Peleliu Anime Cast Reveal & New Trailer

Actors Rikito Itagaki and Tomoya Nakamura have joined the cast of the animated feature film “Peleliu: Guernica in Paradise.” Itagaki will play the protagonist, aspiring manga artist Hitoshi Tamaru, while Nakamura will play his partner, Keisuke Yoshiki. A trailer, teaser visuals, and photos of Itagaki visiting Peleliu Island, Palau, where the story is set, before recording have been released.

Rikito Itagaki and Tomoya Nakamura

This anime depicts the Battle of Peleliu, which began on September 15, 1944, during the Pacific War, when the war situation in Japan was already deteriorating. It also depicts the 34 soldiers who hid for two years and survived until the end. The original manga, “Peleliu: Guernica of Paradise” (11 volumes, 4 spin-offs), was serialized in Hakusensha’s Young Animal magazine and won the Excellence Award at the 46th Japan Cartoonists Association Awards. Its charming style combined with overwhelming realism portrayed the madness of war as a daily occurrence. It is a new milestone in war manga, receiving rave reviews from creators across the globe.

In 1944, at the end of the Pacific War, on the beautiful tropical island of Peleliu Island, lies a 21-year-old Japanese soldier named Tamaru. Tamaru, an aspiring manga artist, is recognized for his talent and assigned a special mission: the “Merit Clerk,” whose job is to record for the families of his fallen comrades the final, heroic moments of their fallen comrades.

On a beautiful tropical island, battle after battle, hunger, thirst, and epidemics abound – young soldiers lose their lives one after another, thinking of their families and their hometowns. Tamaru and Yoshiki desperately try to survive in this brutal world. A protracted war where suicide was not permitted, only 34 out of 10,000 survived until the end. What did the young men think and live on Peleliu Island, a hellish battlefield? This story of friendship set in a brutal world will be released in the winter of the 80th anniversary of the end of the war.

Itagaki Rikoto visits Peleliu Island

The two actors passionately portray young soldiers trying to survive on a brutal battlefield. Itagaki visited Peleliu Island and toured the war sites scattered across the island. Facing the still-raw remains, and at times at a loss for words, he confronts the vestiges and facts of the young men’s struggle to survive as he takes on the dubbing role.

The teaser trailer begins with the protagonist, Tamaru (voiced by Itagaki), saying, “Mom, how are you? I’m the merit officer who reports on the heroic deeds of our fallen comrades.” The sounds of gunfire evoke a sense of being transported into the fierce battle on Peleliu Island in southwestern Palau in 1944. This film offers a glimpse into the realities of war, a depiction that is hard to imagine from the three-dimensional character designs. “It’s tough, but I’ll definitely return to Japan,” Tamaru declares, followed by Yoshiki Keisuke (voiced by Nakamura) offering his hand, “Let’s survive, Tamaru!” The film opens on December 5th.

▼Comment

■ Itagaki Rikoto: I feel a deep sense of meaning and responsibility in being involved in this production during the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, and in breathing life into the character of Tamaru Hitoshi. Tamaru serves as the “Merit Officer,” recording the final moments of his comrades on the battlefield for their families. It’s cruel to write about the final moments of a comrade you’ve only just spoken to, when you don’t know when you’ll die. And sometimes, you have to beautifully transform such a brutal reality for the families waiting for their loved ones. I hope to portray Tamaru’s intense yet delicate conflicts and emotions. In preparation for this production, I also visited Peleliu Island, the setting of the film.

I strongly felt that a fierce battle was truly being waged there, something that cannot be felt from textbooks, television, or the internet, and that many people lost their lives with various emotions in mind. Among them were many young people in their twenties, close to my age. Thinking about their youth and lives, it feels like it could not have happened to someone else. 80 years ago, now in 2025, and into the future.

I would be happy if this film could make people realize, even just a little, that the value of life is equal and that dignity is universal, and that we ourselves must cherish this.

■Nakamura TomoyaI knew that there were Japanese soldiers hiding in various places after the Pacific War, unaware that the war had ended. However, reading the original work, I never felt those days so vividly. Furthermore, of all the works I have encountered in my life, I have never encountered a character who made me wish so strongly for others to live. I know that learning begins with knowing. And learning is born more deeply when you experience it firsthand. 80 years since the end of the war. With fewer and fewer people able to share what it was like back then, I think it is very meaningful that this production will allow many people to experience the daily life on Peleliu Island. What should we, who live today, feel beyond the chaos of war? Please come to the theater and experience each day of history.

Exploring the Human Side of War Through New Casting and Visuals

The reveal of Rikito Itagaki and Tomoya Nakamura as voice actors for Peleliu: Guernica of Paradise marks an important step in bringing the manga’s raw and emotional depiction of war to the screen. The combination of the newly released trailer, teaser visual, and on-site visit photos suggests the production team’s commitment to authenticity—not just in animation style, but also in capturing the atmosphere of the real Peleliu Island. This approach hints that the anime may focus as much on the human cost of conflict as on historical accuracy, offering viewers an experience that blends emotional depth with meticulous detail.