During Tokyo's Taisho era, Benio Hanamura was raised solely by her father who served in the Japanese military after losing her mother in her youth. Despite societal gender norms, Benio rejected traditional customs by practicing kendo, enjoying sake, wearing Western attire, and valuing literature over domestic tasks when she turned 17. Benio advocated against arranged marriages and promoted a woman's right to choose her own profession and marry for love. Her allies were Tamaki, an attractive and feminine girl who shared her beliefs in female empowerment, and Ranmaru, a young man who grew up performing female roles in kabuki theater and displayed feminine traits.
