小川爱实（木村文乃 饰）是私立女校的国语教师，成长于保守家庭，生活按父母安排步步推进，却逐渐对婚姻与人生感到迷惘。某日，她为拯救被牛郎欺骗的学生，闯入夜店，与牛郎俱乐部“THE JOKER”的男公关熏（拉乌卢 饰）邂逅。熏出身贫困，识字困难，却凭温柔与努力生存至今。两人原本无交集，但在展开秘密“私人辅导”教授文字与社会常识后逐渐拉近距离，在冲突与理解中渐生情愫。然而，社会的偏见、指责与嫉妒接踵而至，由此展开一段跨越世俗的纯爱故事。

因母亲出手伤害恋人被捕，小女孩真希（铃木梨央 饰）被送入名为小野鸭之家的儿童养护机构。这里住着绰号邮箱（芦田爱菜 饰）、钢美（桜田ひより 饰）、贫乏（渡邉このみ 饰）和弹珠等因各种原因而离开父母的孩子，他们在“魔王”佐佐木友则（三上博史 饰）的统治下，如同宠物店橱窗里的小猫小狗一般被迫展示着自己可爱乖巧的一面，等待与能给予他们温暖和安全的新父母的出现。真希得到了“钝器”的绰号，在得知无法回到母亲身边时，她认同了这些新伙伴，并努力在残酷的逆境中追寻他们的小幸福。
过早品味到现实残酷的孩子们，用与年龄全不匹配的冰冷目光注视着这个怪异的世界……

There are over 600 orphanages across the nation, housing approximately 30,000 children; Most of them had been abused by their parents. Maki, was placed into the orphanage "Kogamo no Ie", after her mother, Ryoka, was arrested and jailed. There she was handed over to the care of Kana, and also Sasaki, the eccentric caretaker of the home. Under Sasaki's management, the home is a calm and safe haven from all the madness of the real world. At the home, Maki befriends 3 other little girls, who all go by their nicknames instead of their real names. Piami who plays the piano really well, Bombi who came from a very poor family, and Post, who is the leader of all the kids.

本剧改编自同名小说，讲述了位于东京新宿的高中夜校，那里有各种各样的学生在上学。年龄和背景都各不相同的他们身边，来了一位神秘的理科教师藤竹。根据藤竹的指引，他们以在教室再现“火星的火山口”的实验学会发表为目标，不过，自身的障碍，家庭内的问题，无法切断的人际关系等各种各样的困难阻挡着…

East Shinjuku Night High School has students with various challenges. Delinquent Taketo is trapped in a negative spiral. Filipina-Japanese Angela struggles with schoolwork, while Kasumi spends all her class hours in the infirmary. Shozo had to leave school to work in his youth. With guidance from their new science teacher, Fujitake, they work on an experiment for an academic conference.