Benutzer:Syriex/EN/Sakura Wars
Sakura Wars (jap. サクラ大戦, Sakura Taisen) ist ein Japanisches Media Franchise erschaffen von Ouji Hiroi, für die sich Kōsuke Fujishima für das ursprüngliche Charakter Design verantwortlich zeichnet. Der Urpsrung des Franchise ist das gleichnahmige Videospiel, dessen Gameplay ein Mixtur aus Taktischem Strategiespiel und Dating Sim ist und war, welches 1996 von Red Company (heute Red Entertainment) entwickelt und von Sega für die Sega Saturn Videospiel Konsole veröffentlicht wurde. Das Franchise ist über die Zeit gewachsen, von weiteren Videospielen bis hin zu Anime Serien und Mangas. Sakura ist der Japanische Begriff für "Kirschblüte". Der Titel bedeutet wörtlich übersetzt "Großer Kirschblütenkrieg", aber er kann auch mehr frei übersetzt werden als "Der große Krieg unter den Kirschblüten".
Die ursprüngliche Hintergrundgeschichte, es heisst sie sei von der Shochiku Kagekidan[1] inspiriert, spielt in einem alternativen Tokio 1920iger Jahre. Sie dreht sich um die Abenteuer einer komplett weiblichen Eingreiftruppe bekannt als die Kaiserliche Blumen Sturmtruppe, die Teikoku Kagekidan (帝国華撃団), und ihrem Kampf gegen das böse das die Kaiserliche Hauptstadt Tokio ständig bedroht. Sie werden angeführt von Ichiro Ohgami, einem erst kürzlich graduierten Kaiserlichen Marine Fähnrich welcher der Truppe zugewiesen wurde aufgrund seiner einzigartigen Fähigkeit eine spezielle Form von Rüstung zu benutzen die normalerweise nur von Frauen die eine hohe spirituelle Energie besitzen gesteuert werden kann. Das Setting wurde schlussendlich auf weitere Orte ausgedehnt, zuerst Paris und im Rahmen des World Wide Sakura Taisen Projektes auf New York City.
Obwohl die Spiele der Serie niemals ausserhalb Japans veröffentlicht wurde, wurden verschiedene Manga's, OVA's, die Anime TV-Serie sowie der Animationsfilm von westlichen Studios bzw. Verlagen im Westen veröffentlicht. Ausserdem existieren zu der Spieleserie zu fast allen Teile englische Fan-Übersetzungs-FAQs, zu dem vierten Teil der Serie sogar eine deutsche Übersetzung.
Geschichte
Sakura Wars [2] spielt in einer fiktionalen Taishō-Zeit. 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 1900's with the effective utilization of steam. In particular, the Imperial Capital Tokyo, also known as Teito, 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.[3]
On Taisho Era 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,[4] 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 Grand Imperial Theater. 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".[5] The reasoning behind this was both spiritual and mental: song and dance were considered to be traditional methods that could suppress evil,[6] and the stage was likened to a battlefield where self-confidence is built.[7]
When the Imperial Assault Force went into service and had proven to be an effective means of defending Tokyo, other countries soon followed.[8] It began with the creation of the Paris Assault Force, with its base of operations located at a famous Parisian night club known as Les Chattes Noires. The New York Fighting Troupe was established at the Little Lip Theater 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.
Characters
⧼Seealso⧽Lua-Fehler in package.lua, Zeile 80: module 'strict' not foundList of Sakura Wars characters. Imperial Assault Force
Incepted on New Year's Day in 1922, the Imperial Assault Force (Japanisch:
Teikoku Kagekidan)[5] is the successor to the Imperial Army's Counter-Demon Team.[9] One of its founders, Lt. General Ikki Yoneda, commandeered the group until his retirement. It had two vice commanders, the first of which was Ayame Fujieda. After her death, her position was taken over by her younger sister, Kaede Fujieda.
By 1927, the Imperial Assault Force is composed of six official groups,[10] all of which serve different purposes within the organization. The anti-demon attack squad,[10], known as the Flower Division,[11] is the division that the series focuses much of its attention on early in the story. It is led by Lt. Junior Grade Ichiro Ogami, with Maria Tachibana acting as his vice captain. Other members include Sakura Shinguji, Sumire Kanzaki, Iris Chateaubriand, Ri Kohran, Kanna Kirishima, Orihime Soletta, and Reni Milchstraβe.
Other teams that play significant roles in the original storyline are the Wind Division, who are responsible for frontline support and transportation;[10] Moon Division, who provide support within the shadows;[12] and an unofficial group known as the Rose Division, who protect the Majinki.[13] The Wind Division members who are most recognized are Tsubaki Takamura, Kasumi Fujii, and Yuri Sakakibara, all of whom also perform secretarial work within the theater. Little is known about the Moon Division aside from its captain, Yuichi Kayama. Kotone Seiryuin, Yokihiko Ota, and Oka Kikunojo make up the entirety of the Rose Division, with Kotone as their squad leader.
Paris Assault Force
The Paris Assault Force (Japanisch: 巴里華撃団 Pari Kagekidan), established in 1926 as part of the European Municipal Defense Project,[8] is led by Countess Isabella "Grand Mere" Lilac. The Groupe Fleur de Paris stands as its armored force,[14] and is composed of Erica Fontaine, Glycine Bleumer, Coquelicot, Lobelia Carlini, and Hanabi Kitaoji. Ogami was assigned as its captain during its first few months of operation.
Mell Raison and Ci Caprice handle the secretarial work for Les Chattes Noires and provide assistance in battle. The maintenance of the spirit armors are overseen by the mechanic staff squad leader Jean Leo.
New York Fighting Troupe
Formed in 1928 with Michael Sunnyside as its commander, the New York Fighting Troupe (Japanisch: 紐育華撃団 New York Kagekidan) differs from other organizations in that their assault team is referred to as the Star Division.[15] Ratchet Altair was the original captain of the squad before she handed the position to Ensign Shinjiro Taiga. Gemini Sunrise, Sagitta Weinberg, Diana Caprice, Rikaritta Aries, and Kujou Subaru form the rest of the team.
The Rainbow Division, composed of Plum Spaniel and Yoshino Anri, provides the Star Division with support.[16] Gouchi Ou functions as the mechanical chief.
Gameplay
The story for the main video games are told in an episodic format, each with its own eyecatches and next episode previews, emulating the feeling of watching a Japanese anime. Eyecatches provide the player with the only way to properly track and save his progress, and are often used to indicate a switch between the game's two main gameplay modes, though this is not always the case.
Adventure Mode
Adventure mode allows the player to control the male squad leader of the assault force the game is focused upon. By visiting certain locations within a building or a city, he may interact with various characters by a system known as the Live Interactive Picture System (LIPS). LIPS presents the player with options to choose from during conversations, where choices made, including not having made a decision at all, adds or deducts "trust points" from the characters involved. These points have various effects throughout the game, including shaping the player's relationship with the rest of the cast and, ultimately, deciding the ending scene of the game.
Battle Mode
In the first two Sakura Wars games, the battle mode gameplay is similar to that of tactical role-playing games. The player gives commands to all attack squad members piloting a spirit armor in a square-based grid. Commands are arranged in groups, and only two commands from different groups can be issued for each turn. This had since evolved into a gridless action-point based combat scheme known as Active and Real-time Machine System (ARMS). In ARMS, a unit can move as far and attack as many as its action points would allow it, although some orders are still limited to once per turn.
A character's trust points also affect her status during battle. A unit performs better if the pilot has a higher trust rating for the squad leader.
If an attack squad member's unit is destroyed in battle, she is removed from the battlefield, and the player loses trust points with her. If the squad leader's unit is destroyed, or if the player fails to meet the given requirements, the game is over.
A Long Day
Before the main menu is shown, the game searches for a system file. If found, the player is asked to load the file; else, he is prompted to create one. Although optional, system files can be loaded into succeeding games in the series for continuity purposes. They also compile various events encountered by the player, such as movie files and mini-games, and provides access to this collection in a mode known as "A Long Day".
The mode appears on the main menu after the player saves into the system file for the first time. It allows the player to browse through the different items the system file has collected by visiting various locations in a limited area, similar to adventure mode, with each place having a particular use.
Franchise
There is an official Sakura Wars shop on the top floor of the Sega "GIGA" Amusement Center, located in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district. Called "Taisho Romando", the store sells only Sakura Taisen-related merchandise, such as costumes, toy models, art books, copies of the games and videos, posters, wall scrolls, and even snack foods. The store was recently upgraded to include the Sakura Cafe, which serves dishes featured and inspired by the setting and characters of Sakura Wars, such as "Coquelicot Coffee", which is served in Vietnamese style that is popular in France.
Notes and References
- ↑ Interview mit Ouji Hiroi, teilweise übesetzt zu finden auf der Takarazuka Revue Community LiveJournal Webseite. Abgerufen am 25. April 2007
- ↑ Der Titel lässt sich als "Der Große Krieg unter den Krischblüten" übersetzen, als Symbol dafür stehend das dass Spiel im Sommer startet, eine Zeit die in Japan vom aufblühen des Kirschblütenbaumes begleitet wird, dem Baum der in der Japanischen Sprache übersetzt sakura heisst. Siehe auch hanami.
- ↑ Kohran: "When you say Japan, you must be talking about Kanzaki Heavy Industries. They're the world leaders in steam-powered machinery. They've always fascinated me!" Sakura Taisen: Ouka Kenran, Act 1, "The Demon Wars Begin Again".
- ↑ Hanakoji: "After all, the Capital Defense Program’s approval was globally unanimous, and it was the first program to bring so many countries together." Sakura Taisen: Ouka Kenran, Act 1, "The Demon Wars Begin Again".
- ↑ a b The Japanese words for "Imperial Assault Force" (Japanisch: 帝国華撃団Teikoku Kagekidan) and "Imperial Opera Troupe" (Japanisch:帝国歌劇団Teikoku Kagekidan) 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.
- ↑ Hanakoji: "Classic Japanese dance was used as part of a ritual of offering to the gods, or to do away with evil spirits. If the young ladies performing the dance were pure, the power was much stronger. I’d like to use that strength to banish the evil shadows creeping over our city." Sakura Taisen: Ouka Kenran, Act 2, "The Cherry Blossom Spirit Attack"
- ↑ 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”
- ↑ a b 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.
- ↑ Oogami: "This TeikokuRikugun – TaiKoumaButai...... what kind of corps was it?" Fujieda: "Warriors in a time without Koubu who fought evil with swords or their own bodies...... An organization that became the predecessor to the TeikokuKagekidan." Sakura Taisen, Episode 7, "Decisive Battle – The Limit of Life!". Translated by Lando at GameFAQs.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-24.
- ↑ a b c Sakura Taisen 4 ~Koi Seyo, Otome~ Hanagumi Roman Gahou. Kodansha, 2002, ISBN4-06-339653-3., page 40
- ↑ The squad name "Flower Division" (Japanisch: 花組Hanagumi) is a pun reflective of the fact that the original members of the Teito Flower Division and the Paris Flower Division were all named after flowers.
- ↑ Kayama: "The corps that moves in secret, supporting the Hana-Gumi that normally fights on the front lines of the battlefield from the shadows, the Tsuki-Gumi......" Sakura Taisen 2 ~Kimi, Shinitamou koto Nakare~, Episode 8, “The Longest Day in Teito?!”. Translated by Kayama at GameFAQs.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-24.
- ↑ Yokihiko: "Protecting Japan’s ultimate sacred treasures that have been kept in the basement of the Great Imperial Theater......" Kikunojou: "The ‘Majinki’......" Kotone: "That...... is the mission of our secret corps of love and beauty, the Bara-Gumi!" Sakura Taisen 2 ~Kimi, Shinitamou koto Nakare~, Episode 8, “The Longest Day in Teito?!”. Translated by Kayama at GameFAQs.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-24.
- ↑ Sakura Taisen 3 ~Pari wa Moeteiru ka?~ Final Guide. Enterbrain, Inc., 2001, ISBN4-7577-0529-8., page 12
- ↑ The squad name "Star Division" (Japanisch: 星組 Hoshigumi) is another pun on the names of current and previous Star Division members, whose names are all related to the stars in some form.
- ↑ Plum: "Ufu fu fu, We’re members of the New York Floral Assault Squad, too. And that name is...... The New York Floral Assault Rainbow Division!" Anri: "We’ll provide support on the sides for everyone in the Star Division. So please ask anything of us." Sakura Taisen V ~Saraba, Itoshiki Hito yo~, Episode 1, "The Samurai Stands in New York". Translated by Tenchi at GameFAQs.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-24.
External links
- Sega's official Sakura Taisen Web site (in Japanese)
- ADV's Sakura Wars - The Website (in English)
- FUNimation's Sakura Taisen: Sumire Web site (in English)
- Pioneer's (Geneon's) Sakura Wars: The Movie Web site (in English)
- Taishou Legend - A English language resource and fansite
- Sega's official Sakura Taisen Cafe website (in Japanese)
- i-POLILIN Satoru Akahori Sakura Wars Series Advisor Site
- Vorlage:Moby game
- Vorlage:Ann anime
Vorlage:Start box Vorlage:S-awards Vorlage:Succession box Vorlage:End box
