is a 2001 Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese animated

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 film adaptation of the Sakura Wars

Sakura Wars

is a Japanese media franchise created by Ouji Hiroi, and is developed and owned by Sega and licensed by Red Entertainment and Sega. The franchise centers on a series of dramatic fantasy and science-fantasy tactical role-playing adventure video games, which consist of tactical wargame and dating sim...

series directed and co-written by Mitsuru Hongō.

The film takes place between the onset of Sakura Wars 3 and Sakura Wars 4. Lachette Altair is dispatched to the Imperial Capital Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

 from New York to work for the Imperial Assault Force's Flower division while division captain Ichirō Ōgami is in Paris. Meanwhile, Douglas-Stewart, an American company led by the sinister president Brent Furlong, unveils a plan to make the division obsolete. When commander Ikki Yoneda is captured and the entire division is ordered on indefinite standby, the fate between the Flower Division, Douglas-Stewart and Tokyo is at stake.

The film was released in Japanese theaters on December 22, 2001 along with Slayers Premium

Slayers Premium

is an anime short film written and directed by Junichi Satō. Premium, the fifth and latest Slayers film, was first released in Japan on December 22, 2001, along with Sakura Wars: The Movie, DiGi Charat and Azumanga Daioh: The Very Short Movie....

, Azumanga Daioh

Azumanga Daioh

is a Japanese comedy manga by Kiyohiko Azuma. It was serialized by MediaWorks in the shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Daioh from 1999 to 2002 and collected in four bound volumes...

: The Very Short Movie and DiGi Charat. It was licensed in the United States by Pioneer Animation (now Geneon Entertainment).

Plot

The film begins with the Imperial Revue celebrating Leni Milchstrasse's seventeenth birthday following a performance at the Great Imperial Theater. During this, Yūichi Kayama appears to join the celebration. The next morning, on Christmas Day, Sumire Kanzaki and Maria Tachibana visit a theater, where Maria finds out that Brent was one of the mafia members in New York when Maria was in the United States. At the Great Imperial Theater, Lachette Altair arrives from New York to be assigned into the Imperial Assault Force Flower Division. Douglas-Stewart president Brent Furlong and his subordinate, Patrick Hamilton, summon the Kouma to obliterate a city. The Flower Division is summoned to the battlefield where the Kouma are at. However, during the battle, Lachette appears in an Eisenkleid and briefly battles the Kouma. They retreat and the Flower Division is introduced to Lachette. Meanwhile, Brent and another one of his subordinates, Haruyoshi Tanuma, arrive at the facility where the Japhkiels, robots made by Douglas-Stewart, are made. One of them attacks Tanuma, scaring him. Patrick uses a soundwave technique to stop the attacking Japhkiel.

After the division suffers injuries sustained in battles, division commander Ikki Yoneda and count Yoritsune Hakakōji are suddenly captured by Patrick and they are informed that the Theater has been taken over by the army and they are ordered on indefinite standby. Soletta Orihime is ordered to go in her Eisenkleid, but she is manipulated by Patrick. Meanwhile, Maria investigates the Douglas-Stewart facility and is injured following an ambush by Patrick. Back at the Flower Mansion, the seven remanining members of the Flower Division and Yokihiko Ōta of the Rose Division, who reveals that the army was being manipulated by Douglas-Stewart, work together to take back the theater. With the help of Kohran's Katsuryu-maru, the seven rebel against the army and successfully take back the theater. Following another battle with the Kouma, the Division confronts the manipulated Orihime. During the struggle, Lachette inadvetently destroys Leni's Eisenkleid in the process in an attempt to kill her. Orihime releases power blasts at the division, but they destroy her Eisenkleid, returning her to normal. Kayama rescues Yoneda and Hanakōji while the facility is destroyed, but Brent escapes and combines with the remaining Japhkiels. Brent overwhelms all of the protagonists and destroys Lachette's Eisenklied in the process. Following an ambush on Brent by division captain Ichirō Ōgami, the division defeats Brent and saves Japan. Meanwhile, Maria confronts and defeats Patrick on a rooftop. Later, the Flower Division puts on a play based on Kyōka Izumi

Kyoka Izumi

is the pen name of a Japanese author of novels, short stories, and kabuki plays who was active from the late Meiji to the early Shōwa periods. He is best known for a characteristic brand of Romanticism preferring tales of the supernatural heavily influenced by works of the earlier Edo period in...

's The Sea God's Villa and turns out to be a success. The film ends with Sakura walking down a street filled with cherry blossoms.

Cast

Role	Japanese voice actor	English voice actor
Sakura Shinguji	Chisa Yokoyama Chisa Yokoyama is a Japanese voice actress and singer from Tokyo. She is founder and head of her own voice company called Banbina after leaving Arts Vision. When she was a high school student, she was an assistant of Jump Broadcasting Station of Weekly Shōnen Jump...	Wendee Lee Wendee Lee Wendee Lee is an American voice actress. While she has done voice work for many video games as well as several episodes in the Power Rangers franchise, she is particularly prolific in the dubbing of anime. As of April 2009, with 223 credits to her name, she has more credits in this medium than any...
Ichirō Ōgami	Akio Suyama Akio Suyama is a Japanese voice actor.-Notable anime and video game voice roles:* Perio/Pete in Dōbutsu no Mori , the film adaptation of the Animal Crossing video game series.* Ichiro Ogami in Sakura Wars* Hokuto's Lackey in Cromartie High School...	Dave Wittenberg Dave Wittenberg David Richard Paul "Dave" Wittenberg is a prolific South African-born American video game and anime voice actor with nearly one hundred titles to his credit. While Wittenberg was born in a hospital in South Africa, he was primarily raised in Boston...
Sumire Kanzaki	Michie Tomizawa Michie Tomizawa is a Japanese voice actress born in Nagano and raised in Takasaki, Gunma. Her real name is .She is most known for the roles of Matsuzaka-Sensei , Linna Yamazaki , Rei Hino/Sailor Mars , Sumire Kanzaki , and Emi Ogasawara .Tomizawa retired from voice acting before getting married in 2002...	Michelle Ruff Michelle Ruff Michelle Suzanne Ruff is an American voice actress known for her work in anime and video games.-Anime roles:* Angel Tales - Akane the fox* Ai Yori Aoshi - Aoi Sakuraba* Arc the Lad - Meril...
Maria Tachibana	Urara Takano Urara Takano is a Japanese voice actress from Togane, Chiba. Takano runs the talent agency Remax, although she was originally affiliated with Ken Production. She is the mother of actress Anna Kirie. Her real name, as well as her former stage name, is , in addition, she and Jennifer Tilly both does Celia...	Mari Devon Mari Devon Mari Devon is an American voice actress who is also known as Jane Alan.-Anime roles:* 8 Man After - Sachiko* Babel II - Juju* Battle B-Daman - B-DaMage* The Big O - Vice-President Mari Devon (born 1960) is an American voice actress who is also known as Jane Alan.-Anime roles:* 8 Man After -...
Iris Chateaubriand	Kumiko Nishihara Kumiko Nishihara is a Japanese voice actress who was born in Chigasaki, Kanagawa and works for Aoni Production.-Notable anime roles:*Ayane's High Kick *Cool Devices *Digimon Frontier *Dragon Ball Z...	Carrie Savage Carrie Savage Carrie A. Savage is an American voice actress, ADR Director, and Script Writer primarily known for her work for Bang Zoom! Entertainment, ADV Films, Funimation Entertainment, Bandai Entertainment, Geneon Entertainment, Media Blasters, New Generation Pictures, OkraTron 5000, and Viz Media...
Lachette Altair	Akiko Kuno	Julie Anne Taylor
Brent Furlong	Kōichi Yamadera Koichi Yamadera is a Japanese voice actor, actor, tarento, narrator, master of ceremonies and impressionist from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school, and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's...	Crispin Freeman Crispin Freeman Crispin McDougal Freeman is an American voice actor, and Mythology scholar. His roles have included Alucard from Hellsing, Kyon from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Karasu from Noein, Togusa from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, as Holland Novak from Eureka Seven, Touga Kiriyu in...
Patrick Hamilton	Keiichi Nanba Keiichi Nanba is a Japanese voice actor currently affiliated with Aoni Production. He is married to fellow voice actress Mayumi Shō.-Anime:* Sailor Moon series as Gurio Umino, Zoisite, Alan* Trigun as Hoppered the Gauntlet-Tokusatsu:...	Richard Cansino Richard Cansino Richard Cansino is an American voice actor. He is also known as Richard Hayworth because he is the nephew of Rita Hayworth, and occasionally goes by the name Steve Davis after the British snooker player of the same name...
Haruyoshi Tanuma	Keiji Fujiwara Keiji Fujiwara is a Japanese voice actor from the Tokyo Metropolitan area who is affiliated with Air Agengy.His best known projects include Crayon Shin-chan as Hiroshi Nohara, Eureka Seven as Holland, Fullmetal Alchemist as Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes, Zoids: Chaotic Century as Irvine, Final Fantasy VII Advent...	Kirk Thornton Kirk Thornton Kirk Thornton is an American voice actor.-Bio:He is known for playing tough or grouchy men in English-dubbed anime and video games. His career includes Hotohori in Fushigi Yūgi and Jin in Samurai Champloo...
Ri Kohran	Yuriko Fuchizaki Yuriko Fuchizaki is a veteran Japanese voice actress and stage actress from Tokyo. She is a graduate of the College of Fine Arts at Nihon University a member of the talent agency Re-max. From 1987 to the beginning of 1989 her roles were credited under her real name - the reading is unchanged.Fuchizaki's roles...	Dorothy Elias-Fahn Dorothy Elias-Fahn Dorothy Ann Elias-Fahn is an American voice actress who is the wife of Tom Fahn . She is also known as Dorothy Melendrez and Annie Pastrano...
Kanna Kirishima	Mayumi Tanaka Mayumi Tanaka is a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo currently affiliated with Aoni Production.She is best known for the roles of Ryuunosuke Fujinami in Urusei Yatsura, Pazu in Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Monkey D. Luffy in One Piece, Krillin, Yajirobe and Uranai Baba in Dragon Ball...	Mary Elizabeth McGlynn Mary Elizabeth McGlynn Mary Elizabeth McGlynn is an American voice actress, ADR director, writer, and singer best known for her extensive English-language dubbing of various anime, and her singing in multiple games from the Silent Hill series, as well as the movie adaptation and Dance Dance Revolution EXTREME. She has...
Orihime Soletta	Maya Okamoto Maya Okamoto is a Japanese voice actress.-Notable voice roles:*Maya Jingu in Burn Up W and Excess*Mio in Grander Musashi*Reiko Hosokawa in Idol Defense Force Hummingbird*Harumi Nakagawa in Irresponsible Captain Tylor*Diana in Lupin III: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure...	Melissa Fahn Melissa Fahn Melissa Fahn is an American voice and stage actress and singer known for her work in anime dubs and other mainstream animated series, as well as her work in Broadway and Los Angeles Theatre.-Biography:...
Leni Milchstraße	Kazue Ikura Kazue Ikura is a Japanese voice actress who works for Aoni Production. She worked under the name from 1991 to 1995. She was previously affiliated with theater groups/production companies 劇舎燐, 俳協, Production Baobab and NABEYA....	Mona Marshall Mona Marshall Mona M. Ianotti is an American voice actress. She is often cast in the role of young boys. Her roles have included parts in not only Japanese anime, but also in American cartoons as well. Mona Marshall has recently lent her voice to the talking bear Koby the Study Buddy...
Kaede Fujieda	Ai Orikasa Ai Orikasa is a popular Japanese voice actress and singer from Tokyo. She works for Production Baobab. Orikasa is also the Japanese dub voice for Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Her debut work was Shoukoushi Cedie in 1988...	Lia Sargent Lia Sargent Lia Sargent is an American voice actress. She is known for extensive anime and video game voice work and has also done ADR directing and script writing for Animaze.. iNC...
Ikki Yoneda	Masaru Ikeda Masaru Ikeda is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Tokyo. He is a graduate of the Tokyo Metro Fifth Commerce Senior High School and is currently affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society...	Doug Stone Doug Stone (voice actor) Douglas David Stone is a voice actor who is most notable for his representation of the character Psycho Mantis from the popular video game Metal Gear Solid, as well as the voice of Matt Trakker and several other characters in M.A.S.K., and Dragonborg in Beetleborgs Metallix...
Kotone Seiryūin	Kazuki Yao Kazuki Yao is a veteran voice actor and actor currently represented by Mix Max.- Television animation :* Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple * Astro Boy * Beast Wars * Beast Wars Neo...	Liam O'Brien Liam O'Brien Liam Christopher O'Brien is an American voice actor and voice director perhaps best known for his roles as Gaara of the Sand in Naruto, Captain Jushiro Ukitake in Bleach, War in the video game Darksiders, 'Vincent Law' in Ergo Proxy and 'Illidan Stormrage' in the 'Warcraft' game series...
Yokihiko Ōta	Daisuke Gōri Daisuke Gori was a Japanese voice actor, narrator and actor from Kōtō, Tokyo. Throughout his life, he was attached to TV Talent Center Tokyo, Yoshizawa Theatre School and then Mausu Promotion; he was attached to Aoni Production at the time of his death. His real name, as well as his former stage name, was...	Jamieson Price Jamieson Price Jamieson Kent Price is an American voice actor.Price was born in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is most well known for his deep and booming voice and can be heard in numerous anime shows and video games. He is also known as Taylor Henry and James Lyon...
Kikunojō Oka	Taiki Matsuno Taiki Matsuno Taiki Matsuno is a Japanese seiyū. He works at Aoni Production. His real name, as well as his former stage name, is Tatsuya Matsuno...	Unknown
Yūichi Kayama	Takehito Koyasu Takehito Koyasu is a Japanese voice actor.-Career:Koyasu is part of the voice actor quartet Weiß consisting of Weiß Kreuz voice castmates Shinichiro Miki, Tomokazu Seki, and Yuuki Hiro...	Steven Blum Steven Blum Steven Jay Blum is an American voice actor known primarily for his work in anime dubs and video games, using his distinctive deep voice. Among his credits include the voice of Spike Spiegel of the anime series Cowboy Bebop and Mugen of the anime series Samurai Champloo...
Kasumi Fujii	Akemi Okamura Akemi Okamura is a Japanese voice actress and narrator from Tokyo who works for Mausu Promotion. She has had at least one song appear on the NHK program Minna no Uta. Okamura made her debut as Fio Piccolo in the 1992 film Porco Rosso.-Television Animation:...	Karen Strassman Karen Strassman Karen Strassman is an American voice actress and actress who is most known for her television and film appearances as well as voice acting. She voices many characters in many video games, animated series and anime series, including Zhalia Moon in Huntik: Secrets & Seekers, Fantine in IGPX, Kallen...
Tsubaki Takamura	Kyoko Hikami Kyoko Hikami is a Japanese voice actress who was born in Kobe. She is part of the voice actress trio Furil which also consists of Wedding Peach voice castmates Yūko Miyamura and Yukana Nogami.-Notable voice roles:*Sudou in Atashinchi...	Philece Sampler Philece Sampler Philece P. Sampler is an American voice actress and television actress, whose credits include various characters in anime. She also goes by the aliases of Sue Beth Arden, Victoria Pryne, and Debra Cunningham...
Yuri Sakakibara	Yuki Masuda Yuki Masuda is a Japanese voice actress.-Notable voice roles:*Yanagi Sakoshita in Flame of Recca*Veena and her twin sister Helen, two of the Pu'Awak princesses in Cyborg 009*Misae in Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040*Belvedere Coco in Vandread...	Lynn Fischer Lynn Fischer Lynn Fischer is a voice actress.-Anime Roles:* Argento Soma - P.A., Kroka Leonov* Battle Athletes Victory - Nerilian* Figure 17 - Ms...
Yoritsune Hanakōji	Kōichi Kitamura Koichi Kitamura , real name was a Japanese voice actor born in Osaka, Japan. Kitamura was employed by the talent management agency Mausu Promotion. He died on October 2, 2007 of pneumonia.-TV:*April to Sandman *Dragon Ball GT *Esper Mami...	Michael McConnohie Michael McConnohie Michael D. McConnohie is a voice actor and is the President of the Nevada-based Voxworks voice-acting corporation. He is known for his recognizable deep booming voice and is generally known for playing more charismatic characters...
Musei Edogawa	Yūji Mitsuya Yuji Mitsuya is a Japanese actor, voice actor, and sound supervisor from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture who is affiliated with Bring Up. He graduated from Meiji University....	Steve Kramer Steve Kramer (actor) Steven M. Kramer is an American voice actor for many anime titles. He has also done voice acting for various Power Rangers series in the past, with the best-known of those roles being the voice of Darkonda in Power Rangers in Space. His wife, Melora Harte, is a voice actress...

Staff

• Original story: Ohji Hiroi
• Director: Mitsuru Hongo
  Mitsuru Hongo
  is a Japanese anime director of film and television who directed animes such as IGPX, Outlaw Star, and The Candidate for Goddess.-References:...
  
  
• Executive producer: Toshimichi Ohtsuki (King Records)
• Executive coordinate: Seigo Tanaka, Takeshi Yasuda, Yasuaki Nagoshi
• Production supervisor: Noriyoshi Ohba
• Supervisor: Satoru Akahori
  Satoru Akahori
  is a Japanese scriptwriter, novelist and manga author. He is best known for the Saber Marionette, Sakura Wars and Sorcerer Hunters series, which comes in anime, novel and manga forms.-Works:*Abenobashi Mahou Shoutengai...
  
  
• Script writers: Mitsuru Hongo, Hiroyuki Nishimura
  Hiroyuki Nishimura
  is the founder and a former administrator of the most accessed Japanese message board site 2channel. He currently holds a position of Director at Niwango Inc., known for its service Nico Nico Douga.In Japan, he is usually known by his given name, Hiroyuki....
  
  , Nobutoshi Terado, Ohji Hiroi
• Music director: Kōhei Tanaka
  Kohei Tanaka (composer)
  is a Japanese composer, arranger and singer. He is affiliated with the music production company Imagine. He has created numerous musical scores for famous anime TV series, OVAs, movies, computer games and tokusatsu series. Tanaka was born in Ebisubashi, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture on February 14,...
  
  
• Original character design: Kōsuke Fujishima
  Kosuke Fujishima
  is a Japanese manga artist.Born in Chiba, Japan, he first came to public attention as an editor of Puff magazine, his first job after completing high school. Fujishima originally intended to be a draftsman, but took the editorial role after failing to get a drafting apprenticeship...
  
  
• Character design: Hidenori Matsubara
• Movie edition character design: Takuya Saito
• Animation direction: Takuya Saito, Mitsuru Ishihara, Hiroshi Okubo, Akiharu Ishii, Sushio
• Mechanical design: Atsushi Takeuchi, Hidekatsu Uemura
• 3D Motion Director: Atsushi Takeuchi
• Art design: Hiroshi Kato
  Hiroshi Kato
  Hiroshi Kato is a Japanese football manager.-References:*...
  
  
• Art director: Yusuke Takeda
• Color design: Nobuko Mizuta
• 3D CGI animation director: Tokumitsu Kifune
• Director of photography: Koji Tanaka
• Special effects: Masahiro Murakami
• Editor: Junichi Uematsu
• Sound direction: Masafumi Mima
• Music recording producer: Yuji Saito
• Music recording director: Hajime Toma
• Music production: IMAGINE
• Sequence directors: Mitsuru Hongo
  Mitsuru Hongo
  is a Japanese anime director of film and television who directed animes such as IGPX, Outlaw Star, and The Candidate for Goddess.-References:...
  
  , Tamaki Nakatsu
• Production manager: Tomoyoshi Koyama
  Tomoyoshi Koyama
  is a professional motorcycle road racer who currently races in the Spanish Moto2 Championship. After competing in Grand Prix races as a wild card since 2000, he joined the series full-time in 2005, with Ajo Motorsport. His best result of the season was 2nd at Phillip Island, and he also was best...
  
  
• Producer: Tetsuo Uchida
• Production: Production I.G
• Sakura Wars: The Movie Production Committee: Sega
  Sega
  , usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
  
  , Kadokawa Shoten
  Kadokawa Shoten
  is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
  
  , Production I.G, Nippon Shupan Hanbai, Rent Lock Japan, Imagica, Character and Anime dot com

Rating

In the United States, Sakura Wars: The Movie is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America

Motion Picture Association of America

The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...

.