Sakura Kyoko
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Sakura Kyoko (佐倉 杏子, Sakura Kyōko) |
| Occupation: | Magical girl; student (Rebellion) |
| Relationships: | unnamed father (deceased); unnamed mother (deceased); Sakura Momo (younger sister, deceased); Tomoe Mami (friend); Miki Sayaka (enemy turned friend) |
| Fandom: | Puella Magi Madoka Magica |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Sakura Kyoko (佐倉 杏子, Sakura Kyōko), also commonly romanized by fans as "Kyouko",[1] is a major character in the 2011 anime series Puella Magi Madoka Magica and its subsequent multimedia franchise. She is introduced as an aggressive magical girl who only fights for her own self-interest. Her attitude brings her into conflict with rival magical girl Miki Sayaka, and the two clash both ideologically and violently.
Along with Tomoe Mami, Kyōko is a main protagonist of the prequel manga Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Different Story (2012).
Fan Community
Reception and Popularity
Kyoko was the runner-up in 2chan's 2011 Anime Saimoe Tournament, with 3 380 votes.[2] In 2013, BIGLOBE users voted Kyoko their favorite "sakura"-related anime character.[3] She topped the Akihabara fans' "Top 7 Red-Haired Anime Heroines" list in 2014.[4] Kyoko placed 11th, with 191 votes, in a 2016 Charapedia poll asking fans to list the 20 best anime magical girls,[5] and was third on Charapedia's "Anime’s Greatest Ponytails" list earlier that year.[6] She is one of Shaft's most popular heroines, placing fourth on its 2016 Top 10 Shaft Heroines list. [7] In a 2020 Ani Trending News poll, Kyoko was voted as the seventh best female anime character of Winter 2011.[8]
Of the Mitakihara Five—of whom all are very popular—Kyoko is the least-marketed magical girl in Japan, but in America, she rivals Madoka in popularity, mostly due to her brash nature appealing to Western audiences. In an August 2019 survey of around 600 players on the English-language server of the mobile gacha game Magia Record, Kyoko was voted players' both favorite and most-wanted magical girl;[9] her gacha banner correlated with the game's highest daily revenue to date as of 28 October 2019.[10]
Fanon and Tropes
Fan works focused on Sayaka often emphasize certain elements associated with her in canon, such as the color red, apples, ecclesiastic imagery, and fire.
The fans refer to the series' five main magical girls as the "Mitakihara Five", despite canon materials clarifying that Kyoko actually resides in another town. In fan art, Kyoko has also been depicted in the same school uniform as the other girls, despite not attending their school; Kyoko did eventually wear the uniform in canon, when she began attending Mitakihara Middle School in the 2013 Rebellion movie.
Fans have theorized Kyoko's special wish-derived power to be some kind of mind control or suggestion (based on her wish for people to listen to her father), and that she uses this ability to steal food and stay in hotel rooms. An official statement eventually described her special power as revolving around light and illusions; the third drama CD revealed it was actually the ability to create dopplegangers.
Shipping
Kyōko's juggernaut pairing is with Miki Sayaka—in fan works, one rarely appears without the company of the other. Her pairing with Tomoe Mami gained popularity after their shared history was revealed in The Different Story. Homura/Kyoko has some prominence as well, especially in fan works set post-canon.
Notable Ships
- Sakura Kyoko/Miki Sayaka
- Sakura Kyoko/Tomoe Mami
- Sakura Kyoko/Akemi Homura
- Sakura Kyoko & Sakura Momo
Fan Works
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Fan Fiction
- Rationing by rabbitprint. "Food's not a certainty. It's not a right." - gen, food issues, oneshot, posted 2012
- And I'm Home by demigoddesses - "The jerkass red-haired girl drops her bat and casually finishes her stick of Pocky. And then she turns, and for a brief second, she makes eye contact with Sayaka. The girl smirks, her fangs visible, before turning away."- femslash, Kyoko/Sayaka, mundane AU, sports, enemies to friends to lovers, complete, posted 2016-2017
- Consumption by Yotsubadancesintherain5 - "Kyoko grew up in a church. It was a way of life that lingered." - gen, character study, oneshot, posted 2020
- Yours, Truly, From Every Timeline by Peachy_Petals - "Kyoko knows something is wrong, and it has been for a while now. But whenever she thinks she's found answers, Homura is always one step ahead, ready to confuse her assumptions and emotions." - femslash, Homura/Kyoko, fluff and angst, hurt/comfort, manipulation, post-canon, complete, posted 2022
Fanart
PMMM: Kyoko Sakura by nekozneko (2013)
And I'm Home by NuDa (2015)
Kyoko Sakura 🌸 by pinky_m00n (2021)
i had a thought by abyranss (2022)
Doujinshi
- Anko in the jr.Highschool+ (2011)
Meta
External Links
Archives and Communities
- FanFiction.Net (FFN): stories and crossovers featuring Kyoko S.
- Archive of Our Own (AO3): Sakura Kyouko tagged works
- Pixiv: #佐倉杏子
Resources
References
- ^ The official English releases of the Madoka Magica franchise— such as the game Magia Record—are known to use "Kyoko".
- ^ "2ch Forum's Anime Saimoe Tournament 2011 Semifinals, Finals". Anime News Network. November 6, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- ^ Green, Scott (April 2, 2013). "Fans Pick Their Favorite Sakura Anime Character". Crunchyroll. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
- ^ Akihabara Fans Vote For Favorite Red-Haired Heroine". Anime News Network. June 2, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- ^ Baseel, Casey (May 14, 2016). "The 20 best anime magical girls, as chosen by 10,000 Japanese fans". Charapedia. SoraNews24. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ Schley, Matt (January 14, 2016). "These Are Anime's Greatest Ponytails, Say Japanese Fans". Otaku USA. Archived from the original on October 30, 2017. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- ^ Green, Scott (May 12, 2016). "MadoGatari Nagoya Exhibit Announces Results Of Top Ten (Plus Two) Favorite Shaft Anime Girls". Crunchyroll. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- ^ "DECADE AWARDS: Puella Magi Madoka Magica wins Winter 2011 Run-off Polls". Ani Trending News. May 5, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ ShiningSolarSword. Magia Record NA Game Survey Results! posted to r/MagiaRecord on 10 Aug 2019. (Accessed 7 Mar 2021.)
- ^ MysteriousWorker3001. Magia Record English daily revenue track down with top banners (see you tomorrow) by Panime HQ posted to r/MagiaRecord on 28 Oct 2019.