Back in 2001, SEGA dropped "Sakura Wars 3" on the Dreamcast, and its opening animation was crafted by none other than Production I.G. This intro quickly became a hot topic, blending stunning CG mecha with gorgeous hand-drawn characters – a combo that still makes it a series classic for many fans today.
Recently, the game's main mechanical designer, Mika Akitaka, shared the OP video on X (formerly Twitter) in Japan, commenting, "Even looking back now, it's still incredible." His post unexpectedly reignited the long-standing urban legend about the OP's supposed "300 million yen production cost."
Some netizens chimed in, recalling the widespread rumor that this short, few-minute OP for "Sakura Wars 3" alone cost a whopping 300 million yen to produce. Many felt that the animation quality on display made such a hefty budget seem entirely plausible.
However, Mika Akitaka himself quickly jumped into the comments to set the record straight. He flat-out stated, "It absolutely did not cost 300 million! The entire OP video is only a little over five minutes long, so there's no way it cost that much. An OP simply wouldn't have such a high budget." Talk about a myth busted!
Even though the "300 million yen" figure has been debunked, the fact that this urban legend persisted for so many years really speaks volumes about Production I.G's top-tier technical prowess in creating that OP. Honestly, even by today's standards, the cinematography and visual flair are still absolutely outstanding!