Sakura Wars
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Sakura Wars, also known as Sakura Taisen, is a popular series of video games and anime created by Sega. The title is literally translated as "Cherry Blossom Great War", but it can also be translated more loosely as "The Great War Among the Cherry Blossoms", sakura being the Japanese word for "cherry blossom".
Originally debuting as a single game on the Sega Saturn game console in 1996, Sakura Taisen featured signature gameplay best described as a mix of tactical wargames and love simulators, and a plot partially inspired by the Takarazuka Revue. The license's popularity skyrocketed, leading to the release of several sequels on the Saturn and Sega Dreamcast, and recently (following the official demise of the Dreamcast) the Sony PlayStation 2. Many spinoff games were also produced, covering many different gameplay types, including puzzle, action, and pure adventure games.
Furthermore, many anime series were also created to tie in to the original games, including many OVAs, a television series, a currently running comic series (manga) featured in Kodansha's Magazine Z, and a full-length motion picture. The series is famous for having excellent voice acting talents, and performance in such has helped make many Japanese seiyuu famous, including Michie Tomizawa, Kikuko Inoue, Chisa Yokoyama, Urara Takano, and others. Its popularity is such that there are literally dozens of musical soundtracks available for purchase in Japan, including radio plays, and video recordings of live musicals put on by the voice actors (in character) on stage, performing plays and songs from the games and other properties (thus bringing the connection to the Takarazuka Revue full circle).
There is also an official Sakura Taisen shop on the top floor of the Sega "GIGA" Amusement Center, located in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district. Called "Taisho Romando", the store sells only Sakura Taisen-related merchandise, such as costumes, toy models, art books, copies of the games and videos, posters, wall scrolls, and even snack foods. The store was recently upgraded to include the Sakura Cafe, which serves dishes featured and inspired by the setting and characters of Sakura Taisen, such as "Coquelicot Coffee", which is served in Vietnamese style, just like the character (who is Vietnamese).
Featuring original character designs by Kosuke Fujishima, the games and anime are set in a fictional alternate Taisho Era Tokyo (also Paris and soon New York) where all modern technology is powered by steam, giving the series a steampunk feel. Steam-powered automobiles, ships and even computers are common household devices. This futuristic past is not so safe however, and monsters and other forces of darkness constantly menace and seek to bring down these legendary metropoli. In their way stands a secret strike force of psychically-empowered women who drive steam-powered suits of power armor known as "Koubu".
However, despite the license's tremendous popularity in Japan and East Asia, and growing fanbase in North America and Europe, Sega has not yet chosen to localize any of games themselves for release in English (though the various anime series are available in the US and Europe through third-party distributors). Perhaps this can be attributed to uncertainty over American gamers' receptiveness to the series' unusual gameplay. Chinese language versions of the first four games are (as of 2004) currently available for the PC platform, and Sakura Taisen 5 Episode 0 ~Kouya no Samurai Musume~ is to be released in both Chinese- and Korean-language versions.
This may soon change, thanks to Sega's Sakura Taisen WORLD project. Announced in 2001/2002, the project details plans to eventually globalize the Sakura Taisen brand, eventually releasing game titles as well as anime overseas.
The characters
Note: The names of the various -gumi (troupes/divisions) of the Teikoku Kagekidan (e.g., flower, star, moon, wind) are modeled on those of the Takarazuka Kagekidan (Takarazuka Revue). [1] (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=216&page=22) Similarly, the names of the troupe members are often patterned on the name of the troupe—flowers in the Hanagumi and the Groupe Fleur de Paris, celestial bodies in the Hoshigumi (the New York Kagekidan also uses celestial bodies). The naming patterns is likely the work of Satoru Akahori, the scenario writer for the games [2] (http://www.ex.org/2.4/40-sakura_taisen.html), who uses such throughout most of his creations (e.g., in Sorcerer Hunters and Saber Marionette J).
The Teito Hanagumi
- Shinguuji Sakura
- Flower associated with name: cherry blossom (Jpn.: "sakura")
- Place of origin: Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
- Martial art/talents: Hokushin Itto Ryu Kenjutsu, "Haja no Chikara""
- Character type: Girl Next Door; shy and unsophisticated
- Seiyuu: Yokoyama Chisa
- Koubu: Color: Pink; Weapon: Single katana
- Kanzaki Sumire
- Flower associated with name: violet ( Jpn.: "sumire"; specifically Viola mandshurica, the Manchurian violet)
- Place of origin: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
- Martial art/talents: Kanzaki Fujin Ryu Naginatajutsu
- Character type: Maiden/ojō-sama ("well-born rich girl"); arrogant and overbearing, but very talented
- Seiyuu: Tomizawa Michie
- Koubu: Color: Violet; Weapon: Naginata
- Maria Tachibana
- Flower associated with name: Tachibana orange (Citrus tachibana) [3] (http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/tropical/lecture_32/citrus_R.html)
- Place of origin: Kiev, Ukraine, Russia, of mixed Japanese-Russian parentage
- Martial art/talents: Pistol (Enfield Mark I* revolver); male roles (otokoyaku)
- Character type: Older Woman; cool and icy
- Seiyuu: Takano Urara
- Koubu: Color: Dark purple; Weapon: Ice cannon
Note: The revolver that Maria uses in the anime versions does somewhat resemble an Enfield No. 2 Mark I revolver—but that weapon did not exist until 1932, well after the events in the games and anime. Perhaps a custom Webley Mk. VI?
- Kirishima Kanna
- Flower associated with name: Kirishima azalea ("Kirishima")
- Place of origin: Okinawa, Japan
- Martial art/talents: Ryuukyuu Kirishima Ryu Karate-do; male roles (otokoyaku)
- Character type: Tomboy; hot tempered and forthright
- Seiyuu: Tanaka Mayumi
- Koubu: Color: Red; Weapons: Two magnetized claws per hand
- Iris Chateaubriand
- Flower associated with name: iris
- Place of origin: Champagne, France
- Martial art/talents: none; psionics: teleportation and psychokinesis
- Character type: Child; playful
- Seiyuu: Nishihara Kumiko
- Koubu: Color: Yellow; Weapon: Short-barrelled Gatling cannon (later: none)
- Ri [Li] Kohran
- Flower associated with name: red orchid (Jpn.: "kōran")
- Place of origin: Beijing, China
- Martial art/talents: none; engineering, especially mechanical work
- Character type: Alien
- Seiyuu: Fuchizaki Yuriko
- Koubu: Color: Green; Weapons: Two back-mounted rocket launchers, plus various explosives
- Ohgami Ichiro
- Place of origin: Tochigi, Japan
- Martial art/talents: Twin katana kenjutsu
- Character type: Boy Next Door
- Seiyuu: Suyama Akio
- Koubu: Color: White; Weapons: Twin katana
Note: The names of the following two members (formerly of the disbanded Hoshigumi ("Star Division") are derived from celestial terms.
- Reni [Leni] Milchstrasse
- Orihime Soletta
- Place of origin: Italy, of mixed Japanese-Italian parentage
- Celestial body associated with name: Vega (Jpn.: "Orihime"; see also Tanabata)
- Martial art/talents:
- Character type:
- Seiyuu: Okamoto Maya
- Koubu: Color: Magneta red; Weapons: Finger-tip lasers
Note: The "charater types" are based on Helen McCarthy and Jonathan Clements' The Erotic Anime Movie Guide, chapters 4 and 9.
The Paris Hanagumi (Groupe Fleur de Paris)
(Note: The names of the Fleur de Paris, like those of the Hanagumi, are derived from flower and botanical names.)
- Erica Fontaine
- Seiyuu: Hidaka Noriko
- Flower associated with name: heather (Latin feminine form: "Erica")
- Glycine Bleumer
- Lobelia Carlini
- Seiyuu: Inoue Kikuko
- Flower associated with name: The genus lobelia
- Kitaoji Hanabi
- Seiyuu: Takamori Yoshino
- Flower associated with name: fireworks (Jpn.: hana + hi (= Eng.: "flower" + "fire"), with the hi changed to bi for euphony. "Hanabi" is the name of a variety of hydrangea [5] (http://www.plants-magazine.com/plants/plantsnewindividual.asp?id=174)).)
- Coquelicot
- Seiyuu: Kozakura Etsuko
- Flower associated with name: corn poppy (French: "coquelicot")
The New York Fighting Troupe (New York Kagekidan)
- Taiga Shinjiro
- Place of origin: Tochigi, Japan
- Seiyuu: Suganuma Hisayoshi
- Koubu: Color: White
- Gemini Sunrise
- Star/constellation associated with name: Gemini
- Place of origin: Texas, USA
- Seiyuu: Kobayashi Sanae
- Koubu: Color: Orange
- Sagiitta Weinberg
- Star/constellation associated with name: Sagitta/Sagittarius
- Place of origin: Harlem, Mahattan, New York, USA
- Seiyuu: Miyagawa Junko
- Koubu: Color: Black
- Diana Caprice
- Star/constellation associated with name: Capricorn
- Place of origin: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Seiyuu: Matsutani Kaya
- Koubu: Color: Blue
- Rikaritta Aries
- Star/constellation associated with name: Aries
- Place of origin: Mexico
- Seiyuu: Saitou Ayaka
- Koubu: Color: Green
- Kujou Subaru
- Star/constellation associated with name: The Pleiades (Jpn.: "Subaru")
- Place of origin: Kyoto, Japan
- Seiyuu: Sonozaki Mie
- Koubu: Color: Purple
- Ratchet [Lachette] Altair
- Star/constellation associated with name: Altair
- Place of origin: Washington, DC, United States
- Martial art: Knife throwing
- Character type:
- Seiyuu: Kuno Akiko
- Koubu: Color: Light Blue
Supporting characters
- Lt. General Yoneda Ikki
- Seiyuu: Ikeda Masaru
- Fujeda Ayame
- Seiyuu: Orikasa Ai
- Flower associated with name: iris (Jpn.: "ayame"; specifically: Iris sanguinea)
- Fujeda Kaede
- Seiyuu: Orikasa Ai
- Flower associated with name: maple (Jpn. : "kaede")
- Count Hanakouji Aritsune
- Seiyuu: Kitamura Koichi
- Flower associated with name: "flower" + ? (Jpn.: hana + kōji)
- Kayama Yuichi (commander of the Tsukigumi, or "Moon Division": the reconnaissance and intelligence unit for the Hanagumi)
- Seiyuu: Koyasu Takehito
- The Kazegumi ("Wind Division": the support unit for the Hanagumi; the members assist in the running of the Imperial Theater, and act as bridge bunnies during combat operations):
- Fujii Kasumi; seiyuu: Okamura Akemi
- Sakakibara Yuri; seiyuu: Masuda Yuki; flower associated with name: lily (Jpn.: "yuri")
- Takamura Tsubaki; seiyuu: Hikami Kyoko; flower associated with name: camellia (Jpn.: "tsubaki")
- Ci Caprice
- Seiyuu: Kojima Sachiko
- Mer [Mel/Mell] Raison
- Seiyuu: Kanai Mika
The games
Over the years there have been more than ten separate game releases bearing the Sakura Taisen title, among them four core titles (a fifth game is due to be released in mid-2005—its prequel is currently available), some of which have been ported and rereleased on Sega Dreamcast, Sony PlayStation 2, and/or Microsoft Windows, as well as two games for the Nintendo Game Boy Color. Each of the main games are titled as follows:
- Sakura Taisen (1996)
- Sakura Taisen 2~Kimi, Shinitamō koto Nakare~ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakura_Wars#Sakura_Taisen_2_.7EKimi.2C_Shinitamou_koto_Nakare.7E|) (1998)
- Sakura Taisen 3~Pari wa Moeteiru ka?~ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakura_Wars#Sakura_Taisen_3_.7EPari_wa_Moeteiru_ka.3F.7E|) (2001)
- Sakura Taisen 4~Koise yo, Otome~ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakura_Wars#Sakura_Taisen_4_.7EKoise_yo.2C_Otome.7E|) (2002)
- Sakura Taisen~Atsuki Chishio Ni~ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakura_Wars#Sakura_Taisen_.7EAtsuki_Chishio_Ni.7E|) (2003) (a remake of the original Sakura Taisen)
- Sakura Taisen 5 Episode 0 ~Kōya no Samurai Musume~ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakura_Wars#Sakura_Taisen_5_Episode_0_.7EKouya_no_Samurai_Musume.7E|) (2004)
- Sakura Taisen 5 Episode 1~Saraba, Itoshiki Hito yo~ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakura_Wars#Sakura_Taisen_5_Episode_1_.7ESaraba.2C_Itoshiki_Hito_yo.7E|) (To be released July 7, 2005)
Sakura Taisen
About the title: The title literally translates as "The Great War Among the Cherry Blossoms", symbolising the game's beginning in spring, a time represented in Japan by the blooming of a cherry tree. See also hanami'
Platform(s): Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows
Release date: Saturn: September 27, 1996; Dreamcast: May, 2000; Windows: ?
The game that started it all, this Sega Saturn game was released in 1996, and established the now-famous Live Interactive Picture System (LIPS) dialog game system, wherein the player is presented with dialog options to choose from during conversations with other characters. Each choice made (or not making one at all) adds or deducts "trust points" from various characters' totals, eventually shaping the player's relationship with the rest of the cast, and ultimately, the ending of the game.
The second portion of gameplay featured turn-based battling between the characters' Koubu and their enemies. Units moved about on a grid-based map of the battlefield performing attacks and spectacular special moves to destroy the villains.
Set in 1923, the twelfth year of the Taisho Emperor's reign, the story details the adventures of the Teikoku Kagekidan—Hanagumi (lit. "Imperial Floral Assault Force—Flower Division") and its leader Ensign Oogami Ichirou as they defend Teito (lit. "Imperial Capital" a.k.a. Tokyo) against evil creatures of the Kurono Sukai (lit. "Hive of Blackness") led by the vile Tenkai. All the while the Hanagumi continues to perform onstage undercover, as the Imperial Opera Troupe (see note below), featuring the plucky Shinguuji Sakura, the "top star" Kanzaki Sumire, the cool and icy Maria Tachibana, the fiery Kirishima Kanna, the playful Iris Chateaubriand, and engineering genius Ri Kohran.
(Note: The Japanese words for "Imperial Floral Assault Force" and "Imperial Opera Troupe" are pronounced in the same way, and only the characters used in writing are different, resulting in a clever pun. Thus the Hanagumi performs as one during the day, and "changes characters" come time for battle.)
One noteable feature of the game is that the FMV sequences have fully orchestral music accompanying them; this was very likely the first video game released to include this.
Sakura Taisen 2 ~Kimi, Shinitamou koto Nakare~
About the title: The subtitle "Kimi, Shinitamou koto Nakare" (lit. "You shall not die") refers to the title of a poem by Yosano Akiko, a famous early-twentieth-century Japanese poet. The poem itself is known for Russo-Japanese war and his young brother(Anti-war poet)
Platform(s): Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows
Release date: Saturn: April 4, 1998; Dreamcast: ?; Windows: ?
The second game in the series was released in 1998 and sported not only a subtitle but minor changes to the battle system, adding the ability to choose a "battle plan" that increased the team's effectiveness in using certain tactics. Many variations on the Adventure Mode's LIPS system were also added.
The story this time takes place in the fourteenth year of Taisho (1925), roughly a year after the cataclysmic conclusion of the original in 1924. Ensign Oogami has returned from a tour of duty in the Imperial Navy and has been permanently assigned as squad leader of the Imperial Floral Assault Force—Flower Division (and errand boy for the Great Imperial Theater). Two new members, the quiet Reni Milchstrasse and outspoken Orihime Soletta, have joined the squad from the now-disbanded Hoshigumi (lit. "Star Division"), and many new enemies are arising to threaten Teito, both from without and within. How will the newly expanded Hanagumi deal with the approaching darkness?
Sakura Taisen 3 ~Pari wa Moeteiru ka?~
About the title: The subtitle "Pari wa moeteiru ka?" (lit. "Is Paris burning?") refers to a famous quote from German dictator Adolf Hitler as he asked about General Dietrich von Choltitz's progress in destroying the City of Lights. Paris was not burning, however, as Gen. Choltitz had disobeyed Hitler's orders and not leveled the city.
Platform(s): Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows, Sony PlayStation 2
Release date: Dreamcast: March 22, 2001; Microsoft Windows: ?; PS2: February 24, 2005
Released in 2001, Sakura Taisen 3 represented the most dramatic change in the series to date. It was the first major Sakura Taisen title to be released on the next-generation Dreamcast console (a puzzle-based spinoff game had been released earlier), and featured all-new 3D graphics and a totally new battle system known as the Active and Real-time Machine System (ARMS), which used a gridless action-point-based combat scheme. Furthermore, the game featured an all-new cast of girls in an all-new setting.
It is the middle of 1926, barely weeks after the Teito was saved a second time, and Oogami has been promoted to lieutenant and reassigned to "study" in the French capital of Paris, the City of Lights. Just as he arrives, however, Oogami is informed that he is there to train a new "Paris Assault Squad" (Japanese: "Pari Kagekidan"), and battle marauding Beast-Men (Japanese: "Kaijin") with the "Fleur de Paris" (Japanese: "Pari Hanagumi"), a team of young women working undercover as performers in Chattes Noire, a famous Parisian nightclub. Can Oogami help Erica Fontaine, Glycine Bleumer, Lobelia Carlini, Hanabi Kitaoji, and Coquelicot stem the tide and ensure that the Eternal City stays that way? Can he even get them to work together?!
Sakura Taisen 4 ~Koise yo, Otome~
About the title: "Koise yo, Otome-tachi" translates as "Fall in Love, Maidens", a line from the "Gondola no Uta", or "Song of the Gondola", written in 1915 by Shinpei Nakayama and Isamu Yoshii, and featured in Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru.
Platform(s): Sega Dreamcast
Release date: March 21, 2002
2002 saw the end of the Sakura Taisen series in its current story form. Revealing a newly restructured story format, concentrating on "wide, rather than long" gameplay (2 large multipathed 'Acts' versus many short 'Episodes'), the last of the Tokyo and Paris storylines featured the entire combined casts of Sakura Taisens 1 through 3, a total of fourteen girls with who to curry favor, as well as the ability to create an "Oogami Kagekidan" (lit. "Oogami's Assault Force") to use in the fight against evil.
Spring, 1927. Oogami has returned to Tokyo from Paris in triumph, and finds the Teikoku Kagekidan in battle with a new foe, this time one that looks impossible to defeat with the resources at hand. To where can the beleaguered Hanagumi turn for assistance? Perhaps to across the sea, to the City of Lights?
Sakura Taisen ~Atsuki Chishio Ni~
About the title: "Atsuki Chishio Ni", literally "In Hot Blood" refers to passage #26 from the "Midaregami", a poem/story written by Yosano Akiko.
Platform(s): Sony PlayStation 2
Release date: February 27, 2003
In a return to the roots for the new generation, Sega almost completely remade the original Sakura Taisen game, releasing it on 2003 on Sony's PlayStation 2 game console.
Adding new content and remade artwork by series art director Matsubara Hidenori, the game featured remastered full motion video sequences, as well as converting the battle system to ARMS, the 3D graphics and tactical combat engine used in Sakura Taisens 3 and 4. LIPS interaction sequences were also updated to include the LIPS types introduced in previous releases, and adding Action LIPS, where the player enters a series of commands on the controller, in a fashion similar to "Simon Says".
Reprising the original story of the first Sakura Taisen game, there are no changes to the plot other than re-recorded speech dialogue by the original voice actors, and several new scenes and "extra content".
Sakura Taisen 5 Episode 0 ~Kouya no Samurai Musume~
(Note: A zero inserted into a franchise series' title usually indicates a prequel feature, detailing that the product takes place before the events of the "real" product, as with the Nintendo GameCube game Resident Evil 0.)
About the title: The subtitle "Kouya no Samurai Musume" can be interpreted to mean "The Samurai Girl from the Wild West", though the literal Japanese translation is actually "The Samurai Girl from the Wild/Wilderness".
Platform(s): Sony PlayStation 2
Release date: September 22, 2004
In what is by far the most radical departure from traditional Sakura Taisen gameplay yet, Sega released a new completely action-based game which acts as a prequel to the Sakura Taisen 5 main game. This new game features "Action Rodeo Combat", with the protagonist fighting off her foes while on horseback, and interacting with characters via the revised LIPS system used in Sakura Taisen ~Atsuki Chishio Ni~.
The story is now set in the United States, and focuses on one of the new cast members of Sakura Taisen 5, a young Japanese-American girl named Gemini Sunrise. Gemini has lived all her life out in the Wild West of Texas. At the request of her master, Mifune, she has a new assignment waiting for her in New York City. The young samurai cowgirl boards her best pal Rally the Horse, and rides off, away from the sunset. But something is stirring afoot, and it involves a young girl named Juanita Cushing, a calvaryman from Kansas named Bread Basileus, and a magician named Patrick Hamilton. The ride ahead looks long, indeed.
(Note: This game is the only title currently under active consideration by Sega for release in the West. If the plans announced in the Sakura Taisen WORLD project pull through, this could be the first title to be localized and released in the US.)
Sakura Taisen 5 Episode 1 ~Saraba, Itoshiki Hito yo~
This game is still under development—any information presented is subject to change.
About the title: The subtitle "Saraba, Itoshiki Yo" is officially translated "Farewell, My Love", and is the Japanese title for The Heartbreak Yakuza, a film directed and released in 1987 by Harada Masato. The film is about a yakuza who stumbles upon a girl he once knew in his childhood.
Platform(s): Sony PlayStation 2
Release date: July 7, 2005 (projected)
The next main release in the seminal Sakura Taisen series of games, Sakura Taisen 5 adds a new set of features, including new LIPS interactions that use some of the unique characteristics of the PlayStation 2 platform, like the Dual Shock 2 Controller's Analog Joysticks, and an entirely new three-dimensional navigation system that opens up the streets of New York for the player to explore, including areas of New Jersey, Queens, and Manhattan Island.
Set in New York City in America, it will feature an all-new cast of characters, working in Broadway's famous "Little Lip Theater". Joined by a new protagonist and player character, Taiga Shinjiro, the "New York FIghting Troupe" (Lit. "New York Kagekidan") will ride to battle in their "STAR" combat armors, which can transform into flying aircraft, able to engage evil on the ground and in the clouds. What does the future hold for the Shinjiro his teammates, Harlem lawyer Sagiitta Weinberg, samurai cowgirl Gemini Sunrise, Boston nurse Diana Caprice, Mexican livewire Rikaritta Aries, and the enigmatic Kujou Subaru, and what evils must they face to protect the Big Apple?
(Note: The game will also feature Ratchet Altair, a character first introduced during Sakura Taisen: Katsudou Shashin (Sakura Taisen: The Movie).)
The anime
One of the consistent draws to the Sakura Taisen license has always been its strong presentation, most publicly shown in the lavishly produced animated FMV ("Full Motion Video") sequences sprinkled throughout the games. In 1997, it was decided that the rich fiction and characterization of the world of Sakura Taisen should be also brought to those without access to a game console, in the form of an animated OAV (Original Animated Video, a.k.a. OVA) series, which proved to be a resounding success. Since then there have been multiple releases of Sakura Taisen animated works, currently totalling about seven major releases, including a full-season TV series and a theatrical motion picture feature. Geneon Entertainment (formerly Pioneer Entertainment) has released the Sakura Taisen Motion Picture on video in the United States, with ADV Films and FUNimation releasing the various OVAs and the TV series under the name Sakura Wars. Each major releases to date is listed as follows:*
- Sakura Taisen: Ouka Kenran (1997—1998) (OAV; four episodes)
- Sakura Taisen: Gouka Kenran (1999—2000) (OAV; six epsiodes)
- Sakura Taisen (April to September 2000) (TV series (direct-to-video outside Japan); 25 episodes)
- Sakura Taisen: Katsudou Shashin (Premiered December 22, 2001) (Movie (direct-to-video outside Japan))
- Sakura Taisen: Kanzaki Sumire Intai Kinen "Su~Mi~Re" (2002) (OAV; one episode)
- Sakura Taisen: Ecole de Paris (2003) (OAV; three episodes)
- Sakura Taisen: Le Nouveau Paris (2004—2005) (OAV; three episodes)
- (Note: The dates, names, and release figures given in the above list are for Japanese releases. Information on names and release dates for outside Japan, if available, are included in the individual releases' sections.)
Sakura Taisen: Ouka Kenran
(Note: The title literally translates as "The Gorgeous Blooming Cherry Blossoms", and may be taken as a symbolism of the OVA's functioning as an "origin story" of sorts for the Flower Division.)
This title was released on DVD in October of 1999 by A.D. Vision (now known under their video brand ADV Films), though it had been available at the time on VHS and LaserDisc as well. It was then known as "Sakura Wars".
Released in Japan in 1997, following the original game's skyrocketing popularity, the Sakura Taisen: Ouka Kenran OVAs came out to sate the Japanese public's thirst for more of the game's setting, characters, and art.
Appealing primarily to fans rather than the inexperienced, Ouka Kenran served to expand the story of the Flower Division, with two of the four released episodes focusing on the beginnings of the Flower Divisions parent organization, the Imperial Floral Assault Troop*, and how the various members of the Flower Division were scouted out and recruited. The episodes focus on Flower Division member Sakura Shinguuji, and her own trials leading up to her joining the Flower Division. The later episodes jump far forward, placing themselves within the actual timeline of the original game, and switch perspectives to that of the game's protagonist and player character, Squad Captain Ichirou Oogami.
This perspective switch is jarring to newcomers and does little to introduce them to the world of Sakura Taisen, thus cementing the purpose of the Ouka Kenran OVA as a for-fans-by-fans product.
Despite this, Ouka Kenran was released on VHS Video by ADV Films in English, and met with surprising success among Americans, eventually meriting further releases of Sakura Taisen animation material regardless of the presence of the license's core products (the games) in that country.
- (Note: The current DVD release refers to the Imperial Floral Assault Troop (Lit. Teikoku Kagekidan) as "The Imperial Capital Defense Group". This is erroneous, most likely a product of the "localization" trend in Anime translation of the time.)
Sakura Taisen: Gouka Kenran
(Note: The title literally translates as "The Radiant Gorgeous Blooming Flowers", and may be taken as a symbolism of this OVA's concentrating more closely on all of the characters of the Flower Division, rather than just Sakura.)
Following the success of the Ouka Kenran series, Sakura Taisen: Gouka Kenran continued the trend of showing side stories happening alongside and between the events of the original video games. Each episode of the six-episode series shows a separate adventure from somewhere in the timelines of Sakura Taisen and Sakura Taisen 2. The episodes were written to concentrate on different members of the eight-member Flower Division (the original six plus two from Sakura Taisen 2): Maria and Sakura in the first, Iris and Reni in the second, Kanna and Sumire in the third, Orihime and Kohran in the fourth, and all of them together in a two-part episode.
Again, little was done to aid newcomers to Sakura Taisen in finding out the basics of the background and story provided in the original games. Gouka Kenran remained a fan-concentrated work.
Released in the US by ADV Films as Sakura Wars 2.
Sakura Taisen the television series
This is a retelling of the original stories, and is not directly related to the OAVs and movie. Released in the US by ADV Films.
Sakura Taisen: Katsudou Shashin (Sakura Taisen: The Movie)
Released in the US by Pioneer/Geneon.
Sakura Taisen: Kanzaki Sumire Intai Kinen "Su~Mi~Re"
Released in the US by FUNimation as Sakura Taisen: Sumire.
Sakura Taisen: Ecole de Paris
This has been licensed for release in the US by FUNnimation. It will be titled Sakura Wars: Ecole de Paris.
Sakura Taisen: Le Nouveau Paris
A sequel to Sakura Taisen: Ecole de Paris.
See also
External links
- Sega's official Sakura Taisen Web site (http://www.sakura-taisen.com) (in Japanese)
- ADV's Sakura Wars - The Website (http://www.sakurawarsdvd.com/) (in English)
- FUNimation's Sakura Taisen: Sumire Web site (http://www.sakurataisen.tv/) (in English)
- Pioneer's (Geneon's) Sakura Wars: The Movie Web site (http://www.sakurawarsmovie.com/) (in English)
- The Sakura Taisen Archives - SakuraArchives.com (http://www.sakuraarchives.com:82)ja:サクラ大戦