At present day, a boy named Shinichi (Akashi Takei) struggles in life as he is bullied in school and his parents are always arguing at home. He loves reading history as it's his way of escaping reality and often prays at a nearby ancient tree for courage to be strong in life.
One day, he discovers a hidden scroll buried beneath the tree and finds himself transported back in time to Sengoku Jidai, where he met the fearsome Samurai, Matabe (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi) and the fiery princess, Renheme (Yui Aragaki), whom he serves.
Shinichi is surprised to see the princess to be the same person he often dreams of and Matabe is mystified by Shinichi's arrival which saved him from an assassination attempt, believed to be the work of a rival Daimyo, Ohkura (Takao Osawa).
Shinichi later learns that Ohkura wanted to marry Renheme but she refuses as her heart is already with Matabe. Both Matabe and Renheme are torn between their love for each other and their duty to their province, which they have both sworn to protect.
As Shinichi is caught up in the inevitable war, figuring out his purpose in being sent to this timeline, he gets close to both Renheme and Matabe, and the people around them, he learns what it truly means to be courageous, to not run away and face life boldly.
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This was a pleasant find, as I have been intrigued by "time travel" shows where the lead travels to the past to escape the present but only to learn about life, like Samurai Sensei, Ashi Girl, Junihitoe wo Kita Akuma, Iine! Hikaru Genji-kun, Edomoiselle and Honnoji Hotel.
It's an uplifting and inspiring film, which also pulls your heartstrings.
Happy SMAP anniversary! Sazae-san is a slice of life anime adapted from a 4koma manga that's a classic for Japanese families. SMAP guest starred in this episode during the FNS 27 Hour TV telethon in 2014, where they were the main hosts. Enjoy!