The movie “Peleliu – Guernika of Paradise” will be released nationwide on Friday, December 5, 2025.
It has been decided that a special program will be broadcast in which Ri Mitsuto Itagaki, who plays the main character, Hitoshi Tamaru, will tour the battlefield ruins of Peleliu Island. It is scheduled to be broadcast on TV Asahi from 11:00 on Saturday, November 22nd.
A special program in which star Mitsuto Itagaki of the movie “Peleliu – Guernica of Paradise” visited Peleliu Island has been decided to be broadcast! Photos & program summary have arrived
The movie “Peleliu: Guernica of Paradise'' will be released nationwide on Friday, December 5th, which marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
This anime depicts the Battle of Peleliu Island, which began on September 15, 1944, during the Pacific War, when Japan's war situation was already deteriorating, and the 34 soldiers who remained in hiding for two years, not knowing the end of the war, and who survived until the end. The original work is a manga by Kazuyoshi Takeda that was serialized in Hakusensha Young Animal magazine and won the 46th Japan Cartoonists Association Award for its overwhelmingly realistic portrayal of the madness that war is commonplace, despite its cute touch. Peleliu: Guernica in Paradise. (Total 11 volumes/Total 4 volumes of side stories) A new monumental war manga that has received rave reviews from creators from all over the world has finally been made into a movie as a theatrical animation!
The main character, Hitoshi Tamaru, who is a kind-hearted aspiring manga artist, will be played by Mitsuto Itagaki, and his reliable partner, Keisuke Yoshiki, will be played by Tomoya Nakamura. The two actors, who have consistently appeared in popular productions with their solid acting skills, passionately played the roles of young soldiers trying to survive the harsh battlefield. In addition, the theme song “Kiseki no Yokoto” will be sung by Mone Kamishiraishi, who is active not only as an actress but also as a singer.
A series of battles, hunger, thirst, and infectious diseases on a beautiful tropical island – young soldiers die one after another while thinking about their families and their hometown. Tamaru and Yoshiki desperately tried to survive in such a fierce world. What did the young people think and live on Peleliu Island, a hellish battlefield where only 34 out of 10,000 people survived until the end?
This story of war-torn friendship, set in a fierce world that stirs the emotions of viewers, will be released in the winter of 80 years since the end of the war.
TV Asahi will be broadcasting a special program in which Mitsuto Itagaki will tour the battlefield ruins of Peleliu Island, an island where time has stopped for 80 years!
Ri Mitsuto Itagaki, the lead voice actor for “Peleliu – Guernica in Paradise'', actually visited Peleliu Island, the setting of the story, before dubbing.
Nowadays, the truth of war is about to be forgotten. For 23-year-old Itagaki, the war that took place 80 years ago is something that happened in a distant world. That's why Itagaki visited the battlefields himself, felt the war firsthand, and tried to approach this work seriously by experiencing the reality of the war. This visit was a strong demonstration of their “seriousness.”
It has been decided that the special program “Peleliu, an island where time has stopped for 80 years: The forgotten truth of the war as seen by Mitsuto Itagaki'' will be broadcast on TV Asahi.
Peleliu Island can be reached in about 7 hours from Tokyo. This small island, with a current population of about 470 people and an area of about 13 km2, was the site of a fierce battle in the Pacific War 80 years ago, where many people lost their lives.
The Japanese army numbered about 10,000, while the US army landed with over 40,000 men. Only 34 Japanese soldiers survived to the end, and the scars of the fierce battle are still visible throughout the island.
Itagaki landed on the island, known as “the island where time has stood still for 80 years,'' and visited the Sennin Cave, where many Japanese soldiers lived and died.
He felt the actual heat, crampedness, and darkness that people at the time must have felt, and commented, “It must have been truly spectacular.'' Inside the cave, there are still bottles, oxygen cylinders, inkstones, and other items from that time, and when Itagaki looks at the crab he found, he thinks deeply of the people who lived there, saying, “This crab was an important food source back then.''
Additionally, the newly released photo shows the ruins of the Japanese military headquarters, where the ceiling fell off due to shelling, and there are still visible signs of daily life, such as toilets and bathtubs. At Orange Beach, where U.S. troops first landed and the sands were stained with blood from a fierce battle, he mentioned that he was the same age as the Japanese soldiers at the time, and quietly said, “The Japanese soldiers may have seen the same view from the same position where I am standing now.''
While touring the ruins of Peleliu Island, where life at that time is still vividly visible, Itagaki realized the weight of the war, saying, “I feel it as non-fiction, rather than a story like before.''
While there, he also spoke with Mr. Nilivelas Mettur, Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Palau. The minister said that he would like people to learn about the current situation of Palau, which is pro-Japanese, and the beautiful relationship it has with Japan.
He expressed his hopes to Itagaki, who will be playing the Japanese soldier Hitoshi Tamaru at the time, and said, “In modern times, stories of war have a stronger influence from the media than from people passing them down.Through movies, I want them to not only convey the negative and dark images that war tends to give, but also to tell a bright story about Palau, its relationship with Japan, and the gratitude of peace to young people.''Itagaki gave a big nod.
After finishing his visit to Peleliu Island, Itagaki said strongly, “I felt even more strongly that we should not start a war.'' Nowadays, war is being forgotten. Don't miss this special program in which 23-year-old Itagaki pursues the “truth of war” as seen with his own eyes.
Don't miss Itagaki's special program, which explores the truth of war in a time when war is being forgotten.
In addition, commemorative stamps featuring the design of “Peleliu: Guernica in Paradise” will be issued on Palau's Independence Day! !
Under the initiative of President Slanger S. Whipps, Jr., the Palau Post Office has decided to issue commemorative stamps on the occasion of the 32nd Independence Day on October 1, 2026, as part of strengthening friendly relations between Japan and Palau.
This commemorative stamp features the movie poster design for “Peleliu: Guernica.''
This year, direct flights from Japan to Palau have resumed for the first time in about seven years. The relationship between Japan and Palau will continue to strengthen and the door to cultural exchange will continue to open.
What did the Japanese soldiers sent to Peleliu Island think and how did they live their lives during this fierce battle? Please come to the theater to see the fleeting yet warm lives of each character. The movie “Peleliu – Guernika of Paradise” will be released nationwide from December 5th (Friday).
◇Special number information
◆Program name: “Peleliu, an island where time has stopped for 80 years, as seen by Mitsuto Itagaki…The forgotten truth of the war”
◆Broadcast date and time: November 22nd 11:00~11:30
◆Broadcasting station: TV Asahi
It will be broadcast on local stations by date and time, details on the official website
▽Official homepage of the work:https://peleliu-movie.jp/news/update/11181500.html
◇Commemorative stamp overview
◆Release date: October 1, 2026
◆Details: Embassy of Japan in Palau (https://www.palau.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_ja/index.html)
“Peleliu – Guernika of Paradise” work information
Synopsis
In 1944, at the end of the Pacific War, the beautiful tropical island of Peleliu Island. A 21-year-old Japanese soldier, Tamaru, was there. Tamaru, an aspiring manga artist, is recognized for his talent and assigned a special mission. His job was to be a “achievements clerk,'' who wrote down the last moments of bravery of deceased comrades to their bereaved families.
On September 15th, the U.S. military begins its attack on Peleliu Island. More than 40,000 US military elites attack. The Japanese army was 10,000 strong. The constant sound of gunfire from repeated artillery bombardment, the heartbreaking cries of soldiers stuck in my mind. The friend next to him dies in an instant, and in an extreme situation where he doesn't know when he will die, he is attacked by unbearable hunger, thirst, and an infectious disease. The Japanese army is gradually cornered, and is forbidden to even attack the enemy, forcing them to fight for a long time with their bodies covered in wounds in a desperate attempt to buy time.
Tamaru makes a beautiful story out of the death of his friends, sometimes with lies. I don't know what the right thing is… The person who supported him was Yoshiki, a reliable Private First Class who was also his mate. The two foster a special bond while encouraging each other and sharing their struggles.
Each person had their own life and family. No one wanted to die. All I wanted to do was go back to my loved ones. Only 34 Japanese soldiers survived to the end. Tamaru and Yoshiki tried their best to survive in a harsh and cruel world. What did the two young soldiers see on the crazy battlefield?
cast
Keisuke Yoshiki: Tomoya Nakamura
(C) Kazuyoshi Takeda/Hakusensha/2025 “Peleliu – Guernica of Paradise” Production Committee
