This melodrama explores the tangled relationships among friends and families in Meiji-era Japan. Six young men and women grapple with their futures in a country moving from traditional to modern ways. Poppy (Gubijinsō) was the first book published by Natsume Sōseki after he left teaching and joined Tokyo Asahi Shimbun to become a full-time writer. The book appeared as a serial in 127 episodes in the newspaper Tokyo Asahi Shimbun from June 23 to October 29, 1907.