Sakura Wars (1997) Sakura Taisen: Katsudou Shashin (original title)

Director:

Mitsuru Hongo

Writers:

Mitsuru Hongo (screenplay)
Ohji Horoi (story)
(more)

Release Date:

22 December 2001 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure

Plot:

Following in the aftermath of a terrible Demon-Human war, turn of the century Japan is preparing a new...

Plot Keywords:

Wuxia Fiction | Mecha | Martial Arts | Hope | Steampunk

Cast

Chisa Yokoyama	...	Sakura Shinguji
Michie Tomizawa	...	Sumire Kanazaki
Urara Takano	...	Maria Tachibana
Kumiko Nishihara	...	Iris Chateaubriand
Yuriko Fuchizaki	...	Ri Kohran
Mayumi Tanaka	...	Kanna Kirishima
Ai Orikasa	...	Ayame Fujieda
Masaru Ikeda	...	Ikki Yoneda (voice)
Akio Suyama	...	Ichirô Ohgami
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robin Balkwill	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Lowell Bartholomee	...	Nagata (voice: English version) (as L.B. Bartholomee)
Catherine Berry	...	Maria Tachibana (voice: English version)
Sascha Biesi	...	Sumire Kanzaki (voice: English version)
Charles Campbell	...	Kaneko, Navy Man (voice: English version)
Gary Dehan	...	Demon, Limo Driver (voice: English version)
Juli Erickson	...	Grandmere (voice)
Steve Flanagin	...	Kuma (voice: English version)
Amy L. Gamber	...	Ayame Fujieda (voice: English version)
Brian Gaston	...	Ichiro Ohgami (voice: English version)
Patricia Goldwater	...	Sakura's Grandmother (voice: English version)
Sheila Gordon	...	Kanna Kirishima (voice: English version)
Eric Henshaw	...	Lord Tenkai (voice: English version)
Boni Hester	...	Ri Kohran (voice: English version)
Ignatz	...	Old Woman (voice: English version)
Samantha Inoue Harte	...	Additional Characters
Elise Ivy	...	Yuri (voice: English version)
Mark Lovell	...	Morita (voice: English version)
Ellie McBride	...	Dance Instructor, Woman On The Phone (voice: English version)
Bill McMillin	...	Ikki Yoneda (voice: English version)
Emma Nicolas	...	Young Sakura - English (voice: English version)
Diane Perella	...	Sakura's Mother (voice: English version)
Amber Quinn	...	Sakura Shinguji (voice: English version) (as Amber Allison)
Michael Ringer	...	Hachi (voice: English version)
Robert Rudie	...	Gonji (voice: English version)
Shelby Johnson Sapp	...	Tsubame (voice: English version)
Garrett Schenck	...	Aritsune Hanakoji (voice: English version)
Jessica Schwartz	...	Iris Chateaubriand (voice: English version)
Christopher Shea	...	Kazuma Shinguji, Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Steve Shearer	...	Tadayoshi Kanzaki (voice: English version)
Jeanette Sieh	...	Young Sakura, Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Ultimo	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Sandy Walper	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Jessica Wilson	...	Kasumi (voice: English version) (as Jessica L. Wilson)

Directed by
Mitsuru Hongo

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ouji Hiroi		screenplay
Mitsuru Hongo		screenplay
Ohji Horoi		story
Hiroyuki Nishimura		screenplay
Nobuhisa Terado		screenplay

Produced by
Kevin Chu	....	producer (english version)
Mitsuhisa Ishikawa	....	executive producer
Tsuguhiko Kadokawa	....	executive producer
Kazumi Kawashiro	....	producer
Tetsu Kayama	....	executive producer
Masahiro Kiba	....	executive producer
Fumio Nagase	....	executive producer
Yasuaki Nagoshi	....	producer (as Yasuaki Nagaoshi)
Mami Okada	....	assistant producer (english version)
Kaeko Sakamoto	....	producer (english version)
Emi Sasaki	....	producer
Kei'ichi Sato	....	executive producer
Koji Sawai	....	producer
Masaki Sawanobori	....	producer
Eric P. Sherman	....	producer (english version)
Yutaka Takahashi	....	executive producer
Hiroe Tsukamoto	....	executive producer (english version)
Shigeru Watanabe	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Kôhei Tanaka

Film Editing by
David Grundy		(English version)
Hiroshi Ito
Masahiro Matsumura

Art Direction by
Laura Attwell
Yukihiro Shibutani

Art Department
Laura Attwell	....	art director: English dub
Kôsuke Fujishima	....	original character designs
Hitoshi Fukuchi	....	mechanical designer
Kiyomi Inoue	....	color coordinator
Eiji Ishimoto	....	mechanical designer
Shin Matsuo	....	mechanical designer
Gorô Murata	....	mechanical designer
Futoshi Nagata	....	original mechanical designs
Hiroshi Ogawa	....	mechanical designer
Toshiya Shinohara	....	art designer

Special Effects by
Takashi Maekawa	....	special effects
Masahiro Murakami	....	special effects
Atsushi Takeuchi	....	mechanical designer
Hidekatsu Uemura	....	mechanical designer

Visual Effects by
Tokumitsu Kifune	....	3D director
Atsushi Takeuchi	....	cgi motion director

Camera and Electrical Department
Yusuke Takeda	....	lighting technician

Animation Department
Toshio Ishizaki	....	animation director (as Sushio)
Kazuya Kuroda	....	character designer
Hiroyuki Matsubara	....	character designer
Koki Otsubo	....	assistant director of animation
Masaki Tanaka	....	assistant director of animation

Music Department
Kôhei Tanaka	....	music director

Other crew
Gary Dehan	....	dubbing director: English
Mitsuhisa Ishikawa	....	production coordinator
Takaaki Ishiyama	....	executive director
Maki Terashima-Furuta	....	subtitler (as Maki Terashima)

Production Companies

• Animate Film
• Bandai Visual Company
• Piggy
• Production I.G.
• Radix
• Sega of America

Distributors

• Toei Company (2001) (Japan) (theatrical)
• FUNimation Entertainment (2013) (USA) (DVD)
• Pioneer Entertainment (USA) L.P.

Other Companies

• Animate Film  animation
• Bang Zoom! Entertainment  English voice recording
• Piggy  animation
• Radix  animation
• Red Company  planning

Also Known As:

"Sakura Taisen: Katsudou Shashin" - Japan (original title)
"Sakura Wars: The Movie" - USA (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for images of violence

Runtime:

120 min | USA:85 min (theatrical version)

Country:

Japan

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:PG-13

Company:

Animate Film

Soundtrack:

Geki! Teikoku Kageki Dan

A must-see for Sakura Wars fans

Sakura Wars is generally an action/adventure type of anime, with more of a light-hearted tone than a serious one. The DVD contains all four episodes of the first Sakura Wars OVA series. Episodes 1-3 take place before the time of the Sega Saturn game, and deal with the recruiting of the Imperial Floral Assault Group (a team of girls who do battle in steam-powered mecha to protect Japan from demons) and their early days together. Episode 4 seems to take place sometime during the Saturn game, after Captain Oogami Ichirou's arrival.

It's been said that the Sakura Wars anime isn't very approachable to those not already familiar with its setting and characters. This may be true, but if you played and liked the Saturn game, you will enjoy every minute of the OVAs. The dubbing is fairly good, although some characters (Maria Tachibana, Iris Chateaubriand, and Ri Kouran) speak with accents which may not be too pleasant on the ears. However, I prefer watching with subtitles (on the DVD, the subtitles can be turned on or off).

In short, if you liked the Saturn game, you must see this series of videos. If you haven't played the game, you might not find Sakura Wars to be very fulfilling... or you might be inspired to track down the video games. :)