Sakura’s Dedication GN 1

On paper, this sounds like one of those predatory romances that will send some readers running. Even the title speaks to the supposed dangerous nature of the male lead: he’s dedicated to pursuing Sawa after her breakup with her previous boyfriend. But don’t let that stop you from picking this up (or conversely, if that’s what you like in a romance, prepare for mild disappointment), because the only true dedication Sakura shows in this volume is directed towards making Sawa comfortable around him.

The book opens with high school student Sawa talking to her female friend about her recent breakup. She discovered that her boyfriend was cheating on her, and while she mostly seems exhausted by the whole situation, we can see that that’s at least in part a cover for her being very hurt by it – something that only grows worse when he starts spreading rumors that she was the one cheating on him. While her friend is sympathetic, Sawa gets a surprise when Sakura, another classmate, comes up, tells her he likes her, and asks her out. When Sawa politely turns him down, he doesn’t retreat back into the shadows; instead, he sets out to prove to her that he likes her by just being a supportive, kind human being, which, fortunately, is not an act. Thus begins a tale of Sawa learning that not all guys are jerks and struggling to express her burgeoning feelings for the sweet one who likes her. In some ways, the story could simply be summed up by saying, “She’s tsun. He’s dere. Together, they are adorable.”

It’s not entirely clear if Sawa has always erred on the prickly side, but she certainly has a good reason to be that way now. And really, she’s well within her rights to find Sakura’s timing a little bit suspicious; he did seize his moment as she was discussing her recent breakup. But he’s not insincere, and he backs that up by respecting Sawa’s boundaries and decisions every step of the way. This consideration is ultimately what makes her decide to give him a chance, and he turns out to be genuine in it – even after they start dating, he never pushes her for anything she’s not freely willing to give. He understands that she’s not going to just jump headfirst into this new relationship, and he takes it as a given that the most important thing he can do for her is respect her.

While this may not make for an action-packed story (even in the emotional sense), it does make it a remarkably sweet one. Once Sawa starts to like him, the majority of the action happens in her head. He does tell her how and when he began to like her, and a few of the old shoujo romance staples (such as the aquarium date) pop up, but mostly the plot is centered around Sawa convincing herself that it’s not only okay to like Sakura, but also to trust him. Naturally her ex-boyfriend, also a student at her school, has to pop by to show that he’s being a jerk about their breakup. It’s really not hard to see why she’d choose Sakura over him once she has a little distance from their relationship – he’s remarkably immature, not only spreading rumors about her, but also not bright enough to find a different insult for Sakura than to call him a nerd. Sawa’s concern about holding hands with Sakura and realizing that they may kiss (or more) later and how he’ll handle those situations also implies that her ex was pushy about those things, yet another reason why he’s worth leaving in Sawa’s past.

In some ways, this feels like an ode to men who treat women as humans. Sakura’s kindness is like nothing Sawa has experienced before and while he’s not unattractive, he’s also not the typical shoujo manga heartthrob. But he’s respectful and patient, and that makes all the difference to her. He also genuinely likes her, and by the end of the volume, she reciprocates those feelings. It’s sweet and charming, and if there isn’t necessarily a lot to say about it beyond that, well, sometimes a romance doesn’t need any other window dressing to make it work.

So if you’re looking for something that’s wholesome but not preachy or too terribly corny, you could do much worse than to give Sakura’s Dedication a read. The story is charming, the characters believable as they stumble their way into a functional, loving relationship, and the art, while nothing special, is clean and attractive. It’s simply a nice book, and there are days when that’s the ultimate goal in comfortable reading material.