The Orphan Brother

Anju and Zushioumaru live quietly in the countryside with their father, a compassionate steward who tends the emperor’s hunting grounds and teaches his children to cherish nature. When the local lord falsely accuses their father of burning the grounds, the siblings flee to Kyoto with their mother and a few animal companions, hoping to secure their father’s pardon from the emperor. But during their journey, Anju and Zushioumaru are deceived into boarding the wrong boat, separated from their mother, and sold into slavery. Their ruthless owner subjects them to grueling labor, threatening torture if they disobey. Only Saburou, their master’s son, shows them kindness. With no means to fight back and the constant fear of punishment, the siblings struggle to survive, clinging to the hope of someday restoring the peaceful life they once knew.