Kokuho

Renowned kabuki actor Hanai Hanjiro II visits the Tachibana yakuza group for a New Year gathering. Kikuo Tachibana performs an excerpt of Barrier Gate with yakuza youth Tokuji, and Hanjiro is impressed enough to request a private conversation after the show. Suddenly, rival yakuza attack, killing Gongōro, Kikuo’s father, while Hanjiro and Kikuo watch in shock.

In the wake of Gongōro's death, Kikuo tattoos an eagle owl on his back, a symbol of gratitude for favors returned. He resolves to take revenge on the rival yakuza with Tokuji, despite Harue's protests about vengeance and its costs. The decision marks a dark turning point in his life.

A year after the tragedy, at age 15, Kikuo is taken on as an apprentice by Hanjiro within the Tanba-ya Kabuki house. Sachiko resents the outsider status and the yakuza bloodline, which Kabuki culture values. Kikuo is given the stage name Toichiro and begins training alongside Shunsuke (Hanya).

Raised together, Kikuo and Shunsuke form a close but competitive bond during rigorous training. They attend Mangiku's Heron Maiden, where the renowned onnagata warns that beauty can become a downfall if not tempered by discipline. The experience deepens their resolve to master the craft.

At a teahouse, geisha Fujikoma expresses admiration for Kikuo and hints at a potential romantic connection. The encounter adds complexity to Kikuo's relationships and fuels his dedication to kabuki as he navigates personal ties.

Sachiko and Hanjiro pair Kikuo and Shunsuke as the onnagata duo 'Tohan'. They debut with Wisteria Maiden, earning praise and establishing themselves as rising stars in the kabuki world. The success marks a turning point toward broader opportunities.

The Mitomo corporation, via Umeki, takes notice of the ToHan duo and offers them a chance to perform Ninin Dojoji at Osaka Shochikuza Theatre. Takeno admonishes the idea that kabuki success should be purely hereditary, foreshadowing tensions about lineage and legitimacy.

The ToHan duo debuts to wide acclaim, rapidly becoming popular as audiences respond to their chemistry and skill. Kikuo asks Harue to marry him, but she hesitates, torn between love and the uncertain pressures of rising fame.

Hanjiro suffers a traffic accident but survives, leaving him unable to perform leading roles. He unexpectedly chooses Kikuo to replace Shunsuke as the lead in The Love Suicides at Sonezaki, triggering tension among the mentor, his wife, and the trainee.

Kikuo delivers a stunning Ohatsu performance, but Shunsuke feels eclipsed and withdraws from the theatre, with Harue choosing to comfort him. The successful performance sharpens the rift between Kikuo and Shunsuke as ambition clashes with loyalty.

Eight years pass and Shunsuke remains absent. Hanjiro, now nearly blind from diabetes, wishes for Kikuo to inherit the title Hanai Hanjiro III. Despite Sachiko's disapproval, Kikuo accepts, shouldering his master's debts and responsibilities.

Kikuo visits Fujikoma and meets his daughter Ayase, to whom he makes a shrine vow to become Japan's best kabuki actor. He also begins a romance with Akiko, the daughter of a prominent kabuki investor, provoking her father's disapproval and threatening their relationship.

At the succession parade, Ayase runs to her father but is restrained by Fujikoma. Hanjiro vomits blood, halting the ceremony, as Shunsuke returns and Kikuo contends with a deepening sense of loss and responsibility in Mangiku's watchful presence.

Public opinion turns against Kikuo due to his yakuza past, tattoo, and illegitimate daughter, causing him to lose leads and withdraw from the stage. Mangiku later invites him back, and Kikuo reconnects with Shunsuke as the 'Han-han' duo, also coaching Shunsuke's son while balancing basketball distractions.

Sixteen years after the earlier upheavals, in 2014, Shunsuke is posthumously granted the title Hanai Byakko V. Kikuo is named a kokuho and prepares to perform Heron Maiden in his honor. Ayase, now a photographer, interviews him about the scenery he seeks, revealing lingering emotional ties. Kikuo then performs Heron Maiden to a full house, ending with a snowfall vision that underscores his artistic triumph.