Sakura Ogawa

Sakura Ogawa (小川さくら "Ogawa Sakura") is a character in the novel "Battle Royale", and the film and manga of the same name. The English adaptation of the manga romanizes her surname as Ogawai. In the film she was played by Tomomi Shimaki.

Sakura Ogawa has O - blood type.

Development

Masayuki Taguchi, creator of the manga version, felt that he fully grasped how to portray the suicide of Sakura and Kazuhiko Yamamoto."Final Chapter Memorial Discussion: Koushun Takami and Masayuki Taguchi." "Battle Royale". Volume 15. "Tokyopop"]

Pre-Program

Sakura Ogawa is one of the class of third-year students at the fictional Shiroiwa Junior High School in the fictional town of Shiroiwa (the novel and manga set the town in Kagawa Prefecture, while the film sets the town in Kanagawa Prefecture). She was very much in love with her boyfriend, Kazuhiko Yamamoto. As a child, she had witnessed her father's murder by police officers who entered their home without a warrant.

In the manga in a flashback Sakura and Kazuhiko went on a date in which they spent most of the day looking around shops. Sakura got the feeling that Kazuhiko wasn't paying attention. As they walked around she found a purse that she really liked but she knew that it was too expensive. Later on the two were sitting on a bench when Sakura was upset, Kazuhiko went back and bought her the purse. After Kazuhiko bought the purse, Sakura took it with her where ever she went.
Shinji Mimura once remarked that Sakura was one of the most attractive girls in their class.

In the novel Sakura watched a show called "Tonight, At the Same Place" (Kazuhiko watches the show as well, at Sakura's request). In the show, a character named Mizue, who is the best friend of a character named Miki, commits an act against Sakura's philosophy. Mizue, a character played by Anna Kitagawa (北川安奈 "Kitagawa An'na"), dumps her true love. Sakura criticizes the character's actions in the novel.

The English adaptation of the manga has her mention that she had bet on a girl to win a previous Program.

During The Program

In the novel, as Sakura leaves the school, she passes a note to Kazuhiko, asking him to meet her.

In the film, as Sakura's name is called in the school, Sakura throws her supply pack at Kitano while bearing a disgusted and upset face before running off.

In the novel and the film, when they meet up, they discussed how much they meant to each other, and realise that they could not live without each other. They both jump off one of the cliffs in a suicide pact.

In the manga, Yukie Utsumi and Haruka Tanizawa approach them, trying to get them to join their group. Sakura and Kazuhiko mistakes them for attackers and jump to their death.

Sakura is also mentioned again, after her death, in the novel, during Shuya Nanahara's dream after his fight with Kazuo Kiriyama. It is said that her "head was split open like an overripe fruit."

References