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New Sakura Wars Anime Premieres on April 3

The official website for Shin Sakura Taisen the Animation, the television anime of the Shin Sakura Taisen (Project Sakura Wars in English) game, announced on Wednesday that the anime will premiere on Tokyo MX on April 3 at 10:00 p.m. The anime will also air later that night on BS11. The official Twitter account for the Sakura Wars franchise began streaming the opening and ending animation videos for the series.

Opening Theme: "Geki! Teikoku Kagekidan - Shinshо̄"

Ending Theme: "Sakura Yumemishi"

Cast members Ayane Sakura (Sakura), Maaya Uchida (Hatsuho), Hibiku Yamamura (Azami), Ayaka Fukuhara (Anastasia), and Saori Hayami (Claris) are performing the opening and ending theme songs. Nana Mizuki (Elise), Manami Numakura (Lancelot), and Sumire Uesaka (Huang Yui) are performing the ending theme song.

Manabu Ono (Sword Art Online: Alicization, The irregular at magic high school, The Asterisk War) is directing the anime at SANZIGEN. Tatsuhiko Urahata, who collaborated with Ono on the Saki and Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere anime, is in charge of series scripts alongside Ono. Kōhei Tanaka, the composer for much of the music of the game franchise (including the new game), is composing the anime's music.

The anime's character designers include Masashi Kudo (Bleach, Hayate the Combat Butler! Cuties), Takuya Chanohara (sub-character design for BanG Dream!), and Tatsuya Fukushima (animation director for Citrus). Fumihiro Katagai (Show By Rock!! Short!!, Princess Principal), Kanta Suzuki (Regalia: The Three Sacred Stars, Buddy Complex), and Mika Akitaka (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, City Hunter) are providing the mechanical designs. Mika Pikazo is designing the Moscow Assault Force characters. Katsunori Shimizu (Magical Girl Ore, Ikki Tousen: Extravaganza Epoch) is the sound director.

The main cast of the game — including Ayane Sakura, Yōhei Azakami, Maaya Uchida, Hibiku Yamamura, Ayaka Fukuhara, Saori Hayami, and Michie Tomizawa — are returning for the anime.

The Shin Sakura Taisen the Stage stage play adaptation of the game will run at Sōgetsu Hall in Tokyo from March 5 to 8 for a total of eight performances. Eiji Torakawa is directing the play, and Masahiro Norimine is in charge of choreography.

The game launched for the PlayStation 4 in Japan on December 12, and it will debut in the West on April 28. The game takes place in the 29th year of the fictionalized "Taisho" period of the franchise in the capital of Tokyo, 12 years after Sakura Wars V. Japan's actual Taisho period only lasted for 15 years, and the kanji used to write "Taisho" in Sakura Wars is different from the kanji used for the real Taisho period.

The game's protagonist is Seijuro Kamiyama, and the story follows him as he leads the New Imperial Assault Force. Kouma once again appear in the capital, and Assault Forces are created in towns all over the world.

The game inspired a manga adaptation by Koyori Noguchi that debuted in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump magazine on September 12.

Sources: Shin Sakura Taisen anime's website, Sakura Wars franchise's Twitter account via Gematsu