2020-05-08, 13:49 | Link #21 |
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Join Date: Apr 2006
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Episode 6:
So Black Cape's identity is revealed, but not to a whole lot of surprise. There's still a lot of questions about who sent Black Cape after Klara, why Klara is so valuable, etc. We get to see the boy that White Cape rescued earlier in the series, but we don't know why he was rescued exactly. There was a nice ballet sequence around 5 minutes in. I wonder who they hired to motion capture that one. |
2020-05-16, 16:11 | Link #26 | |
Honya-kun
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Clinton, Maryland
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As for not much happening in the show, two things to say here. 1. With Sakura Wars, the first half intends to be more focused on the characters, with the plot taking center stage in the second half. 2. Slowly but surely, we do have a basic idea of what's going on in the main plot: Clara has some sort of power that, while it has beneficial aspects (i.e. bringing life to an old Sakura tree, strengthening Claris' magic abilities), is also resulting in demons being attracted to her and the Moscow Revue wanting her to point of sending robots to abduct her.
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2020-05-16, 19:52 | Link #27 | |
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Join Date: Apr 2006
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Yes, Itsuki and Hiromi are side characters. Seeing them in this episode was good, but they should have been present earlier in the series. I have a feeling this might be the only time we see them in the anime series. Come to think of it, where are the Shanghai Combat Revue members? Did they leave their restaurant HQ behind in Tokyo and go join up with WLOF on a permanent basis? What about Lancelot and Elise, whom we haven't seen since the first episode? I hope that the last four episodes are all focused on the main plotline. This series has not been very good at making its writing attention-grabbing. The fact that it can't really afford to focus on any one heroine (because the player might have chosen differently during the game) also doesn't help matters either. |
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2020-05-22, 16:25 | Link #29 | |
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Join Date: Apr 2006
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What really stood out to me this time were the apparent budget cuts to this episode. We see next to none of Hatsuho and Leyla dancing. We saw more of Leyla dancing in a previous episode when she was dancing a pas de deux with Kaminski. I would actually like to have seen Leyla participate in the bread race/obstacle course against Azami. Of course it would have been inelegant of Leyla, but actually seeing the two of them do that kind of race in the platforms Azami usually wears and the platform high heels Leyla wears would actually be kind of interesting. Sakura surviving that fall without being caught was a complete Deus Ex Machina (though it was foreshadowed in the opening sequence). That would have been a good opportunity for White Cape to catch her instead. I also think it's a waste to show Elise and Margarethe in a cameo without giving them spoken lines. Their voice actresses are two of the most famous around. Maybe it was a budget decision? Last edited by Mazryonh; 2020-05-22 at 18:03. |
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2020-05-23, 01:46 | Link #32 | |
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Join Date: Apr 2013
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Most likely the final episodes will focus more on the plot. The story formula in the franchise often saves the serious plot and action for last, with earlier content being focused on the character interactions + fluff. I understand the franchise's prime appeal in Japan is the fanservice, the characters easygoing bonding/interacting amidst the villain of the week content. Word is the anime was much better received with the local Japanese fanbase compared to the game (some were furious at how Shin wrote out the previous casts from Games 1-5). The 2ndary appeal was the focus on its alt-era Taisho period; the nostalgia of "early 20th century Japan that could've been". |
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2020-05-23, 11:48 | Link #33 | |||
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Join Date: Apr 2006
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2020-05-23, 12:51 | Link #34 | |
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Join Date: Apr 2013
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Nearly all* Sakura Wars anime media were written as direct tie-ins/spinoffs of the game that are more character-focused (esp. on the female team members). It assumes the BD buyers are diehard fans willing to spend money to see the further adventures/fluff of the Sakura Wars cast. The plot is important, but it's always been somewhat of a 2ndary feature in the story. (*except the 2000 TV anime, which was purposely written as a darker, more serious, alt-universe version of the 1st Sakura Wars game). Someone on a Sakura Wars Discord channel said it was because of the diehard fans' poor initial reception to the game when it first came out in Japan - they were pissed the pre-established cast of the previous games were written out to justify the new game putting in a new cast. Apparently SW's veteran writer, Ishii Jirou, got a lot of internet harassment/death threats over the story. I'm not too clear on actual details; perhaps you could join the discord to get more indepth answers. https://discord.com/channels/5764578...23801839927308 As for political situations: Spoiler for Political situations:
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2020-05-23, 13:38 | Link #35 | ||
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Join Date: Apr 2006
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The political situations could have fooled me regarding what is on display in the new game and the series. Spoiler for Discussion of Spoilers:
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2020-05-23, 23:57 | Link #36 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
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I wouldn't take the political situations too seriously for this kind of franchise; it's less about the historical accuracy and how brightly eye-catching you can make the designs while still loosely reflecting the country's cultures. Otherwise, you'd have to ask the artists themselves why they chose those type of designs.
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2020-05-24, 10:31 | Link #37 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
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2020-05-29, 11:05 | Link #38 |
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Join Date: Apr 2006
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Episode 9: Well, it seems they were saving at least some of the budget for the fights in this episode. We get to see the Flower Division go all-out against the Moscow Revue's Koubu, and even get to see White Cape and Leyla (without her mech, for some reason) join in on the action.
Thanks to Kamiyama's investigation in Russia, Klara's and Leyla's true natures are revealed, just like the title of this episode says. Kaminski unleashes some of his floating fortress' full power on the Flower Division, which is a sight to behold. It looks like Kamiyama might not actually make it back in time for the rest of the series, unfortunately, and it doesn't look like we'll see more of the other Combat Revues' members either. Sakura's old Koubu is shown in the next episode preview. It was shown to be disabled at some point in the game, but now it looks like it will make another appearance. |
2020-05-30, 10:19 | Link #40 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
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Chibi artwork depicting the current conflict:
Spoiler for Current conflict:
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I found the anime's lore expansion on kouma-human relations (esp. peaceful humanoid ones like Naoya and their allies like Murasame) quite interesting, esp. since (iirc) previous games only summed up kouma as feral darkness creatures to be destroyed all the time and never expanded beyond that. Makes you wonder if future game instalment stories will take this into account as well. |
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adaptation, alternate history |
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