Home » Purple Heart Warriors and the Nostalgia of History

First a thank you to Great Pods for providing review copies of “Purple Heart Warriors” from the BBC World Service. I gave my initial impression of the first three episodes over on my substack along with a bit of background and behind-the-scenes information about the story. The following will be the official review of the entire six-episode audio drama, which completes its story on January 15, 2025 on World Service radio. The podcast feed has all episodes available now.

Nostalgia and Generationism

Everyone generation believes their own time growing up was the best. The usual examples given are they had better pop culture icons. That new stuff for children isn’t the same as what they grew up with. The reasons they do offer are based in subjectivity. Two stories can have the same plot, characters and setting. However, depending on the writer(s), the end result will vary. This belief called Generationism is a tale as old as human history itself. At least for the past few centuries.

The idea of nostalgia as an indicator of better times for some acts as subtext throughout the story. Its theme of older as better follows that same line of thought. The motifs that illustrate the theme, however, seem counterintuitive to the story’s plot and the protagonist’s character arc.

Purple Hearts and WWII Warriors

When you think of Purple Hearts, you think of the military award and other commendations. The story of second-generation Japanese-Americans in WWII has mostly slid under the radar for many. The idea people whose parents were more than likely internment camp prisoners fought in a war against their race to help those who didn’t trust them is an interesting conflict, both with the characters and the world in which they live.

The historical context of WWII takes a backseat in the story proper. Not much is done with the setting that makes it stand out from other time periods. At least if you’re going in mostly blind, though the writer makes sure the audience know the historical facts needed to understand and appreciate the story’s

The camaraderie between the characters is the emotional core of the story. The feel of the time travel has a magical realism vibe to it. This is mostly because the method isn’t explained, and that could turn people more interested in the science fiction rather than the history.

Theme and Premise

The premise is fairly straight forward. Ken Morioka finds himself inhabiting his grandfather’s body during WWII, where he meets the men his father’s father fought with during that time period. As he switches to traveling temporally to physically, Ken (nicknamed Alan “Loco Moco” Morioka because he retained his mind and knowledge from 2024) starts to feel an attachment his grandfather must’ve felt during his time as part of the purple heart warriors. The buildup is a slow one, not as slow as a Netflix show, but the first half is mostly set up for the emotional climax.

“Purple Heart Warriors” is a story that crosses the generational boundary between boomers and millennials. It is not, however, a two-way street. Acting more like the membrane of a cell, millennials through Ken learn what it was like to fight in WWII. The boomers however don’t have a connective tissue bringing the two together. Like the stereotype of being stuck in their ways, the story doesn’t tackle the stigma. This ultimately gives off a mixed message. The problem is only compounded by the scene in a dystopian future where people of color are taken away to camps. It serves as an effective cautionary tale, but one that doesn’t fit with the rest of the story.

Overall the show ultimately achieves what it set out to do. There may be some pot holes during the long drive down the figurative story road, but they’re small and mostly insignificant. The metaphorical holes, however, near the end, are ones easily fixed.

8.5+/10 Stars


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