and it's portrayed as being horrible without any ambiguity. Masataka reacts realistically to his terrible situation, and Souma, while doing some pretty terrible things, does have genuine reasons for turning out the way he did, but the story also makes it clear that his actions are genuinely horrible without trying to give him the Draco in Leather Pants treatment, which works much better here than Watase attempted with Nakago in Fushigi Yuugi. Every other character is deeply flawed and complex, with some being outright evil, and this may not sit well for some, and that's understandable.
But you know what? All of it just works here. Watase's art here is a sight to behold here, as she completely avoids her schtick of making her male characters all look the same in favor of a Cast of Snowflakes. The backgrounds are lush and detailed, and the setting is really brought to life here. It can't be denied that Sakura Gari still indulges in some of the more cringey yaoi cliches, but it also amazingly averts and deconstructs just as many of them. If you're looking for a genuinely good, well written, utterly insane as fuck yaoi, this is the manga for you. But I shit you not, it's not for the faint of heart.
Manga Easily One Of The Best Yaoi Manga Ever, If Not THE Best
Yaoi works tend to get a pretty bad reputation for not being very good, indulging in a lot of cliches and regressive stereotypes and Melodrama, poor depictions of gays, and lots and lots of rape and dubious consent. But even in a genre that's well known for its poor quality, Sakura Gari stands out from all the rest by not only being well drawn, well written, and extremely compelling, but by just being genuinely good in general. Also, Yuu Watase made this. What more could you want? And this is coming from someone who normally hates her work.
The story, while it is pretty much a gigantic soap opera filled to the brim with melodrama, is extremely tight and well told. There's no filler, the story is always moving forward, something interesting is always happening, and it's filled with so many twists and turns that make you really want to know what's going to happen next. It helps that the story is very short, too, with 9 chapters in three volumes, so its a short read. A very, very painful short read. So if you're looking for a sweet shoujo story with sparkles and bishies and feels, this isn't the manga for you.
Why? Because Sakura Gari is dark as all hell. I am not exaggerating. This manga contains murders, suicide attempts, people being burned alive, rape, sexual exploitation, and graphic on-page depictions of child molestation. The main character is raped repeatedly by his boss and it's portrayed as being horrible without any ambiguity. Masataka reacts realistically to his terrible situation, and Souma, while doing some pretty terrible things, does have genuine reasons for turning out the way he did, but the story also makes it clear that his actions are genuinely horrible without trying to give him the Draco in Leather Pants treatment, which works much better here than Watase attempted with Nakago in Fushigi Yuugi. Every other character is deeply flawed and complex, with some being outright evil, and this may not sit well for some, and that's understandable.
But you know what? All of it just works here. Watase's art here is a sight to behold here, as she completely avoids her schtick of making her male characters all look the same in favor of a Cast of Snowflakes. The backgrounds are lush and detailed, and the setting is really brought to life here. It can't be denied that Sakura Gari still indulges in some of the more cringey yaoi cliches, but it also amazingly averts and deconstructs just as many of them. If you're looking for a genuinely good, well written, utterly insane as fuck yaoi, this is the manga for you. But I shit you not, it's not for the faint of heart.