The Swallows Don't Come Back

Ranman

A passionate botanist dedicates his life to his love of plants, overcoming hardship across changing eras with the support of his devoted wife.

Ryuukou Kanbou

The novelist Shiga Naoya lives with his wife Haruko and their 4-year-old daughter Saeko. He is paranoid about Saeko’s health, making her wear heavy clothes even in summer in order to prevent her from catching a cold. Their child before Saeko died due to an epidemic, and he believes thorough enforcement is a natural consequence. In 1918, the Spanish flu reaches Japan. As the number of infected people grows, Shiga starts to suspect their servant Ishi might have gone to watch a travelling entertainment troupe’s performance which drew a great number of villagers. It is something Ishi is likely to do. But when Shiga questions her, she says that she did not go. However, she makes him have misgivings on a regular basis and he decides to take this opportunity to make her quit. An uproar ensues. Shiga feels that he has become a tyrant and refrains from kicking her out but he loses all reason and faith in humanity amid the pandemic…

Mountain Woman

Late 18th century, Tohoku. An outcast girl, Rin lives in a village suffering from famine. She draws strength from Mt. Hayachine, where the spirits of humans ascend after passing.

Ultramarine Area

Kim Jun Hee, a member of the immensely popular five-membered band, Indigo AREA, has suffered setbacks and deep wounds, and now her boyfriend, the vocalist, suddenly announces that he is leaving the band. The story depicts the process of Jun Hee escaping from her narrow world of values, regaining her music, and becoming a strong "human being," while also finding the connections that are essential to survive. A new slice-of-life story of healing and courage.

フロイス－その死、書き残さず－

Tabiya Okaeri

Using her stage name, Oka Erika works as an entertainer and a program reporter. She is in her 30's and her real name is Okabayashi Eriko. Erika loves to travel. Her program "Chobit Tabi" is also about traveling, but the show is stopped due to a mistake by Erika. At that time, a letter is delivered to her management company. The letter asks if Erika can go on a trip instead of their sick daughter.

Sugu Shinun Dakara

Mango no Ki no Shita de

Rinko and Aya, employed in the Philippines in 1944, escape one of the most gruesome battles of the Pacific War. Based on the accounts of actual women survivors, this special depicts the friendship - the joy and sadness - shared by these two women, whose lives remain intertwined in wartime and long beyond.

Beyond Goodbye

After losing her fiancé in an accident, Saeko feels an inexplicable connection to a stranger — who, by a twist of fate, received his heart and memories.