Summary: Ultra-convention rendering, burlesque anime fantasy follows willing young girl's experience in joining an elite team of crime-fighers. Despite appealing premise, and well rendered characters, it's apparent lacking aspects throws off some.
Title Aka:	N/A
Company/Distributors:	Bandai Visual;Sega Enterprises, LTD.;Animate Film;A.D.V. Films
Year:	1997
Length:	120 Minutes;4 Episode Series
Rating:
Genres:	Fantasy, Science Fiction, Comedy
Format:	OAV Series
Content Level:	Violence: Mild Sex: N/A Nudity: N/A Profanity: N/A
Comments:	N/A

Review: Takaaki Ishiyama's "Sakura Wars" is arguably one of the most impulsively-burlesque, girl/power-suit adventure animes ever made; one based upon the popular 'video-game' of the same name by "Sega". However, despite the improbable fact that the relatively delusive nature of it's conventional premise is often disguised by it's character rendering; is indeed, something not common in most animes. Sakura Wars is the conventionally-driven girl/power/suit story told almost like a legend set in pre-1920s society. One which has engulfed itself in the popular commercialism of technical and industrial revolution. This time around, the focus is not mainly one of gigantic mecha, and world-feared industrial plots threatening to destroy the Earth. Technology is looked upon as an on-going basis to promote good, as well as further understanding of economical process. In much respects to new basis of crime and enforcement, great lengths are taken by the government in discovering new and gifted warriors to power steam-controlled battle robots. The fact that these types can only be powered and controlled by young girls is mainly apparent in the cliches of the woman-hero realization; or as it's so well known and popular in anime. While mainly a cliche at best, this semi-genre in anime has been highly noticable in Ishiyama's own "Sorcerer Hunters" and "Ah My Goddess". Played and rendered to perfection in an entertainment sense not only in comedic satirical nature, but recently; rather in a serious sense as well. It's these kind of things which catch the fans' eye's in Takaaki's world of anime film making. To create completely rendered characters in animation has always been the road to success with this particular medium and genre. It's what indeed separates the cliche and the excellent. While in the end execution is all that really matters in Ishiyama's anime productions. And a brilliant execution is indeed crucial medicine for a case like "Sakura Wars". Like "Sorcerer Hunters", Ishiyama's "Sakura Wars" is a cast of fully-rendered cliche-challenging super-heros; one's completely reminiscent of the retro-Bubblegum Crisis/Sailor Moon dream team of picture-perfect female heros in a society driven to a new focus of crime fighting. Like in most OAV's, Sakura Wars never needs an introduction; like most it expects the audience to be caught into the mix of the excitement. Anime's like "Record Of Lodoss War" dealt mainly in cunning character narrrations, through a distinctive point of view pertaining to the heroic team. A willing audience can always identify with improvement though character-development within a story. What identify's these kinds of stories, is for the ability of the team to work together to achieve their goal to save mankind, at any rate. But put together some nifty animation, a killer soundtrack, and enough identifiable anime trademarks to last the fans a lifetime; and you have something reminiscent of "Bubblegum Crisis" or "Ronin Warriors". The only remaining factor is that it be fresh and somewhat original. In Sakura Wars, that's done to the major extent of everything from ancient samurai themes, to pre-modern based developments in steam-powered mecha technology. But from this particular standpoint, it quite enough to make any fan realize it's a bit far-fetched by now. Ishiyama is a bit apprehensive as well as ingenious in presenting Sakura Wars through full genre-rendering, yet rife manor of doing all the thinking for us. An anime like Sakura Wars realizes it's not attempting to enlighten fans' eyes with it's either cunning narration or in-depth appeal; in a distinctive sense it doesn't need to. Whats highly important is that this is a genre worked to death, in fact so many times with this medium that it's almost entirely certain it's going to succeed with a correct audience. Whats left for the taking, is good character realization. Something which Sakura Wars has a hard time realizing it already has in the beginning. The story is told through the center stage (Quite literally) of the title's main character "Sakura", which is already arguably one of the most popular names in anime. Remaining with her amidst the special fighting skills left to her by her late father, is also the ancient legend that she must be the one to carry out the skills needing to use the legendary sword in her family's history. It is one which will come to the chosen one, rather than be taken by the individual hand. Sakura is chosen to be one of the pilots of the "Flower Brigade", the Capital Defense's method for battling a new hostile invader. To join Sakura are female warriors from all over the world with special powers, as well as sharing the special cliches such as the smart, cute, strong and stuck-up individual of the team. Though what is soon realized, is that the need for a new leader is at hand; a young man whom should value the leadership of the group. While not attempting seriousness in any sense, Sakura Wars does contain it's share of deep moments as most animes of this sort do. But what keeps these kind afloat are it's character interaction. The main problem with Sakura Wars, is that it's impossbile for the storyline to obtain any progress with it's character development; when it's already too busy displaying an unnecessarily extensive plotline. That's too bad, since an anime like Sakura Wars contains potential in these aspects. Sakura Wars fails in these respects to falling victim of excessive editing, often plot-hole elements and scene basis is chopped to bits to mere increments of period jumps in several weeks, and sometimes whole seasons. For this reason alone, a realization of a more appropriate position as a television series is falsely rendered into an OAV. Bad mistake. However, probably the worst mistake of all, is the series unfair plot treatment of it's appealing characters; often limited to instances of screenplay and slapstick that screams cliche and over-conventional. It's non-original premise is more so over-shattered by it's impetuous storytelling; which is forced down our throats in a kind of mindless nature. What is more important than pointless context in brilliant character rendering, (As so observed with this anime) is the importance through great storytellling. Sakura Wars attempts to rush it's somewhat heart-felt moments with a huge-dosage of screwball instances of both comedy and action; which should not be the main focus of an anime already too empty for it's own good. Though thats almost forgivable in the series' rushed, yet well-realized ending; which presents the characters in the most appealing sense of entertainment value. The fact that this is mainly an anime to be enjoyed, as do the characters in the story portray in their self-made theater productions. It's too bad that the direction and storyline of Sakura Wars is not given a slight chance in it's complimenting of realized characters; like they themselves at the end of the story are given to some extent. It's barely enough, considering Ishiyama's own reputation presenting these story structures; it works near-shy of mediocre in Sakura Wars. A short-lived anime OAV which may be enough for some, yet not nearly as compelling enough for most anime fans. In the end, I'll leave it up to you to decide. Click Here To See Overview!

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