It is the age of the steam engines, an age of progress and prosperity, and everything seems to be just fine. But secretly, the evil forces are preparing their attack...

       The hopes of the Capital Defence Force lie within the new weapons developed by Kanzaki Heavy Industries: the armed airship Shogei Maru, the bullet train Goraigo, and the spirit armour Kobu. A strong spirit is required to control the Kobu, that's where a group of six young girls and a boy ^__^ come in: Sakura Shinguji, trained in the Northern Long Blade Style all her life, Sumire Kanzaki, trained in the Kanzaki Raising Wind Naginata Technique since childhood days, Maria Tachibana, an excellent gunner, Iris Chateaubriand, a psychic girl with skills in telekinesis and teleportation, Ri Kouran, a genius in electrical and steam engineering and chemicals, Ohgami Ichirou, a former navy, and Kanna Kirishima, a martial artist of amazing strength in the 28th generation of the Kirishima Martial Arts School. They're the Capital Defence Force's Floral Assault Group. The headquarter of the Capital Defence Force lies in the new theater in Tokyo, and the six girls work as actresses there. Though doubtful and uneasy about each other, they soon become a good team, on stage as well as in combat.

       Sakura Wars is an excelent anime series although there may be some flaws here and there. So I recomend this anime to you!

Characters

        Sakura Shinguji - Sakura is the main cast of the Hanagumi team although she's a newcomer in the team. Her father Shinguji Kazuma was the former member of the Anti-Demon Force during the First Demon Wars. Because of her family bloodline to slay demons, she was recruited into the Hanagumi team. Her family was also the Urago Sanke, which means the Three Royal Insider Families who need to work and ensure the survival of Imperial Japan. She is the last descendant of that family. Sumire did not like her and always scold her country pumpkin at first but later; Sumire slowly acknowledged her and her strength to the Hanagumi. In addition to her powerful spiritual power, she also inherited the art of Hokushin Ittouryuu, which means The Northern Star Sword Style from her father. She had an enchanted sword named Arataka, which means Wild Falcon. In fact, she is supposed to be the most powerful member in the Hanagumi.
        Her kobu is pink in colour and weld a big katana. During the early part of the story, she is not able to control her kobu well and caused troubles to the team. In time to come, she was able to control it.

        Ohgami Ichirou - He's the captain of the Hanagumi Group. He was handpicked by Oritsune Hanakouji to lead the Hanagumi due to his great spiritual power to control the Kobu. When he just came in, he was shocked to know that he need to lead a bunch of girls. Needless to say, he tried to make friends with the girls but found it very hard to keep the girls together. In the end, he has to check tickets, maintain the backstage and patrol the theater at night! ^__^
       His Kobu is white in colour and uses two long swords as a weapon. Ideally, His most powerful move is to combine with Sakura!

        Maria Tachibana - Maria was one of the first few female who joined the Hanagumi team. Ayame who found her working as a bodyguard in Manhattan, U.S, recruited her. She was the initial commander of the Hanagumi but she found it hard to control the rest of her comrades because all of them are girls. That is why she requested to Ayame to get a commander to replace her in the OVA. She is also a great friend of Kanna because they were the first to join the Hanagumi. She joined the rebel army during the 1917 Russian revolution. After seeing her brother being killed in a battle, she fled Moscow to the U.S. Because of this incident, she kept away her personal feelings and always appeared to be cool and unemotional. She had her way with revolvers and is a master gunman. Her favourite revolver is Enfield MKI Star revolver.
       Maria's kobu is dark purple in colour and had a very big cannon on the right arm. It shoots out ice and freeze anything in its path.

        Sumire Kanzaki - Sumire is the only daughter of the rich and powerful Kanzaki Shigeki, who owned the Kanzaki Heavy Industries. Because of her rich background, she was able to do and had what she wants. She always gets into quarrel and arguements with the rest of the members of the Hanagumi especially Kanna. But the fact is that Kanna eventually became her best "loggerhead". Surprisingly, she was the one who made the Kobu's experiment worked during the initial stage. For your information, Her father's Kanzaki Heavy Industries were the one who built the first kobu. Sumire other than her great spiritual power, she was strictly taught in the art of Kanzaki Kazachiriryuu style, which means the Kanzaki Wind Dust Style. It is a form of long katana fighting skill only in the Kanzaki family.
       Sumire's kobu is violet in colour and weld a big halberd. She is able to use the Kanzaki Wind Dust Style together with her kobu.

        Iris Chateaubriand - Iris is the only daughter of rich and powerful Count Chateaubriand of France. She is also the youngest member of the Hanagumi. Because she possesses unusual psychic power, Ayame managed to persuade her parents to allow her to come to Japan to learn how to control her power. When in Japan, she brought along her teddy bear named Jean Paul and it became her best "friend" in Japan. Iris spiritual power is the strongest in the Hanagumi. She likes to be treated as an adult and likes Ohgami a lot. She will always cling onto him.
       Iris's kobu is yellow in colour. During the early part of the series, her kobu right arm had a gun attached to it but later part she there was no weapon on her kobu.

        Kanna Kirishima - Kanna is the only daughter of Kirishima Takuma, who's the 27th successor of the Ryukyu Kirishima Karate style. Kanna is suppose to take over as the 28th successor. Ayame recruited her early together with Maria. She overheard the news of her father who died under the hands of a rival. She then rushed back to Okinawa to avenge her father's death. Sumire will always get to her and often end up into fights in the series. Kanna is well versed in the Ryukyu Kirishima Karate style. Because of her big physical body, she eats a lot. She is magnanimous, frank and is very open towards things in life. Although she was strictly trained under her father in physical strength, she has not lost her femininity.
       Kanna's kobu is red in colour and had two magnet-like arm for hand to hand combat use.

        Koran Li - Koran is born in Beijing, China. When she was young, she was fascinated by the high technology of Japan and later was recruited by Ayame. During the start of the OVA, she did not join the Hanagumi first but was in the Hanayashiki branch. When she was there, she assisted in the development of kobu and the various equipment used by the Hanagumi team members. She joined the Hanagumi later to fight. She likes to invent things but often got blown up by her own inventions. She is more of a easygoing person.
       Her kobu is green in colour and had various explosives together with a pair of missile launchers on the back.

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