Raimuiro Senkitan: Sakura Wars Rip-off?!

[jennwenn]

From descriptions, this new January 2003 series Raimuiro Senkitan (aka Lime-iro Senkitan) looks like a MAJOR SK RIP-OFFF!!!

Can anyone confirm? Or is this series actually in the SK timeline?

Here's the dirty annoying copy-cat elements I've heard of:
-girls use spirit mechs
-girls have a performing/singing career outside of the mech war
-girls are caricatures: traditional Japanese one, smart one, young genki one
-one lone commander guy
- similar alternate history time period


Ok that is NOT a coincidence.

[Oogami Ichirou]

Wow that does sound like a major rip-off. I'm hoping they are related somehow otherwise I'm gonna be mad...

[jennwenn]

Well I've seen the first episode, and I'm still convinced they borrow HEAVILY from Sakura Wars. Even the opening theme features the female leads singing in a similar style!

However, there are some differences. I haven't seen signs of any opera/singing careers yet. There is a male commander, but there is also a male teacher who doesn't really have a counter-part in Sakura Wars. *gasp* An original element, or is he another Ohgami clone?

The spirit mechs are also different in that they appear when the girls are ready to fight and aren't piloted inside but mentally controlled. And they're ugly, but so are SW's mechs. Only these ones aren't as cute.

As for the first episode, it was ok. Except for the excessive fanservice, I found it tolerable. But I can't really discount the fanservice. The pre-teen girl (forgot her name, the genki main one) shoves "falls" on her teacher who she says looks just like her big brother, um, repeatedly. A little, uh, bizarre but whatever rocks those lolicons' boats.

[fireguy]

Their are some similarities with sakura wars and raimuiro senkitan but these are of small importance. SW has spirit armour which they control from the inside while RS has projected spirit beings which they control from the outside. I would say the five girls in each might parrallel in each series but aren't completely alike. I should also note from what I have seen so far, the only time you see the girls in RS singing and dancing is in the opening and closing credits. Unlike SW they haven't made up a theatre house to conduct plays in because it is a bit hard when homebase for these girls is a battleship. The character Lt. Commander Date who runs the raimu squad dies in episode three I think and after this their teacher takes control of the squad. The ship that they are on is a mobile flying battleship. The amanohara (the ship) is controlled by a young girl (kuki) with certain powers (i believe she is a demon) but at the beginning she is asleep and they are unable to wake her up. Enter the newly arrived teacher. He awakens her with a kiss, but kuki requires more. To get the required energy she needs to get the ship flying she needs the teacher to sleep with her. This happens in episode two. Kuki also has three underlings that serve her.

I could write some more about RS but I wont, I will just say from my opinion the similarities are their in a small degree. Also I would put RS on a similar level to SW in regards to how good the show is overall. (As a sidenote I have seen RS up to episode 10.)

[jennwenn]

Good! It sounds like the story becomes more unique (and racy?!?!?) as it goes along. It looks like the "singing career" thing was misinformation (where was that site!?!?!). I'll follow more of Raimuiro Senkitan and find out. :D

(And DAMN it Date dies?!?!? He was cute. :bawling: They need to at least balance out the child-molesting fanservice with some hot bishounen or I'll have no motivation!!!! :( Ah well, that male teacher's still around...)