In June 1945 (Showa 20), Yamauchi Fusako goes alone to Manchuria where her husband, Setsuo, a second lieutenant of the Kwantung Army, is based. At that time, 200,000 Japanese had settled in Manchuria, a Japanese occupied territory, as settler communities. Fujita Hideo’s family worked hard to clear the wilderness, but the Soviets are lying in wait for an invasion of Manchuria from the North. Fusako is safely reunited with her husband at the headquarters of the Kwantung Army’s Fifth Training Squadron in Manchuria’s Dahushan. Setsuo also takes good care of his beloved wife, but his position is an instructor to the young soldiers who will eventually carry out suicide attacks. He wonders if he should have summoned her and speaks of these mixed feelings to his commanding officer, Michiba Kazuo, a first lieutenant. Michiba is concerned about Setsuo’s attempts to cherish his wife before the coming showdown on homeland. Fusako learns about life in Manchuria from Michiba’s wife, Etsu. In comparison to the interior, it not only had abundant food such as vegetables and rice, but also no air raids. Fusako’s welcome party and a celebratory party for an engaged couple, Setsuo’s colleague, Yuasa Tetsuo, and Inoue Hana, is held at night. Nishimura Tsuyoshi, Koguma Isamu, Kinoshita Tatsuo and other instructors drink together and the young soldiers simply stuff themselves with the food of Fusako and others. Fusako is happy to live together with Setsuo for the first time since they married that she seemingly forgets about the war. However, the village near the border where Fujita’s settler community lives, is finally invaded by the Soviet Army. They have to abandon the fields that they had struggled to cultivate and seek refuge in Dahushan. Then, the Kwantung Army also gives orders for sorties at last. Fusako’s peaceful days are about to quickly collapse.
28-year-old, single domestic airline CA (cabin attendant), Yamada Sae, looking for love and fulfillment in life. Five years ago, her high school sweetheart was snatched from her grasp by a CA.That’s what prompted her to pursue a career as a CA despite of having no interest in the profession itself.In the air, Sae experiences losing altitude of self esteem by repeating bungles, and is ordered time and time again to write letters of apology by her boss.On the ground, Sae devotes her full attention to attending ‘Go-kon’ (group blind date, the ritual which fuels the social life of Japanese singles). But on one of these Go-kons, Sae finds a younger, prettier colleague,who snubbed Sae’s idea of showing up wearing their killer uniforms. Sae learns a lesson about the rules of survival in the love jungle; there are no rules! And if that isn’t enough, she is constantly looked down by nasty international CAs. But Sae shows cheerful resilience, or even talent for navigating the girls through fighting against common enemies such as womanizers specializing in CAs. Still Sae has difficulty expressing her honest feelings to a handsome pilot, saying spiteful things,which only leads into their perpetual quarrel. You might call it the foreplay of a relationship.Through her bumpy flight, Sae is gradually learning that happiness is something not given by others, but grasped by oneself.
