On the third day of this year's Tokyo Game Show, Sega held another stage event focusing on Sakura Taisen V: Saraba Itoshiki Hito yo at its joint booth with Sammy. During the event a trailer of the game was shown and series mastermind and producer Ouji Hiroi, executive producer Norikatsu Ouba and senior director Takaharu Terada gave away some new details on their newest project. Ouji Hiroi explained that the task of creating the game's characters was quite challenging, considering New York being a cultural melting pot. According to Sega WOW's Ouba, the team thought about making Sakura Taisen V's protagonist Shinjirou the series' main character as early as four years ago, when Sakura Taisen 3 was still in the making. Comparing him to his hot-blooded predecesor Ichirou Oogami, Shinjinrou is more of a nice guy. When Shinjirou arrives in New York as the newest member of Hoshigumi squad, the other members will start growing, mentally and physically. Showing this process will be one of the main points of the game.

System-wise, Sakura Taisen V will also feature the newest version of the LIPS system. With the PlayStation 2's two analog pads, players can control the eyes of Shinjirou, allowing him to look at characters passing by during a conversation. Battles seem to have become more dyanmic as well. Combination and mid-air attacks have become more powerful. At the beginning of a battle, Gemini will say "New York Kagekidan, Ready, Go" and after eliminating an enemy, "Good Job". While Ouji Hiroi looked like he wanted to comment on the game's enemies, he was stopped by executive producer Ouba and Sega's Sakura Taisen project manager Tadashi Takezaki. He however explained that due to a lack of paper in the 1920s, mummies from Egypt were imported to the US and their bandages used as clothes.

Sakura Taisen V: Saraba Itoshiki Hito yo will be released in Japan sometime in summer 2005.

• SB Games