During the tumultuous period of World War II, young Mahito, still grappling with the sorrow of his mother’s untimely passing, is moved from Tokyo to the tranquil countryside residence of his new stepmother, Natsuko, who eerily resembles his late mother. As Mahito attempts to settle into this unfamiliar environment, things take an even more peculiar turn with the arrival of a mysterious gray heron. This enigmatic bird both confounds and troubles Mahito, referring to him as the “long-awaited one.”