You’re on in five, Ms. Amamiya
Sega seems filled with renewed confidence in itsSakura Warsbrand. After years of silence, 2020 has seenthe launch of a new PS4 game,a brand new anime, andsome delightful merchbased around the long-running, closely-held franchise. It would also seem that the publisher is just getting started.
The 14thSakura Warsstreamwas held this past weekend to coincide with the premiere of the aforementioned anime’s final episode. While the stream was mostly focused on the TV show itself, various remarks were made suggesting that there were plans for the Imperial Combat Revue going forward. Specifically,Sakura Warsseries producer Tetsu Katano referenced a recent Sega survey, noting that fans are already clamouring for a sequel to the latestSakura Warsvideo game – a request that fills him and his team with the confidence to push forward. It’s probably worth remembering that Segarecently trademarkedseveral mystery titles, includingSakura Ishin(“Restoration”) andSakura Wars B.L.A.C.K.
The final episode of the TV series featured a teasing “stinger,” suggesting that the animated adventures of Sakura, Hatsuo, Claris and co. are set to continue. This will come as great news toSakura Warsmusic director Kohei Tanaka, who stated during the stream that he never wants to stop composing songs for the series. Oh, and speaking of music, it also appears that theSakura Warsstage show– previously cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic – is now scheduled to return in winter 2020.
In summary, it appears that whileSakura Warswill never become the global blockbuster brand that Sega might hope, it has a legion of passionate and dedicated fans, alongside a crew who clearly want to continue their work into the next generation. Despite the PS4 title’s undeniable gameplay flaws,I still had a wonderful timebeing introduced to the world ofSakura Wars, so here’s hoping 2020 represents a new dawn for this very special franchise.
Sakura Warsis available now on PS4. Thanks toDualShockersfor the info and translations.
