The manga and anime portrayals of Sakuno are similar, yet have some important differences. Sakuno has far more spotlight in the anime than the manga, where she's regularly seen hanging out with the Seigaku team along with her best friend Osakada Tomoka, and even helping them out during different training camps. In the manga, she's seldom seen cheerleading and at times even seems to fade away from the storyline, since she spends her time training with the girls of the tennis club. In the end, Sakuno was shown as a 2nd year student, content with her life and still playing tennis.