Dear Diary

I got hooked on another ghost story, of course. This one is called the Botan Dōrō, or "Peony Lantern." It’s like a rom-com, but if the rom was with a ghost and the com was, well, more like complicated. It's the most retold ghost story in Japan and even inspired several Japanese films. 

So anyway, there's this young samurai named Ogiwara. He’s your classic heartthrob - think Chris Evans in a kimono. During the Bon Festival, which is the time when spirits decide to make their annual visit to the living world (because, sure, why not?), Ogiwara meets this gorgeous woman named Otsuyu. She’s beautiful, mysterious, and just has that "I'm definitely hiding a secret" vibe. Classic meet-cute.

Otsuyu and her maid start visiting Ogiwara every night, always with this peony lantern in tow. Ogiwara falls for her, hard. Like, I’ve known you for two days, but let’s get married hard. They have this whirlwind nocturnal romance, she eventually moves in, and they were supposed to live happily ever after.

But, Otsuyu and her maid are actually ghosts. Yep, full-on supernatural specters. A nosy neighbor (because there’s always one) figures this out and spills the beans to Ogiwara. You’d think this would be a deal-breaker, right? Ghost girlfriend, bad for the whole living thing. But no, Ogiwara’s like, “Love conquers all,” and keeps seeing her.

Spoiler alert: This does not end well. Ogiwara can’t stay away from his ghostly bae and eventually dies, joining her in the afterlife. When they find him, he’s literally wrapped around Otsuyu’s skeleton. It's both tragic and gross, but is it also romantic in a weird way? I’d say no. Like the ultimate ride-or-die. Or ride-and-die, I guess.

So, what did I learn from this? One, love stories with ghosts never end well. Two, if a beautiful woman shows up at your door with a lantern, maybe ask a few questions first. And three, Japanese people really know how to craft a love story that’s both beautiful and spine-tingling.

Until next time,

Xoxo, 

Maria