Shu is a typical Japanese boy with an unbeatable, optimistic and determined attitude. However, when he sees a mysterious girl named Lala-Ru up on a smokestack, he is pulled into a strange desert world where he discovers the true terrors of war, such as genocide, brutal torture, hunger, thirst, and child exploitation. Now Shu is trying to save Lala-Ru, as well as his hard-earned, and often reluctant, new friends from the insane dictator, Hamdo. Whether Shu can possibly accomplish saving those he cares about while staying true to his values remains to be seen.