Brash single mother Nikuko is well-known for her bold spirit, much to the embarrassment of Kikuko, her pensive yet imaginative daughter. In contrast to her mother, Kikuko wants nothing more than to fit in as she navigates the everyday social dramas of middle school. Life in the harbor is peaceful until a shocking revelation from the past threatens to uproot the pair's tender relationship.

While it could stand to be a lot more enlightened in its treatment of its protagonist, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is also a sensitive and refreshingly honest look at adolescence.