four video links to Japanese combat

[David_Aiken]

1) This is the climactic finale of the 2007 Japanese war film "For Those We Love" (original title "Ore wa, kimi no tame ni koso shini ni iku," or "I will surely go to my death for you"), dramatizing the IJAAF Special Attack (kamikaze) pilots based at Chiran, from the POV of a famous innkeeper who was considered the "godmother" to the Tokkotai pilots:

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0882797/

2) The film itself is essentially 2 hours of drama followed by this high-budget searing climax, boasting some pretty impressive CGI and miniatures FX...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKLLRx7xaVI


3a) Also of interest, two Japanese-only video clips from CGI animator Masaru Tochibayashi. While not familiar with his work, I presume he must be heavily involved with some of the CGI in recent Japanese movies. These are really impressive, and they're NOT from the History Channel's "Dogfight" series:

This dramatizes the combat sortie of IJNAF ace and Zuikaku fighter pilot Tetsuzo Iwamoto on May 8, 1942 during the Battle of the Coral Sea, as he flies CAP protecting the carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku from USN air attack:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqG50vzfDmg

3b) This one dramatizes the combat sortie of the IJNAF ace Saburo Sakai in the Tainan Kokutai's first and most famous sortie against USN F4F Wildcats off and over Guadalcanal, August 7, 1942, resulting in the famous duel between Sakai and USN LT James "Pug" Southerland (both survived the encounter).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ6oDIJ6gmY

[RyanShort1]

Ok, I'll admit, the kamikaze clip REALLY bothers me. Perhaps in part because of my uncle who was on the Franklin. Good CGI though!

Ryan

[SPANNERmkV]

Great texture mapping on the CGI...

"It is a good thing war is so terrible or we would come to love it." R.E. Lee

The footage of the SBD with dive brakes deployed was a thing of beauty.
Terrible vengeful beauty.

The Torpedo bombers going in in droves was hard to take.
And similar to Ryan's reaction, the kamikaze video was hard to watch.

What a swirling madhouse of waste. And there is something about watching people commit suicide that is awful.

I know the Japanese who watch these have their own take on it.
I love my country so much I will not just tempt a possibility of my death, I guarantee it on this day, this hour... this time I strap into an airplane.

I guess akin to what our troops face today in Iraq, Afghanistan etc.
For God's sake I will strap on the bomb belt on and go blammo...see ya in Heaven, don't wait up.

God protect our troops and turn our enemies hearts away from such desperation...

[RyanShort1]

What Spanner said. If I think there's a high probability of my death in an airplane without a really good cause, I will NOT get in the cockpit, PERIOD. And kamikaze? NEVER. Some things are indeed worth defending and risking one's life over, but not without reasonable hope of success, and certainly not if there's no way I can enjoy the victory.

Ryan

[David_Aiken]

bump

[fotobass]

Ryan, that's interestng. I would think that I'd have the same reaction. Having said that, I remember reading in '30 Seconds Over Tokyo' (I think that's where it was) where the author stated that, had his aircraft been hit, he was going to dive it into the biggest fattest target he could find.

[RyanShort1]

Ryan, that's interestng. I would think that I'd have the same reaction. Having said that, I remember reading in '30 Seconds Over Tokyo' (I think that's where it was) where the author stated that, had his aircraft been hit, he was going to dive it into the biggest fattest target he could find.

The difference there is that the assumption there was that you were already going to crash somewhere. I'd personally still opt for an open field.

Ryan

[DarenC1]

Man, that film footage was amazing. One wonders whether George Lucas will be able to pull off something similar with his "Red Tails" movie...