A Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) submarine sank in a maritime accident near Japan. Japan was shocked by the news that the survival of all 76 crew members, including the captain, Second Lieutenant Shiro Kaieda, was hopeless. However, the crew actually survived. They were selected as crew members for a nuclear submarine built in top secret by Japan and the United States.
The story, set in Japan’s first nuclear submarine, depicts the unpredictable actions of its captain, Shiro Kaieda, as he attempts to realize his ideal world. The story makes audience think about true peace amidst the tension of the complex intermingling of the thoughts of various nations.
Hikaru Takai adopted the screenplay based on Kaiji Kawaguchi’s Kodansha’s original Weekly Morning publication which debuted in 1988, inspiring anime studio Sunrise’s OVA in 1995. The Silent Service will also mark the first Japanese Amazon Original film produced by Prime Video, as announced back in January:
“We will finally be able to produce a live-action version of the legendary comic The Silent Service, which has been said to be impossible to make into a live-action film over 30 years, “said Takao Osawa. “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Kaiji Kawaguchi and all the people involved. I will play the main role, Shiro Kaieda, who escapes with Japan’s first nuclear submarine and confronts the world with the threat of nuclear weapons. The world is currently going through a wave of great change. We are now shooting this film with talented casts and crews to deliver to all people living today. Please wait for a while until the ship departs on September 29.”
“We are sincerely grateful to be entrusted with the live-action adaptation of one of Mr. Kawaguchi’s best-known works, The Silent Service,” said Takayuki Hayakawa, head of Japanese Originals at Prime Video. “Furthermore, we are glad to team up with Mr. Osawa and Mr. Matsuhashi, the proudest creators in the Japanese entertainment industry, to bring the biggest project in the history of Prime Video in Japan. We look forward to bring this shocking and powerful film to our audiences.”
“I saw on the set how the actors and film crew, led by Mr. Osawa, dedicated this film together as one., “said Kaiji Kawaguchi. “I rely on these crews to take this ship that we created more than 30 years ago and sail it around the world once again.”
“The entire team is working together to bring the film to the screen as much as possible of the thoughts and feelings accumulated by the original author, Mr. Kawaguchi, and many others., “said Kohei Yoshino. ” We hope you will experience this passionate story in the dark waters of the theater.”
“The story has always stuck with me since I first read the original manga series, but never have I felt more compelled to produce a live-action version than I do now,” said Shinzo Matsuhashi, a CEO of CREDEUS, Inc. “As an entertainment creator, I put surprises and emotions that I want to deliver to Japan and the world into this film. We now have casts and crews who share our passion, Japanese video technology, the diversity of entertainment, and our own experience. Luckily, all the conditions were in place at the right time.”
