The film lacks explicit LGBTQ+ characters or non-cisnormative identities. However, it explores unconventional intimacy and sexual agency that challenges rigid, traditional moral expectations.

Sakura Nishi subverts traditional gender hierarchies through her intense internal desire and proactive agency. She is a complex figure rather than a submissive or purely nurturing archetype.

The cast is predominantly Japanese, reflecting the era's cinematic homogeneity. While set during the Sino-Japanese War, the film lacks a diverse, multi-ethnic ensemble driving the plot.

The narrative prioritizes individual subjectivity over institutional morality. It depicts military and medical ethics as insufficient, framing traditional social stability as a mere facade.

Physical disability is treated as a central element of the human condition. The film avoids inspiration porn by grounding amputations in the grim reality of wartime trauma.