The
official website of the animated feature film based on the manga Peleliu:
Guernica of Paradise, by Kazuyoshi Takeda, has revealed a first
teaser trailer and a promotional image that anticipate the intense and
dramatic tone of the film. The release in Japanese theaters is scheduled
for December 5, 2025, at 00:00 (local time in Japan), which is
equivalent to 16:00 on December 4 in Spain (UTC+2).
Main
voices that bring the protagonists to life
The teaser
also confirmed the actors who will play the two central characters. Rihito
Itagaki, known for his role as Norman in the live-action film The Promised
Neverland, will be the voice of Hiroshi Tamaru, a kind-hearted
young man with dreams of becoming a mangaka. By his side will be Tomoya
Nakamura, who will play Keisuke Yoshiki, Tamaru's faithful
companion. Nakamura previously voiced Dmitri in SPY×FAMILY CODE: White.
Itagaki
said that participating in this production, just on the 80th
anniversary of the end of World War II, makes her feel a deep
responsibility to embody Tamaru. For his part, Nakamura commented that, at a
time when there are few living witnesses to that conflict, it is crucial that
more people know the history of the island of Peleliu through cinema.
High-caliber
creative team behind
The
direction of the film is in the hands of Goro Kuji, known for his
work as an assistant on Bungo and Alchemist -Gears of Judgment-. The script has
been co-written by Junji Nishimura and the author of the manga
himself, Kazuyoshi Takeda. Ryoji Namamura is
responsible for character design and animation direction, while Kenji
Kawai will compose the soundtrack. Production houses Shin-Ei
Animation and Fugaku will be in charge of the
animation.
A story
based on true events
The
original manga was serialized between February 2016 and April 2021 in
Hakusensha's Young Animal magazine, accumulating a total of 11 volumes.
In 2017, he received the Excellence Award from the Japan Cartoonists
Association.
The story
is set on the island of Peleliu, during the final stretch of the
Pacific War in 1944. Tamaru, a cartoonist recruited by the Japanese army,
arrives in what appears to be a tropical paradise.
However,
the scenario soon turns into hell when U.S. forces launch a massive offensive
on the island. In a conflict for control of a strategic airport, 40,000
U.S. troops face off against 10,000 Japanese soldiers, who
are ordered to resist to the end. The story delves into the horror of war from
a deeply human perspective.
