Three character promotional videos for the animated feature film "Peleliu: Guernica of Paradise," based on the manga by Kazuyoshi Takeda about the young people who lived on Peleliu Island, a fierce battlefield during the Pacific War, were released on YouTube on November 30th. Each promotional video features the protagonist, aspiring manga artist Hitoshi Tamaru, his partner Keisuke Yoshiki, and the supporting characters, showcasing their convictions and resolve amidst the fierce battlefield, as well as their true selves as human beings. The film will be released as an animated feature film on December 5th, 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the war.
Tamaru is appointed as a merit officer on the battlefield, killing enemies and fighting for his country's victory. At times, he feels inferior and out of place, but after meeting Yoshiki and his comrades, he fights hard to survive. The promotional video depicts Tamaru's life on the battlefield as a merit officer who records the bravery of his comrades.
Yoshiki, who stands out for his strong sense of responsibility and bravery, is skilled with a gun and has shot down the enemy many times, making him a respected figure within the military. However, he is still a young soldier, and he shares the same desire to return to Japan without losing his life. The promotional video shows him trembling at the aftermath of the mass suicide and thinking of his far-away family.
The story is set on Peleliu Island, a fierce battlefield during the Pacific War, where 10,000 Japanese soldiers were sent and where only 34 survived for two years, unaware of the end of the war. It depicts the lives of young people on the battlefield from the perspective of Tamaru, a soldier who aspires to be a manga artist. It was serialized in the manga magazine "Young Animal" (Hakusensha) from 2016 to 2021, and won the Excellence Award at the 46th Japan Cartoonists Association Awards in 2017. A spin-off, "Peleliu Gaiden," was also serialized.
The anime will be directed by Goro Kuji, known for "Madou Seihei no Slave," and produced by Shin-Ei Animation, known for "Doraemon" and "Crayon Shin-chan," and Fugaku, known for "Dog Signal." The original author, Takeda, and Junji Nishimura will be writing the script.
