Welcome to Astral Animations, where we'll examine the imports of Japanese animation currently available in the United States.
This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the movie.
That said, on to the review!
Sakura Shinguchi's arrival in Tokyo and her acceptance into the Imperial Floral Assault Unit isn't as smooth as it might be. First she slays a mechanical monstrosity with a single slice of her spirit sword. Then she winds up at the Imperial Theater, the headquarters of the Imperial Floral Assault Unit and the place where they perform their shows to keep the people of Tokyo in good cheer and unite themselves into a cooperative team. As the new girl, she isn't quite ready to appear on stage yet and winds up with off-stage supporting roles. Then she oversleeps the morning of an Oobu battle armor training exercise, and as a result of her inability to sync with her armor, wreaks havoc on the military unit observing the training exercise.
Then it gets worse. Miss Sumire Kanzaki, who was once Kanna Kirishima's nemesis (Kanna's gone on a mission to avenge her father's death) now selects Sakura as her next target. It doesn't help that Sakura comes from a sheltered, country life whereas Sumire is a cosmopolitan young woman whose grandfather's success with Kanzaki Heavy Industries has allowed her to enjoy a slightly more refined (not to mention Western) lifestyle of wealth and privilege. Add to that Sumire's disgust with the failed training mission and you have ripe grounds for dissent and conflict. Maria Tachibana and Iris Chateaubriand can't exactly help Sakura through this orientation period: the demons have made their first strike, and the Imperial Floral Assault unit is called into action.
Although they succeed in their first real Oobu-demon battle--thanks in no small part to Sakura's explosive Spirit Sword Cherry Blossom Spirit Attack--there is still a long way to go. Maria, feeling herself to be better suited to aid someone in leading rather than leading herself, asks Ayame to find a new commander for the team, and Ayame does: recently graduated naval cadet Ichiro Ohgami, who just happens to have sufficient spirit power to control the Oobu spirit armor. It remains to be seen though, however, which will destroy Ohgami first: the Black Roots of Evil (the demons and the mecha) or the attentions of all the girls in the Floral Assault Unit!
Sakura Wars 2 features the second two episodes in a four-part (what's available, anyway) series, with each episode approximately 30 minutes long. The first video focused on the birth of the Imperial Floral Assault Unit, from the testing of the Oobu armor to Sakura's acquisition of the Spirit Sword Cherry Blossom Spirit Attack. This video details the unit's first battle and continues on until the moment the team realizes how important they all are to each other.
One of the draws for the fourth episode (second on this tape) is the incorporation of a male commander into an entirely female unit. And no, let's not say anything demeaning about Ohgami. Rather, let's just say that he reminds me of Tenchi Masaki: six (or more girls) with strange abilities revolving around him...yep, a definite link to Tenchi. On the other hand, though, it makes for an interesting rallying point. Most intriguing about this is the way Ohgami, despite his exhaustion, does everything he can to help the girls in anything they need whether its helping Sakura clean one of the storerooms or cutting vegetables in the understaffed kitchen or just playing hana fuda with Kohran. And then, of course, you couldn't possibly leave the anime without expecting Ohgami to have special feelings towards someone, right? Well, he does have a strong connection to Sakura, though there is nothing overtly shown to be between them. But there are probably perfectly reasonable reasons for that connection, right? Like being a swordsman as Sakura is a swordswoman, being the two newest members on the team, or just that she was the first one he saw. Right. Perfectly reasonable reasons.
One of the best things about this anime is the musical score and the elaborate synchronization between visual images and audio output. Music is an important part of this anime because the theater has a symphony that plays to accompany the performances the Flower division puts on. On the other hand, it emphasizes the effectiveness of the visual images. The best part is when the theme music (the same as the opening credits music) coincides with the effectiveness of Sakura's entrance into battle at the Aioi Bridge into Tsukuda Jima, the site of their first battle. The way her armor powers up and her Cherry Blossom Spirit Attack blazes into glory accompanied by surging music is just too, too much.
The absolute best part, however, is the final battle scene, where the team comes to Ohgami's rescue and he directs them in a devastating counterattack. Watching as Ohgami and Sakura combine their powers and attacks against the Black Roots of Evil is one breathtaking scene. I won't describe any more because you'll want to see it first! But Sakura's scene at the Aioi Bridge is nearly as impressive, especially as you watch--along with a stunned Iris, startled Maria, and disbelieving Sumire--as her Cherry Blossom Spirit Attack blazes solemnly along the bridge's length to counter and overwhelm the enemy. Just trust me, though: the scene near the end is much better. But you won't see what it's really like unless you watch the anime, so go and watch it! What are you waiting for?
You should be able to purchase Sakura Wars 2 on videotape at any video store that sells Japanese anime. Otherwise, you can contact A.D.V. Films to find out how to order it.
Interested in buying this video? You can! Just follow the links to order the English dubbed or English subtitledVHS versions, or the DVD version. You can also visit the Stellar Video Store for other titles.
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