Ichiro Miki is a child living in the industrial city of Kawasaki, where his parents' constant struggle to make ends meet often leaves the young schoolboy alone. Mocked and teased by a bully nicknamed "Gabara", Ichiro's only friends are a toy consultant named Shinpei and fellow classmate Sachiko. Turning to escapism, Ichiro dreams of MonsterIsland and befriending the equally bullied Minilla.