Sakura Trick

Sakura Trick is a drama, romantic comedy, yuri, slice of life, Japanese anime series. It was based on a manga series which was written by Tachi and published by Houbunsha for the magazine Manga Time Kirara Miracle! It originally ran from March 17, 2011 to August 18, 2017, and it lasted for 8 volumes in total. After that came the anime adaptation. It was written and direted by Kenichi Ishikura, musically composed by Ryosuke Nakanishi, and produced by Studio Deen. It originally aired from January 9, 2014 to March 27, 2014, and it lasted for 12 episodes in total.

Plot
Haruka Takayama and Yū Sonoda were inseparable during middle school, but upon entering high school, they end up being seated on opposite sides of the classroom. Having to spend time with more friends, the two decide to make their relationship special by kissing each other in secret.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Very beautiful and smooth animation, especially by 2014 standards, the character designs are true to the manga, the backgrounds are also gorgeous and fresh, and the series has a pretty pastel color palette, which makes this anime looks like a beautiful sight to behold.
 * 2) The series uses it's premise to successfully create not only some outstanding comedy, but also lots of heartwarming moments as well, sometimes in the same scene.
 * 3) Great voice acting.
 * 4) The opening song is really good.
 * 5) While not that complex, the main female characters, Haruka Takayama and Yu Sonoda, are still likable, interesting, and immensely entertaining.
 * 6) As far as a Yuri anime goes, this one is wholesome and doesn't disappoint. The main female couple kisses at least once, (sometimes multiple times), in literally every single episode.
 * 7) Good pacing.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Mitsuki Sonoda can be annoying or unlikeable, where she constantly gets in between Haruka and Yu's relationship, having romantic feelings for Haruka, sometimes acts like a hypocrite and gets too protective of her sister Yu.
 * 2) Lasted only 12 episodes, despite the face that the manga lasted longer.
 * 3) While the series can be enjoyed by some yuri fans, it doesn't have much substance regarding story, characters, or themes.
 * 4) The side characters are pretty bland and not nearly as entertaining as the main two.

Reception
Anime News Network's critics Rebecca Silverman and Zac Bertschy gave the first episode a rating of 3 out of 5 while Carl Kimlinger and Theron Martin gave it a 3.5 out of 5. Kotaku's Richard Eisenbeis called it his "favorite anime of the 2014 winter season".