Kanichiro is a poor samurai who has fallen on hard times. To feed his family he betrays his clan and moves to Kyoto to join the Shinsengumi (sort of like the Japanese secret police of the time). In Kyoto he squirrels away cent he earns and sends it back to his family. But times are changing and Kanichiro must choose where his loyalty lies; with the Shogun or with the Emperor. I really enjoyed this film, although I thought it could have benefited from a bit of brutal editing in parts. It tended to meander a bit towards the conclusion but it was overall a very good film and well deserving of its acclaim.