The Sky Crawlers

In an alternate timeline where nations no longer wage open war, conflict has been outsourced to private corporations that stage battles in the skies. Newly assigned to Area 262, fighter pilot Yuuichi Kannami carries out his duties as a contracted combatant, but life on the base quickly begins to feel less straightforward than it appears.

As Kannami settles in, he encounters unsettling questions surrounding the “Kildren”—humans engineered to remain teenagers with heightened reflexes—and the legacy of his predecessor, the famed ace known only as “Teacher.” Drawn toward the truth behind Area 262 and its commander, Suito Kusanagi, Kannami finds that understanding what’s really happening comes at a cost he may not be prepared to face.