Sakura Hime The legend of Princess Sakura

Any fan of Tanemura (Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne; The Gentleman's Alliance plus) knows to expect hugely starry-eyed young heroines granted unexpected magical powers and told of their unusual and important secret fates while falling in love. Fourteen-year-old Princess Sakura is about to enter into an arranged marriage when she discovers she's the heir of the demon-fighting Moon Princess Kaguya. Her duty is now to battle evil spirits while navigating her new role as betrothed to a prince, accompanied by a miniature spirit, an old wise woman, a clumsy ninja girl, and a talking frog. Set during the Heian period (ninth-12th centuries), the story provides lots of flowing robes until Sakura changes into her period-inappropriate demon fighter costume. It strongly resembles a schoolgirl uniform, just like the outfit of the obvious influence, Sailor Moon. The characters have only three expressions: happy, determined, or clueless/surprised. Tanemura's works are almost perfect examples of generic shojo, and the thing that sets this stew of fable, royal intrigue, and battle by mystic sword apart from many other magical girl manga is the resolve of the princess and the hypnotically ornate artwork. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 7 Up-Sakura has always been forbidden to look at the moon. Without knowing why, she has followed the rule until one unfortunate night. Thinking of her impending arranged marriage, she happens to glance at it. Almost immediately, a demon attacks, and she learns she is the granddaughter of a mysterious moon princess. Along with this knowledge, Sakura inherits her grandmother's magical sword, which enables her to destroy demons. The mediocre story line is combined with slightly more detailed illustrations than usual in manga novels. The side panels are rarely pertinent to the story; in fact, they're usually pointless and annoying. Avid fans of the genre may enjoy this book, but it will have a limited audience.-Carol Hirsche, Provo City Library, UT (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.