As one rarely engaged in the world of J-drama my initial interest in this show was completely coincidental. Upon the end of the show I can surely call it a happy one. Sakura No Tou is at it's heart Kamijo Ren's bitter battle for revenge. Shrouded in grey, the actions and scheming necessary to achieve these results will leave one questioning the legitimacy of his attempts while reminding us that the ones he faces are no angels either. Brilliantly acted, the performances of all involved create an immersive experience , aided by focused script and equally focused direction.
Both opening and ending scores were great and certainly memorable. While the ending did have a somewhat questionable conclusions (the final half of the final episode while metaphorically satisfying, the results from it feel rather tepid) it does not discount the wider greatest on display.
It's a definite recommendation and certainly a great intro into J-drama for the usually uninvolved.