2. Cyborg Sakura
Oct 11, 1992
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TV Shows
Cyborg Sakura is a futuristic anime series set in the city of Tokyo (Los Angeles in the American dubbed version). It follows the story of Kyoko Sakura, a cyborg with money problems (she spends too much money on clothes). Sakura has constant conflicts between her two love interests, Nogoro-san, a fly-by-night detective investigating an underground go-cart racing gambling cartel (who incidentally lives with his grandmother who is also an important character), and Hikaru Reza Hikari (Hikaru LaZer-Lite in the American dubbed version), a go-cart enthusiast and cybernetic mechanic. Although as the series begins, Sakura and Hikaru appear to be in a relationship, it becomes strained at points and Sakura waffles between her affections for both Nogoro-san and Hikaru. Another plot, which was never fully explored as the series was canceled before details could be revealed, is that of Sakura's search for her father, whom she suspects is the mysterious vigilante and sometimes villain, the Bladinator (who is named in the credits but never actually referred to as such during the show itself. The Bladinator is seen in the opening scene of the series shaking down a street vendor who is unable to pay his protection money to the Yakuza. For this, the Bladinator insists that the street vendor pay the blood price instead; after hearing this, the street vendor commits sepukku. The Bladinator is often referred to as "the mysterious man in the shadows" throughout the series but makes very few appearances aside from silhouettes until the final episode of the series in which Sakura finally confronts the Bladinator himself.
