Sakura Taisen/Sakura Wars: A History, Part 2: Setting and Structure

Setting:

As stated before, Sakura Taisen takes place in a romanticized alternate-history version of the 1920’s Tokyo and

Sakura Taisen 1: Uneo Park

other cities in the world. It takes place in the Taishou, which rests exactly between World War I and World War II. After World War 1, Japan enjoyed increasing importance and recognition in international affairs. Its urban citizens became more prosperous, cultured, modern, socially-aware, independent, and cosmopolitan. This optimistic romantic “Taishou Democracy”, to Hiroi, represented the starting point for an ideal future for Japan. He wished to rewind to that moment in history before Japan’s loss of innocence in World War II, to a time when Japan was an eminent member of the world community on its own terms, just as much as our culture and Europe’s; (even more actually, in the games Japan is the most powerful nation in the world). Especially in the teito or Imperial Capital.

Everything in Sakura Taisen is infused with a Taishou-Era flair. Text in the scene is written right to left, thankful for us Americans, as was the custom of the day. Even the game manuals are printed with their spines on the right since left-spined books wouldn’t be around for a while. In some of the games even numbers are written in kanji instead of the modern day Arabic numerals. This Taishou aesthetic permeates the design, typography, music, and dialogue.

What Sakura Taisen is slightly based on...

Noting says Taishou Democracy like a Western-style musical theater interpreted with a Japanese sensibility. The Teikoku Kagekidan or Imperial Revue is a musical theater troupe that serves as the protagonists cover while they are pursuing secret military missions. It is heavily inspire by the Takarazuka Revue, (google it), a re life theater troupe that has been performing in Kansai for the past century. Both perform spectacular Broadway-style musical theater. Both are ALL FEMALE. With some women specializing in male roles. Both are divided into sub-troupes including a hanagumi or flower troupe; this is the division that Ogami and the other 6, or 8 if your playing Sakura Taisen 2, heroines belong to. The flower theme that comes with the title pervades the series, with all of the main characters being named after flowers, except the New York Combat Revue, which are named after constellations, floral imagery appearing in most of the graphic design, and so on. Again the title is Cherry Blossom Wars with Sakura being what cherry blossoms are also called.

So you have a mostly-authentic Taishou Era setting. Now add with that the absurdly advanced steam-powered

The Koubu

machinery and reiryoku or spirit power or even “Pnuema” which NISA added into Sakura Wars So Long My Love to make it sound cool. Idiots. Otherwise these parts are what make this alternate-history thing, “alternate”. The steampunk setting is in some ways even more advanced then our modern day electronics and makes the modern conveniences of today possible then… mostly. Adding a supernatural portion in is what gives it even more flair. The mechs or koubu are powered by the spirit power that exists within the protagonists and enable them to fight off demons who have already attempted to invade the human world once, (watch the Sakura Wars TV series to understand that), and are about to attempt to do so again…

Structure:

As mentioned above, Sakura Taisen games unfold like an anime series in an episodic format, with each being divided in between 8 or 11 episodes depending on the game and a three act structure in the fourth game but that’s for another time. An episode typically starts with some day-to-day situation in the theater, presented in a cutscene style that could be familiar to any of you who have played a JRPG or even a dating sim. These scenes use Sakura Taisen’s trademark LIPS or Live-Interaction-Picture-System which is described below. The daytime scenes are generally a way to get to know the theater cast as a group, the way they behave professionally and as friends.

ST1: Eyecatch

Next comes an eyecatch, which I have stated before, just like when a televised anime is going or coming back from commercials. The eyecatch serves as a milestone for the chapter, gives the player a chance to save, and shows off a piece of character art.

At night, in ST 1, 2, and 4, the player is given some time to roam around and find more LIPS scenes for specific character, each whom tend to hang out in certain areas around the theater. These evening rounds are limited in time, shown as a literal clock which moves after every event which each takes five minutes, so you only get to see a couple out of all the possible scenes on a given night, enhancing replay value. The night scenes are usually one-on-one, and give you a chance to see the more personal side of each character; these scenes are when secrets are confided and promises are made.

Battle in Uneo Park

After the night rounds, some sort of crisis is guaranteed to occur, (no wonder why these night watches exist), and the Flower Division is called into action and suits up and heads out to fight the menace. Another eyecatch, another chance to save and you can check your squad mate’s yaruki or motivation. This statistic is how the heroines “level up” in a sense. Motivation is based your actions up until that point. Whether you’ve been nice, mean, silent, or just plain dumb factors into the point values. This doesn’t necessarily mean your done in if your heroines hate you it just means your in for a tougher fight in a relatively easy battle system. Now you get to see yet another side of the troupe, under pressure and in the heat of battle.

In the first two games, battles occur in a straightforward tactical robot combat simulation system. Basically it’s
your standard grid system strategy game with the addition that at times you are also expected to have meaningful exchanges with your squad members on the battlefield. Sakura Taisen 3, which I am playing through now, throughout the old system in favor of a brand new one forged specifically for the series with its own acronym, ARMS. The two battle systems are described in detail below.

Victory Pose!

After the battle is a concluding victory scene which includes the absolutely necessary, and always hilarious, victory pose. All of the characters played some part in the battle gather together and call out in unison, shouri no po-zu… kime!, or victory pose… go! The resulting group photo (no idea where the photographer is…) serves as a final image for the episode, and reinforces just how character-focused these games are. And it’s awesome!

Following the victory pose is the preview of the next episode. Anime standard, it shows little bits of what is going to happen next and invites you to tune in to the next episode. This pattern repeats, chapter after chapter, game after game. Gradually getting to know the characters around you in the character focused chapters, from all of these different angles, and coming to care about them over the course of the nearly 30 hours it takes to complete one of these many games. This is the core of the Sakura Taisen series’ appeal.

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