| Sakura Wars: The Movie | |
|---|---|
 Japanese film poster | |
| Directed by | Mitsuru Hongo |
| Screenplay by | Mitsuru Hongo Hiroyuki Nishimura Nobuhisa Terado Oji Hiroi |
| Based on | Sakura Wars by Oji Hiroi |
| Produced by | Tetsuo Uchida |
| Starring | Chisa Yokoyama Michie Tomizawa Urara Takano Kumiko Nishihara Yuriko Fuchizaki Mayumi Tanaka Maya Okamoto Kazue Ikura Ai Orikasa |
| Cinematography | Kōji Tanaka |
| Edited by | Junichi Uematsu |
| Music by | Kohei Tanaka |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Toei Company |
Release date |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Budget | ¥500 million |
| Box office | ¥2.8 billion |
Sakura Wars: The Movie[a] is a 2001 Japanese animated action-adventure film produced by Production I.G and distributed by Toei Company based on the video game franchise published by Sega. Directed by Mitsuru Hongo, and written by Hongo, Hiroyuki Nishimura, Nobuhisa Terado and Oji Hiroi, Sakura Wars: The Movie stars the voices of Chisa Yokoyama, Michie Tomizawa, Urara Takano, Kumiko Nishihara, Yuriko Fuchizaki, Mayumi Tanaka, Maya Okamoto, Kazue Ikura, and Ai Orikasa. A sequel to Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning?, it follows the Imperial Combat Revue's Flower Division as they team up with new recruit Ratchet Altair to defend the division's existence from the schemes of the American Douglas-Stewart company.
Production I.G had previously collaborated with the Sakura Wars developers on cutscenes for the video game series since Sakura Wars 2: Thou Shalt Not Die. The aim was to create an experience impossible to achieve with either the video games or other released media. Production lasted three years, with a budget of ¥500 million. Announced in 1999 alongside Is Paris Burning? and other Sakura Wars anime projects, the film was heavily promoted in Japan. The film was released in Japan on December 22, 2001, and it was a financial success. It was licensed for a North American home media release in 2002 by Pioneer Entertainment, with later releases handled by Funimation. It was praised by critics for its animation and music, but the plot and characters were negatively received.
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