For Those We Love

A solemn, slow-paced war drama that honors kamikaze pilots with reverence, but its repetitive storytelling and long runtime make it a test of patience.

Directed by

Taku Shinjo

Genres

War, Drama

Starring

Satoshi Tokushige, Yosuke Kubozuka, Michitaka Tsutsui

Overview

In 1943, as Japan's WWII effort falters, a vice-admiral proposes training squadrons of "volunteer" flyers to crash their armed planes into Allied warships. Yarn follows the lives of kamikaze pilots, as remembered by an aging Kyushu restaurateur who cherishes their memory. Honoring the dead and multiple military anthems may stir the soul of some Japanese, but elsewhere auds will make a one-way trip for exits. Battle scenes are well-executed and script delivers some memorable scenes, but overall competent helming and thesping are powerless over writer-cum-Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishiara's repetitive storytelling. A post-war postscript adds considerable length to an already over-extended narrative. Tech credits are good quality.

How it feels

Melancholic, earnest and dark. Slow-burning and needs your attention.

About

War, death, loyalty, memory

Content

Strong violence. Mild gore and language. No sexual content.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Watch the trailer on YouTube (opens in a new tab)