I have given this a tentative 8 although actually it has been many years since I saw this movie (dubbed in English). To my recollection it was quite well done. Its interest though goes beyond production values and should be of interest to anyone with any interest in history related to either World Wars as it deals with an episode of World War I with interesting relevance to World War II. *** WARNING SPOILERS *** Most people are not aware that Japan fought in World War I, on the allied side. Germany, like other foreign powers, had a foot-hold in China, at Port Arthur on the Shantung peninsula. That's where Ching-Tao beer is brewed incidentally, a legacy of the German presence. Their colony was protected by Fort Bismark which was, in turn, protected by some very large guns built into seemingly impregnable bunkers. Japanese ships could not get into firing range for their own guns without being blown out of the water. They hit upon the idea of eliminating the German guns by bombarding the ammunition trains supplying the guns from the air, launched from ships modified as aircraft carriers. This of course fore-shadows Pearl Harbor. It should be noted also that as a result of Japan's participation in the war, they were awarded the League of Nations mandate over the former German Pacific Island possessions, i.e. the Mariana, Caroline and Marshall island groups. These would become major battle grounds for the U.S. marines during World War II.
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