In my quest to see how true this was (if the original version of Sakura Wars TV series 9th episode was different) I discovered that it absolutely is and yes, the original version was dark. I will do my best to show you. I don't know about the other claims, natch... a thread. https://twitter.com/PlayingPS2/status/1387777048782020613

The episode starts with a flashback to Maria in a war. The VHS (right) identifies it as Moscow. On the DVD (left) this is a few seconds and a different scene. The VHS this is almost a three minute scene, and there's a red blood splatter for the captain getting shot.

Left column will be DVD and right will be VHS unless I say otherwise.
So, while the long war flashback is happening in VHS, DVD has a scene with Sakura talking to Maria, then title card. Title card in VHS is only after the flashback finishes and it's almost a full minute later.

After title card, DVD has the girls goofing off, VHS has these guys exploring a scary cave and getting attacked by a 'Wakiki'. That scene will still happen mostly the same in DVD after the scene of the girls.

On DVD, Ogami and the girls are outside in the city IN the daytime when this Wakiki monster attacks. On VHS, this is Ogami, Kamiyana, and the others in the same scary cave (remember in VHS there has been NO scenes of the other main girls yet, just Maria briefly and in flashback)

So these villains appear here in the city in the DVD, and in cave ofc in the VHS. Just not the same thing really. Ogami gets a knife thrown in his back and is captured by them. In the DVD it's a psychic attack and fade to white.

It doesn't really come off in screenshots or my words, but most scenes in general in the VHS are long and pretty moody. The initial guys exploring the cave is the same, but Ogami and crew getting attacked by Wakiki monsters and the villains is a good few minutes.

The scene where Sakura and co want to look for Ogami is different.

After that, I thought it was funny, this seemingly innocuous shot of the commander was changed. At first I didn't realize why... but remember, in the DVD that attack happened in daytime, so it'd be evening now. The VHS, that happened at night and it's the next morning!

We're diverging AND shuffling scenes at the same time. Maria has another flash back to her wartime. THIS flashback is 99% the same as it is in the VHS episode, but it's placed earlier.
VHS episode has...Ogami's torture. (Ruh-oh.)

Before that happens, I'm not sure where else I'll put it... in the DVD, the flashback at the grave the captain says your FATHER was brave. In the VHS, it's HIS COMRADES. Yes, the audio is different here, not a subbing issue. Again this flashback in VHS happens a little later.

(ALL VHS SHOTS HERE, CW, WARNING, BLOOD)
So, that villain is torturing Ogami in VHS while that flashback is playing in the DVD. He shows him a vision of all the girls, dead (with close ups for each), before red blood washes over and...uh, yeah. Geez. Ogami's scream is chilling...

In both versions at this point, Iris senses Ogami, though in the DVD there's only a brief flashing of Ogami tied to a wall in the scene (pictured), in the VHS it's right after the torture scene. Iris SCREAMS and cries loudly in VHS. On DVD she's visibly stressed but not as bad.

On DVD (after eyecatch) we see Ogami. On VHS, we see only Maria, shooting up Wakikis with her gun alone in the scary cave. On DVD of course the girls mobilize together more or less. Just for completeness, on VHS this is when Maria has her 'grave' flashback.

(ALL DVD SHOTS HERE) On DVD, Sakura talks to Maria and she has a completely new flashback scene (an expansion of the opening DVD one, again different) where the captain dies. There's no red blood splatters and he dies differently, trying to take down a tank with a grenade.

We reconnect somewhat here! After that flashback, Maria recalls how she became "Kuwasari". These are different scenes but the same story beat.
The VHS one has more shots of her leading soldiers, but on DVD you can see her shoot two guys.

Well, I say reconnect, but at this point the climaxes don't resemble each other at all. On DVD, Sakura and Maria quickly rescue Ogami together. On VHS, Maria is still alone (and will be until the very end) and finds Ogami who is unresponsive to having a knife infury.

On DVD, Ogami and all the girls have some fun fighting Wakiki monsters (it's pretty brief, actually), on VHS Maria and Ogami shoot up Wakikis (Maria gets a rocket launcher!) and has a short flashback from their early days together.

(ALL VHS SHOTS HERE) The two are exhausted from fighting and trying to escape Scary Cave, Ogami tells his god awful...??? Joke?? to Maria. They're still being chased by the two villains.

(ALL VHS SHOTS HERE) It's at this point where Sakura and co. arrives in her mecha to rescue them.

(ALL VHS SHOTS HERE) Kohran blows up everything (!) after the two escape and Ogami and Maria talk a little more, Maria promises Ogami that she'll never give up. The End! The ending scene in DVD goes like...

(ALL DVD SHOTS HERE) ... all's well that ends well! It cuts after the battle (things are on fire just because) to everyone back at home (base?) and there's a light fluffy conversation and everyone's happy, the commander guy says 'yare yare'...The End!

Phew...well needless to say these two versions of an episode are EXTREMELY different. It might not come across in tweets but the VHS episode is very moody and grim. The DVD one is a lot lighter and kinda more what I personally imagined a Sakura Wars episode would be like.

I recommend you see it for yourself, both versions if you like! Get that torrent goin. I couldn't quickly find anything to confirm this was even real let alone screenshots or comparison information. If that exists already, sorry! orz
Keep anime info this known and out there!

I find stuff like this extremely interesting so I hope you enjoyed looking at it through my tweets.