Fly me to the Saitama (2019) Plot Summary Explained

Momomi Dannoura is the son of the Tokyo governor but physically appears female. This is a key aspect of his complex identity that shapes his life in Tokyo and his connection to Rei. His appearance creates both personal tension and allows him to navigate the social hierarchy in a unique way, eventually becoming a uniting figure for the Saitama resistance.

• momomi
• gender presentation
• identity
• tokyo governor
• son

The Z Class refers to students from Saitama Prefecture who live in a makeshift hut off the main campus grounds at Hakuhodo High School. These marginalized students represent the Saitama underclass within Tokyo's elite educational system. Rei Asami notably reaches out to help them, offering recognition and support that the Tokyo elites rarely provide.

Foreshadowing: The radio drama early on establishes Saitama students as an underclass, setting up the Z Class introduction.

• z class
• hakuhodo high
• saitama students
• hut
• marginalized

The film satirizes real-world regional prejudice by portraying deep-seated discrimination against Saitama residents. Tokyo characters view Saitama as inferior, and Saitama residents themselves internalize this bias, evident when Aimi's parents worry about her moving to Tokyo after marriage. The prejudice drives the entire liberation narrative.

• saitama
• tokyo
• prejudice
• discrimination
• regional

Rei Asami is revealed to be a secret agent for the Saitama Liberation Front, sent to infiltrate Tokyo's ruling circles by posing as a transfer student at Hakuhodo High School. His time in America and charming demeanor allow him to blend in with Tokyo elites while gathering intelligence and supporting the Saitama resistance movement.

Foreshadowing: Rei's unusual willingness to help the Z Class hints at his true allegiances from the start.

• rei asami
• secret agent
• saitama liberation front
• infiltration
• spy

Rei is forced to flee Tokyo after Momomi's family butler Akutsu uncovers his true identity as a Saitama Liberation Front operative. Realizing his cover is blown and facing danger from the Tokyo elite, Rei escapes back to Saitama to join the active liberation movement rather than continue his infiltration.

Foreshadowing: Momomi's growing feelings for Rei and Akutsu's suspicious observations build toward this reveal.

• rei flees
• akutsu
• discovered
• tokyo
• escape

The Saitama Liberation Front and Chiba Liberation Front initially clash across the Edogawa River near Nagareyama Bridge, representing different regional factions with separate agendas. Akutsu is revealed to have dual allegiance, connected to Chiba while pandering to Tokyo. This conflict symbolizes the broader regional divide before they unite against common enemies.

• saitama liberation front
• chiba liberation front
• edogawa river
• akutsu
• alliance

Momomi discovers a hidden stash of gold bars on Mount Akagi in Gunma Prefecture that were illegally amassed by past Tokyo governors. This treasure provides crucial funding to shift the power balance and enables the previously divided regional fronts to unite their forces for the assault on Tokyo.

• gold
• mount akagi
• gunma
• funding
• tokyo governors
• resistance

In the finale, Rei and Momomi initiate Duke Saitama's Japan Saitamaization Plan, a strategy to quietly spread Saitama's unassuming culture across Japan. Rather than military conquest, this plan uses cultural infiltration and soft power to reshape the national cultural landscape, representing a shift from rebellion to long-term cultural influence.

• japan saitarianism
• culture
• soft power
• duke saitama
• finale

Akutsu is revealed to be a member of the Chiba Liberation Front with hidden hostility toward the Saitama movement. While peddling influence in Tokyo, he works against Saitama's interests. His dual allegiance creates tension until the regional fronts eventually unite against their common Tokyo enemies.

• akutsu
• betrayal
• chiba liberation front
• butler
• allegiance

Rei and Momomi expose Momomi's father's own plot to maintain Saitama under Tokyo's control. Once his scheme is revealed, he is removed from authority, marking a decisive turning point that weakens the Tokyo elite's grip and accelerates Saitama's liberation. Momomi's position within his own family becomes crucial to the political shift.

• momomi's father
• governor
• exposed
• removed
• power
• tokyo elite