Feudal Japan provides the perfect backdrop for the fantasy novel Flame in the Mist, and it would make a unique setting for a TV show as well. Despite being a gifted alchemist, Mariko is destined for an arranged marriage that will increase her family's social standing. Her life changes when a gang of bandits attempts to end her life before she can marry the son of the emperor, leaving her to infiltrate their ranks in hopes of finding answers.