Horror Theater Unbalance

Part 4 · Jan 29, 1973

Graveyard of Masks

In a struggling small theater troupe, director Inuo pressures an actor to perform a death role with extreme intensity, resulting in a fatal accident. Despite the tragedy, Inuo attempts to proceed with the scheduled performance. Legendary underground theater performers Jūrō Kara and Mako Midori appear in the episode, exploring themes of theatre performance, obsession, and the boundary between reality and illusion.

Part 5 · Feb 5, 1973

The Woman Who Calls for Corpses

Part 6 · Feb 12, 1973

The Woman Who Took the Local Paper

Based on the original mystery novel by Seicho Matsumoto. Novelist Ryuji Sugimoto is publishing his serial in a local newspaper when a woman from Tokyo subscribes, saying she’s interested in his work—only to abruptly cancel weeks later. Suspicious, he realizes her true interest may not be the fiction at all, but a real double suicide reported in the same paper.

Part 7 · Feb 19, 1973

When the Night Breaks

In a bustling shopping district, a humble tailor accompanies his daughter for an afternoon out — until a trio of thugs begin harassing her in broad daylight. Unable to stay passive amidst the crowd’s indifference, he intervenes with tragic results. Two years later, having served time for excessive self-defense, he remains haunted by both the violence and the apathy of society. A veteran detective, still unsettled by the case, notices the tailor quietly providing money to the same thugs. What drives him? A modern horror tale with social undertones, adapted from Futaro Yamada’s short story “The Black Curtain,” this episode merges psychological unease, moral ambiguity, and a chilling critique of bystander indifference.

Part 8 · Feb 26, 1973

The Cat Knew

Part 9 · Mar 5, 1973

The Morgue Murderer

A university anatomy surgeon and lecturer, Dr. Mizukami, runs over and kills a corporate worker while driving with his student and lover, Ryoko. Instead of reporting the accident, Mizukami hides the dead body and attempts to carry on with his academic and professional life as if nothing happened.

Part 10 · Mar 19, 1973

Vampire Scream

Part 11 · Mar 26, 1973

Cursed Hand from the Graveyard

Part 12 · Apr 2, 1973

Spider Woman

Japanese horror movie from 1973.

Part 13 · May 12, 1973

Order of the Salaryman

A salaryman promoted against his will skips his first morning meeting and slips into a spiral of small rebellions—cafés, nightclubs, and a fleeting romance—while rejecting the rigid “medals” of corporate success. Torn between family and freedom, he plots a staged disappearance to reclaim a late-coming youth, in a bittersweet drama underscored by the haunting refrain of “Akita Ondo.”