Sakura Kasugano
Yasuda stated regarding the choice "As characters, female high school students are all-powerful in Japan [...] They're pretty much at the top of hierarchy".Additionally he felt they wanted to focus solely on "cool" characters and exclude more "weird" designs seen in the preceding games, such as E. Honda, and over-emphasizing an anime aesthetic in his view.Additional artwork for Sakura was provided by artist Naoto "Bengus" Kuroshima, who considers her a character he could express himself more easily with in contrast to others in the series and one he could draw naturally.[2] The outfit remained standard look in titles up to Street Fighter IV, as the producers felt it was an appearance for her players expected, even though by that point in the series' timeline she was no longer a high school student.[3] An early design for Street Fighter Alpha 2 featured her in a kimono shirt and hakama pants,[6] but was later abandoned in favor of sailor fuku with red underwear, often seen during her kicks.Other ideas included Sakura working a part-time job at a Japanese bento shop or as an assistant and actor for a motion capture studio.Sakura's moveset contains many variants of their moves, including the Shouoken (a Shoryuken unleashed from a running start), the Shunpukyaku (a jumping Tatsumaki Senpukyaku), and a less-powerful Hadouken that she can charge, though at the cost of distance.However, her somewhat low stamina and her lack of other available approaches (particularly her weak projectile) require a certain amount of finesse, leaving little room for error; this ultimately makes Sakura a high-risk, high-reward character.Sakura's theme song, "Kono Omoi o Tsutaetai" sung by Yuko Sasamoto, her voice actress in Street Fighter Alpha 2 and other games following, was released commercially.[24] The staff of New Zealand Station magazine on the other hand were critical of her character, feeling she represented "dangerous new territory" for the depiction of women in gaming as they felt Capcom had shifted away from the "wholesome and strong-willed Chun Li into the cute but undeniably underaged Sakura".[26] Michael Colwander of Comic Book Resources stated that "Few characters have made as much of an impact on the SF series as Sakura when she debuted" due to how well her energetic personality resonated with the fan community.They added while she wasn't the strongest character in the series, they still appreciated that she was self-taught and eager, and saw her as a reflection of how players should approach fighting games: "acknowledging weaknesses while taking them in stride".He further called her a "plucky go-getter", appreciating how she managed to carve her own niche in the Street Fighter universe and illustrated visible growth as a character through her relationships with Dan, Karin and the Rival Schools cast.