Blood and heart: The legendary life of a Japanese youth in China

Blood and Heart: The Legendary Life of a Japanese Youth in China chronicles the extraordinary true story of Megumi Sunahara, shedding light on the little-known history of Japanese soldiers who served within the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Born in Japan’s Kyushu region in 1933, Sunahara relocated to Northeast China with his parents during his childhood. However, the aftermath of Japan's defeat and surrender left him stranded, unable to return to his homeland. Reduced to surviving as a cattle herder for a local landlord in Liaoning province, the young boy faced an uncertain future far from everything he once knew. His life took a dramatic turn in 1948 when he enlisted in the People’s Liberation Army under the adopted Chinese name Zhang Rongqing. Thrust into the heart of a nation in upheaval, he fought through the pivotal Liaoshen and Pingjin campaigns. Through these harrowing battles, Sunahara fully dedicated himself to the cause of the proletarian revolution. This donghua captures his remarkable transformation from a displaced foreign child struggling to survive into a committed soldier, offering a compelling glimpse into a unique and often overlooked chapter of wartime history.