Tomoya Okazaki is a dissatisfied third-year high school student. When he was younger, his mother died in a vehicle accident, prompting his father to turn to drink and smokes to cope. As a result, the two fight until Tomoya's shoulder is damaged. Tomoya has had a strained relationship with his father ever then, leading to his eventual delinquency. On his way to school, he encounters Nagisa Furukawa, a mysterious girl who is a year older than him but is repeating due to illness. She is frequently alone as a result of this, as the most of her pals have gone on. The two start hanging out, and Tomoya gradually notices that his life is turning in a new direction. A popular visual novel game is the inspiration for this anime.