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Sakura Hime
The Legend of Princess Sakura 1
Arina Tanemura

Viz Media (Distributed in the UK by Simon and Schuster)
12 May 2011 / 1421538822
Teen / Young Adult / Historical Fantasy /Manga / Heian Era / Japan
Amazon US || UK

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde

Princess Sakura has always known that she is betrothed to Prince Oura, but she is only fourteen and feels that she is too young to get married. Living in seclusion in the mountains she has strangely been forbidden to gaze upon the full moon…when she does, a demon appears! Sakura’s true origins have been hidden from everybody for she is a princess from the moon, and it is feared that one day she will turn into a man-eating youko (demon). Her grandmother was also from the moon and wielded the Blood Cherry Blossom sword, killing demons -- so maybe she is destined to do this instead of turn into one? And what will Prince Oura think of all this…?

Since Buffy, there have been very many novels about female demon busters with special powers, but this one is somewhat different. To start with this is set in the Heian era -- Japan’s classical period -- and having a moon princess as the protagonist is new, too.

I like the mixture of Japanese folklore mixed in with the current trend for this type of thing, and this has enough in it to be a good manga series with a charm of its own. There are lots of lovely drawings of the garments, all swirling material and long flowing hair as well as flowers, scenic backgrounds, traditional buildings and of course various supernatural beings and fight scenes. Romance also has a part to play, and a coming-of-age theme which has the slim volume fairly bursting with potential for quite a long series. Also included are lots of asides down some of the pages as we get to know the author’s own tastes and ideas about how the series might develop. This has the added benefit of seeming like a conversation between the reader and a potential friend and adds to the book’s charm and makes it seem a world away from western novels.

Reviewer's Note:
Reviewed 2011
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