by It has been announced that Takeda Kazuyoshi’s manga Peleliu—Guernica of Paradise will be made into an animated film, released nationwide on December 5, 2025, to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the war’s end.
This shocking work will be made into an anime, depicting the record of young people who lived on the battlefield and shook all walks of life.
“Peleliu – Guernica of Paradise” is a manga by Takeda Kazuyoshi, who was serialized in “Young Animal” from 2016 to 2021, won the Excellence Award at the “Japan Cartoonists Association Awards” in 2017, and is currently serializing “Peleliu Gaiden” irregularly. It depicts what young people thought and lived on Peleliu Island, a fierce battleground of the Pacific War, where 10,000 Japanese soldiers were sent and only 34 survived.
The original comic, unique in depicting fierce battles and gruesome scenes with friendly three-headed characters, has received rave reviews from writers and creators such as Chiba Tetsuya and Shigematsu Kiyoshi. Goro Kuji, who directed the TV anime Yokai Watch and Mato Seihei no enslaved person, will direct this animated film for the first time.
The production will be a collaboration between Shinei Animation, known for the national anime “Doraemon” and “Crayon Shin-chan,” and Fugaku, a new and energetic production company involved in popular works such as the TV anime “Dog Signal.” The film depicts characters struggling to survive even one more day on a brutal battlefield.
In preparation for the film adaptation, Takeda, the original author and co-writer of the screenplay, said, “The script is now one that we can confidently deliver to fans of the original work. Now, I’m filled with the desire to see the lovable characters, such as Tamaru and Yoshiki, moving vividly across the screen.”
In addition, a super special video featuring only image cuts and sound depicting the jungle of Peleliu Island was also unveiled. As the gunfire gradually reverberates, the imagination is stirred about how the characters shown in the manga survive on this paradise-like hellish island. The movie “Peleliu – Guernica in Paradise” will be released nationwide on December 5, 2025. Keep an eye out for further news on this blockbuster animation dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the end of the war by a luxurious production team—< Full comment below> Original work by Takeda Kazuyoshi. I am also involved in the movie’s production as a supervisor and co-writer with veteran animation director Nishimura Junji. It took a long time to complete the script.
The original manga of “Peleliu” has 11 volumes of the main story alone, excluding the side story, so how do we incorporate this into the movie? As the original author, I don’t want it to end up like a bland digest because we tried to include everything from the original work. There was also an idea to carefully create only the first half of the original work, but the story was unsatisfying. And above all, this work is based on the original work and historical fact – the war 80 years ago. Some people lived there.
The script for the film version of “Peleliu,” which was full of thoughtful considerations, is something we can confidently deliver to fans of the original work. We can’t wait to see Tamaru, Yoshiki, and the other lovable characters come to life on the screen.
The animated film “Peleliu – Guernica of Paradise” will be released on December 5 at the end of this year. Please look forward to further updates. “Peleliu – Guernica of Paradise” (tentative) Release date: Friday, December 5, 2025 Original work: Original work by Takeda Kazuyoshi “Peleliu – Guernica of Paradise” (Hakusensha, Young Animal Comics) Director: Kuji Goro Screenplay: Nishimura Junji, Takeda Kazuyoshi Production: Shin-Ei Animation x Fugaku Distribution: Toei (C) Takeda Kazuyoshi/Hakusensha
