The Bride from Hades

Shinzaburo spends the first day of Obon teaching the village's poor children in their row houses, showing his generosity despite his noble lineage. This act establishes his compassionate character and sets the moral center of the story. The scene contrasts with the upcoming tensions between duty and empathy.

Shinzaburo's father pressures him to marry his brother's widow after the accident, but Shinzaburo hesitates. The obligation of family duty clashes with his own sense of responsibility to the villagers. The tension foreshadows the conflict between personal desire and social expectations.

Shinzaburo leads the village children on a lantern float toward the river. He frees two lanterns snagged by a branch, earning thanks from two women who witness his kindness. The moment links his everyday benevolence to the later supernatural events.

The two women from the river visit Shinzaburo's home to thank him and reveal they are Yoshiwara courtesans permitted to leave during Obon. Oyone's mistress asks Shinzaburo to marry Otsuyu before Obon ends. The encounter introduces the central motive that drives much of the plot.

Banzo, Shinzaburo's neighbor, sees the women leaving and recognizes Otsuyu. His recognition casts a shadow of recognition and danger over the visitors. It hints at a deeper secret behind these arrivals.

Banzo discusses with a friend the possibility that the visitors might be ghosts, given Obon's significance. The friend argues against such supernatural explanations, adding tension between superstition and reality. This debate foreshadows the haunting to come.

Oyone arranges a wedding for Shinza and Otsuyu inside Shinza's home, and the couple sleep together during Obon. The intimate ceremony deepens Shinza's entanglement with the otherworldly visitors. The act accelerates the plot toward a tragic collision of worlds.

Banzo witnesses the couple's intimacy and perceives Otsuyu as a ghoul, while Oyone's presence is felt as a ghostly threat. The sight drives Banzo to flee as the spirits pursue him. The supernatural intrusion erodes the boundary between the living and the dead.

The villagers confront Shinza, insisting the marriage be ended or he will die. Shinza locks his doors to keep the ghosts out and tries to defend himself with his katana, but the danger presses in. Banzo attempts to rouse him from his trance, but fear and superstition prevail.

The village's high priest advises locking Shinza away for the remainder of Obon and placing prayer scrolls over the doors to keep the ghosts out. Shinza agrees, prioritizing the children's safety over his own fate. The plan provides a temporary shield against the haunting.

At night the ghosts return, yet are frightened away by the protection of the prayer scrolls. Shinza remains resolute, choosing to live for the sake of the children rather than surrender. The tension persists as Obon continues.

Oyone orders Banzo to obtain money by digging up a vault of 100 ryo from a grave north of their location. Banzo and his wife retrieve the money and gather to move toward Shinza's house to tear the protective scrolls. The plan embeds a moral collapse into the haunting.

Banzo rips a scroll and opens the door; Otsuyu enters, telling Shinza they are taking him to the other world, and they share an embrace. The boundary between life and death shatters as the ritual consummates the ghostly plan. The moment marks Shinza's imminent downfall.

The next day, the villagers find Shinza dead beside the skeletons of Otsuyu and Oyone, and a funeral procession begins for him. The community absorbs the loss as the supernatural horror lingers in their midst. The death cements the tragic consequences of the haunting.

Banzo and his wife attempt to flee the village with the buried money, but are confronted by a mob that kills them in revenge for the alleged theft. Their end closes the loop of greed and vengeance that fueled the haunting. The village finally contends with the aftermath of Obon’s darkness.