Sakura no Sono

Sakura no Sono (櫻の園) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akimi Yoshida. It was serialized from 1985 to 1986 in Hakusensha's manga magazine LaLa. The story focuses on individuals from a drama club that are putting on the play The Cherry Orchard.

The manga was adapted into a film in 1990 by Shun Nakahara, and a remake was released in November 2008. Theatrical stage productions debuted at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space in 1994 and at the Aoyama Round Theatre in 2007.

Plot
The drama club of Oka Academy an all girl high school put on the play The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov for the anniversary of the school's founding. Each chapter follows the life of one of the club members while the preparations for the play go on.

Characters
Atsuko is dating Shinichi Sakata, a boy on the rugby team at another high school, and worries about progressing their relationship.
 * Atsuko Nakano (中野 敦子)

A girl who did not want to come to an all girls high school, Noriko becomes friends with Yuko after she stood to fellow clubs members spreading rumours about her.
 * Noriko Sugiyama (杉山 紀子)

The president of the drama club, is seen by other members as having it together and is always addressed using polite Japanese because of it. Due to being teased when she was younger Yuko has a dislike for men.
 * Yuko Shimizu (志水 由布子)

A close friend of Atsuko, Kurata is troubled by her height and femininity. She is popular with the girls at school for playing the role of a male character the year before.
 * Kurata Chiyoko (倉田 知世子)

Atsuko's boyfriend, plays rugby for another high school.
 * Sakata Shinichi (坂田 シンイチ)

Live-action films
The manga was adapted into a film in 1990 by Shun Nakahara, a remake was announced in 2007 by the same dirctor and was released in November 2008. The plot is similar to the original manga, in which a modern-day all girls high school traditionally celebrates its anniversary by staging Chekov's play, but the faculty consider canceling the play because Noriko, a senior, was seen smoking in a coffee shop with students from a rival school.

Theatre series
Two stage productions have been adapted, one at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space in 1994 and another at the Aoyama Round Theatre in 2007.

Reception
James Welker thinks the manga "could be included in the lesbian manga canon." The 1990 film won the Best Film awards at the 15th Hochi Film Award and at the 12th Yokohama Film Festival and it was nominated for Best Film at the 14th Japan Academy Prize.