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Sakura Taisen Appreciation Half-Week: Return of the Texas Samurai
In honor of my and ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
aster_dw's fabulous trip to the Sakura Cafe in Tokyo;
In honor of the fact that the Sakura Cafe is closing forever on March 30th;
In honor of the fact that the franchise just refuses to die;
And in honor of the fact that I just feel nostalgic,
I hereby declare this to be SAKURA TAISEN APPRECIATION HALF-WEEK in my livejournal.
Why is Sakura Taisen (AKA "Sakura Wars" in the English-speaking world) so awesome? Because it features one of the greatest casts of kick-ass women ever featured in a combined video game/anime/manga/novel/stage musical franchise. Because it spread Japanese visions of steampunk to other countries a decade before steampunk really exploded in the English-speaking world. Because it made Hidenori Matsubara a star. Because it proved that an FPS game played almost entirely on horseback could be awesome. Because the theme songs are so damn catchy.
And because it is absolutely, utterly, completely batshit INSANE.
So, Sakura Taisen. Just what the shit is this?
Well, Sakura Taisen started as a video game.
This was the premise: You play as Ichiro Ogami, the newly-promoted captain of Japan's "Flower Division" military strike team. What exactly is the "Flower Division"? It's a group of cute girls from across the globe, assembled together for one purpose:
To fight demons.
And to do so using giant robots.
But, as this game is set in 1922, the giant robots are powered by steam technology. And, uh, psychic powers. Because apparently the game writers wanted to inject a little bit of realism into this setup, and realized that it is really, really difficult to construct a giant robot that moves via steam power. So their explanation for how the robots can move so well? They're powered... by the psychic vibrations of their pilots!
Of course.
So it sounds like a fairly straight set-up for an action roleplaying game, right? WRONG. Sakura Taisen isn't just an action game: It's a dating sim. A "dating sim" is a Japanese romantic video game that plays like a choose-your-own adventure book. You play as a male avatar, interact with a group of cute girls, and depending on the choices that you make as the storyline develops, you end up hooked up with one of the girls in the end.
So Sakura Taisen is a dating sim about a dude who's trying to score with one of the cute psychic girls who pilot giant steam-powered robots to battle demons against the backdrop of a fictional alternative universe Taisho-era Japan that-never-was.
Does that sound insane enough? Clearly not, because it gets more insane.
The "Flower Division," for some reason, is a state secret... I guess. I mean, those giant robots are usually having very public battles against demons in very crowded areas of Tokyo, like, every Tuesday or so... But for SOME REASON the existence of the Flower Division is still "top secret." So Ichiro and the girls need a cover for their operation. A front, if you will.
So they form an opera company.
Of course.
And they produce elaborate and labor-intensive Broadway-like stage productions, mostly musicals. This in between fighting demons, piloting giant robots, and saving Tokyo over and over again in their spare time.
So, in the video game, as you play as Ichiro, you have to deal with the triple-challenge of putting together opera productions, trying to score a date with one of your subordinate officers, AND piloting a giant psychic-and-steam-powered robot to battle demons and save Tokyo. But don't worry, you have help! All of the fantastic modern technology of 1922 Taisho-era Japan is at your fingertips... Okay, maybe not. But you can count on the support of the "Wind Division" (cute maids who double as military strategists - I'm not kidding) and the "Rose Division" (a group of flamboyantly homosexual, cross-dressing intelligence agents) to aid you at every turn. Oh, and you will occassionally be thwarted by the "Dandy Brigade," ostensibly a criminal street game, except that their only real skill seems to be coordinated tap-dancing.
If you think that this sounds like an absolutely insane set-up for a video game, you're right. But the insanity isn't finished yet. It's just getting started.
The original Sakura Taisen video game became a huge smash hit in 1996, and was followed immediately by a sequel and a slew of animated adaptations. Then came the third game, which plucked Our Hero Ichiro from his native Tokyo and moved him to Paris, where he had an all-new brigade of cute girls to command (and score with). The fact that one of these girls is a nun and another one is ten years old does not seem to be much of a detriment to the standard dating sim game formula. (And oh yeah, the military employs ten-year-old girls in its elite giant-robot-piloting strike teams. DUH.) And, as before, the Paris girls fronted their giant robot operation with a theatrical revue. A burlesque, this time.
Then came 2005 and the release of the fifth video game, "Sayounara My Love," which was set not in Paris or Tokyo, but in New York city. And now instead of Ichiro as the hero, we've got his nephew Shinjiro instead. Shinjiro and his New York girls also set up a theater - this time a vaudeville show - as the front for their giant robot operation. And, uh, Shinjiro is conscripted into joining the shows by cross-dressing and adopting the persona of "Petit Mint," an "actress" who quickly becomes the most popular celebrity member of the Little Lip Theater (the name of the vaudeville front operation).
Sakura Taisen V is notable because it was preceded by a prequel mini-game, Sakura Taisen V Episode 0. In the prequel game, you play as Gemini Sunrise, a red-headed cowgirl who weilds a katana and slays a bunch of demons during her quest to ride across the country in order to join the rest of the New York Assault Troupe in, duh, New York. Along the way you encounter a bunch of giant steam-powered cars, a "Christian wizard" who sics demons on you, and a little girl who has to be saved from a bunch of Satanic cultists. Or something.
Oh yeah, and all of these games spawned a bunch of anime. To date, there have been five OAVs, two TV series, and a movie by the venerable Production I.G. ETA: A quick guide to the anime versions has been posted in the comments below.
So, anyway. Things that I have learned from the Sakura Taisen games and anime:
1. The Japanese military consists entirely of cute psychic girls and cross-dressing gay men.
2. Steam technology can make a robot fly.
3. Plaid pants are AWESOME.
4. Deep down inside, all rabbits want to feast on the innards of little girls.
5. Nobody in France can actually speak French, and nobody in the United States can actually speak English.
6. If you have ambitions of joining the military in any modern country, you had BETTER learn how to sing and tap-dance first.
7. Eight-year-old girls make excellent members of tactical assault teams.
8. Never reveal your evil plot to take over the world in front of a talking parrot.
9. Turning yourself into a giant monster? ALSO not a good way to advance your evil plot to take over the world.
10. THE CAT DID IT.
11. Except for the times when the teddy bear did it.
12. Texas is a barren wasteland dessert populated by giant demon worms and bandits riding around in steam-powered tanks.
13. So it's kind of like Tatooine, then.
14. In America, every major corporation must be headed by a President, a CEO, a Board of Directors, and an evil Satan-worshipping wizard.
15. It is entirely possible to ride a horse for days on end, while wearing a miniskirt with bare thighs, and not sustain any massive injuries.
16. Everything is more sparkly in Japan.
But truly, the awesome insanity of Sakura Taisen can only be appreciated in audiovisual format. So now it's time for some VIDEO APPRECIATION.
First, all five of the main Sakura Taisen game openings:
The best one by far is the opening to the third game, if you ask me. It's got everything: Killer rabbits, random French words flashing across the screen, Lobelia setting things on fire, a great theme song, some stunning animation... And as a bonus, the most annoying character in the franchise almost gets run over by a car. Almost, but not quite.
However, the above medley left out the greatest opening in the franchise!
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the opening sequence for Sakura Taisen V Episode O:
Next, a random Youtube user demonstrates why STV0 is the most stupid fun awesome video game I've ever played:
Finally, the secret to the greatest military strategy in the history of mankind is revealed: Find a homicidal ten-year-old girl, put her inside a giant robot, and LET HER GO WILD.
Wait, one more. My hilariously unrealistic steampunk technology, let me show you it:
Coming up next: You know what would be awesome? So we've got this series of video games, and a bunch of animated adaptations, about a fictional theatrical troupe that's actually a group of psychic-powered giant robot pilots who save the world from demons like, every Tuesday. So you know what would be awesome? If we made a REAL theatrical troupe of REAL women, had them dress up and pretend to be Sakura Taisen characters, and then have them dress up as Sakura Taisen characters dressed up as other fictional characters, and have them perform musicals! Just like in the video games!
aster_dw's fabulous trip to the Sakura Cafe in Tokyo;In honor of the fact that the Sakura Cafe is closing forever on March 30th;
In honor of the fact that the franchise just refuses to die;
And in honor of the fact that I just feel nostalgic,
I hereby declare this to be SAKURA TAISEN APPRECIATION HALF-WEEK in my livejournal.
Why is Sakura Taisen (AKA "Sakura Wars" in the English-speaking world) so awesome? Because it features one of the greatest casts of kick-ass women ever featured in a combined video game/anime/manga/novel/stage musical franchise. Because it spread Japanese visions of steampunk to other countries a decade before steampunk really exploded in the English-speaking world. Because it made Hidenori Matsubara a star. Because it proved that an FPS game played almost entirely on horseback could be awesome. Because the theme songs are so damn catchy.
And because it is absolutely, utterly, completely batshit INSANE.
So, Sakura Taisen. Just what the shit is this?
Well, Sakura Taisen started as a video game.
This was the premise: You play as Ichiro Ogami, the newly-promoted captain of Japan's "Flower Division" military strike team. What exactly is the "Flower Division"? It's a group of cute girls from across the globe, assembled together for one purpose:
To fight demons.
And to do so using giant robots.
But, as this game is set in 1922, the giant robots are powered by steam technology. And, uh, psychic powers. Because apparently the game writers wanted to inject a little bit of realism into this setup, and realized that it is really, really difficult to construct a giant robot that moves via steam power. So their explanation for how the robots can move so well? They're powered... by the psychic vibrations of their pilots!
Of course.
So it sounds like a fairly straight set-up for an action roleplaying game, right? WRONG. Sakura Taisen isn't just an action game: It's a dating sim. A "dating sim" is a Japanese romantic video game that plays like a choose-your-own adventure book. You play as a male avatar, interact with a group of cute girls, and depending on the choices that you make as the storyline develops, you end up hooked up with one of the girls in the end.
So Sakura Taisen is a dating sim about a dude who's trying to score with one of the cute psychic girls who pilot giant steam-powered robots to battle demons against the backdrop of a fictional alternative universe Taisho-era Japan that-never-was.
Does that sound insane enough? Clearly not, because it gets more insane.
The "Flower Division," for some reason, is a state secret... I guess. I mean, those giant robots are usually having very public battles against demons in very crowded areas of Tokyo, like, every Tuesday or so... But for SOME REASON the existence of the Flower Division is still "top secret." So Ichiro and the girls need a cover for their operation. A front, if you will.
So they form an opera company.
Of course.
And they produce elaborate and labor-intensive Broadway-like stage productions, mostly musicals. This in between fighting demons, piloting giant robots, and saving Tokyo over and over again in their spare time.
So, in the video game, as you play as Ichiro, you have to deal with the triple-challenge of putting together opera productions, trying to score a date with one of your subordinate officers, AND piloting a giant psychic-and-steam-powered robot to battle demons and save Tokyo. But don't worry, you have help! All of the fantastic modern technology of 1922 Taisho-era Japan is at your fingertips... Okay, maybe not. But you can count on the support of the "Wind Division" (cute maids who double as military strategists - I'm not kidding) and the "Rose Division" (a group of flamboyantly homosexual, cross-dressing intelligence agents) to aid you at every turn. Oh, and you will occassionally be thwarted by the "Dandy Brigade," ostensibly a criminal street game, except that their only real skill seems to be coordinated tap-dancing.
If you think that this sounds like an absolutely insane set-up for a video game, you're right. But the insanity isn't finished yet. It's just getting started.
The original Sakura Taisen video game became a huge smash hit in 1996, and was followed immediately by a sequel and a slew of animated adaptations. Then came the third game, which plucked Our Hero Ichiro from his native Tokyo and moved him to Paris, where he had an all-new brigade of cute girls to command (and score with). The fact that one of these girls is a nun and another one is ten years old does not seem to be much of a detriment to the standard dating sim game formula. (And oh yeah, the military employs ten-year-old girls in its elite giant-robot-piloting strike teams. DUH.) And, as before, the Paris girls fronted their giant robot operation with a theatrical revue. A burlesque, this time.
Then came 2005 and the release of the fifth video game, "Sayounara My Love," which was set not in Paris or Tokyo, but in New York city. And now instead of Ichiro as the hero, we've got his nephew Shinjiro instead. Shinjiro and his New York girls also set up a theater - this time a vaudeville show - as the front for their giant robot operation. And, uh, Shinjiro is conscripted into joining the shows by cross-dressing and adopting the persona of "Petit Mint," an "actress" who quickly becomes the most popular celebrity member of the Little Lip Theater (the name of the vaudeville front operation).
Sakura Taisen V is notable because it was preceded by a prequel mini-game, Sakura Taisen V Episode 0. In the prequel game, you play as Gemini Sunrise, a red-headed cowgirl who weilds a katana and slays a bunch of demons during her quest to ride across the country in order to join the rest of the New York Assault Troupe in, duh, New York. Along the way you encounter a bunch of giant steam-powered cars, a "Christian wizard" who sics demons on you, and a little girl who has to be saved from a bunch of Satanic cultists. Or something.
Oh yeah, and all of these games spawned a bunch of anime. To date, there have been five OAVs, two TV series, and a movie by the venerable Production I.G. ETA: A quick guide to the anime versions has been posted in the comments below.
So, anyway. Things that I have learned from the Sakura Taisen games and anime:
1. The Japanese military consists entirely of cute psychic girls and cross-dressing gay men.
2. Steam technology can make a robot fly.
3. Plaid pants are AWESOME.
4. Deep down inside, all rabbits want to feast on the innards of little girls.
5. Nobody in France can actually speak French, and nobody in the United States can actually speak English.
6. If you have ambitions of joining the military in any modern country, you had BETTER learn how to sing and tap-dance first.
7. Eight-year-old girls make excellent members of tactical assault teams.
8. Never reveal your evil plot to take over the world in front of a talking parrot.
9. Turning yourself into a giant monster? ALSO not a good way to advance your evil plot to take over the world.
10. THE CAT DID IT.
11. Except for the times when the teddy bear did it.
12. Texas is a barren wasteland dessert populated by giant demon worms and bandits riding around in steam-powered tanks.
13. So it's kind of like Tatooine, then.
14. In America, every major corporation must be headed by a President, a CEO, a Board of Directors, and an evil Satan-worshipping wizard.
15. It is entirely possible to ride a horse for days on end, while wearing a miniskirt with bare thighs, and not sustain any massive injuries.
16. Everything is more sparkly in Japan.
But truly, the awesome insanity of Sakura Taisen can only be appreciated in audiovisual format. So now it's time for some VIDEO APPRECIATION.
First, all five of the main Sakura Taisen game openings:
The best one by far is the opening to the third game, if you ask me. It's got everything: Killer rabbits, random French words flashing across the screen, Lobelia setting things on fire, a great theme song, some stunning animation... And as a bonus, the most annoying character in the franchise almost gets run over by a car. Almost, but not quite.
However, the above medley left out the greatest opening in the franchise!
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the opening sequence for Sakura Taisen V Episode O:
Next, a random Youtube user demonstrates why STV0 is the most stupid fun awesome video game I've ever played:
Finally, the secret to the greatest military strategy in the history of mankind is revealed: Find a homicidal ten-year-old girl, put her inside a giant robot, and LET HER GO WILD.
Wait, one more. My hilariously unrealistic steampunk technology, let me show you it:
Coming up next: You know what would be awesome? So we've got this series of video games, and a bunch of animated adaptations, about a fictional theatrical troupe that's actually a group of psychic-powered giant robot pilots who save the world from demons like, every Tuesday. So you know what would be awesome? If we made a REAL theatrical troupe of REAL women, had them dress up and pretend to be Sakura Taisen characters, and then have them dress up as Sakura Taisen characters dressed up as other fictional characters, and have them perform musicals! Just like in the video games!
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And now I'm too busy comparing all of these characters to other Fujishima-designed characters, mostly A!MG.
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That still freaks me out EVERY TIME.
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But the black character looks totally awesome. Please tell me that she's not a stereotypical black person in Japanese eyes.
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The good: She's a successful civil rights lawyer with her own practice. She rides a motorcycle. She's a Baptist and sings her church's choir.
The bad: She's a former gang leader. She cooks fried chicken for the other girls. (Yes, seriously. Fried chicken. And this was FOR BREAKFAST.) She sings a gospel song on the STV vocal soundtrack, and musically it's a fairly good imitation of genuine gospel, but the lyrics are totally non-religious - like, she's literally singing about eating lunch downtown one day - and generally make no freakin' sense.
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The gang leader seems a little plausible, though, considering that it's not unheard of the cliche that "someone straightens out their life after making some bad choices". But the fried chicken bit really is random.
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As for the gang thing... It's one of those things that in an ideal world would be just another interesting character trait, BUT. For an African American woman who grew up in the inner city, it's a bit too much of a cliche for my tastes.
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Where do I sign up? :D
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Ack! I don't know!
'Tis a great travesty, but unfortunately, none of the ST games have ever been officially translated into English. HOWEVER, for the Japanese-impaired, walkthroughs for every single game are available online. Also, the games are really easy to buy online (if you have a Japanese Dreamcast/Playstation to play them on), or you can download emulated versions if you know where to look.
As for the anime, that's easier. MOST of the ST anime has been released on R2 DVD with dual language tracks. Unfortunately, some of it is powerfully ungood. Quick overview:
1. First OAV series: Ouka Kenran
Four episodes | Synopsis (http://www.taishou-legend.com/anime/ouka.htm)
Prequel to the first game, rather uninteresting, and totally skippable.
2. Second OAV series: Gouka Kenran
Six episodes | Synopsis (http://www.taishou-legend.com/anime/gouka.htm)
Probably the BEST anime adaptation of Sakura Taisen. Basically a series of short stories about each of the Tokyo girls, stand-alone, little familiarity with the games required, and VERY fun. Highly recommended.
3. Sakura Taisen TV Series
26 episodes, utter shit, avoid at all costs.
4. Third OAV series: Ecole de Paris
Three episodes | Synopsis (http://www.taishou-legend.com/anime/paris1.htm)
Three disconnected prequel stories from the third game (Paris cast). The only good episode is the second episode, which tells the story of how Lobelia (totall badass!) joined the Paris Kagekidan. So the middle episode is good, the rest is skippable.
5. Sakura Taisen the Movie | Synopsis (http://www.taishou-legend.com/anime/movie.htm)
A very mixed bag. Gorgeous animation - and I'm talking literally breathtaking stuff - mixed with fantastic music, a few mildly good fights scenes, and a story that's total excrement. But the bad parts of the movie are so bad that they kind of break through the wall of super-badness and come out on the other side of "awesome." Basically, the movie is watchable is you're prepared to MST3K the actual story, and enjoy the gorgeous animation on its own merits.
6. Fourth OAV Series: La Nouveau Paris
Three episodes | Synopsis (http://www.taishou-legend.com/anime/paris2.htm)
Sequel to the third game, an stand-alone adventure featuring the Paris cast. The first two episodes are great stupid fun, but the final episode is just crap. Oh well.
7. Sakura Taisen The TV Series II
26 episodes, featuring the Paris cast. I've never seen this one, so I have no idea if it's any good.
8. Sumire Special | Synopsis (http://www.taishou-legend.com/anime/sumire.htm)
Single-episode animated special dedicated to one of the most popular members of the Tokyo cast, Sumire. Basically, Sumire's RL voice actress decided to retire from acting, so the animators created this special about the character of Sumire retiring from the Imperial Operetta Company. Only worthwhile if you like Sumire, of course.
9. Fifth OAV Series: New York, New York
Six episodes
This is the first animated work featuring the New York cast. It is really, really, really stupid and really, really, really awesome. Unfortunately, it's also the ONLY animated series not yet released on R1 DVD. BUT you can download fansubs online.
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I've been a fan since the VHS days when I bought the OVA and found out Fuji-sensei did character designs for a decent amount of the videogames.
It really annoys me how we always get the anime and manga adaptations in english nearly as soon as they come out in Japan,but noone even attempts a videogame localization of the series!!
Are you gonna post any clips of the live action stage show?! It's pretty awesome and I think the entire thing is on YT somewhere.
Oh and did I mention I love the name Gemini Sunrise?!XDD
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The Tokyo Theater is based on Takarazuka Revue, even if it wasn't officially stated. Sumire's retirement show is just an exact copy from Zuka retirement shows. Finding more and more similarities is pretty amusing. :)
7. Sakura Taisen The TV Series II
26 episodes, featuring the Paris cast. I've never seen this one, so I have no idea if it's any good.
I've never heard about this one... That's weird.
Orihime and Welsper look identical.
To me Orihime looks identical with one of the supporting goddesses (Ex or Ere, never could remember who is who). Sumire is Peorth's twin, Glycine is Lind's twin, Kohran is Skuld in glasses, and Ohgami is a product of Fujishima's "generic-male-lead" clone factory. :)
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It REALLY flew under the radar, which makes me suspect that it might have been kind of bad. I never saw any advertisements or publicity for it. But then one day last year, all of a sudden, the DVDs started showing up in stores. And I was like, "Bwuh?"
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And you know, I may be completely insane or hallucinatory, too. Because the series isn't listed on any of the ST official sites or in any anime databases. It's entirely possible that I saw some repackaged OAV DVDs and mistook them for a new series. But I distinctly remember that one of the discs had Lobelia on the cover and said "TV episodes 1 through 3" on the back, and showed screenshots from an anime that I hadn't seen before.
I keep poking around online and can't find a trace of this series, though. Maybe I'm hallucinating. I'm very concerned about this. ^^;;
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The Sakura cafe is closing? Oh dear me! That's awful. But it's so cool you got to visit it. I've heard of it from a Chinese fan who is so devoted that she made a trip from Hong Kong to Japan and visited the place. That wasn't the only place she went to though, she also visited the home of the late voice actress Niiyama Shiho. (She and Shiho's mother were on a penpal basis.) Yep, that's Sailor Star Fighter's voice actress. Yep, aforementioned Sakura fan is also an enormous Fighter fan. So...yep, that's why I started looking up info on Sakura Taisen. (Sheepish grin)
"So you know what would be awesome? If we made a REAL theatrical troupe of REAL women, had them dress up and pretend to be Sakura Taisen characters, and then have them dress up as Sakura Taisen characters dressed up as other fictional characters, and have them perform musicals! Just like in the video games!"
Yeah, why not? :D
"14. In America, every major corporation must be headed by a President, a CEO, a Board of Directors, and an evil Satan-worshipping wizard."
You've just stumbled onto The Zeroth Law of Literature: All capitalists are evil. :D