Review: Street Fighter - Sakura Ganbaru!

Inspired by the famed martial artist Ryu, schoolgirl Sakura Kasugano rushes headfirst into the world of street fighting. She instantly garners the attention of rival fighter Karin Kanzuki, who eventually aids Sakura in her quest for finding Ryu. Along the way, she’s joined by a host of iconic Street Fighter characters.

Street Fighter: Sakura Ganbaru! is a two volume manga series originally published between 1996 and 1997, written and illustrated by Masahiko Nakahira.

Sakura Ganbaru! immediately follows the events of the Street Fighter Alpha manga, also by Masahiko Nakahira. Sakura has been saved from Bison by Ryu, an enigmatic karate fighter who instantly becomes Sakura’s greatest influence and idol. She sets out to be just like him and even hopes to reunite with him in order to challenge him to a battle. During her journey, Sakura encounters many familiar faces and becomes fast friends with the likes of Dan Hibiki, Chun-Li and Cammy. This adventure gives readers an exuberant look at the life of one of Street Fighter’s most beloved characters, showing her to be a tough, resourceful and plucky young heroine who readers will root for (as the title of the manga suggests we do). Being treated to the aforementioned guest spots is just the cherry on top.

The two collected volumes of this series reflect two individual story arcs that detail Sakura’s entrance into street fighting. The first arc focuses almost entirely on Karin Kanzuki’s mission to test Sakura’s fighting abilities and to eventually see her defeated, be it at her hands or at someone else’s. It is here where we meet Sakura’s pseudo-mentor Dan Hibiki, a rather incompetent fighter who is used almost exclusively for comedic relief, and the all-American fighting champ Ken Masters. This particular arc has a tendency to meander and feels almost exclusively like filler. It’s not bad by any means, especially since it does an adequate job of introducing readers to the cast in a way that is accessible and entertaining. I also must give props to Nakahira for including the Final Fight 2 character Maki, who has gone woefully unused by Capcom over the years.

The second volume is far superior to the first. It is here where we get to the meat of the story and where Sakura is actually actively searching for Ryu. She and Dan first travel to Hong Kong, where they are saved by Chun-Li after they get caught up in a human trafficking ring. Chun-Li then aides them in tracking down leads for Ryu’s whereabouts, which ultimately leads the duo to Russia, Thailand and, finally, back to Japan. This brief trek outside of Japan is a page-turner, especially as we finally get to see Sakura meet up with some of the most iconic characters from the Street Fighter franchise. What’s great about this is that it adds further depth and allows Sakura to play off different personalities. I especially found her interactions with Cammy to be particularly poignant and added to both characters’ narratives.

While Sakura Ganbaru! is buckets of fun, the one issue I had with the series was the overall portrayal of Sakura as a vaguely messianic figure. She veers into Mary Sue territory with her distinct lack of faults and her tendency to win just about every fight she gets into, despite being woefully inexperienced. She also learns how to channel her chi and deliver the iconic hadouken move on her first attempt. Nakahira’s insistence on having Sakura be the focus of every fight and of having her win nearly every fight makes all the other characters seem incompetent in comparison. Sakura’s victory over Karin seems laughable, considering how much Karin is built up as a martial arts savant, while both Chun-Li and Cammy come across as weaklings when both fail to prove themselves as individual threats to Gen and Zangief respectively. The downplaying of Cammy’s abilities is actually quite puzzling, especially since she was supposed to be Bison’s greatest assassin.

Overall, Sakura Ganbaru! is a cute little entry into the Street Fighter franchise. It’s a fun and entertaining read that works as a brilliant introduction into one of the franchise’s most recognizable heroines. Despite Nakahira’s tendency to portray Sakura as unstoppable and a lackluster first arc, this collection of stories presents a more cohesive and engaging narrative than the actual games do. Sakura Ganbaru! is a must-read for every Street Fighter fan.

RATING: B