In the mid‑19th century, Japan remained closed off from the outside world, with the Tokugawa shogunate only beginning to show early signs of reform. On the remote island of Shikoko, a young boy named Ryoma grows up in a lower‑class samurai family. A decade later, he will become one of the key figures to topple the shogun’s reign and open Japan to the Western world. Our story begins with Ryoma, a seven‑year‑old dreamer. Honest and tender‑hearted, he despises violence and brutality. His sensitivity and naivety often cause him to cry out of pity when he witnesses even the simplest acts of violence, such as a child trampling another.