The movie is set in 1969, when Japanese students were enmeshed with campus riots, anti-war rallies, and the growth of subcultures in music, cinema, literature, and theater. Influenced by the atmosphere of the time, the protagonist, Kyôko, a senior at a high school for girls, forms an "Anti-Uniform Committee" and joins a rally at a university. However, Kyôko hates herself because she knows she is only copying others. One day, she is wounded at a rally, and realizes she has been taking campus riot for granted. Fleeing from the riot police, she runs into "A Cappella," the café where she meets and falls in love with a college student, named Wataru. She undergoes a sexual awakening and loses her virginity. Things seem to be going well with Wataru, but then she witnesses something she cannot believe...

This film depicts the emotional rollercoaster of being a teenager. Love, hurt, betrayal and rebellion all play a role. "A Cappella" is a coming-of-age tale, where one finds something important and grows up by losing it