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Synopsis

Set in mid-19th-century Japan as the Tokugawa shogunate faces early pressures for change, this story follows Ryoma, a boy from a lower-tier samurai household on the rural island of Shikoku. As a seven-year-old, Ryoma is emotionally open and deeply averse to cruelty; his sensitivity leads him to weep at even small injustices, and his peers and relatives label him a “cry baby.” Despite this, he is not timid—his tears stem from a strong wish to oppose unfairness and prevent needless harm. His elder sister understands him better than anyone, recognizing an unusual gift in him and offering protection and encouragement. Years later, Ryoma emerges as a leading figure advocating the end of the shogunate and the opening of Japan to the West, but the narrative begins by tracing his early compassion, moral resolve, and the familial bond that nurtures his development.