Nagasaki, 1964. Following the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, 14-year-old Kikuo is entrusted to the care of a famous kabuki actor. Together with Shunsuke, the actor’s only son, he devotes himself to traditional theatre. For years, the young men grow and develop side by side, from drama school to the finest theatres, amidst scandals and fame, brotherhood and betrayal. One of them will go on to become Japan’s greatest master of the art of kabuki.

Set against the backdrop of post-war Japan’s rapid modernisation, a grand, compelling epic unfolds, exploring tradition, ambition and artistic dedication. An overwhelming audience favourite in Japan, it combines the grandeur of classic melodrama with breathtaking kabuki theatre productions.