Sakura Spirit is an ecchi visual novel with a high focus on linearity — it has second to none choices unlike the standard game of that genre. The game is produced outside of Japan and targeted Western audiences thus the corresponding pop-culture references and post-modern jokes.

Gameplay

As always in visual novels, a player scrolls the image with the text in the bottom of the screen and reads the game's plot like he would read a novel. Namely, visual novels feature branching paths and multiple endings, depending on a player's choices, but Sakura Spirit presents one with the images as he clicks by them. One choice is available at the very end of the narrative which does not affect anything.

Plot

We follow the protagonist called Gushiken Takahiro. He is a powerful Judo fighter who must protect the integrity of Japanese Judo by performing at the martial arts competition. Following the recommendation of his surroundings to pray in the local temple, Gushiken finds himself in another dimensions and time — the prayer transported him in times of feudal Japan dwelled with fox-girls. It is the example of fan service as fox ears and tails exploit the fox fetish within the players. As the fox ladies are currently in a confrontation with people (and foxes are spirits), our hero's quest is centered around bringing peace to both races.