Sakura Wars Vol. 4: Intermission 2000 ADV Films Official US Website Buy It Now Official Japanese Website

It might just be me, but it seems like the Sakura Wars television series is flying by in terms of releases. It doesn’t feel like it was that long ago that I happily popped the first disc of the series in the DVD player, anxious to finally see the series from the very beginning, and nowhere we sit with the fourth volume, “Intermission, “ which takes the series up to the 17^th episode. With a scant few episode left, one would think that maybe the series is going to grow tired, but that really isn’t the case at all, and being a huge fan of the series, I can honestly say that it not only gets better, but it gets more interesting as well.

So far, we’ve seen that overall, the girls still haven’t quite gotten the hang of using their Koubu in battle yet. This has resulted in having them train rigorously, and you’d think that now they may be ready for combat, but that’s not the case at all. In yet another two battles, the members of the Teikoku Kagekidan get their butts handed to them again, and of course Sumire still can’t manage to learn that there’s more than just her on the team. However, the minor victories filled with casualty aren’t really a bad thing at all in this case.

First off, we have Iris who has yet to set foot on the battlefield due to the fact that she’s really somewhat afraid of the Koubu. But, with her friends in danger, we finally see what she’s capable of, and that involves her incredible teleporting abilities. Of course, she eventually comes around, but her spirit power is just as intense as what Sakura’s was, meaning that Kohran is going to have to revamp the unit so that it can handle her. We also finally get a look at whose behind some of demon attacks, and it happens to be someone that was once very close to the Teikoku Kagekidan way before the girls were involved and even before the Koubu were even created. This leads to a nice flashback episode involving Sakura’s father as well as Ayame and Yoneda.

One particular episode may seem very familiar when we find Sakura needing to immediately return back home to Sendai in order to have her sword repaired. The whole thing feels like the final episode from the second OVA series where a homecoming resulted in everyone else thinking that she was getting married. However, the episode is completely different and stands very well on its own.

There’s a couple of cultural thing here just in case you’re interested. The new ending, with it’s strange animation, actually is a slight homage to the many Japanese festivals that take place across the country. That’s the significance with the outfit that Kanna is wearing as well as much of the imagery. Of course, if you want to get a more humorous take on these festivals, I’d highly recommend picking up another ADV release, Colorful, and while it may not give the details, it will at least enlighten you to some aspects. Also, Saiyuki makes a brief appearance, although I’m not talking about the anime. Just in case you already didn’t know, Saiyuki is a very famous Chinese story that has appeared quite often in Japanese anime, and was the template for Dragonball Z and of course, the Saiyuki series.

The extras of course don’t really come on the disc itself. While it does have the usual contents of a clean open and a clean close, once again the real meat is the production note booklet. Though I will have to mention that yellow text and art on a white background isn’t the best color combination, there still is quite a bit here. There are the usual drawings of the cast members, but also notes on the Spirit Armor as well as the Imperial Anti-Kouma Squad that makes a brief appearance from days past. Really, these do a great job on occasionally filling in some background details on elements that most of us probably wouldn’t otherwise know.

Sakura Wars really does keep getting better, and with a lot of information revealed here, as well as the introduction of a new foe, as well as the return of an old one, it’s obvious that the next volumes are going to be even more fantastic. This is girl power in a whole different style, minus annoyances like magical wands and whining main characters. If you still haven’t started to collect this series, or felt that it wasn’t going anywhere in the previous episodes, this volume is the one that should change opinions.

Episode 14 – Iris Goes Forth

The threat of the Wakiji comes about again, but the girls think that they are ready for it. Iris however still isn’t quite ready for combat, and stays behind. However, the balance quickly shifts from being on the side of the Teikoku Kagekidan to being with the enemy when a new opponent appears from the past, even from before the Koubu were a part of the battle.

Episode 15 – Sakura's Return to her Homeland

Since her sword was damaged in the groups’ recent battle with Aoi Satan, Sakura returns home to have the blade fixed. Sakura however must undergo a test while the blade is subjected to the centuries old ritual that may restore it to its former glory. It’s time to shine or fade, as Sakura must rely on all the things her father taught her.

Episode 16 – Anti-Kouma Squad

Before the Wakiji and before the Koubu, there was the Imperial Anti-Kouma Squad. This episode is a flashback revealing the past between Ayame, Yoneda, Kazuma Shinguji (Sakura’s father), and Shinosuke Yamazaki, the man who would become Aoi Satan.

Episode 17 – Overture

The Wakiji are out once again, but this time the battle is going to become even more heated. Aoi Satan resurrects the Crimson Miroku, a foe that the girls once defeated. Now, in her undead state, Miroku has a thirst for revenge, and her target is Sumire.

-mike-