 Time for a look at Sakura Taisen's big-screen outing - although don't be expecting anything overly spectacular...
The Hanagumi recieve a new member - American Lachette Altair. The
Americans are setting up their own fighting troupe in New York, and
it's Lachette's job to learn from the Hanagumi. She's not much of a
team player, though. Not that teamwork is required for long, as the
Hanagumi is placed on indefinite standby. Members of the troupe soon
begin to go missing, and the remaining members soon beging to realise
that things aren't quite right - but what can they do while they're
suspended from duty?
Meanwhile, the Douglas-Stewart Company has developed a new unmanned
fighting machine, the Japhkeil, that seems to be superior to the
Hanagumi's Koubu. Company Chairman Brent Furlong is in Tokyo on a sales
pitch for the new weaponry - officially at least. Unofficially, his
motives are far more sinister - his new fighting machines are powered
by Kouma, and his intention is not so much to defend Tokyo as to
destroy it. Acting on their own, the remaining Hanagumi members take
matters into their own hands and act to defend Tokyo once more...
Lots of bad CGI set-piece battles, and a large smattering of bad English, wrapped in Sakura Taisen's
wonderfully-realised game world. Put it all together and it jars, just
a little. The non-battle scenes are very well animated, so it's very
disappointing when the Kouma appear, complete with dodgy CGI that would
make Gonzo's early efforts look good.
Putting graphical shortcomings to one side, there's always the
chance that the story will make up for things, but even there there's
nothing too spectacular to draw you in. Brent Furlong, with his haircut
that wouldn't look out of place on Dilbert's Pointy-Haired
Boss, is too obvious of a bad guy, and his real motivations are given
away too early in the show, ruining any sense of suspense that there
may have been. What's left is just an excuse to please the fans with a
cinematic outing, and to give each character their little set-piece to
keep everyone happy. In other words, predictable and shallow.
I do usually enjoy Sakura Taisen's anime outings, but this one feels just a bit too much like a quick, fan-friendly cash-in to be enjoyable. For true ST fans only.
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