Set in a bustling 1950s parlor, a beautiful counter clerk falls for a wealthy businessman’s son, only to have their romance derailed by a ruthless loan shark and a mounting family debt. As the parlor faces ruin, the narrative weaves through slapstick antics, musical numbers by Enka legends, and surreal interviews with real-life cultural figures. A chaotic "blueprint" for the Pachinko subgenre, this musical dramedy captures the obsession and desperation of the silver balls.

Newly released from the army, five men return to Tokyo to find no place to live in the bombed-out city, food and necessities rationed out by people who don't care, and a thriving black market.