A sport nobody's heard of becomes the vehicle for something real: four teenagers learning that passion isn't about winning, it's about showing up for each other. The animation breathes with every movement, every awkward laugh, every moment of doubt, Kyoto Animation spent frames on the in-between glances that define actual friendship. This movie spends twenty minutes on competition and ninety on why these boys matter to each other, and that calculation is exactly right.

Shotaro Futaba arrives at Ao High set on joining the boys' rhythmic gymnastics club. He first came across the sport during his last summer of junior high, and it has fascinated him ever since. At the club he meets a group of distinctive seniors and the team's ace, Ryoya Misato. Now the club has reached regionals for the first time and is aiming for the Inter-High title. This is the last tournament for the third-year members, so the team practices its routine determined to finish with no regrets. The weight of the event and some personal troubles threaten to become more than they can bear. Comedy and drama mix in this sports film about teammates working toward a shared goal.