 Sato, in an interview, stated that the film was meant to "kindle a more nuanced debate about Tojo" rather than the "black and white" depictions which were more common.Tojo's granddaughter, Yuko Iwanami, stated that the film "challenged the image of her grandfather as a villain" by presenting a truth which had been "erased" after the war.Itō, meanwhile, stated that he "wanted to show how Tojo fought with pride", standing and facing the tribunal on his own.