Studio: Sega, Bandai Visual, Animate Film

English translation: ADV Films (2002)

Rating: 3.5/5

Introduction

This is a six episode half hour series. The theme is Ohgami looking back on his time with the Flower Division before he sails away. Each episode is a separate story focusing on two of the girls and the stories flesh out the characters. There are no Mecha fights and we never see the girls in their Mecha.

Review

It’s a nice little series focusing on character development. It also has good animation and good English voice acting. The opening theme is catchy martial song. Although there are a lot of characters they have distinct personalities and it was easy to tell them apart.

As a standalone series it leaves a lot of things unsaid. I enjoyed the stories even though I haven’t played the video games. But I feel that it would have been better if I were more familiar with the games.

Tags

The opening theme is sung by a different Japanese voice actor in each episode. The closing theme is a different song in each episode and sung by one or two different Japanese voice actors. Usually the primary characters in the story are the ones who sing the themes.

Principal Cast

Sakura (Katherine Catmull) -- swordmaster

Maria (Catherine Berry) -- Russian gunfighter, natural leader

Kanna (Lane West) -- big girl, very strong, brash, loudmouth

Sumire (Lauren Zinn) -- daughter of the creator of the battle suits

Kohran (Boni Hester) -- gadgeteer, gadgets tend to explode

Iris (Jessica Schwartz) -- little french girl, high spirit energy

Reni (Kelly Huston) -- quiet, silver-haired young girl (new)

Orihime (Jessica Smolins) -- bitchy girl (new)

Ohgami (Brian Gaston) -- only male member of the Flower Division, more of an errand boy in this series

Yoneda (Bill McMillin) -- General, overall in charge of the Flower Division

Synopses ***** SPOILERS *****

101. The Fearsome Assassin from New York

It's been three months since Ohgami joined the Flower Division. Maria has lost confidence in her abilities. Valentinov (Ev Lunning Jr), a former comrade of Maria's and a traitor, arrives to kill Maria. He plants a bomb at the theater to lure Maria and keep her friends busy. Maria faces off against Valentinov and his remote-controlled Mecha. Sakura arrives just in time to save Maria and together they defeat Valentinov and stop the bomb. Maria once again has confidence.

102. City with Waterways

Iris struggles with the starring role in the next opera, "The Blue Bird", which opens one day after the Dragon Festival. She runs away on Festival Day and ends up stealing a boat. Reni saves Iris. They take the boat and go in search of their Blue Bird. Reni and Iris bond, giving Iris the confidence to do the opera.

103. The Astounding Cinema Incident

The girls are at the movie studios to film The Crimson Lizard, starring Sumire in the title role. But the studio is haunted by the ghost of a silent films actress, Tsuwako (Claire Hamilton). When Sumire makes fun of the ghost she becomes the next target. Tsuwako possesses Ohgami and he replaces a blank with a real bullet. But Reni and Iris save Sumire in a nick of time. Sumire then talks to the ghost and makes her understand how a true actress behaves. The ghost leaves.

104. Dramatic Picture-Card Show. May You Be Eternal, Red Lad!

Kohran agrees to pose as Red Lad, a comic book hero, for a painting done by Orihime's father. A gang of ruffians visit the tenements where the painting is being done -- they are there to evict the tenants. Meanwhile some kids see Kohran and mistake her for Red Lad. She and Orihime hide from them while the rest of the Flower Division think of a plan to rescue them. The boss arrives in his steam-powered Mecha and his goons start destroying the tenements. The Flower Division arrive dressed up as Red Lad comic book characters and they fight off the goons without breaking the little kids' hearts.

105. Father and Daughter

An overhead conversion leads one person to believe that Sakura is getting married. Soon the rumor spreads throughout the Flower Division. Sakura and Yoneda take the train to Sendai. Yoneda things of the promise he made to Sakura's father and it is revealed that she has a terrible curse passed down from generation to generation. Once in Sendai we find out that it's not Sakura's wedding

106. A New Era for Women

The wedding approaches. The other girls, believing that Sakura doesn't want to get married, they rush off to stop the wedding. Sakura's family history is revealed, including her bloodline, her father's fate, and how her parents met. Sakura has to decide what she wnat to do with her life: destiny or family. She decides on both: her family at the Flower Division.

Disc 1 Extras

Clean Opening Animation

Production Sketches (11 min) -- with text explanations and background music

Character Bios -- for about half of the characters

Original Japanese Cover and Insert Artwork

Original Japanese Promos -- Sakura Wars live action plays, Sakura Wars videos

ADV Previews

Disk 2 Extras

Clean Opening Animation

Production Sketches (12 min) -- with text explanations

Character Bios -- for the other half

Original Japanese Cover and Insert Artwork

Original Japanese Promos -- Sakura Wars live action plays, Sakura Wars videos

ADV Previews