Sakura Revolution Reveals More About the Taishou Future

Sakura Revolution, the new mobile game spinoff of Sakura Wars from Fate/Grand Order developer Delightworks, uploaded a new trailer detailing the backstory for its plot. Aired earlier during the “Aogashima Command Communique” livestream, the three minute-long trailer narrates the events preceding the game’s time period, which is set roughly 75 years into the “future” of Sakura Wars‘ alternative past.

Check out the trailer below, along with our synopsis of the narration:

The Sakura Revolution trailer is titled “History of the Great Imperial Combat Revue,” and starts around the 70th year of the Taishou era (the real-life Taishou era ended around year 14). The Imperial Combat Revue has been mostly operating under its “cover”, as the Imperial Opera Troupe. The group, commanded by its top star, Kirin Aoshima, is joined by a young woman named Nadeshiko Sakura, mother of the game’s heroine, Shino Sakura. Aoshima retired in Taishou year 77, leaving command of the Troupe to Nadeshiko.

In Taishou year 84 (16 years prior to the events of the game), the Imperial Capital Calamity strikes. A massive explosion engulfs the Tokyo in flame, burning the Great Imperial Theater (home base of the Imperial Opera Troupe/Combat Revue), and also disables the steam and Spiricle technologies that Japan relied on. Unthinkable was followed by unthinkable, as somehow a rebellion rose up in the wake of the disaster, led by none other than Nadeshiko Sakura and the Imperial Combat Revue.

The disaster that forms the background of Sakura Revolution had another effect: The birth of “Mirai”, a new energy source to replace steam and Spiricle-based tech, that promised prosperity for the nation, under prime minister Kira Tokisane. To accompany the rebirth and push further advances, Tokisane reestablishes the Imperial Combat Revue, as the “Great Imperial Combat Revue B.L.A.C.K.”. The women of B.L.A.C.K. perform on stage to heal the hearts of the people, while also piloting new “Spiricle Suits” to defend the capital against “Kouki”, a new type of demon lurking in the shadows of the still-recovering city.

In Taishou year 100 (about 2011 CE, and the year of Sakura Revolution‘s start), Yoshitaka Ooishi is appointed commander of B.L.A.C.K. by PM Tokisane, and given his first order: The apprehension of the terrorist Sakura Nadeshiko.

Given that Sakura Revolution generally appears to cast B.L.A.C.K. as an antagonistic faction so far, it’s worth pointing out that the narration is squarely framed from the perspective of the government, as if it were propaganda shown by the Tokisane administration. This is contrasted with the tone and framing of the prologue anime episode aired during the game’s initial reveal, which also had Yoshitaka Ooishi going to Aogashima island to meet with Shino, his role similar to the old Sakura Wars viewpoint/player characters (Ichiro Ohgami and Shinjiro Taiga). More is planned to be revealed in another livestream event on October 16, 2020.

Sakura Revolution is slated for a 2020 release on Android and iOS in Japan. No international release has been announced. Check out more details about the gameplay and other trailers in our previous report.