Soar High!

Mai lives in Higashi Osaka with her father, mother, and older brother. Prone to unexplained fevers, she often misses school, but she returns on the eighth day of the new semester. Encouraged by her childhood friend Takashi, she becomes caretaker of the class rabbit, Sumi-chan, along with Kurumi, who later becomes her lifelong friend.

When the class rabbit escapes, Mai runs around searching for it and comes down with a fever. At the hospital, the doctor recommends a change of environment. Takashi brings her a letter from Kurumi, folded into a paper plane. Megumi hesitates when Kota suggests taking Mai to her estranged mother, Shoko.

Mai’s father Kota sends her and her mother Megumi to the Goto Islands. It’s Megumi’s first visit in 15 years. At the ferry port, they’re met by Megumi’s mother Shoko. For Mai, it’s her first time meeting her quiet, stern-looking grandmother. In her mother’s childhood home, Mai glimpses a new side of Megumi. Then, her friend Shingo appears.

On Mai’s first day at her grandmother’s house, shipwright Kido and portside shop owner Sakura drop by, bringing lively energy. Mai feels out of place but greets them as Shoko introduces her. When Megumi returns from the clinic, she sees Mai excitedly touching an octopus Sakura brought and scolds her. Shoko finds their interaction odd. The next day, Mai comes down with a fever and sees the doctor.

Encouraged by her grandmother, Mai tells her mother she wants to join the school’s seaside outing. Megumi agrees but remains anxious. During the trip, a student steps on a stonefish, causing panic. As Mai tries to get out of the water, she falls and gets hurt. While delivering jam by car, Megumi and Shoko come upon the scene. Megumi jumps out and rushes to Mai.

With Megumi back in Higashi Osaka, Mai begins living alone with Shoko, who teaches her to be independent and try new things. But Mai struggles—she breaks a dish, oversleeps, and arrives late to school. Still, Shoko encourages her, saying mistakes aren’t bad: “If you can’t do something, learn it. If not, find what you can do.”

Mai helps Shoko with her work on weekends—picking loquats, making jam, and canning it. Though she makes mistakes at first, she gradually learns with Shoko’s help and feels the joy of accomplishing something. Life on the island strengthens her. Hearing this over the phone, Kota and Megumi are happy. Kota tells Megumi and Haruto they should learn to be more independent, too.

Mai learns that the boat Shoko uses for her ocean taxi job is named Megumi-maru after her mother. Curious, she asks why Shoko and Megumi were estranged for 14 years. Shoko says she always wanted to see Megumi, Mai, and Haruto—and that living with Mai now brings her joy. Mai is moved as she watches her grandmother confidently steer the boat with fishing guests aboard.

Mai’s condition has improved, and updates about her help Megumi reconnect naturally with Shoko. One day, Mai delivers jam to her neighbor Itta’s house. Itta’s pregnant mother happily accepts it but suddenly goes into labor. Asked to get help, Mai runs to Shoko. Hearing this, Shoko dashes off with Mai to inform Itta’s father, Shingo.

A giant two-meter baramon kite is made to celebrate the birth of Itta’s baby brother. Kite flyers, including shipwright Kido and neighbor Sakura, gather at a seaside park. Just as they’re about to begin, Itta asks Mai to fly it. Though unsure, she bravely accepts. The wind pushes hard against the kite, but with everyone’s help, it soars high into the sky.

Kota and Haruto welcome Mai home to Higashi Osaka with homemade curry. Mai excitedly shares her first airplane ride, now fascinated by flying. She learns Kota also loves planes and once dreamed of building one. Back at school, Mai reunites with Kurumi, her fellow rabbit caretaker, and learns their beloved rabbit, Sumi-chan, has died.

Mai is disappointed when Kota postpones their weekend amusement park trip due to work. Instead, she takes on a project to add wings to a baramon kite, but they tear off during flight. When she tells Kota, he shows her a photo of himself with a model plane. Mai asks to learn from him, but he's too busy, so she decides to study and build one on her own.

Mai and Takashi visit their favorite used bookstore, Deracine. Mai works on her model plane while Takashi reads poems by the owner, Yagi. Though she struggles with the plane, Kota—despite tough times at his factory—helps her and keeps his promise by taking her to the amusement park.

Kota finds a breakthrough to revitalize his struggling business and begins developing new screws with support from local friends. Meanwhile, Mai invites Kurumi to the used bookstore she calls her “secret base.” There, Mai, Takashi, and Kurumi each spend time in their own way. Moved by Mai’s wish to cheer up her dad, Kurumi starts building a model plane with her help.

After completing their model airplanes, Mai and Kurumi invite their fathers—Kota and Yoshiharu—along with Mai’s mother Megumi, Kasamaki, a factory worker, and her brother Haruto to the schoolyard for a surprise test flight. Their planes take off successfully, lifting the spirits of the fathers, who have been going through hard times. Ten years pass, and Mai grows up to become a college student.

On campus, Mai discovers a human-powered airplane and accidentally breaks part of its wing frame. That evening, she tells her parents how beautiful it was. The next day, driven by guilt and curiosity, she asks to join the aviation club, where she meets Kariya, who designed the airplane, and Yura, a female pilot.

Kariya assigns new member Mai to build wing ribs for their human-powered plane. She becomes intrigued by Yura, the female pilot who trains tirelessly to set a new record. Mai and the others admire her dedication. Meanwhile, Tsuruta, leader of their circle Naniwa Birdman, arrives with an envelope—news that they didn’t qualify for the Ikaros Contest.

Mai’s brother Haruto returns to Higashi Osaka after a long absence. Though he lingers at the okonomiyaki shop, Mai convinces him to go home. Their parents, Kota and Megumi, worried by his silence, are relieved to hear he’s landed a job—until he adds he’ll quit in three years. Kota questions his lack of perseverance, sparking an argument. Mai and Megumi step in to mediate.

Though their human-powered plane, Swan-go, didn’t qualify for the Ikaros Contest, the team decides to fly it in a record attempt. At the kickoff meeting, Mai hears Kariya, Yura, and the others share their passion for the project. Moved, she shows them her sketchbook, filled with airplane drawings—including the Swan-go.

During a test flight, the Swan-go crashes, and pilot Yura breaks her leg—two months to recover. Kariya blames himself for a design flaw. While Tsuruta still hopes to attempt a record flight, Kariya insists they give up. With no pilot, the team is stuck—until someone suggests Mai, whose build is similar to Yura’s, as a possible substitute.

Mai volunteers to pilot the Swan-go, but Tsuruta withholds his decision. Determined, she begins training and buys a road bike after persuading her mother. Unsure, Tsuruta asks Yura for advice. Yura says Mai is the best fit. When Tsuruta tells the team about Mai’s offer, they agree to let her fly, but…

Kariya, the designer of the Swan-go, refuses to accept Mai as the pilot and distances himself from the club. The other members consider modifying the cockpit to fit her, but the change would affect the entire design. When Mai tells Kariya about their plan, he storms into the clubroom in anger. Though they clash, they all share one goal—to see the Swan-go take flight safely.

Now the pilot of the Swan-go, Mai must meet strict weight and strength requirements—especially in her legs. She trains on a road bike from early morning and follows a strict diet, even refusing jam sent by her grandmother Shoko. Meanwhile, her childhood friend Takashi, exhausted from work, decides to write poetry.

With one month left until the test flight, Mai intensifies her training over summer break but struggles to lose weight. At a fitness check in the clubroom, her results fall far short of the target. Since she aims to pedal for 50 minutes straight, Kariya suggests adjusting her pedaling power goal. He also begins redesigning parts of the aircraft, including the main and tail wings.