Our greatest weapon is growth
In the new Sakura Wars, Sakura’s growth is more evident than the other members of the team.
This is symbolized by her Reiko fighter plane.
Originally, due to budgetary issues, Sakura flew an older aircraft called the “Sanshiki Mitsutake”.
This aircraft was a prototype, so to speak, built by Kanzaki Heavy Industries with the transition from the Reiko Armor to the Reiko Fighter in mind.
Compared to the Mugen, which later became the standard aircraft for other members and the other Huagaidan reiko fighters, it was undeniably out of shape, and in fact was inferior in terms of power and reiko efficiency.
Perhaps reflecting this, its attack speed and firepower are high, but its attack range is very narrow, and it’s not suited to knocking down many enemies.
However, as the story progresses to the middle of the game, her overall strength improves dramatically as she switches to the Reiko fighter, “Tameshi Sakuratake”.
This allows the user to experience Sakura’s growth in a way that is easy to understand.
Common points with Sakura Shinguji
出典 : Amazon.co.jp
It is a natural human psychology that we want to be the same way to someone we admire.
In psychological terms, unconsciously imitating the facial expressions and actions of someone you like is called the mirroring effect, and imitating the characteristics and actions of someone you admire is called “identification,” and whether consciously or unconsciously, it is natural to imitate someone you have a liking for.
Sakura also makes several similarities with Shinguji Sakura due to this psychology.
Firstly, looks.
The cherry-patterned kimono, the wine-red hakama, and the ribbon on her head are exactly the same as Shinguji Sakura’s.
The fact that she has honed her swordsmanship and become a top-notch swordsman is probably due to her desire to be like Sakura.
The same is true for Sakura’s strong sense of justice and vivaciousness.
This is also the human nature that she acquired because she wanted to be close to Sakura Shinguji.
These are our conscious imitations, but there are similarities in what we think is unconsciousness.
Despite her innocent appearance, Shinguji Sakura was once quite a jealous girl, and Sakura shows this tendency as well.
The same is also true for her surprisingly out-of-the-box and dodgy nature.
And while this is probably completely coincidental, we can also see similarities in the weapons.
Sakura Shinguji’s Reiko armor excelled at using her special moves to round up multiple enemies, and Sakura’s Sanshiki Koumu has the same qualities.
It’s a kind of sympathy between those who carry the series’ signature.
However, their overall personalities aren’t very similar, and even when compared to the same 17 year old, Sakura seems more childlike.
Maybe it’s because of the environment she was brought up in and her best friend, but Sakura is a spoiled child.
This is one of the main differences between Sakura and Shinguji Sakura, and as long as she has this in her mind, she will never be able to truly compete with Shinguji Sakura, even if she were to surpass her in battle.
Summary
The character of Sakura Shinguji is the very image and symbol of Sakura Wars.
Above all, she is a heroine who has carried the series’ signature for over 20 years.
It’s not easy to line up with her, at least as it stands, and we haven’t even seen her back yet.
Still, if Amamiya Sakura is going to come close to her, she’ll need the help of the anime.
With that in mind, I’m looking forward to seeing more of Sakura in the anime!
