Rainbow: Nisha Rokubō no Shichinin (RAINBOW 二舎六房の七人 Reinbō: Ni-sha roku bō no shichi-nin?), is a Japanese manga series written by George Abe and illustrated by Masasumi Kakizaki. It began serialization in 2003 in Shogakukan Publishing's Weekly Young Sunday manga magazine but was moved to Big Comic Spirits when the magazine stopped publication. It was later published in twenty two bound volumes by Shogakukan from April 2003 to February 2010. The story is set in the 1950s and focuses on six junior delinquents aged sixteen to seventeen that are sent to the Shōnan Special Reform School. They learn to cope with the atrocities and unfairness they encounter there. In 2005 it won in the general category of the Shogakukan Manga Award along with A Spirit of the Sun.
An anime television series produced by Madhouse Studios and directed by Hiroshi Koujina began airing in Japan on April 6, 2010.
Sakuragi Rokurouta, aged eighteen, and referred as 'Anchan' (bro) by his cell-mates, is the oldest of the seven protagonists in Rainbow. A strong and benevolent young man, Sakuragi has great boxing technique which he demonstrated by knocking out all six newcomers when Mario started a fight. He constantly looks out for the well-being of his cell-mates, just like they treasure him. This often means sacrificing himself for them, making him the routine victim of Ishihara's schemes. He is the only boy at the school who does not fear Ishihara. When he was younger, his father and five brothers went off to war. Only his father survived and returned home a broken man and a drunk. Sakuragi's father later committed suicide after arguing with Sakuragi one night, leaving him racked with guilt. As a result of this, Sakuragi resolves to never lose anyone else important to him. His friend and former cell mate, Hagino, was violated by Dr. Sasaki. Before committing suicide because of the rape, Hagino wrote a suicidal note which blames the two of them, giving Sakuragi evidence of Ishihara and Dr. Sasaki's crimes. Due to this, Ishihara and Dr. Sasaki both want him dead. He is killed by American soldiers when he goes to see Mario's boxing match after already being stabbed by Ishihara.
