Shinta Arakawa wants nothing more than to pass his shin'uchi exam--the test that would make him a top-rank headliner and master storyteller in the traditional Japanese art of rakugo. Akane Osaki, his daughter and biggest fan, spies on him while he practices and learns his routines for herself. When rakugo master Issho Arakawa expels everyone after the exam with no explanation, a fire is lit inside Akane. From that day forth, she has had one goal--to avenge her father and prove his art was worthy of the title of shin'uchi.

Akane is set to appear in the zenza Renseikai, hoping to seize a chance to appear in the four-person event featuring a group of talented futatsume said to lead the next generation of the Arakawa School in rakugo. In order to get into the four-person event, she must come in first at the Renseikai. While Akane is considered a favorite to win, a familiar dark horse contestant appears--one driven by a recent bitter defeat at the hands of Akane.