Sakura Wars, Part 3Under the Microscope
Having gotten a fair number of Sakura Wars DVDs as review material, it seemed to make more sense to me to review it all together as an overview of the series. This is the third and final part of said overview, featuring volumes 1 & 2 of the second OAV series released by ADV Films, as well as Sakura Wars: The Movie (released by Geneon/Pioneer). I don't have the first OAV series and was therefore unable to review it, but you can read about volumes 1-3 of the TV series in my previous Under the Microscopes. Please note that there are a lot of (generally minor) differences between the dubbed version and the subtitled; I greatly prefer the subtitled, and that's what I'm referring to for this overview. This article should be considered spoiler-intensive. It should be noted that the second series OAV series as a whole was originally known as Sakura Wars 2: Gouka Kenran. It features two new characters, Orihime Soletta of Italy and young Reni Milchstrasse of Germany, that were introduced in the video game Sakura Taisen 2 as having transferred from another Koubu unit, the Star Division. No backstory of this whatsoever is made in the OAV series, and very little about it is mentioned in the movie — I had to refer to ADV's website for the series to get a better grasp of who they were and how they came to be a part of the Flower Division. There is a kind of neat thing about the OAV series though: each episode has a different singer doing the opening and ending theme songs! It's generally the cast member who stars in the episode, and every ending song is a different song, not just a different singer. Also, the animation is top-notch! And each episode is roughly 45 minutes! Sakura Wars, Volume 1: Return of the Spirit Warriors "The Fearsome Assassin from New York" The anime opens with Ohgami telling us he was preparing to leave Tokyo, the place he'd come to call home, and going through his memories as he packed. He holds up a seashell trinket-box with a gold bullet inside. The camera pans to a photo of all his friends, and closes in on Maria and Sakura. Cue opening titles (it's Maria singing, and I think I like her version, which is a little more rock than the other ones, best). The Flower Division is having a huge closing-night party on the lawn. Kanna is dressed up as a tree (and none too pleased about it). Yoneda is "forcing" Ohgami to get drunk. (Yoneda just loooooves that sake, doesn't he?) Everyone is taking turns doing tricks to compete for a "Hidden-Talent" cup. When Maria's up, she claims she's going to shoot a falling bullet so that both bullets hit a target, one of the targets being above Kana's head. (Kana looks more than a little nervous, and who can blame her?) To everyone's astonishment, Maria fails at the task. She laughs, saying it was a joke, that what she had proposed was impossible, but it's obvious that she's lying about lying, and is greatly disturbed at her failure. (Aside from Maria's problem, the whole sequence is cute and funny!) Later that night, Maria finds the bullet hole in the wall, and wonders aloud if her ability has degenerated because she has allowed herself to feel emotion again, if she's being punished for doing so. (I assume this has something to do with how her old captain and lover died, but I can't figure how, since we know she obeyed his orders — what has emotion to do with it?) Sakura stumbles across her and tries to make light of the situation, saying mistakes happen. Maria reprimands her, insisting they cannot happen on the battlefield. She asks Sakura if she believes in destiny, and Sakura responds that she believes they make their own destiny. Some gangster-type fellows do a little dance routine on the dock; their leader believes it's what all foreign gangs do. (Sounds like he's been watching West Side Story and the videos for Michael Jackson's "Beat It" and "I'm Bad"....) It's quite amusing! They spot a white-haired man standing near a crate that's just been lowered. Deciding he looks like a gangster too, the leader makes a comment about him being in their territory, leaning to the side to light a cigar off a lighter held by one of his henchmen as he does so. The stranger pulls a gun and shoots the cigar. The leader protests the man's manners. Bullets rip out of the crate; there's a steam-punk mecha inside! The henchmen duck, while the leader stands there, bullets whizzing past him. He faints, and his henchmen drag him away. After they leave, the white-haired stranger pulls out a picture of Maria, saying he loves her so much he wants to kill her, and burning a hole in her image. This ep is doing a marvelous job of mixing humor and drama! The night of another show. Sakura, Kohran, Iris, and Oghami are marveling at a miniature replica of the theatre someone has sent as a gift for them to play with while Maria reads a note she assumes is from a fan. The rest of them hear ticking from inside the model, when Maria suddenly yells at them to get down. There's a small explosion. Yoneda and Ayame rush in. Maria tells everyone that there's a bomb in the theatre, and asks that the rest of them take care of its removal, before rushing off herself. As she runs down the streets of the Imperial City, Ayame reads the words of the note aloud to the rest of the group at the theatre: Maria must meet the sender at the landfill if she wants her friends to live. Supposedly the person calling her out will hand over the detonation device if she shows up. It's signed by a man named Valentinov, who Ayame explains is a member of the New York mafia; Maria had dealings with him long ago. The Flower Division scramble around searching for the bomb; when the find it, Kohran realises that it's operated by radio control. (Gee, didn't they know that by the note?) Further conversation between Maria and Valentinov reveals that he was her commanding officer, and had betrayed her beloved captain in an ambush; she shot at him long ago but failed to kill him. (So I guess the thing is that she allowed her emotions to keep her from killing him? You know, sometimes motivations in anime come across as a little nonsensical to me.) Kohran determines that the bomb is connected to the auditorium's doors, and that if they are opened, the bomb will go off. Sumire is told backstage while Kanna is doing a soliloquy that she and Kanna have to keep performing past the real end of the play to keep the audience from trying to leave. Of course Kanna, not being clued in on the situation, is thoroughly confused, and isn't too cooperative, which actually works out because the audience finds the exchange between them hysterical. Me, I think it's a hoot to have Sumire and Kanna play lovers. Valentinov, meanwhile, had revealed the steam-punk mecha, which is controlled by his robotic arm; Maria had ruined his real arm when she'd shot him so long ago. He makes the mecha attack, and she dodges. Sakura arrives on the scene. Together, they eventually figure out a way to defeat the machine. Valentinov threatens them with a gun, and Sakura convinces Maria to try the special move, the one that failed at the party, against him. It works, and one of the bullets takes out the detonator as well. When given the chance again to kill Valentinov, Maria again chooses not to. (Again, I find this all a little confusing — how is this any different than the last time she chose not to kill him?) She gives the bullet that would have to Sakura, who in turn gives it to Ohgami, in commemoration of Maria's new life. (Huh?) There's also some cute banter about the review in the paper of the previous night's performance. Unlike the opening, I don't care for this ending theme; Maria's voice is sultry, sure, but the song as a whole is rather boring, like a lounge act. "City With Waterways" Again, the story opens with Ohgami preparing to leave. (Where is he going???) This time he finds a little teddy bear on a necklace. The photo close-up this time is of Iris and Reni. Cue the theme music (Iris). It's summer, and the gang is at a festival with carnival games. Sakura and Oghami chat about how well Iris has been holding up against their schedule, noting how happy she seems to be. Reni and Orihime are in this ep, with no explanations as to how they joined the Flower Division. Sumire makes a comment about Iris being chosen over herself for the lead in "The Bluebird of Happiness"; Orihime insists that Sumire is too old for the role (but suggests that she herself isn't). Sumire and Orihime banter much like Sumire does with Kanna, but Orihime isn't likable like Kanna is. Reni looks like a boy (which apparently was a plot point in the videogame or something.) Iris shows Ohgami the little bear necklace she won, proclaiming it a friend for her stuffed bear, Jean-Paul. Orihime makes a remark about that being a wonderful childish idea, and Iris is offended. (Did I mention I don't like Orihime?) Ohgami asks her to fetch Kohran and Kanna, and she happily agrees. When she's out of earshot, Ohgami remarks on how Iris hates to be called a child, but as she's not an adult yet, so it's hard for her. The gang go to the movies, and we observe them interacting while they watch a news reel about an upcoming Dragon Festival. Iris is delighted, but Reni looks sad for some reason. We see the gang hard at work at rehearsal, then see a tired Iris conked out on her bed. We see on her calendar that the Dragon Festival is on the 28th of the month, and the debut of the play is the 29th — both are circled. Yoneda takes Ohgami fishing. He talks about how part of the fun of fishing is the preparation, then says that the waiting that is fishing itself is fun too. Then he yells at Ohgami that he told him to just sit and wait — but Yoneda was the one who was talking, Oghami was just waiting. Was Yoneda yelling because Ohgami's mind seemed to be elsewhere rather than on fishing? Or was he just being silly? At a rehearsal for the play, Orihime and Iris fight about Iris messing up her lines. (Yes, I hate Orihime! She has no tact!) Iris makes a fuss about having to perform with Reni (who plays her brother. Hey, I thought the brother was supposed to be younger in that story, like in that movie with Shirley Temple?...), blaming her for her own mistakes. Reni agrees with Iris, which only angers the little girl more. When Kanna places a patronizing hand on her head, she storms off. It's odd; Iris was so mature about acting way back in the TV ep "Sakura's Stage Debut" — it's not like this is her first time in the lead! Without any backstory, it's puzzling why she's so hostile to Reni. Maria finds Reni rehearsing alone, and asks her why she agreed to take the blame for the mistake in rehearsal when she knew it wasn't her fault. She says Reni needs to let herself feel emotion (and concedes that such a sentiment is odd, coming from herself). Reni replies that it was her fault, because it's her job as the supporting actress to make the lead actress look good. She says that Iris is a beautiful, pure, child light, and it's her duty to make that light shine. She adds that she doesn't shine that way herself. Reni isn't much older than Iris, but she seems wise beyond her years (certainly wiser than Orihime!!). Iris runs away in the night. The group talks about in the next morning, after finding a note she left. Ayame's sister, Kaede, is in charge (again with no explanation. The website words it as if Ayame has died — has she??). Iris is standing on a bridge when the wacky gangsters from the previous ep float under it on a boat the leader took as security on a debt and named the Dandy. (*Snort*) They dock, and the boss tells his men to watch the boat while he goes to get some candy from a street vendor. Iris, meanwhile, spots a "picture-card showman" and runs to watch; she stuffs the teddy necklace into her teddy purse, and doesn't close it properly. At the picture show (which actually features "Red Lad", a character that comes up later in the series), we see the henchmen have abandoned the boat to watch! Taking some words in the show about "seizing freedom" to heart, Iris spots the Dandy and takes off in it. She can't control it; luckily Reni and Maria spot her going by, and Reni managed to board the boat. The teddy necklace falls out when they swerve to miss a ship. They dock the boat and have a heart to heart, where Iris confesses she wants to have some fun once in a while instead of working all the time. She also insists she's not a child, to which Reni replies Iris is a child, and that's why she shines. Iris wonders what to do next. They decide to take the boat in search of "the bluebird of happiness." On the way, Reni tells Iris to become an adult, but not lose her sparkle. Okay, let's not be vague or cryptic or anything. Ah, but I like Reni. Kohran soups up another boat so the rest of the Flower Division can search for the missing girls. They find them where Maria took Iris: the Dragon Festival. The rest of the division, especially Kanna, joins in the fun, save for Maria, who just watches with a smile. And Ohgami and Yoneda? Their fishing expedition is a failure, save for that Ohgami fishes the teddy necklace out of the water. When he tries to return it to Iris, she tells him to keep it. She then tells Reni that she found her bluebirds (meaning the rest of the team). The ending theme is sung by both Iris and Reni, and sounds a bit better than the previous ep's. Here's a funny thing: although the subtitles say "Reni", the credits say "Leni", and they call her "Leni" in the subtitles of the movie. At the end of Outlanders, there's a song called "Starry Eyes, Holy Eyes" that sounds more like they're saying "Stally eyes, hory eyes" (though I admit the "r"s still sound slightly "r"-ish, like a rolled "r" that leans heavily towards an "l"). Also, the "Sailor" in Sailor Moon is written as "sera" in katakana. The first letter of Reni's name sounds like the "r"s in "Starry" in that song (in other words, like "Leni"), just as Ranma sounds kind of like "Lanma" (or "Rlanma?") in the original Japanese. So I'm guessing her name really is Reni. If it really were Leni, then I think it would probably sound more like "Reni". Have I confused you yet? "The Astounding Cinema Accident" Ohgami's going through his stuff again. This time it's a hair decoration that catches his attention. The camera pans in on Sumire and Kanna in the photo. Cue the theme music (Sumire). The Flower division is filming a movie!! Sumire plays the villainess, while Kanna plays the detective trying to catch her; the other members all have roles as well. Cut to a dailies screening, where most of the division is laughing at a super-close-up of Sumire's mouth; she's not amused, until the director flatters her. The rest of the group talk about their work on the film, particularly Sumire playing the lead. Kohran tells them that Sumire is the lead because it's the Kanzaki Group, her father's company, that's footing the bill. Meanwhile, miles away, Yoneda and Ohgami are having a chat with Mr. Kanzaki himself. He talks about his love of films, and how he regrets that he has been unable to visit his daughter on the set. Yoneda suggests Ohgami go to the set and check on the girls for them. Back at the set, Kanna and Sumire are making dinner, and Sumire is grousing about having to live in the trailers and do chores. (I love how Kanna keeps calling Sumire "Cactus Woman", and even goes so far as to refer to her mother and father as "the parent cacti".) Ohgami brings some groceries and asks where everyone is; Kanna tells him that the other girls are making guest appearances in other films. (Sakura is really cool as a rough and rumble broad.) The girls notice strange happenings on the sets in Studio 13, where the films they're guest-starring in are being shot: strange voices and lights appear in the rushes. They learn of a ghost story about a silent film actress who committed suicide because she lost her popularity with the talkies, and suspect she's haunting the studio. Sumire declares the ghost a loser, as a top star herself, she's not afraid, not even when they learn they will be shooting the final scene of their own film in Studio 13 the next day. When a chandelier nearly falls on her, she doesn't flinch at all, but launches into an impromptu soliloquy where she says she knows someone is after her and doesn't care. All the same, Ohgami opts to stay to keep an eye on them all. At dinner, the ghost overhears Sumire bragging and saying how the ghost can't do anything to them. Maria asks Kanna to check over the props, just to be on the safe side. Ohgami, meanwhile, gets possessed by the ghost! Back to the set. Kohran is dressed as Red Lad! Kanna's checking out her prop gun and the blanks for it. Possessed! Ohgami changes the blanks in the gun into real bullets when she's not looking, then leaves. Reni, Iris, and Orihime realise what's happened to him, but he freezes them in place so that they can't do anything about it. The filming starts .... Sumire and Kanna's characters duel. Outside, Reni breaks the forcefield the ghost trapped them in, freeing Iris to use her powers to teleport and stop Kanna. Possesed!Ohgami appears on the set and starts attacking everyone, claiming what a great actress she is. Sumire tells her off, and the ghost turns her attack on her, and Kanna steps in, deflecting it. (Squeee! Okay, I confess, I've become a fanon Kanna/Sumire shipper....) The ghost attacks again, but the blasts have no effect on Sumire, who continues to lecture the ghost on what it means to be a true actress. Scary thing is, Sumire really does seem to understand what that means, despite her raging ego. The ghost vacates Ohgami, and appears all bedraggled. Sumire runs her hands around her, and the actress becomes beautiful again. Sumire calls for the crew to start filming, and the actress cries in gratitude before fading away, leaving her barrette behind on the ground. The next day, Kanna and Sumire are fighting again as they get ready to leave. The others talk about how no one will believe them about the ghost. Ohgami says he thinks they will because of the magic of films, quoting Sumire's father. He breaks into her argument and tells her that's what her father said. As they leave, she gives him the barrette, saying it's better for someone like him, who understands the heart of an actress, to have it. (Um, Sumire, I thought you understood pretty well ....) I like this version of the closing theme, which is sung by Kanna and Sumire and has an old-movie sound to it. Oh, and I love Sumire, Iris, and Maria's dresses in this one, and Kanna and Maria's suits! Sakura Wars, Volume 2: Wedding Bells "Dramatic Picture-Card Show: May You Be Eternal, Red Lad!" This time Oghami is looking at a manga of Red Lad, and the camera pans in on Kohran and Orihime in the photo. Cue the opening theme (Kohran). The Flower Division is visiting an art gallery, where a painting by Orihime's father is on display. Reni seems to know a lot about art, and the particular style of realism Mr. Ogata (Orihime's father) works in. A man approaches them: it's Chibasuke, the mangaka of Red Lad, there to ask a favour of the Flower Division, especially Kohran. Ogata seems to know what the man's on about, but we learn it from Yoneda, who, back at the theatre, tells Kaeda and Oghami that Chibasuke wants Ogata to paint a cover for Red Lad and they need Kohran to model. (Does anyone else think it's odd that a man who eschews romanticism and idealism in his work would agree to do a superhero-themed manga cover?) Yoneda says he thinks the decision should be left to Kohran. He opens the door and seems unsurprised when several of the girls fall to the floor, having been leaning on the door to eavesdrop. (I'm in stitches when poor Iris, on the bottom of the pile, says to the rest that they're heavy....) Kohran, standing behind them, agrees to the job. We see some children playing in dirt, singing Red Lad's theme and drawing pictures of him in the dirt, when some thugs come along and threaten them. At Ogata's place, he's getting ready to sketch Kohran. Chibasuke has brought Kohran a present: a record of the public recording she's done playing Red Lad for a radio show. They want to play it on Ogata's steam gramophone, but it's busted. Just then, a man comes screaming into the house, saying that the thugs are back. Ogata and Chibasuke leave to investigate. Bored, Kohran suggests she fix the gramophone while they wait; Orihime snatches it up protectively, insisting that Kohran will make it blow up. (Since when do Kohran's experiments have a penchant for blowing up??) A kid kicks his way into the room while playing. His friends stumble in after him, and when they spot Kohran in costume, they think she's the real Red Lad! They chase her and Orihime (who's still carrying the gramophone) all over the district; of course, they don't know they're being chased because the kids actually need help. Kohran and Orohime manage to find a hiding place, but they know it won't last. Kohran "fixes" the gramophone so that it's a communicator, allowing them to contact the Flower Division for help. There's another exchange about how Orihime thinks the thing will actually explode — and she turns out to be right! But at least the bird-communicator-thing flew off first (and smacked poor Ohgami in the head when it arrived). The members of the Flower Division discuss how to handle the situation. They can't just walk in, or the kids might recognise them as Red Lad characters too. They don't want to tell the truth and say they are just actors and crush the kids' dreams, either. Reni makes a comment about mob mentality, how large groups of people can be deluded into behaving how a stranger tells them to. Kaeda comes up with an idea to trick the kids into thinking they are in the middle of a Red Lad story, and getting them to do as they are told. The bad guys (who are all quite caricature-ish), fail a major skirmish against the adults of the district, including Ogata and Chibasuke. Their boss comes along and scares everyone, including his own guys, with a scary tree-felling mecha. The Flower Division arrive to find they're up against more than just some kids, Kohran and Orihime having just made that discovery themselves and promised to protect the row houses. It's hysterical that everyone but Sumire has a cool character to play, while she, who is normally the lead, is just a peon. And poor Kohran's record gets busted by Orihime in the brawl. Kohran gets a little too into character in the fight, and goes against the mecha with a toy gun! Luckily Maria, under the guidance of Sumire, who knows the mecha well because her father sells them, shoots the thing in just the right spot at just the right time. In the end, though, Ogata is the real hero, selling his award-winning painting and using the money to buy back the row houses. Of course Chibasuke gave the Flower Division complementary copies of the manga featuring them on the cover, with a copy for Ohgami as well. And I do not like the Kohran version of the ending theme; it's worse than Maria's! "Father and Daughter" This opening is a little different. We see the photo first, all of it, and the camera just backs away from it. Ohgami is carrying boxes around, then sits for a moment at the windowsill where a cherry blossom (aka Sakura) petal drifts into his hand. Cue theme music (it's Kanna this time, and I like it almost as well as Maria's version). Sakura is writing a letter to her mother and grandmother, using words like "bride", "marriage", "betrothed"... Tsubaki overhears Sakura asking Yoneda to fill in for her late father for a wedding. Tsubaki goes on to tell Kasumi and Yuri, but gets interrupted when Yoneda and Salura walk by with Ohgami. Yoneda talks about needing to get new formal wear, and Ohgami asks why. Yoneda won't tell, and when Sakura starts to, Yoneda says she can't, it's a secret. So if Sakura's getting married, Ohgami's not it! (It's rather obvious from a storytelling standpoint that Sakura's not getting married, someone else is, but it seems odd for Yoneda to have referred to this wedding as the finest moment of his friend Kazuma's daughter's life!) They leave, and the three eavesdroppers go back to talking about it. Kasumi makes Yuri and Tsubaki promise not to tell, saying it's Sakura's place to announce it, not theirs. But of course, Yuri does tell, and makes Maria promise not to tell anyone. Then Maria tells Kanna, again making Kanna promise not to tell. And on down the line until the whole Flower Division (actually, thanks to an invention of Kohran, the whole city) thinks Sakura's getting hitched and didn't invite any of them. They're happy for her, but hurt that she hasn't said anything herself, and Maria and Kanna are lamenting their own unmarried status, given their age. Sakura and Ohgami leave early the next morning with Ohgami, who is on his way to a naval academy reunion. There's clearly something between Sakura and Ohgami. The Flower Division is hurt when they realise the three are gone, and Sakura still hasn't told them she's getting married. (They never say that they think Ohgami is the groom, though, or get upset that he didn't say anything himself! Maybe they think he was just invited when they weren't?) Yoneda and Sakura have some sweet father/daughter moments on the train. The ghost of Kazuma makes a brief appearance to Yoneda while Sakura naps, making me misty-eyed. Sakura tries to dodge unwanted attention from the conductor, who is a fan, at one point; Yoneda comes to Sakura's aid and tricks the man into thinking she just strongly resembles the actress. Yoneda tells Sakura that Kazuma asked him to watch over her for him, if anything should happen to him. Yoneda protests, saying if it came to that he'd take Kazuma's place, and Kazuma points out that it's his own bloodline that carries the power to protect others (just as Sakura carries that blood; will that kind of death be her fate too? I think Yoneda has always feared it might be). The flashback of Kazuma's death is very different in some ways from the one shown in the TV series; I think I like it better, even though it makes for some confusion on Yamazaki's conversion. Here we can clearly see Yamazaki injured and on the ground with Ayame kneeling over him just before Kazuma does a spell (without the magic mirror and dagger artifacts) that kills both the monster and himself. (You might remember that in the other version, Yamazaki gives himself over to the monster quite some distance away from Ayame, and seems to disappear, which prompts Kazuma to use the artifacts before others are killed). During the wedding procession, we see for certain that Sakura is not the bride. Yoneda holds her back for a moment to talk to her. He says he supposes there will be a day when she'll marry. She starts to protest. He talks about how she won't be able to fight anymore when her powers diminish, but that won't happen until she's forty or fifty, and by then it will be a bit late for "a woman's happiness". He starts to say if he were her real father, and wished for her happiness .... Sakura points out that she's already happy, and she thinks her father would understand. She then asks Yoneda if he's had too much to drink, addressing him as father. This version of the ending theme is done by Sakura, and is probably the best version. "A New Era for Women" For this final episode, a completely different opening. First we see a bride-cousin at a very formal ceremony. Then we see Maria shooting a target at an indoor range. Back to the bride. Kanna kicking a bag until it leaks sand. Another vision of a bride — this actually looks like Sakura. Orihime playing piano. Her vision of what Sakura's wedding would be like. Iris dreams of it. A sleepy Kohran sees Sakura announcing to a press rally, and apparently Sumire does too, sticking her finger with a needle at the thought. And Sakura sleeps with a happy smile. Cue theme music (Sakura — I like this version a lot too.) Morning at Sakura's family's house. Yoneda's enjoying the country sounds and view. Sakura's preparing breakfast, and frets that she's not any good at it. Her mother points out that she can instead wield a sword. Back at the Flower Division headquarters, the team is discussing the possibility that Sakura is indeed getting married, and whether that means she will retire from the stage and from being a Koubu pilot. Sumire makes a lot of catty comments about how Sakura has to get married because she's a second-rate actress. Maria worries how that will affect their fighting force, while Kanna points out that this is a decision they will all likely have to make some day, so they should be happy for Sakura and accept her choice without criticism. But Kanna's still depressed, as they all are. We learn that Sakura is to perform an important ritual for the wedding, one that severs the bride's ties to her old family and bonds her to her new one. (Ahhh, so that's what Yoneda meant about it being an important moment in Sakura's life — it's the first time she's acting in this capacity, in lieu of her late father.) She seems disturbed by the notion of the ritual itself, the notion that if she marries, she'll be severing ties with her own clan. Tsubaki, Yuri, and Kasumi find a note in Sakura's trash; it's the sheet she was practicing her strokes on when she was writing the letter to her mother and grandmother. Besides the other words, "bride", "betrothed", and "marriage", there is also the word "averse"; Sakura had written it when she was trying to write "auspicious" (she got it right when she wrote it in the letter). Now her teammates think she didn't want to get married but was forced into it. They resolve to put a stop to the wedding! Ohgami comes home, and they bowl him over on their way out the door, with no explanation. When they get to the train station, though, they find that the trainyard's Labor Union is on strike. Sakura performs her part in the wedding ritual flawlessly. Her mother congratulates her after, and remarks that she supposes someday Sakura will marry and have to break her ties to her clan as well. Sakura's grandmother steps in, saying no, as the only daughter, Sakura will have to stay in the family when she takes a groom, so she can take over as head of the clan. Sakura says she doesn't believe she will ever be a bride, as she carries the blood of destroyers of evil. (Um, Sakura, dear, then your clan dies with you, and the blood of the protectors will be lost ....) We see a flashback of the grandmother telling her son, Kazuma, of his duty and how he may die because of it. He accepts. Then we see him telling his wife how he might die someday, and how she must raise Sakura to be a fine woman. She confronts her mother-in-law, accusing her of being a hard woman. Kazuma's mother replies that perhaps she is, but not as a mother; she would not be happy to see her son die. We see Kazuma's heartfelt goodbye to his family, and his final words to Sakura, before he goes off to fight evil. And we learn that in order to fight demons, those of his clan accept a (good?) demon into themselves as well. Later during the wedding celebration, the grandmother confesses to Sakura's mother that she had been speaking as the leader of the clan before, but that in truth, she wants Sakura to be spared from her father's fate. She wants the clan and its power (and curse) to end with Sakura choosing her own path. Back at headquarters, Kasumi, Yuri, and Tsubaki confess to Kaede and Ohgami about all that's happened, and how the rest of the Division has probably gone off to stop the wedding. The train strike, they learn moments later, hasn't stopped the girls; they hijacked the Shougei Maru airship! Kaede calls Kayama (yay!!) and asks him to "meet" the girls. What they don't know is Kohran has souped-up the ship (there's a hysterical little bit with Kanna getting thrown about because she wasn't properly strapped in). On the walk home from the wedding, Sakura asks her mother to talk about how she met her father, and is horrified to learn that they had been matched up by a matchmaker and married after only one meeting. Her mother goes on to say that times have changed, and women now can choose what's important to them in life. The Shougei Maru arrives, and Sakura knows her choice is to be with them. Then there's a funny little bit with Kayama singing and playing the guitar while standing next to the ship in a hanger they managed to hide it in. Then we see Yoneda being furious with the girls for coming there in the ship in the first place. To make matters worse, apparently the Moon Division's attempt to keep the Maru's arrival a secret was in vain, because suddenly there's a huge throng of fans just outside the property. Yoneda orders the girls to put on an impromptu show to keep the fans from rioting. We get to see a song and dance number, with several characters singing a verse apiece — including Kaede, back at the base, who in turn is serenaded via phone by Kayama (awww, they make a good couple! ^_^). We see Kazuma, who seems to approve of his daughter's choice. The song continues into the credits, with the girls coming home. They approach Ohgami on the stage, which he's sweeping. He pulls a cherry blossom petal from her hair. And that's it, fade-to-black while the rest of the credits roll. Wait. That's it?? We never learn why Ohgami is leaving?? Oh no, there he is, taking a last look at his room. Now he's on a boat. The girls are running after it, waving goodbye. They hold up a banner that says "Good Luck Second Lieutenant" — is that why he's leaving? He got promoted? I could have sworn I heard them call him that elsewhere in the eps. Ah well, at least it says "We'll meet again" at the very end, so this isn't a forever-goodbye. There are some truly gorgeous background paintings in this one! Just thought I'd mention that. On the whole, I like the OAV series, since it concentrates more on the characters daily lives than on fighting. It's just that the end, while being a big number and having some cute moments, was still a bit lacking in some respects. Sakura Wars: The Movie Our story does indeed take place within the same continuity, picking up in the winter of the years Ohgami left. (Many "movie" versions of TV anime are re-tellings of the series in question.) We see a young blonde woman in the street, before going to the Imperial Theatre and watching the Flower Division perform. The song is pretty, and the animation is gorgeous. In the dressing room, everyone, even Sumire in a roundabout way, congratulates each other on a wonderful performance. They also congratulate Leni (remember, this DVD was released by a different company than the others) on her 17th birthday. Kayama shows up with his guitar, saying Ohgami asked him to make sure the girls were having a good time. (They all refer to Ohgami as Captain instead of Second-Lieutenant. How odd.) The next day, Maria stumbles across Sumire while out Christmas shopping, and they go to the movies. There they see a newsreel that talks about the Douglas-Stewart Company and its president, Brent Furlong. Maria seems upset by the footage. While they're at the movies, the young blonde woman comes to the Imperial Theatre. She speaks in English to Sakura and Yuri, asking for the manager, and pretends to gets annoyed at Sakura's clumsy (well, not really, not any worse than the other girl's English, heheheh) attempts at speaking English. Then she reveals that she speaks Japanese perfectly herself, and was just teasing them. She asks again where the manager can be found. When we see Yoneda, he's got a pamphlet that says "The New York Defense Plan" in his hand. Like Japan and Paris, America is now to have its own Fighting Troupe. The young woman, Lachette Altair, is to be a part of that troupe, and has decided to study the Flower Division's technique in preparation for this by working alongside them. Seeming less than enthusiastic but otherwise resigned to the situation, Yoneda asks if she's brought her Eisenklied (a foreign-made Koubu), which of course she has. Lachette is terribly efficient, and her reputation precedes her. Thanks to a conversation between Yoneda and Kaede, we lean that Lachette was head of another Koubu pilot team, the Star Division, which was disbanded. Yoneda wonders if Lachette understands why it was disbanded: because they could not bond into a cohesive unit the way the Flower Division had. A government council discusses the spiritual defenses of the Capital, whether they should continue to use the Fighting Troupes. They agree the city is doing well, but will it stay that way? Might there be new dangers, unseen, in their midst? A man named Tanuma advises them that they should consider introducing new blood into their defenses. Kohran, Tsubaki, and Kasumi quiz Sakura and Yuri about the newcomer when Lachette herself walks into the room, providing an awkward moment. Brent Furlong (who is a very elfish-looking fellow) studies a scale model of the city. He pours coffee on it and speaks in English (but not very convincingly, heh) to his henchman about how the world must be ruled by one person, and how they must teach the people of the capital this. The henchman (which looks like some sort of Kouma) snaps its fingers, and a fire starts in the city. Furlong is pleased. A call to action is given; Yoneda tells the team that 13 demons have been spotted, and fires have broken out. In a veeeeery long, visually-pretty but otherwise pointless sequence that badly interrupts the flow of the story, the team prepares to move out (on a subway train!). I do rather like these new semi-cell-shaded "Koubu-Kai" mecha. The battle sequence against the demons is very dark and difficult to see. Still, it seems the Division is holding their own well enough. Then a mysterious truck arrives, with Lachette's Eisenklied in it. She tears into the demons, and Maria chastises her for not working with the team. Another steam-punk mecha flies overhead 151; but who is it? Whoever it is, the team is impressed, even as they are disconcerted. When told about the mystery mecha, Yoneda hints that he knows something, but isn't forthcoming. The insinuation is that there are now rival "steamer" manufacturers. Maria also complains about their new team mate. Then the rest of the team is finally introduced to Lachette. Orihime and Leni know her; they served under her in the Star Division. Leni is not happy to see Lachette. Tanuma, in a government council, sings the praises of Douglas-Stewart's new mecha, pointing out that since it needs no pilot, there's no longer any need to endanger young girls. He's at odds with the Count. (Hey, haven't seen him in a while!) Later, in a warehouse full of the new mecha, Furlong is giving Tanuma a tour when one of the machines attacks Tanuma. He's rescued by Furlong's henchman, who then destroys the mecha with magick. Tanuma protests the use of magick in the machines, and Furlong threatens him, telling him to keep quiet. It's New Year's Day, and the Flower and Wind Divisions are out on the town. There's a series of amusing moments. Sakura gets a fortune that says the one she awaits shall soon return; Kohran teases her about Ohgami. (Yay, it's finally acknowledged!) Time for rehearsals for the new play, in which Lachette is the lead, the dragon King. Then there's a battle in which Leni is injured, and her and Orihime's Kouba-Kais are damaged; their Eisenklieds, Kaede reports, are to be put back in action. We're also told that the new mecha, the Japhkiel, have a better kill score than the Flower Division, so now a Kouba-Kai Pilot is expected to lead Japhkiel units into battle rather than work with other pilots. The team is outraged, of course. Lachette volunteers to go, which angers Orihime. Orihime insists to Yoneda that she will be the one to go, which is fine with him. Yoneda and the Count are abducted in the night. The Flower Division is ordered to move to the Flower Mansion Branch and leave the Imperial Theatre to the army. The alarm is sounded, and Orihime leaves to lead a Japhkiel squad against some Kouma. On her way out, Lachette tells her to make the Star Division proud and Orihime snaps that she's Flower Division now. Instead of fighting Kouma, though, when she reaches her destination, she's ambushed by the magic henchman and his own henchman, a Pinocchio-looking marionette. At the Flower Mansion, Sakura and Maria worry for Orihime, and wonder about their job security. Maria pays a visit to the Jahpkiel warehouse. She discovers that the Jahpkiel are really Kouma, not mecha. She meets up with the magick henchman, who speaks to her in English. She speaks back in English (and is the only one on the movie who sounds like she actually knows what she's saying). The henchman reverts to Japanese and introduces himself as Patrick. He says she knows too much. She shoots him, but to no avail. He chases her right out a high window; she falls into water below. (She better not be dead, dammit!!) The members of the Flower Division discuss Maria's disappearance. Kohran laments not having been able to give Maria a special spirit-filled bullet she made like the round she gave Kamaya. We learn that the Wind division and Kaede are still at the theatre, under house arrest. (Huh?? Why??) Sumire asks what they can do, and Sakura replies that they must do what they can. Everyone starts shouting "Let's do it!" (But what "it"??) A big man with a beauty-mark and lipstick, a Mr. Yokihiko, appears; apparently he's someone they know from the Rose Division. He tells them that Douglas-Stewart is working in cahoots with Tanuma, a man with political ambitions; that's where all the trouble with the Jahpkiels replacing the Flower Division comes in. With Yokihiko's help, hey make a plan to get back the Koubu-Kais. At Furlong's place, Yoneda, the Count, and Tanuma are all tied to a chair. At first the Count thinks Furlong is trying to market the Jahpkiel to them, but it quickly becomes apparent that he's the one controlling the Kouma they've been fighting against. The Flower Division takes back their headquarters. During the maneuver, Lachette almost kills a man, but Sakura intervenes. Lachette's very flippant when she reminds Sakura that she prefers to go with the most efficient option. Furlong tries to convince Yoneda and the Count to turn over the Capital's defense to him by suggesting the Flower Division might be killed otherwise, but they stand firm in their belief that the girls are the right ones to defend the city. The Kouma attack the Imperial Theatre, but Kohran's made some modifications to the Koubu that even the odds. The Dream Division helps; Iris channels their power to form a force-field (it's shaped like a rose!) that pushes the enemy away as it expands. But the battle isn't won. A couple of Jahpkiel lower a Kouba to the ground; the hatch is open, so we can see it's Orihime, unconscious. Patrick and his henchman stand above, watching; the henchman has a glowing ball in his hands. Orihime awakens; her hatch closes, and she attacks her friends! Lachette seems perfectly willing to kill her former-friend, if that's what it takes to stop her. Leni intercedes, and is knocked unconscious for a few moments; Sakura gets her out of her Kouba. She reawakens just in time to see Orihime use her Eisenklied's own power on herself, breaking the henchmen's spell. Leni rushes to her side, pulling her from the wreckage. Kayama and the Moon Division infiltrate Furlong's condominium, but Furlong escapes when a giant pair of mechanized hands reach in through the window and cart him off. He casts a spell, causing the Jahpkiels to merge and transform, then faces the Flower Division, telling them they've gotten too full of themselves. His Kouma merges with the Jahpkiel lump. Kayama gets a call from a fun-loving (and possibly gay, the way he's flirting with Kayama) bishounen (love that jacket!!!) named Kotone Sieryuin; he tells Kayama they're home, which means Ohgami (or Oogami, as they call him here), who was with them, is back too! The super-sized Kouma beats the crap out of the Flower Division. Lachette's suit is rendered immobile. The team's spirit-power takes a nosedive with their morale. Enter the obligatory Rousing Speech from Sakura. Furlong attacks her, but she remains unscathed; someone is shooting canons at Furlong. It's Oogami, of course, with a strangely-updated Koubu. As Furlong tries to fix his Kouma, Kohran notices a strange series of sounds. She realises it's the sounds that control the Jahpkiel, and figures out how to use that knowledge against them. But the Kouma's arms are in the way. Working together, Sumire and Kanna take care of that little detail (yay!), and Oogami moves in. He gets into trouble, and Iris psychically throws Sakura in to help. They defeat the Kouma in a cloud of feathers. Meanwhile, Maria's alive! She has a showdown with Patrick and his little marionette henchman. But Maria somehow has the magic bullet Kohran said she didn't give her! Bye-bye, Patrick ... Kayama and Oogami have a chat, in which we learn that Maria made it to the Moon Division all battered and bruised. Ahhh, so Kayama gave her his bullet. They go to watch the rest of a performance the Flower Division is putting on. The rest of the film is about the performance, which I admit is hard to understand. I do know that Lachette and Sakura seem to be taken over by the spirits of their characters, and Lachette almost kills Sakura. But Sakura shows her the meaning of love and sacrifice and through that seems to restore a sense of compassion to the real girl. The singing is okay, but really, the scene's a bit drawn out, and the motivations are shaky. I mean really, first Lachette's character wants to defend his bride, then he wants to kill her? The stuff "he" says really makes no sense. (Maybe this bit inspired Lucas when he wrote Revenge of the Sith and Anakin and Padme's relationship!) I almost wondered if I'd fallen asleep while watching the movie and had a strange dream. So by the end, we're offered no resolution for Sakura and Oogami or the rest of the cast, just Lachette getting a heart. The movie is worth watching for the animation alone, I guess, but ... I really hope this isn't going to be the last story in this franchise, because that was really a lackluster finale for what is otherwise a great anime! I want more Kanna and Sumire!
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