Those Snow White Notes

Sawamura Matsugorou, the grandfather of a young Tsugaru shamisen player, Sawamura Setsu, has died. In losing the grandfather whom he'd always admired, Setsu has lost his own sound, and so he has gone to Tokyo with no plans other than to se…

Setsu's unconventional mother, Sawamura Umeko, has suddenly descended and forced him to enroll at Umezono Academy. In helping to assemble a shamisen which has lain long disused, he meets Maeda Shuri, a girl in the same grade as him. While …

Shuri is caught listening to music during class and has her cellphone confiscated. The song heard through her earphones is Setsu's grandfather, Matsugoro's, improvisation piece "Shungyou." How? How does she know that song? When Setsu asks …

Shuri wants her grandmother to be able to hear "Shungyou: Spring Dawn" again, but Setsu tells her it isn't something he's capable of playing and ends up denying her request to perform. After Setsu confronts "Shungyou" once more, he finds h…

After being so deeply moved by Setsu's performance, Shuri decides to seriously pursue playing the shamisen. With Setsu at the center, Shuri, Shuri's childhood friends Yamazato Yui and Yaguchi Kaito, and the addition of Nagamori Rai, a fell…

The owner of a shop selling traditional Japanese instruments, Oodawara Hiroshi, has taken the Tsugaru Shamisen Appreciation Club to Aomori for a training camp. The members start practicing right away, but Shuri falls into a slump and Setsu…

The Tsugaru Shamisen Appreciation Club has entered the tournament that Umeko is sponsoring, the Matsugorou Cup. Also participating are Tanuma Mai, who has thought of Setsu as a rival since they were little, and her older brother, Tanuma So…

Setsu has finally shown how he really feels. The Tsugaru Shamisen Appreciation Club is strengthening their bonds, but with their performance rapidly closing in, Shuri's insecurity and nervousness reach their peak. Shuri turns to Yui for su…

At last, it is time for Umezono Academy to perform. In spite of their nerves, the Tsugaru Shamisen Appreciation Club begins their performance boldly. Setsu's overwhelming sound overlaps and intermingles with the sounds of the other Umezono…

The Tsugaru Shamisen Appreciation Club has placed 3rd in the Matsugorou Cup. Next, the individual competition finally begins. However, someone unexpected has come to the venue—Kamiki Ryuugen. He reveals to Umeko that he wants Setsu to inhe…

Kaji has been struck by a misfortunate accident—a string snapped in the middle of his performance. Seeing him continue on two strings to give an amazing performance stirs Setsu's heart. Then, Umeko reveals her true motives for creating the…

Setsu plays, following his heart. He sets an image within the notes. With all his heart, he tries to convey it. The sound that pours from Setsu' shamisen draws forth memories from everyone who hears it. Then, the favorite for first place, …