So, um… how… do we combine these mottos? “Aqours, sanjou!”? “Teikoku Kagekidan, Sunshine!”? Decisions, decisions…

Earlier today, Sega announced that they will host a collaboration campaign between their long-running Sakura Wars franchise, and Love Live! Sunshine!!. Sega will launch several initiatives that will run from October 27 through December 9, including:

• A Game Center Promo
• UFO Catcher Prizes
• A Collaboration Cafe
• Collaboration Merchandise

We break the details down below.

Campaign Visuals

Hanamaru will take center stage for the campaign, appearing in the Teikoku Kagekidan battle gear, alongside a Koubu mech that wields a pickaxe.

New illustrations of Hanamaru, as well as the Koubu were also revealed, which you can check out below.

Game Center Promos

Sega Game Center attendees across Japan will receive one of two postcards, depending on the dates in which they attend.

Postcards

10/27/2018 – 11/16/2018

The first postcard features a front-facing shot of Hanamaru, who is standing before her Koubu. The scene is framed in a gold-colored border.

11/17/2018 – 12/9/2018

The image featurs a portrait shot of Hanamaru in her TeiGeki uniform, standing before the Ginza Imperial Theater and a Sega Game Center. Below her is a dialogue box, which reads “Maru to issho ni shutsugeki, zura!” (“Maru is joining the sortie, zura!”) The entire scene is presented in the style of a typical in-game Sakura Wars dialogue.

UFO Catcher Giveaways

Cell Phone Straps

Players who spend 1,500 yen in UFO catcher machines will receive a rubber cell phone strap, which features one of the members of Aqours in TeiGeki battle gear.

Nine designs will be offered in all. Each of the Aqours members’ colors corresponds to those of a member of Sakura Wars‘ Teikoku Kagekidan (presented in parentheses):

• Chika: White (Ichiro Ogami)
• Riko: Pink (Sakura Shinguji)
• Kanan: Green (Ri Kohran)
• Dia: Red (Kanna Kirishima)
• You: Light Blue (Reni Milchstraße)
• Yohane: Black (Maria Tachibana)
• Hanamaru: Yellow (Iris Chateaubriand)
• Mari: Purple (Sumire Kanzaki)
• Ruby Kurosawa: Deep Pink (Soletta Orihime)

In addition, Ruby is carrying Iris’s teddy bear, Jean-Paul.

Clear Files

Fans who spend 500 yen on UFO Catcher machines will receive a clear file, featuring one of the members of Aqours in TeiGeki battle gear, and standing alongside a Koubu. Eleven designs will be offered in all.

UFO Catcher Prizes

Two waves of UFO Catcher prizes will be offered through the campaign.

10/27/2018 – 11/16/2018

Mini Cushion Cell Phone Straps (9 Designs)

Travel Mugs (10 Designs)

Cushion

11/17/2018 – 12/9/2018

Die-Cut Acrylic Cell Phone Strap (9 Designs)

Unlike other merchandise items, these are not specifically related to Sakura Wars.

Muffler Towel

Cafe

A collaboration café will open its doors on the seventh floor of Sega Akihabara 3rd store, and will run from October 27 through December 9. The café will serve food and drinks based on the cross-over. Several food and drink items have been shown off already, which you can check out below.

Cafe Visual

The image features Hanamaru with her Koubu, set against a faded pink background that resembles the gradient on the title screen from the first Sakura Wars game. Several cherry blossom petals flutter by, as the two are framed by a golden border.

Giveaways

Customers who purchase a meal will receive a plate holder, which features Hanamaru.

Customers who purchase a beverage will receive a free character coaster, which features one of the members of Aqours in TeiGeki battle gear.

Folks who buy a dessert will receive one of three parfait cup coasters, which features either the first year (left), second year (middle), or third year (right) members of Aqours.

Customers who spend more than 2,000 yen at the merchandise section will receive a free clear photo card. There are four designs in all: one for each class, as well as a full group shot.

Food

Hanamaru-chan no Sakura Taisen Omelet” (Left), Koubu Hanamaru Sandwich (Right)

Both items will be priced at 1,200 yen

Love Live! Sunshine!! Parfaits

Parfaits based on the first year (left), middle year (middle), and third year (right) members of Aqours will be offered, each of which will carry a 1,000 yen price tag.

Character Beverages

Beverages based on each of the members of Aqours will be offered for 600 yen each.

Merchandise

Merchandise will be offered at the café in two waves, with each piece being available while supplies last, or until the end of the campaign.

Wave 1 (10/27/2018)

Microfiber Towels

Eleven designs will be offered, which will carry a 600 yen price tag.

Acrylic Pin

Ten designs will be offered – one for each of the members of Aqours, plus one mystery design – which will each be priced at 540 yen.

Coaster Holder

The coaster holder will cost 1,000 yen. This first version will feature Hanamaru and her Koubu.

Bromide/Photo Card holder

Two types of bromide holder will be offered, which will each cost 1,400 yen. One will feature Hanamaru, while the other will include all members of Aqours.

Kinchaku Purse

Three Kinchaku purse designs will be sold, each of which will be priced at 700 yen.

Wave 2 (11/10/2018)

Coaster Holder

A second design for the coaster holder will hit the merch counters, which will carry a 1,000 yen price tag. This new version will include all members of Aqours.

Large Coaster Holder

Three designs for the large coaster holder will be offered: One will feature the Sakura Wars branding, while the other two will be general Aqours items. All three will cost 1,600 yen each.

Double Coaster Holder

Nine Double Coaster Holders will be offered, none of which will feature the Sakura Wars branding. These will cost 1,600 yen each.

A new Sakura Wars game is in the works, and tentatively slated to launch prior to March 31, 2019. The game, titled Shin Sakura Taisen, was unveiled on April 14, during the “Sega Fes” fan event.

According to the presentation, the game will “inherit the DNA” of previous entries in the series. The game will be set in Tokyo in the year 1940 (Taisho 29, in the game’s lore, as the Taisho era only lasted 15 years overall). Further details will be announced at a later date.

Sakura Taisen is an original project by Sega CS2 R&D (later Overworks) and Red Entertainment. Ohji Hiroi (Moeyo Ken, Far East of Eden), Satoru Akahori (Saber Marionette J, Martian Successor Nadesico), and Kosuke Fujishima (Ah! My Goddess, You’re Under Arrest!) are listed as the original creators of the franchise.

The first title appeared on the Sega Saturn in 1996. The initial entry, while released only in Japan at the time, was estimated to have a 200,000 lifetime sales goal. The title sold 205,270 units in its opening week, which was roughly 57% of the launch shipment. At the time, the title was seen as having the largest debut for a Sega title to date. It would go on to move 359,485 copies throughout the Saturn’s lifespan.

Since then, the title has gone on to spawn:

• Five main-line titles
• Fifteen spin-off games
• An anime TV series by Madhouse
• Five anime OVA series
• Seven manga and light novel adaptations
• Sixteen high-profile live stage shows

The final main-line title in the series, Sakura Wars V: So Long, My Love was released in North America by NIS America. The title is available on Sony’s PlayStation 2, as well as Nintendo Wii console.

Source: Twitter (SEGA_OFFICIAL), Crunchyroll  – Thanks to L.B. Bryant, Dawn (Anime Nostalgia Podcast), LettuceKitteh, and many others for the heads-up!