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is a Japanese media franchise created by Ouji Hiroi, and is developed Red Entertainment and Sega and owned by and 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 elements, but includes a motion picture, anime, printed media, and other merchandise. The series began in 1996 as an eponymous video game; the game was a success and spawned sequels. The video game series has since branched into other genres and platforms, such as portable games and games for mobile phones. The original storyline, said to be inspired by the Shochiku Revue and Takarazuka Revue,〔(Interview with Ouji Hiroi ), partially translated at the (Takarazuka Revue Community LiveJournal page ). Retrieved on 2007-04-25 Yet, another Kagekidan = Revue reference, since real-life 'Kagekidans' are oft referred to, by westerners, as revues.〕 takes place in an alternate 1920s Tokyo. It follows the adventures of an all-female secret task force known as the Imperial Assault Force—Flower Division as they defend the Imperial Capital Tokyo against evil. They are led by Ichiro Ogami, a newly graduated male Imperial Navy Ensign who had been assigned to the squad partly due to his unique ability to use a special type of armor, which was previously believed to be usable only by women possessing high levels of spiritual powers. The setting eventually moved on to other locations such as Paris and New York. The various OVA tie-ins, the animated TV series, and the motion picture were licensed in North America by ADV Films, Funimation, and Geneon (previously Pioneer Entertainment). The manga version, previously serialized in Kodansha's ''Magazine Z'' and now in ''Magazine Great'',〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=5 Manga to Continue after Magazine Z's End )〕 is also released in English by Tokyopop before it ceased a majority of its operations. ==Setting== ''Sakura Wars''〔The title literally translates as “The Great War of Cherry Blossoms”, symbolizing the game beginning in spring—a time represented in Japan by the blooming of the cherry tree (''sakura'' in Japanese). See also ''hanami''.〕 is set in a fictional Taishō period. Although the alternate timeline's history is similar to that of the real world, a crucial difference lies in technology, where most of the benefits of today's modern era are made possible in the early 1900s with the effective utilization of steam. In particular, the Imperial Capital Tokyo, also known as the ''Teito'' (''the capital''), stood at the forefront of that period's technological revolution. This was thanks in part to the company called Kanzaki Heavy Industries, who were considered world-leaders in steam-powered machinery.〔 〕 On Taishō 7 (1918), an event known as "The Kouma War" took place, where a huge demon appeared at Nihonbashi in Tokyo. It was eventually sealed away by the Imperial Army's Counter-Demon Team, but their success came at a huge cost. Due to this incident, an internationally approved effort was made to secure Tokyo from future spiritual threats,〔 〕 thus the formation of the Imperial Capital Defense Program and the Imperial Assault Force. To increase the defenses of those who would be enlisted by the new organization to fight against demons, part of the preparations involved the development of a dual-powered steam/spirit armor by Kanzaki Heavy Industries. While experiments were being made on a prototype called "Oobu", only a young girl bearing high levels of spiritual power was shown to have been capable of moving it, giving birth to the misconception that only women could operate the armor. The center of the top secret corps was hidden underneath a theater in the heart of Ginza called the . Here, the women of the Imperial Assault Force—Flower Division lived and worked undercover as actors performing theatrical plays under the alias "Imperial Opera Troupe," or "Imperial Revue".〔The Japanese words for and are pronounced the same way, and only the characters used in writing are different, resulting in a clever pun. Thus, the Flower Division performs as one during the day, and "changes characters" come time for battle. The term 'revue', "which is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches", was used in a number of official song titles, in both title and lyrics.〕 The reasoning behind this was both spiritual and mental: song and dance were considered to be traditional methods that could suppress evil,〔 〕 and the stage was likened to a battlefield where self-confidence is built.〔Yoneda: "Being part of this team is just like being in the theatre! If you’re afraid to make a mistake then you achieve nothing, don’t you get it?" Sakura: "Captain!" Yoneda: "Listen carefully, Sakura. Peace for the capital and roles in the plays, both have to be fought for and earned with your own power! Move forward! Never stop! Go out there and win this, Sakura!" ''Sakura Taisen: Ouka Kenran'', Act 3, “Spring is the Time for First Battles”〕 When the Imperial Assault Force went into service and had proven to be an effective means of defending Tokyo, other countries soon followed.〔Grand Mere: "I guess I’ll start with the reason for the establishment of the Paris Floral Assault Squad. The importance of municipal spiritual defense has already been proven through the three wars in Teito. This is not a problem for Teito alone—the potential for a threat of spiritual nature exists in any major city in every country in the world." Sakomizu: "Presently, major cities throughout the world have begun strengthening their spiritual defensive tactics using the Imperial Assault Squad as model. What we’ve established as the forerunner to this is the European Municipal Defense Project. And what we’ve formed as the key which will act as the very pivot of that...... is this Paris Floral Assault Squad!" ''Sakura Taisen 3 ~Pari wa Moeteiru ka?~'', Episode 1, "The Flower Capital of Europe –Hello, Paris–". Translated by Kayama at (GameFAQs.com ). Retrieved on 2007-04-24.〕 It began with the creation of the Paris Assault Force, with its base of operations located at a famous Parisian night club known as the . The New York Fighting Troupe was established at the on Broadway shortly afterwards. The series depicts the trials and tribulations of these different attack squads as the members grow into their roles and strive to protect their respective cities, while dealing with personal issues at the same time. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Sakura Wars」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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