Saraba Itoshiki Hito yo closes the Sakura Wars saga in New York. Melancholy charm, lovable squad and a luminous story. A touching farewell to a beloved family of heroes.
Your verdict
Category
Tactics1 player12+
Description
A Sega and Overworks tactical game released in 2005, the original Japanese edition of Sakura Taisen V Saraba Itoshiki Hito yo. The fifth and final main franchise entry on PS2, which transports the Combat Revue to 1920s New York. New captain Shinjiro Taiga joins the New York Star Combat Revue with Gemini, Sagitta, Subaru. The PS2 saga conclusion.
Sakura Taisen V - Saraba Itoshiki Hito yo review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
MAX
Story
★★★★★
"Masterful"
The fifth and last major entry transports the saga to 1920s New York. The art direction swaps the previous entries' European decorum for Jazz-Age America: Art Deco skyscrapers, Broadway signs, glitzy avenues, and a new combat troupe with mechs redesigned for the New World. This transatlantic change of scene, dazzling and modern, gives the series a fresh setting for its conclusion.
True to the series, Kohei Tanaka signs the score, but swaps the Parisian music-hall for the sounds of Broadway. Swinging big band, musical-theater brass, jazz rhythms and American-style sung numbers dress the New York revue, while the saga's traditional opening anthem takes on the accents of a transatlantic music-hall show. The theatrical music of Sakura Taisen turns resolutely American here.
Transplanted to the New York of the Roaring Twenties, the adventure follows a young officer leading a troupe of colourful warrior women. Between romance, music hall and a supernatural threat, the tale embraces a joyful exoticism and a sincere tenderness. This farewell to the series, warm and nostalgic, wins you over with its generous writing.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"Pleasant"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Difficult"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Moving the action to New York, this fifth entry weds tactical mecha battles with bonds forged with a new troupe. The paced daily life, the dialogue choices and the multiple endings invite a replay to discover it all. That richness, true to the series, founds a longevity RPG-sim fans appreciate.
Technical info
💾5,9 GB📅07/07/2005
Published by Sega
Sakura Taisen V - Saraba Itoshiki Hito yo (PS2) price, value & rarity
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Is Sakura Taisen V - Saraba Itoshiki Hito yo still worth playing in 2026?
The last canonical entry in Sega's saga, Sakura Taisen V, known in the West as Sakura Wars - So Long, My Love, moves the action to New York with a new troupe and the hero Shinjiro. The formula marrying timed-choice visual novel and tactical robot battles reaches great maturity here, carried by a polished Western localisation. The measured pace and the reliance on story call for buy-in. An excellent entry point to the series for fans of interactive story and Japanese tactics.
