If you're into games and shows based on World War II, but are tired of storming the beaches of Normandy, HBO seems to be inviting folks to storm the beaches of Okinawa. Its new miniseries The Pacific, produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, looks to be Band of Brothers, but against the Japanese instead of the Germans. 

Before you roll your eyes (or once you're finished), The Pacific is based on a rather less rosy recounting of the war, a book called With The Old Breed by Eugene Sledge. It's not as sentimental as other "Greatest Generation" books, exploring the extremes of the Pacific theater.

Based on the trailer above (and another below), the show's looking pretty good. I found Band of Brothers quite enjoyable, and The Pacific certainly concerns ground that's less well-tread. I hope they show some more material from the other side of the war, as with Flags of Our Fathers and its sister film Letters from Iwo Jima.

Will any of you be watching?

[Via Japan Probe]