Dai Miyamoto's life is turned upside down the day he discovers jazz. A former high school basketball player, Dai picks up a saxophone and begins practicing day and night, determined to become one of the greatest of all time. He leaves his sleepy hometown for the bustling nightclubs of Tokyo, but soon finds the life of a professional musician is not for the faint of heart. His passion eventually wins over the cocky but talented pianist Yukinori, and after Dai convinces his friend Shunji to learn the drums, they launch a new jazz trio whose rough sound contains a raw energy that quickly wins attention from local audiences. But what does it take to truly be great?
A história de Suzume, uma garota japonesa de 17 anos, que conhece um jovem rapaz procurando por uma "porta". Os dois viajam juntos e a encontram dentro de algumas ruínas numa montanha e cercada por água em seu redor, como se tivesse ocorrido algum desastre e ela fora o único objeto restante. Suzume a abre e então, as "Portas do Desastre" começam a se abrir ao redor do Japão, uma após a outra, trazendo desastres intermináveis.
Fewer samurai films are being made, and the Uzumasa studio has fallen on hard times. One day, veteran "kirareyaku" (whose job it is to be felled with a sword by a film's star) actor Kamiyama is tasked with teaching sword action techniques to fledgling actress Satsuki. A few years later, the now-retired Kamiyama is visited by Satsuki, who has become a popular star.
