The Shamisen in the Rain

The rains fall gently over lonely graves, stubborn villagers, and children with heavy hearts. Into this quiet comes Noboru—a wandering drunk with a katana at his hip and songs older than memory.

In these five tales, a girl is hunted through a living forest, a village learns joy again on the edge of starvation, and a boy with a twisted foot dares to dream of becoming a Warrior. Each story is small, sharp, and aching—tied together by the ghost of a man who has lost everything but the music in his hands.

Come for the monsters, stay for the melody—and don’t expect easy answers.