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ANIME REVIEWS

Copyright © 1997 Sega Enterprises, LTD. / Bandai Visual / Animate Film
Copyright © RED 1990, 1997


Sakura Taisen
—by Darold Higa

Combine steam technology, mecha, cool character designs, weave them into a plot line revolving around demons overrunning Tokyo, and you have the makings of a terrific story. Set in Taisho Japan, SAKURA WARS reinvents the mecha genre by giving it a distinctly "steam technology" look and feel. Based on the Sega Saturn game, SAKURA WARS is a pretty cool OVA for those who are seeking a familiar story line with a twist.
  The honest truth is that I fell in love with Shinguchi Sakura, the main character, the first time I saw her. My first exposure to SAKURA WARS was in the form of a Japanese TV ad for the Sega game. It looked so cool I almost ran out and bought a Sega system just to play it. Cooler heads and an empty wallet prevailed, and I refrained from the purchase. I was absolutely delighted when the news came that SAKURA TAISEN would be made into an OVA. Finally I could watch SAKURA TAISEN, and I didn't need a Saturn!
  The Taisho era, which lasted from 1912 to 1926 is often considered the time when Japan emerged from the transitional period of the Meiji era into an internationally recognized world power. The anime is set in the 1920s as Tokyo slowly rebuilds in the aftermath of the Demon Wars. Working from the conclusions of the Zero Report, many nations have bound together to support the Capital Defense Program to build a high-technology defense force to protect Tokyo from the return of the Demons. At the heart of this defense are the six girls who make up the Imperial Flower Attack Team. The Flower Team consists of Shinguchi Sakura, Kanzaki Sumire, Tachibana Maria, Chateaubriand Iris, Kouran Ri and Kirishima Kanna. They all posses tremendous spiritual energy, which allows them to power the Oobu mechanical armor to fight the coming darkness.
  The first volume of SAKURA WARS contains the first two episodes of the OVA. Like a lot of anime based on games, there is considerable screen time spent on building up the history of the characters and story. In fact, the first two episodes of the show cover a period of 4 years. For people who have played the game, this disjointed storytelling is probably OK. For those of us who haven't (myself included), it has the annoying side effect of watering down our interest. A skilled director (like Anno, for instance) can craft a story with a very broken chronology. In this case it simply acts as a distraction. In a way there is almost too much story to be told in two short episodes. Once you get past the choppy beginning, however, the show settles down into a very watchable pace.
  This title combines the talents of many names familiar to American fandom. The original character designs for the game were done by Fujishima Kosuke of AH! MEGAMI-SAMA [OH MY GODDESS!] and TAIHO SHICHAUZO [YOU'RE UNDER ARREST] fame, and their adaptation to anime is done flawlessly (which is all too often not the case). The Japanese voice talent includes the likes of Yokoyama Chisa, Tomizawa Michie and Orikasa Ai. The music, composed by Tanaka Kouhei, includes a snappy 70s live action style tune for the OP entitled "Go! Imperial Flower Attack Team" (sung by Chisa Yokoyama) and a very swing "My Blue Sky" ED sung by Orikasa Ai.
  In conclusion, despite the choppy beginning, this series holds a lot of promise. The fundamentals of a great show are all here, and the production staff all have a great track record. All in all you should not be disappointed. SAKURA WARS definitely deserves a look.

Released in North America by A.D.V. Films
VHS, 60 minutes
English Dubbed: VHSSW/001D $19.98
Subtitled: VHSSW/001S $29.95
Available 4/27/99 in the USA
Where to buy


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