Following the death of his grandpa, the famed shamisen master Matsugorou Sawamura, Setsu Sawamura flees his little hometown. Matsugorou begged Setsu on his deathbed to give up the shamisen if he was merely going to mimic others and not play in his own style. Setsu flees to Tokyo, expecting that the huge city will inspire him to develop his own distinct playing style. Tokyo, on the other hand, contradicts his expectations by drowning out all other noises with the overwhelming roar of metropolitan life. Concerned about her son, Setsu's rich and successful mother, Umeko, waltzes back into his life and forces him to enroll in Umezono Academy. He meets Shuri Maeda at school, a girl who is enthralled by the Tsugaru shamisen.