Sakura Wars: The Gorgeous Blooming Cherry Blossoms

Sakura Wars: The Gorgeous Blooming Cherry Blossoms
Cover of the first VHS
サクラ大戦 ～桜華絢爛～
(Sakura Taisen: Ōka Kenran)
Original video animation
Directed byTakaaki Ishiyama
Produced by
  • Masaki Sawanobori
  • Emi Sasaki
  • Kazumi Kawashiro
  • Motohiko Houjou (1)
  • Yasuaki Nagoshi (2–4)
Written by
  • Hiroyuki Kawasaki
  • Satoru Akahori
Music byKohei Tanaka
StudioRadix & Animate Film
Licensed by
Released December 18, 1997 – July 25, 1998
Runtime25–30 minutes
Episodes4 (List of episodes)
Related works

Sakura Wars: The Gorgeous Blooming Cherry Blossoms (サクラ大戦 ～桜華絢爛～, Sakura Taisen: Ōka Kenran) is a 1997 Japanese original video animation (OVA) produced by Animate Film, Bandai Visual, and Sega and animated by Radix. It ran for four episodes and is the first OVA based on the Sakura Wars video games. The episodes were released in VHS and LaserDisc formats.

The OVA was announced as the first joint product to result from the proposed merger between Sega (owner of the Sakura Wars franchise) and Bandai (Bandai Visual's parent company).[1] Though the merger was called off shortly afterwards,[2] the OVA project proceeded as planned. ADV Films announced they had licensed the OVA series in North America in May 1998 at Project A-Kon 9;[3] it was the first piece of Sakura Wars media made officially available in the region.

It depicts the formation of the Imperial Assault Troupe's Flower Division leading up to the beginning of the original game where the player character takes command of the unit.

  1. ^ "Goin' Hollywood". GamePro. No. 105. IDG. June 1997. pp. 18, 20.
  2. ^ "Acquisition of Bandai by Sega Called Off". The New York Times. 28 May 1997. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  3. ^ "Elevator Action Anyone?". ADV Films. 1998-06-02. Archived from the original on 7 December 1998. Retrieved 2022-07-06.