Sakura Quest (サクラクエスト)

It's a memory from my childhood...

I was in the main hall of a palace somewhere,

surrounded by my people, who were blessing my name.

And I wore a brilliant, sparkling crown on my head...

I felt so happy then... So light...

Was it a dream? Or did it really happen?

I'm still not sure. But, that...

That memory has made you happier than anything else in your life?

Uh. Yes!

Oh, no! I screwed up!

You've applied for our management track, but how would you feel

if you were accepted into a secretarial role?

Either one is fine! As long as I can help out!

Even if you are assigned to one of our rural branches?

Well, if possible, I'd prefer Tokyo...

How many companies have you applied to so far?

About 30.

After all of that, what do you think about the fact

that you have not received an offer from any of them?

Hmm...

Your human strokes and total strokes are unlucky.

However, your heaven strokes are very lucky.

You will be blessed in your golden years.

I don't care about my golden years, I want to be blessed now!

What's wrong?

"After a very strict selection process, I'm sorry to say that we have decided to move on. We wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors."

I've been "wished the best of luck" again.

Here in reality, there's no demand for me in normal jobs,

let alone as a queen.

You can always come back here if it doesn't work out.

Why don't you come home and help your poor mom out?

Are you saying I should come home and help you out with chores?

I don't want to grow old out in the country!

But you're okay with growing old in the city?

It's a normal thing to do. What's wrong with that?

You're a normal girl to begin with.

Stop saying "normal"!

It's not like I'm completely out of options here.

I had an interview today, and I still haven't got the results.

Why are you so set on staying in Tokyo?

There's work out here, too!

I don't like the countryside!

I'm not coming home, and that's that!

Okay, but once you graduate you have to vacate the dorm, right?

Remember, this is the last month we're sending you an allowance!

"Balance: 980 yen"

What was I doing having my fortune told at a time like this?

I wonder if mayonnaise would go well with this.

Hello?

Hello, is this Yoshino Koharu's cellphone?

Yes, speaking.

Hi there, this is Hashimoto with Momonga Promotion Agency.

Momonga Promotion...?

That's right, the model placement agency.

You registered with us a while back, and we had you work on a project...

Oh... Oh, I remember! I registered with my friend

and we did that job that one time.

So, we had a client request you by name, Ms. Koharu.

You'd be acting as a spokesperson for a rural town's

promotional campaign. They want you to be their queen.

Queen... Is that like being Chief of Police for a day or something?

The job is with a tourism board, so it's probably something like that.

There are more details in the contract.

We'll send you some money to cover your expenses

and the ticket to the town.

Um, I didn't actually say I'd do it...

Oh, you graduated from the junior college this spring, didn't you Ms. Koharu?

Have you already found a job?

No, well, you see...

"Episode 1: Off to Magical Manoyama"

There's nothing here.

It's hard to imagine a tourist attraction here.

Did I get on the wrong train?

"Tokyo Metropolitan Area to Manoyama"

Aah, sorry!

Oh, excuse me. This is the train to Manoyama, right?

Where are you from?

Tokyo! I came out here for a little job.

A job in Manoyama?

Yes. They asked me to be their queen.

Oh... Chupakabura.

Huh?

Um, could you...?

We will soon arrive at Manoyama station.

"Ms. Yoshino Koharu Welcome to Manoyama!"

I'm Yoshino Koharu from Momonga Promotion Agency! Nice to meet you!

Huh? Who?

I mean, I'm Yoshino Koharu... I'm here to take the job... as the queen...

Koharu?

I'm sorry. It seems like there's been some mistake.

The person we were trying to request is named Yoshino Tsubaki.

Yoshino Tsubaki?

She's a pop star. The board director used to be a huge fan,

so he planned to have her come promote our town, as queen, but...

That young girl is not my little Yoshino!

How the hell did you screw this up?!

Look at your note! This certainly doesn't look like Tsubaki!

Don't make excuses!

Ah, here we are. I found Yoshino Tsubaki.

I'm afraid she passed away eight years ago.

Wha--?!

So, when was she famous?

What'll we do? We already sent in our application for the subsidy!

And we already transferred the contract fees to her promotion agency.

It's all because you screwed up!

Seriously, just look at your note!

Well the banner says Tsubaki!

We actually had Shigaraki write "Koharu" on it.

The characters are too close to each other!

But Shigaraki is only at novice rank for calligraphy...

Well I'm at master rank!

--Are you trying to say that my lettering is sloppy? Huh?!

--What is with these people...? --Are you trying to say that my lettering is sloppy? Huh?!

Mr. Kadota! Please calm down!

You're being very rude to Ms. Koharu!

She came all the way out here for us, after all.

You be quiet, Shiori!

This girl can't hold a candle to my little Yoshino!

Your Yoshino is an old woman!

You calling her "my little Yoshino" is confusing everyone.

What's confusing about that?!

--If you had just called her "Tsubaki" from the start,

--So I can't help out here, either... --If you had just called her "Tsubaki" from the start,

--So I can't help out here, either... --someone would have noticed!

My little Yoshino is my little Yoshino!

Excuse me!

Um, excuse me...

I know it's very easy to mistake Tsubaki for Koharu,

and even if it's written by a novice-level calligrapher

it's easy to see it as Tsubaki if you're looking for that from the start,

and no matter how old your favorite pop star gets,

calling her "my little Yoshino" is kind of cute, so that's okay, right?

So...

So, anyway, I might just be a young girl,

and I might not be as great as the old pop star Yoshino Tsubaki,

but if I can do something to help you all out,

today, I'll...

Okay!

This was somehow meant to be.

We will conduct the coronation as planned.

Huh?

It's nice that your job ended up working out, huh?

Oh, my name is Shiori Shinomiya! I work for the tourism board.

Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

The one walking in the front up there is Ushimatsu Kadota.

He's the king, and head of the board.

And behind him is Shigaraki, the bureau chief.

The young one is Yamada, and the one with the glasses is Mino.

It's almost as bad as back home.

"Oribe Confectionary"

Is this another one of your idiotic plans, you old ass?

Shut up, hag.

It's okay. They're always like that.

"Welcome to the Kingdom of Chupakabura!"

"The Kingdom of Chupakabura" "Manoyama: Village of Root Vegetables"

This is Cherry Blossom Pond.

Soon the blossoms will be in full bloom. It's absolutely beautiful!

Oh, and you can see the, um, palace, over there.

Palace?

"The Kingdom of Chupakabura"

The Kingdom of... Chupa... Kabura...

The kingdom thing is pretty silly,

but they say we used to get quite a lot of tourists here!

A while back these mini independent states were popping up all over Japan.

Mini independent states?

It was a way of creating interest in the town.

We received tax money as part of the Hometown Revival project.

Manoyama got caught up in the boom and made this thing.

But the boom ended, and here we are.

Citizens of the Kingdom, you must not forget!

You must not forget the calamity visited upon us by the Chupakabura!

Only the legendary Sacred Sword could defeat it,

but the sword had been sealed into stone, and nobody could free it.

That was when I, Ushimatsu Kadota appeared, and freed the sword!

That's the backstory.