MOVIES

Plot

In 1943, Hisako Maki, Mahito's mother, dies during an air raid on Tokyo. Mahito is twelve years old and his father, Shoichi Maki, produces in his factory parts for military airplanes. The father then marries Natsuko, Hisako's younger sister. The family flees to the countryside with their servants. Mahito finds it difficult to integrate into his new surroundings. His relationship with Natsuko, who is already pregnant, is also strained. Meanwhile, he meets a strange heron on the estate.
At school, Mahito got into a fight with another boy. Because of his bad mood, he hits himself on the head with a stone. When he gets home, he discovers the book "Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka" with a dedication from his biological mother. One evening, Natsuko disappears and cannot be found.
Later, Mahito notices that there is a man inside the heron. The heron leads Mahito to a tower in the forest. The heron claims that Mahito's mother is still alive in the tower. In the tower, Mahito finds himself in a magical world.
He meets Kiriko and Himi, who accompany him and the heron. They find Natsuko in a castle keep. But she refuses to leave the place if Mahito does not accept her as his new mother. They flee the castle, and Himi is caught by the parakeet. Now they try to save Himi. On the way they meet Natsuko's great uncle, who is a powerful magician. He teaches Mahito how to control a magical stone. It is important to have a pure heart in order to be able to control the stone.
But Mahito refuses, because he says he does not have a pure heart, and refers to his head wound. The parakeet seeks the great uncle and destroys the magical stone, whereupon the world begins to crumble. Mahito flees back to his world and wants to take Himi with him. But Himi reveals that she is his mother's younger self. Mahito, Natsuko and the heron return to their world.
The film ends two years after the end of World War II.