In present day New York a group of talented people are rehearsing the latest Broadway show -- but behind the scenes, a young girl named Tsukushi does the dirty work, cleaning the floors in the building. Though poor in monetary terms, she is rich in spirit, with her only dream being to one day become a star and dance in the spotlight. In her spare time, and on her way home, she practices diligently to make her body perform according to her wishes, hoping to someday get her big break. But does she have have what it takes, let alone the guts and confidence, to be a performer?
Once there lived an eccentric author called Drosselmeyer who wrote grand tragedies - one of them was the tale of a prince who sealed away an evil raven by breaking his own heart into tiny pieces. However, before the story could be completed, the author died and the tale took on a life of its own. Now, in a town where fiction and reality meet, the story continues on its tragic course with Ahiru, a duck who transforms into the beautiful Princess Tutu in order to restore the prince's heart. But will Ahiru's act of love be enough to defy the story's terrible destiny and lead to a happy ending?