Sumida is a 14 year old boy, abandoned by his mother and abused by his father, who drops out of school to run the family's boat hire shack. Very much a loner, he tolerates his neighbours who have been made homeless by the tsunami, but frequently rejects the friendship of his classmate Keiko who is infatuated by him. Sumida soon finds himself in a downward spiral involving loan sharks and the Yakuza, can his friends pull him out? Utilising the Japanese tsunami as a backdrop adds extra weight and poignancy to Sion Sono's manga adaptation, and the film can be viewed as a portrayal of a country desperately clinging on to hope. It's not as accessible as Sono's recent work, but the cinematography is outstanding, complimented by a mournful classical score.