Kuroneko (1968) 2010

Yone and her daughter-in-law Shige live peacefully in a bamboo grove, but their lives take a tragic turn when a troop of samurai brutally assaults and murders them, leaving their home in ashes. As a haunting reminder, a black cat appears, licking at the lifeless bodies of the victims.

Resurfacing as ethereal specters with an elegant appearance, the women wait at Rajōmon, their spirits filled with vengeance. They track down the samurai responsible for their demise and lure them to an illusory mansion nestled within the very bamboo grove that once stood as their home. In a lethal twist, they seduce and then ruthlessly kill the samurai, tearing at their throats with ferocity reminiscent of cats on the prowl.

Meanwhile, in the northern regions of Japan, a fierce battle unfolds against the Emishi. Amidst the chaos, a fortunate young warrior named Hachi manages to slay the enemy general, Kumasunehiko, and presents the severed head to Governor Minamoto no Raikō. Claiming glory under the name Gintoki, he is bestowed the title of samurai for his bravery. However, his triumph is short-lived as he returns home only to discover it burned to the ground, with his mother and wife mysteriously gone.

Driven by duty, Raikō instructs Gintoki to eliminate the vengeful ghosts that are terrorizing the samurai. Upon his fateful encounter with the two spectral women, Gintoki realizes that they are none other than Yone, his mother, and Shige, his wife. Bound by their pact with the underworld, they are compelled to kill him as a consequence of his newfound status as a samurai. Yet, Shige unexpectedly defies this pact, choosing to spend seven nights of love with Gintoki, an act that ultimately leads her to be condemned to the underworld.

In a moment of sorrowful reflection, Gintoki reports back to Raikō, asserting that he has vanquished one of the ghosts. His struggles lead him to confront his spectral mother at Rajōmon, where she attempts to ensnare samurai once more. In a fit of desperation, upon recognizing her ghostly form in a pool of water, he strikes her with his sword, severing her arm, which takes on a feline appearance. Bringing this grotesque trophy to Raikō, Gintoki falsely claims it as evidence of his triumph against the second ghost.

Encouraged by Raikō’s commendations, Gintoki learns he must undergo seven days of purification rituals to complete his path to heroism. During this time, he is visited by Yone, who poses as a seer sent to banish evil spirits. Cleverly, she deceives Gintoki into relinquishing the severed arm, before soaring through the ceiling into the night sky. Lost in despair, Gintoki meanders through the forest to the cottage where he first met the ghosts, only to collapse amidst the ruins of his family home, now revealed in its charred remains. As snow gently falls upon him, the mournful sound of a cat’s meow lingers in the distance, echoing the tragic legacy of vengeance and love intertwined in his heart.