Second part of an epic drama of war and its effects upon human beings, follows the fortunes of the Godai family from 1935 through Japan's invasion of China. Based on the novels by Jumpei Gomikawa, who also penned The Human Condition.
To encourage a positive attitude, hearing-impaired mother Asako joins a theatrical troupe with her daughter Ai. Problems arise during rehearsals between the deaf and the hearing but they learn to work together by overcoming. On the public performance day, two deaf lovers are objected by their parents, which leads to Ai knowing Asako losing hearing when giving birth to Ai, As the curtain rises, Ai is found missing from the back stage…
One day, a deaf photographer, Miki Yamashina, happens to meet a young man, Makoto Shibata, on the street. Shibata had been averse to human contact ever since he ran over a child, but Miki finds an unexpected way to support him.