Abuse of power in the harsh feudal times of the Edo period is the crux of this somewhat dusty series in which Kanbei Uchiyama is the leader of the Otaka group, a group of vigilantes who receive complaints via letters, such as one from six-year-old Keita, who must hide from the henchmen of the powerful and corrupt Matsui, head of the Finance Department. Matsui took advantage of the beautiful Osawa, who worked humbly as a cleaner in his own residence. The ruffian got rid of Osawa’s suitor and announced his wedding, but Osawa’s brother, the boy, reported everything to the Meyasubako ballot box, which was used by falconers to investigate abuses at the time. The problem was finding the child, so the youngest of the Edo Falcons, Shinnosuke, with his falcon Fubuki, approached the street children and asked them to tell him the whereabouts of the person who had accused the powerful.

They did so, and the children were amazed by Fubuki’s pirouettes as he returned to his master and gave him their vote of confidence. However, they were ambushed, and the scene in which the falcon throws himself at one of the villains is wonderful, as are the children’s escape until they reach Kazami and the rest of the group. The boy is scared and cries inconsolably because he wants to be with his sister again. The rogue Matsui believes he has bought his wife and sends 300 ryu to the boy, which he openly rejects even though he is a minor. The hawks spring into action and first stop the carriage in which she was travelling, and she denies being against her will with the finance chief. The Otaka group demands proof of the executions in order to be the sole suitor, and Matsui informs them that the body of Osawa’s lover is buried in the Reigenji temple in Azabu. That night, they set to work to dig up the body and confirm that he died of natural causes, but they never find the body. When Osawa is notified by the solemn Kanbei that her little brother is distressed and refuses Matsui’s alms, she is convinced, and the four hawks storm the finance minister’s office, resulting in a carnage acceptable for the finale.