The setting of the tale is a village in the southern Japanese prefecture of Kōchi during World War II. Despite the location being a remote mountainous area, the locals hold the belief that American and British people are "brutes" due to the loss and injury of their relatives. A new student, Eiko, arrives from the city of Yokohama. Eiko's blue eyes, inherited from her father who is American, result in constant bullying from her classmates. The teachers, except for her homeroom teacher Akiko, also view Eiko in a negative light. However, Kenta, a boy from her class, is more interested than hostile towards Eiko. As news of casualties and the return of a classmate's injured father fresh from the battlefield reaches the village, the children's lives take a new turn.