The first volume, Like a Dream: Reed Plains in Bloom, recounts the beginnings of Japanese history, from creation myths to the arrival of Chinese culture and the start of Japan's Warring States period. The story begins with creation myths, then follows the rise of the Yamato people in the Japanese archipelago. The arrival of Chinese culture reshapes society, while emperors bearing sacred regalia are swept into the currents of history again and again…
The second volume, Like a Dream: Storms of the Warring States, tells the sweeping story of Japan's Warring States period, focusing on the rise and fall of two legendary rulers, Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In this tumultuous age, heroes abound and events change in an instant, like a dream. Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu pursue their ambitions and vie for power. When will this turbulent land finally be united?
The third volume, Like a Dream: Mists over Edo, follows Japan's transition from the ancient world of the late Warring States period to modern times, after Tokugawa Ieyasu unified the country and rebuilt the shogunate. Through reform and the opening of the country, Japan enters the modern era. After unification, a peaceful Japan falls into slumber, until foreign powers knock open its doors with their warships. The shogunate finally sets like the sun, and Japan strives to strengthen itself through the Meiji Restoration, yet stands only a step away from the abyss of evil.
