Masayuki Imai (front) as Mamoru Kishida and Takumi Matsumoto as Takashi Fukumoto scream as they reluctantly head into battle.

J.J. Sonny Chiba (right) as Nobutada Ota and Hiroyuki Watanabe as Takafumi Yamada in “The Winds of God.”

Coming soon to the San Francisco Opera Plaza Theatre is an unusual film by Masayuki Imai.

“The Winds of God” is the story of two comedians — one Caucasian and one half-Japanese and half-Caucasian — who dream of winning an Emmy Award while working the club circuit of 21-century New York City. But a streak of bad luck sends them someplace entirely different.

The two are fired from their gig at a night club and then killed in a collision with a truck. Their souls are then transported back in time to the bodies of two Japanese kamikaze pilots, who then try to come to grips with their “new” reality.

Together they struggle with their new identities, and confront the robotic adherence to orders that condemned young men to die during the final days of World War II.

Imai, who also stars in the film, said in a statement that he wanted to show that many of the young men who died really wanted to live, but were not afforded the luxury. While researching the topic for this film, his own ideas about the kamikaze were also challenged. He found that he had preconceived notions about the pilots, which were common among the postwar generation.

The film features popular film star J.J. Sonny Chiba, Hiroyuki Watanabe, karate champion Nicholas Pettas, and Takumi Matsumoto, who plays the pilot that Pettas’ character is reincarnated as.

Imai was born April 21, 1961, in Hyogo Prefecture. After serving in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, he graduated from Hosei University, majoring in English, in 1986. His theater debut came in 1991 with “Monkey,” starring Youko Narahashi.

In 1993, he won a Japan Academy Prize for best supporting actor for his role in “Shizukanaru Seikatsu.” “Suppin Blues The Movie” (2004) was his movie as director. He also had the starring role, and wrote the original story and screenplay.

“On the Road” (1982) was Watanabe’s debut as a principal actor. Since then, frequently appeared in TV dramas and commercials. Notably, he has appeared in commercials for the Lipovitan D drink a total of 132 times in 12 years. He is also famous as a professional drummer. Recently, he has made frequent appearances on TV variety shows.

Pettas moved to Japan to become an apprentice of Masutatsu Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin Karate. He first joined K-1 in 1998. In 2001, he defeated Musashi in the Japan Grand Prix and became the Japanese champion. Now he is known as “Blue-Eyed Samurai.” Because he speaks Japanese fluently, he has appeared often in Japanese media, including non-sports events.

Since 1993, Matsumoto has acted in all of the theater performances produced by L-Company, founded by Imai. He has also played the same role he does in the movie, Kinta, in Broadway performances with Imai. He founded Risu Produce in 1999, and currently is producing a hard-hitting comedy play concerning social issues.

Chiba is a well-known actor in Japan, having appeared in numerous movies and TV dramas. He made his Hollywood debut in “Aces: Iron Eagle III” (1992). He also performed in a Hong Kong movie, “The Storm Rider” (1998), and was nominated for best actor in the Hong Kong Film Academy Awards. In 2003, he played swordmaker Hattori Hanzo in “Kill Bill: Vol. 1,” directed by Quentin Tarantino.

The Opera Plaza Theatre is located at 601 Van Ness Ave. “The Winds of God” will be shown at 7 p.m. on four Sundays, Oct. 7, 14, 21 and 28. Admission is $10.

Those who attend the Oct. 7 screening are invited to stay after the movie to hear a commentary by director Imai.

The Opera Plaza can be reached at (415) 267-4893. For information on the film, visit www.windsofgod.com.

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