"Peleliu: Guernica of Paradise" Original Illustration by Kazuyoshi Takeda Released

It has been announced that special postcards featuring original illustrations by Takeda will be distributed as a gift to moviegoers of the animated 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, from December 26th. The illustration features Shimada at the center, as well as the main characters Tamaru and Yoshiki, as well as Kosugi, Katakura, and Izumi, all gathered together as soldiers who shared the same fate in the film, and depicts "a scene that may have once existed."

Along with the distribution of gifts to attendees, a special illustration by Takeda, "Merry Christmas from the Battlefield," featuring Tamaru and Yoshiki, was also released, inspired by Christmas.

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 "Slave of the Demon Capital," and produced by Shin-Ei Animation, known for "Doraemon" and "Crayon Shin-chan," and Fugaku, known for "Dog Signal." The screenplay will be written by Takeda and Junji Nishimura, the original authors. The anime will be released in theaters on December 5, 2025, the 80th anniversary of the end of the war.