Sakura Wars
The series has been popular with both journalists and fans in Japan since the first game's release. At the inaugural CESA Awards, "Sakura Wars" won the Grand Award, as well as awards in the Best Director, Best Main Character and Best Supporting Character categories. "Sakura Wars 2" won the Packaged Work Award at the 1998 Animation Kobe event. The soundtrack album of "Sakura Wars 4" won in the "Animation – Album of the Year" category at the 2003 Japan Gold Disc Awards. Prior to release, "Sakura Wars" was the second most-wanted game in a "Famitsu" poll in 1996, coming in behind "Final Fantasy VII". The first four games all appeared on a public "Famitsu" poll from 2006 of the 100 best games of all time. A second later poll ranked the "Sakura Wars" games as among the best on the Saturn and Dreamcast. "Sakura Wars" heroine Sakura Shinguji was rated in 2009 by "Famitsu" as the 17th best Japanese video game character.