Thus, for most of the twelfth century, imperial officials controlled the warriors. The two greatest warrior clans of the time were the Taira (also known as the Heike) and the Minamoto (a.k.a. Genji).

In the series, based on a medieval Japanese war epic called "The Tale of the Heike," Biwa witnesses the tragic fate of the Taira family ... between the Taira and Minamoto clans.