Sakura Wars: The Movie (2001): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2001, Sakura Wars: The Movie is an action, comedy, animation and science fiction film directed by Mitsuru Hongo, running about 85 minutes.

What it’s about. Following in the aftermath of a terrible Demon-Human war, turn of the century Japan is preparing a new fighting force in case the demons decide to return. A squadron of giant robots are built to be controlled by the spirit of the pilot, but it is discovered that the only people with sufficient spirit are young women. After recruiting a team of youths from around the world, the Japanese government decides to keep them a secret by disguising them as a theater troupe, thus requiring them to spend as much time memorizing Shakespeare as they do on military training.

Who’s in it. Sakura Wars: The Movie stars Chisa Yokoyama as Sakura Shinguji, Michie Tomizawa as Sumire Kanzaki, Urara Takano as Maria Tachibana and Kumiko Nishihara as Iris Chateaubriand, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 4.0/10, Sakura Wars: The Movie has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Crunchyroll and Crunchyroll Amazon Channel. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Sakura Wars: The Movie page.

If you liked it. Fans of Sakura Wars: The Movie tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.