EXPOSITION/BACKGROUND INFORMATION: In 1831, the real Great Wave off Kanagawa swept across a remote coastal village south of Tokyo. Only two survivors remained, Eri and her twin sister, Niri. The two of them had traveled to Tokyo to sell fresh fish. When they returned at night, only the tips of some houses remained in the overwhelming flood.
CONFLICT: Eri and Niri were moved to the Anzen Orphanage in Kyoto, where Niri was adopted and Eri, who was usually shy and docile, became a rebellious, sadistic child. Eventually, unable to bear the fact that Niri had left her for a new future, Eri ran away from the orphanage, unaware she had a stalker.
FALLING ACTION: Eri flees to a forest that resides beside a farming area and steals food from the plantations, barely surviving. Meanwhile, a twelve-year old boy, Aiko, watches her grieve.
DENOUEMENT: Finally, Eri cannot take it anymore. She contemplates jumping from the tall bluff she lives on, only to be stopped by Aiko. She learns he lost his infant brother to adoptive parents, and together, they return to the orphanage, determined never to waste their precious lives.