The Sky Crawlers

In a world where peace is maintained through staged aerial dogfights, a new pilot named Yuichi Kannami arrives at an airbase, ready to join the high-stakes theater of war. These battles, fought for public amusement and distraction, are waged by a unique group of eternally youthful pilots known as Kildren. As Yuichi integrates into this strange reality, he finds himself drawn to the enigmatic base commander, Suito Kusanagi, who carries a haunting past and an unsettling connection to the Kildren's cyclical existence. As Yuichi navigates the exhilarating yet melancholic skies, he begins to question the true nature of their endless conflict and the unsettling familiarity of his own experiences. With each breathtaking maneuver and every lost comrade, the lines between reality and simulation blur, pushing Yuichi to confront the profound implications of his purpose and the unsettling truths hidden within their carefully constructed world.

✦ AI-drafted summary