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Sakura Wars (サクラ大戦, Sakura Taisen?) is a Japanese media franchise created by Ouji Hiroi, with original character design by Kosuke Fujishima. It originated as a video game with a gameplay mixture of tactical wargame and dating sim, developed by Red Company and published by Sega for the Sega Saturn video game console in 1996. It had since been expanded to other forms of media.

The original storyline, said to be inspired by the Shochiku Kagekidan, takes place in an alternate 1920s Tokyo. It follows the adventures of an all-female secret task force known as the Imperial Assault Force - Flower Division as they defend the Imperial Capital Tokyo against evil. They are led by Ichiro Ogami, a newly graduated Imperial Navy Ensign who had been assigned to the squad partly due to his unique ability to use a special type of armor that only women having high levels of spiritual powers could previously operate. The setting eventually moved on to other locations such as Paris and New York.

Although the video games in the series were never released outside Japan, the various OVA tie-ins, the animated TV series, and the motion picture were licensed in North America by ADV Films, FUNimation, and Geneon (previously Pioneer Entertainment). The manga version, currently serialized in Kodansha's Magazine Z, is also released in English by TOKYOPOP.

i have seen more preveiws for this than any other anime i know but other that that i don't know much

anybody actually seen it?

is it worth watching?

The Paris Hanagumi (Groupe Fleur de Paris)

Erica Fontaine
Seiyū: Noriko Hidaka
American voice: Caitlin Glass (FUNimation)
Spanish voice: Rosy Aguirre (Latin American)
Floral Namesake: heather or heath (genus: "Erica")
Place of Origin: France
Martial Talents: Marksmanship (Automatic Weapons)
Koubu-F Unit:
Colour: Red
Weapons: Cross-shaped Machine-Cannon "Raphael" "Gabrielle"
Birthdate: August 15, 1909
Height: 156 cm
Weight: 45 kg
Blood Type: A
Theme Song: "Inori" (Prayer)
A sixteen-year old nun in training, and a cabaret dancer for Chattes Noires at night. A devout Christian, who genuinely wants to help people in need, however, because of her clumsy nature, those whom receive her help often end up with more trouble. She sometimes mistakes her dreams and imagination as reality, and acts on it, creating havoc. In the game, she frequently walks in to a billboard, hitting her head. Once, during the game, when her true spiritual powers awaken, she takes on a serious, divine personality.

She has a great interest in Japan and it's culture, although her knowledge are often anachronistic, or wrong. She asks Ogami about Japan many times in the game. Her favorite food is pudding. Her hobbies are: bible reading, prayer, helping people, and machine gun shooting. She carries two cross-shaped machine guns named "Raphael" and "Gabrielle", concealed inside her skirt.

When she was young, her parents died in an accident, in which she survived by accidentally using her special powers. Afraid that people who've seen her powers will think ill of her, she decides to live and become a nun in a church ran by Father Leno. She genuinely tries to help others in need, yet her clumsiness almost always creates more trouble. For example; when asked by Father Leno to clean the sanctuary, she ends up destroying the Virgin Mary statue, when she was in charge of clearing the weed near the church, she ends up plucking out the flower bed, and when she was in charge of the cooking, she cooked up a dish that was uneatable. Because of such action, she was actually asked to leave the convent but due to her misunderstanding and impression of Leno's saying, she stayed there for six more months.

In Sakura Taisen: Ecole De Paris, Grand Mere first met her in a church seeing her praying with angel wings and she became the first Paris Hanagumi. But after a year training, she still slacks much to Grand Mere's dismay. She makes friends with Glycine and recruits Glycine as the second member, after saving her. It is also shown that she gets her infamous wake-up maracas dance from Father Leno. When Erica is arrested as an accomplice of Lobelia due to Lobelia's lie, Erica wonders what Lobelia meant by having pleasure in the morning with men. Father Leno, being at an loss for an answer, tells her that men and women dance in the morning to show gratitude to God.

When Ogami came to Paris, she was the first member to meet him during a commotion in the European exposition ground. In the chapter where the Teito members (Maria, Kanna and Kohran) came to Paris as coaches to coach the Paris Hanagumi, she failed all the drills. However, the coaches felt that her spiritual powers haven't been awakened. During this chapter, Father Leno comes to Ogami and asks him to tell Erica to leave the convent, due to Erica's clumsiness creating more havoc. Having heard their conversation, compounded by her failure in the drills earlier, she feels she is no longer needed anywhere. With no where to stay or go, she wanders around the raining city until Ogami finds her. She falls sick and ends up staying in Ogami's place, where Ogami notices her enormous spiritual powers. The next day, although she hesitates at first to come back to Chattes Noires, the rest of the Paris Hanagumi manage to convince Erica to come back, by making a fake emergency call. But a few minutes later, a real attack on Chattes Noires occurs. During this attack, her spiritual powers awakens when she tries to save her friends from being killed by Corbeau. In the end, Erica is given a room in the attic of Chattes Noires.

Erica is always seen smiling and trying to cheer up everyone. In Sakura Taisen Le Nouvue Paris, due to the nature of the game Sakura Taisen, a debate occurs amongst the Hanagumi members as to whom the next captain of the Hanagumi should be. At first, each member feels that Ogami chose herself as the next captain, however, in the end Erica is chosen as the Captain of the Paris Hanagumi by the member themselves. Thought she still has her perky and clumsy attitude.

Glycine Bleumer
Seiyū: Saeko Shimazu
American voice: Colleen Clinkenbeard (FUNimation)
Spanish voice: Rocío Prado (Latin American)
Floral Namesake: Wisteria (formerly genus Glycine (plant); soybeans are now part of that modern genus (species names: G. soja and G. max))
Place of Origin: France (of Norman ancestry)
Martial Talents: Use of the Halberd, a medieval polearm.
Koubu-F Unit:
Colour: Sea Blue
Weapons: Halberd
Birthdate: April 18, 1909
Height: 161 cm
Weight: 46 kg
Blood Type: B
Theme Song: "Eroica"
The daughter and sole heir of the Bleumer family, a great nobel of Normandy decent. Her personality is aggressive, due to her Viking blood. She is preoccupied as to how a noble should act and contribute to society. She is also extremely proud with talent to back it up, and does not hesitate hard work to gain such talent. A very responsible and reliable member of the Hanagumi. She is a good friend to Kitaoji Hanabi, who lives in the Bleumer family palace. She loves small animals (revealed in the dating event in Chapter 6), and has humanity to protect the weak.

Because of her pride as the protector of Paris, both as a noble and a member of the Hanagumi; she, at first, does not think that a foreigner such as Ogami could protect Paris. However, as she sees the genuine nature in Ogami, she starts to respect Ogami as the captain of the Hanagumi.

There is a "Bridegroom Test" for the Bluemer Family, which requires excellent intelligence, battle skills, and blood line, to be accepted as the "Complete and Perfect" bridegroom for Glycine. Ogami passed the test.

Due to what appeared to Glycine as a lack of pride in Ogami, she had an argument with him and eventually a duel. Ogami loses (Since he was worried of attacking her when she lost her balance) and becomes a temporary maid for the Bleumer family. Later, she was proposed to another noble named Count Richie. But Ogami manages to expose his true identity by challenging him to a duel and winning. Watching the duel, she thinks that Ogami lost to her on purpose. In the end, she respects Ogami after another argument with him and finds out the true meaning of nobility.

She has a personal head maid named Tarebou and always sneaks out the house with multiple excuses while she works in Chattes Noires as "Blue Eyes" to conceal her identity. In the game, Ogami is asked to help her get out of a Bleumer traditional event, where octopus, which she hates, are served. According to Grand Mere, if they used her real name, the Bleumer family will come storming in to Chattes Noires for making their only daughter a cabaret dancer.

Lobelia Carlini
Seiyū: Kikuko Inoue
American voice: Ashley Moynihan (FUNimation)
Spanish voice: Maru Guerrero (Latin American)
Floral Namesake: The genus Lobelia
Place of origin: Romania
Talents: Thievery; Pyrokinetic
Koubu-F Unit:
Colour: Swamp Green
Weapons: Extendable Claws
Birthdate: November 13, 1905
Height: 179 cm
Weight: 64 kg
Blood Type: AB
Theme Song: "1924556331"
A thief, who was sentenced to 1000 years confinement for her numerous crimes. Because 80% of the criminal incident in Paris was her doing, she was called the greatest villain in Paris. She has a tendency to use any means to achieve her goal: she used her spiritual powers to commit her crimes, and burned a famous painting when the enemy tried to use it as a bargaining chip. Born between a Romanian father and an Italian mother.

When the Paris Hanagumi members went to the prison, where she was incarcerated, to recruit her, she took Erica as hostage. However, because of Erica's comical yet sincere approach, she was confused and captured off guard. Even though Erica was taken hostage by her, Erica healed her wounds, much to her surprise.

The only anti-hero through out the three Hanagumis, she joined the Paris Hanagumi under the condition that her sentence would be reduced and a huge reward would be given with each dispatch (on the other hand, if she refused to join, Grand Mere had the right to do as she pleased, even to kill her).

She hesitates intimate interaction with people, and often acts cold, selfish and irresponsible, in order to keep people from becoming close to her. However, to Erica, those actions had no effect. Because Erica keeps approaching her as a normal person worthy of attention, and because she cannot stop Erica from doing so, she has a hard time dealing with Erica. Even so, she does care for Erica. In Chapter 7 of the game, she baked a birthday cake for Erica, and in Chapter 8, contrary to her words, she searches for Erica.

Sakura Taisen: Ecole De Paris shows how Lobelia and Erica first met; Lobelia, while being chased by the police bumped into Erica sending her into a pile of rubbish. It also shows how she was captured before beihg recruited. After the attempt by Grand Mere to capture her failed, Norimichi Sakomizu shoots a spiritual bullet through her heart. Because of her powers, she was only temporary paralyzed. After refusing an offer by Ogami, she was finally recruited by Grand Mere.

She dances a gypsy dance, under the name "Saphir" at Chattes Noires. Her dancing is very good, making detective Evian a fan. She likes gambling and has extensive knowledge of whiskey and wine.

She uses a chain connected to her right arm as a whip, and also can conjure flame with her spiritual power. Her spiritual armor is equipped with a huge claw.

Kitaoji Hanabi
Seiyū: Yoshino Takamori
American voice: Elise Baughman (FUNimation)
Spanish voice: Ana Maria Grey (Latin American)
Floral Namesake: Fireworks (Jpn.: hana + hi (= Eng.: "flower" + "fire"), with the hi changed to bi for euphony. "Hanabi" is the name of a variety of hydrangea)
Place of Origin: France, is three-quarters Japanese and one-quarter French (on her maternal grandmother's side), came to France when she was 3 years old.
Talents: Kyudo (archery)
Koubu-F Unit:
Colour: Black
Weapons: Bow and Arrows
Birthdate: May 22, 1908
Height: 158 cm
Weight: 46 kg
Blood Type: O
Theme Song: "Kokoro no Kasawa" (Umbrella of the heart)
A very quiet and shy girl who came to Paris for her studies. Because the House of Kitaoji and the House of Bleumer are old acquaintance, the Bleumer family took care of her after her father Baron Kitaoji Masamichi left Paris. She is good friends with Glycine since boarding school.

Because she has lived most of her life in France, she has a strong interest in Japan. She is well versed in Japanese manners and arts, however, her knowledge although accurate, is mostly based on purely formal traditional manners gathered from books. Because of this, in comparison with the Teito Hanagumi members, she is the closest to the typical image of the traditonal Japanese woman (reserved, refined, and obedient to men). She dances at Chattes Noires as "Tatamize Jeune"(roughly meaning a traditional "Japanese girl" in French).

She has aquaphobia, because of the trauma of losing her fiance Philippe de Maleblanche, in a ship wreak, on her wedding day. She wears a black dress as a mourning dress. She frequently visits Philippe's grave.

In Sakura Taisen: Le Noveue Paris, Kitaoji Masamichi, Hanabi's father, came to Paris for a surprise visit. During a mission as the Paris Hanagumi, she and Coquelicot encounter him in front of Phillpe's grave. Although usually calm and composed, in trying to keep her involvement with the Paris Kagekidan a secret, she panics and starts finishing her father's sentence. In the game, while teaching Ogami Japanese Calligraphy, when Ogami spills ink on his shirt, she starts taking off his shirt to prevent the stain, until she realized what she was doing.

Coquelicot
Seiyū: Etsuko Kozakura
American voice: Monica Rial (FUNimation)
Spanish voice: Circe Luna (Latin American)
Floral Namesake: corn poppy (French: "Coquelicot")
Place of Origin: Vietnam
Talents: Stage Magic
Koubu-F Unit:
Colour: Baby Pink
Weapons: Magical Baton and Horn Missile Launchers
Birthdate: October 10, 1914
Height: 142 cm
Weight: 36 kg
Blood Type: A
Theme Song: "Issyo ni Arukou"
A Vietnam Orphan who was raised up as a young magician in a circus. She works and lives with a circus named "Circus De Europe". She was always seen collecting leftovers in the town market and treating the circus animals as her friends. Even though she was treated badly by the ringmaster and always seen smiling al the time, yet she's actually trying to hide her sad feelings of loniness. During the first encounter with Ogami, she first calls him "Oji-san"(which in Japanese means "Old man") yet later she calls him Ichiro all the time. After Ogami notice her background in the circus, he felt pity of her.

Soon, a new performer named Karuchera joins in the circus. She heard her story of her losing her daughter, assuming that both are in the same boat, she decides to call her "Mama". The truth is that Karuchera's actually Python in her human form (see her profile). Luckily, Ogami and Erica reveals her true identity and she manage to chase her away when Python taken her as hostage. As she used up all her powers and brought back to Chattes Noires, Grand Mere intends to take her as a member of the Hanagumi but Ogami tells Grand Mere to let her decide since she has a sorrowful background, not knowing that she was already awake. In the end, she become a member of the Paris Hanagumi. After the Paris Hanagumi defeats Python, she works as the ringmaster (after the original Ringmaster died by Python)in the morning and as a magician in Chattes Noires. Like Erica, she doesn't uses any stage name to cover her identity.

In Sakura Taisen: Le Noveue Paris, she assume that she and Hanabi doesn't have any parents until Kitaoji Masamichi, Hanabi's father came during their turn for a lookout for the graverobber. She even saves everyone from getting suspected by Masamichi by telling him that Hanabi , her and the rest of the gang are working in the circus since Kagekidan can either mean "Assult Force" or "Entertainment Troupe", after Erica accidentaly spills out their true identity. But during Hanabi's performance, Evian spills out their working place, Chattes Noires, and Masamichi volunteer to get onto the stage. Assuming that he'll take her back, she tells him that she'll not let her take her back to Japan and a few paretal speech. But it turns out otherwise as he's actually wants to see her smile.

Supporting Characters

Isabel "Grand Mere" Lilac
Seiyū: Keiko Aizawa
American voice Juli Erickson
Spanish voice: Maria Fernanda Morales
Birthdate: October 25, 1879
Height: 162 cm
Weight: 64 kg
Blood Type: A
Owner of Chattes Noires, commander of the Paris Assault Force. She has channels to the French government. She is a very calm mature women, yet has a sharp tongue. She has a black cat named Napoleon. She wants to make Ogami in to a gentlemen.

In the game, if Ogami gains enough trust points from her, she will tell Ogami about her late husband.

Norimichi Sakomizu
Seiyū: Shinshou Nakamaru
American voice: Bill Flynn
Spanish voice: Cristina Camargo
Birthdate: January 28, 1869
Paris Assault Force, Arc de Triomphe Station Cheif. Japanese ambassador to France. Ogami's senior officer, and one who arranged Ogami to come to Paris. A great political strategist, he was called "Sakomizu the Steel Wall" in Japan.

Ci Caprice
Seiyū: Mika Kanai
American voice: Luci Christian
Spanish voice: Mónica Villaseñor
Birthdate: February 4, 1909
Height: 154 cm
Weight: 48 kg
Blood Type: O
A secretary of Grand Mere, she also works at the shop in Chattes Noires. With Mell, they are the MC of the revue. She has a very easy going talking style, and unlike Mell, is an out going person, fitting for attending to customers. She likes making confectionery and originally came to Paris to become a pâtissière. However, because she had neither connection nor skill, her dream is still unrealized. Became friends with Mell at the University. In the game, when told that she and Mell are a fine couple, her trust points will go up. If you finish the game as "The Black Haired Noblemen" you will get to see her ending CG, where she will bake Ogami a cake.

Mell Raison
Seiyū: Sachiko Kojima
American voice: Kate Borneman
Spanish voice: Carla Falcón
Birthdate: June 1, 1906
Height: 158 cm
Weight: 47 kg
Blood Type: A
She works as a secretary for Grand Mere. With Ci, they are the MC of the revue at Chattes Noires. She was scouted by Grand Mere, when she was attending a prestiges university. Although she had enough credits to graduate, she quit the university. A serious and punctual person, yet timid by nature, she tries to do everything by herself. Her hobbies are sewing and reading poetry. By finishing the game as "The Black Haired Noblemen", Ogami finds that Mell had a cut out picture of him in front of Chattes Noires.

Jean Leo
Seiyū: Shiro Saitou
Spanish voice: Irwin Daayán
Birthdate: March 24, 1882
Height: 160 cm
Weight: 80 kg
Blood Type: O
He is the Maintenance crew chief for the Kagekidan. A strict professional when it comes to his job, he often scolds his subordinates. When Kohran visited Paris, he was impressed with Kohran's mechanical prowess. He likes drinking and gambling. Once, he invited Ogami to a horse race, but was stopped by Grand Mere.

Jim Evian
Seiyū: Kouzou Shioya
A bumbling detective of the Paris Police. He frequently chases after Lobelia but everytime he manages to capture her, she escapes a few hours later. After the Paris Kagekidan recruit Lobelia, he became a Saphir fan, not realizing that she is really Lobelia under disguise.

The New York Fighting Troupe (New York Kagekidan)

Gemini Sunrise
Astronomical Namesake: Gemini
Place of Origin: Texas, USA (of mixed Japanese-American heritage)
Seiyū: Sanae Kobayashi
Birthdate: June 21, 1911
Height: 155 cm
Weight: 48 kg
Blood Type: O
Star Unit: Rodeo-Star:
Color: Orange
Weapon: Gun Barrel Sword

Sagitta Weinberg
Astronomical Namesake: Sagittarius
Place of Origin: Harlem, Manhattan, New York, USA
Seiyū: Junko Minagawa
Birthdate: December 6, 1906
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 68 kg
Blood Type: B
Star Unit: Highway-Star:
Color: Black
Weapon: Scissors Chain

Diana Caprice
Astronomical Namesake: Capricorn
Place of Origin: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Seiyū: Kaya Matsutani
Birthdate: January 12, 1909
Height: 162 cm
Weight: 42 kg
Blood Type: AB
Star Unit: Silent-Star:
Color: Blue
Weapon: Chemical Launcher

Rikaritta Aries
Astronomical Namesake: Aries
Place of Origin: Mexico
Seiyū: Ayaka Saito
Birthdate: April 2, 1917
Height: 120 cm
Weight: 21 kg
Blood Type: O
Star Unit: Shooting-Star:
Color: Green
Weapon: Gun Master

Kujou Subaru
Astronomical Namesake: The Pleiades (Jpn.: "Subaru")
Place of Origin: Kyoto, Japan
Seiyū: Mie Sonozaki
Birthdate: May 9, Year Unknown
Height: 142 cm
Weight: 43 kg
Blood Type: AB
Star Unit: Random-Star:
Color: Purple
Weapon: Zantetsusen ("Iron-cutter fan")
Enigmatic, androgynous and maybe even immortal (Her exact birth-year is unknown), Subaru was apparently another member of the short-lived European Hoshigumi.

Lachette Altair
Astronomical Namesake: Altair
Place of Origin: Washington, DC, United States
Martial Talent: Knife throwing
Seiyū: Akiko Kuno
Spanish voice actress: Maru Guerrero
American voice: Julie Anne Taylor (Bandai/Geneon) (For Sakura Wars: The Movie)
Star Unit: Silver-Star:
Color: Light Blue
Weapons: Throwing knives
Birthdate: June 23, 1906
Height: 162 cm
Weight: 48 kg
B/W/H: 84/56/83
Blood Type: A

Supporting Characters

Sakura Wars V - Episode 0 (P.s. : These are a few characters that only appeared in this game as Gemini's friends, not the Kagekidan members)

Fuanita Chusing
Seiyū:Ikue Otani

Bread Basileus
Seiyū:Yuuji Kishi

Chamber Westwood
Seiyū:Naoki Bandō (坂東尚樹)

New York Fighting Troupe

Michael Sunnyside
Seiyū: Naoya Uchida
Birthdate: October 18, 1893

The Nijigumi ("Rainbow Division": the New York Fighting Troupe's analog to the Kazegumi)

Plum Spaniel
Seiyū: Kaori Asou
Birthdate: November 24, 1906

Yoshino Anri
Seiyū: Yoko Honna
Birthdate: April 27, 1911

Notes

*All three troupes have certain themed characters.
1) The main heroine, who is sometimes quite clumsy, despite having strong spirtiual powers: Sakura, Erica, and Gemini.
2) The arrogant member who cares of her position in society: Sumire, Orihime, and Glycine.
3) The cute foreigner and youngest member (and possibly with the most spirit power) of the troupe: Iris, Coquelicot & Rika.
4) The Matured "Big Sister" type member: Maria, Kohran, Kanna, Lachette and Sagitta.
5) The Genius Tomboy: Reni and Subaru.
6) The frail young maiden: Hanabi (Emotionally Frail) and Diana (Physically Frail)

*In all three child main characters of the main troupes (Iris, Coquelicot and Rika), they have their own animal signatures or companions. Iris uses her Teddy bear named Jean-Paul in her signature , Coquelicot has a cat for the Chattes Noir, and Rika has pet weasel named Noko.

*Lobelia marks the first anti-hero in all three troupes, having a propensity for theft and gambling. She interrupts rudely in an intro call, burns a famous painting named "Mosa Lina" (which is confirmed to be a fake hanging in the museum) and was forced to make her first victory pose. Furthermore, she doesn't appear to actually care about preserving the peace of Paris or upholding justice, fighting for the Paris Hanagumi only to shorten her prison sentence and to earn money.

*Gemini is the first samurai-cowgirl in all Japanese video games and becomes a main character in Sakura Wars V- Episode 0.

*One of Iris's theme songs, "Etude", can be heard while Mambo and Runba dance to in an episode of the "Murumoya" sequel of Mirmo!.

Franchise

There is an official Sakura Wars 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 Wars, such as "Coquelicot Coffee", which is served in Vietnamese style that is popular in France.