The Orphan Brother

Anju and Zushioumaru live quietly in the countryside with their father, a caretaker of the emperor’s hunting grounds who raises them to cherish nature and safeguard animals. When a local lord falsely accuses him of burning the land, the siblings flee with their mother and a handful of animals to Kyoto, hoping the emperor will clear his name. But tragedy strikes when they’re deceived into boarding the wrong boat, separating them from their mother and leaving them sold into slavery. Their ruthless owner subjects them to brutal labor, threatening torture if they disobey. Only Saburou, their master’s son, shows them kindness. Unarmed and living in fear of punishment, the siblings struggle to survive, clinging to the hope of restoring the peaceful life they once knew.