After the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, Kikuo is taken under the wing of famed Kabuki actor Hanjirō. Over the ensuing decades, the destiny of Kikuo and his mentor’s son Shunsuke entwines - from acting school to the most prestigious stages - and tensions rise as they battle for the limelight. Only one of them will become the master of the centuries-old art.