Adolescence is always a difficult time; it is doubly so for Gábina. For one thing, she is growing up in the normalization years of the 1970s, and then she also has to face the reality that her father is a well-known actor disavowed by the regime. Although he abandoned the family years before, his existence casts an ominous shadow over the lives of not only Gábina, but also her older sister and mother, who are trying to find a civilized way through the social mire of the times.

The fairy tale tells the story of a very wise Japanese judge, Ooka, who, when judging disputes between merchants, slaves, and even mayors, always listens to both sides first and then makes a fair decision. With his tricks and correctly asked questions, no perjurer or swindler escapes his notice.