Film Synopsis
Ever since he was a child, Jiro Horikoshi (voiced by Hideaki Anno) has loved planes. Due to his
poor eyesight becoming a pilot was out of the question. So he turned his attention
to building rather than flying.
Jiro is now considered a genius in the field of
aeronautical engineering. In 1927, he's hired by the aircraft manufacturer
Mitsubishi, which has been receiving large orders from the Imperial Military.
Japan has been desperately trying to catch up with the Western powers, but the gap appears too great.
Jiro is sent all over the
world to study the cutting edge of flight technology. He can't help feel a little disillusion knowing the machines he loves
will ultimately be used as weapons of war. Making matters grimmer, the world sits on the cusps of a second horrific conflict.
Following a string of failures,
Jiro decides to take a holiday to clear his head. While on retreat, he falls
for the beautiful Naoko Satomi (voiced by Miori Takimoto) who he previously rescued
during the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. Naoko has been suffering from the
effects of tuberculosis. Though the disease is incurable, ensuring any relationship will end in heartbreak, the two marry.
