In the early part of the 20th century, the Imperial capitol
is under attack by a demonic, otherworldly threat. What to do then, but assemble
a team of cute girls with flashy spiritual powers to pilot some pastel-colored
mecha and save the day? Centering around the experieces of newcomer Sakura, the
series introduces the members of the Imperial Flower Troupe, who not only fight
the dark powers, but also act as a popular theater troupe in between battles.
Despite a wealth of promising characters, the story gives them very little to
do. While the growing friendships between the girls is a good start, there is
a noticeable lack of any real dramatic conflicts until very late in the series,
and the filler drags on and on. The action is mediocre, the villains are mostly
forgettable, and the girls' day to day worries simply aren't enough to drive the
plot. There are obvious attempts to appeal to both girls and boys by vigilantly
keeping back material that might favor one group over the other. Sadly, what's
left isn't of much interest to either.
Animation
is well-utilized, and the designs are very nice. The music, particularly the catchy
opening theme, is a bright spot. As is the norm with many shows that are based
off of video game concepts, the plot is so fundamentally lacking from the get-go,
there's really not much that the writers can do. While there are some nice episodes
involving Sakura's struggles in the troupe, others come out so desperately overwrought,
one gets the feeling the show's target audience might be children much younger
than all the weaponry and war machines suggest. In any case, despite some signs
of potential, it is not wise to expect much of anything from Sakura Wars.
