Kishi Kaisei Meaning

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The film Kishi Kaisei is set during World War II in Japan. The title literally translates to, “Wake from death and return to life,” but its meaning is, “To come out of a desperate situation and make a complete return in one sudden burst.” Kishi Kaisei follows the story of a boy named Haru who must look after his younger siblings while their father is away fighting in the war. Haru never saw himself joining the military like his father or dedicating his life to the state like his family had for generations. He wanted to learn and to travel the world. Haru had always been an excellent student and planned to attend university, hopefully even abroad. Traveling would mean being away from his younger brother and sister which was hard for him to …show more content…

Haru supported his brother and sister, as well as the war effort, by driving a tram in the city center. Since he was the first born son Haru was not forced to join the army and was able to look after Rin and Aimi as they went to school and tried to live life as normally as possible during a war. However, that peace did not last. As the war continued and Japan became more desperate Haru knew he would be forced to join the fight, leaving Aimi and Rin to fend for themselves. He was determined to protect his family and so packing what he could carry Haru fled Hiroshima, Rin, and Aimi in …show more content…

However, just as the saying goes, nothing lasts forever. Rin believed Haru was betraying their country and dishonoring their family, and so doing what he thought was right, because it is their duty to fall like the petals of a flower, Rin revealed Haru’s secret. Haru was arrested and taken back to Hiroshima to be executed. Without Haru to care for them, Rin and Aimi headed to Osaka where their mother is from. They manage to find their grandfather who agrees to house them but unfortunately, that would not last long. On February 26, 1945, Osaka was firebombed, proving to be fatal for young Aimi. At only eight years old Aimi was crushed and burned during the attack. This scene shows Rin finally grasping the pain and devastation that war can bring. He is able to understand that Haru had only been doing what he had to in order to protect them. Rin is overcome with grief at the loss of his sister and blames himself for her and Haru’s deaths. At 13 Rin is more alone and afraid than he has ever been, but he does not want to give up. He wants to live on so that Aimi and Haru would not be just more causalities of a brutal war. Emulating his late brother, Rin defends a young girl being harassed by an officer. However, saving her from being attacked proves to be disastrous for Rin, as he is killed protecting the

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