Botan Dōrō: Love, Death, and Samurai

Paranormal Pajama Party

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Join me to examine one of Japan's most influential ghost stories – Botan Dōrō (The Peony Lantern). This tale of love beyond death helped establish the archetype of the long-haired vengeful female ghost in Japanese horror. When handsome samurai Shinzaburō falls for the beautiful Otsuyu, their love seems destined for tragedy. Unluckily for him, even death won't keep them apart.

We'll explore how this story evolved from a Chinese Buddhist morality tale into a cornerstone of Japanese horror, spawning countless adaptations from kabuki theatre to erotica. Learn how changing attitudes toward women's spiritual power in feudal Japan gave rise to the vengeful female ghost trope, and what samurai’s wives were up to while their husbands were out fighting each other.

This ghostly tale of passion and promises reveals the impossible standards faced by samurai women – and why even death itself couldn't free them from society's expectations.

Key moments:

• 0:48 – Botan Doro, or, The Peony Lantern
• 15:25 – Historical Japan, women, and spirits
• 17:50 – Gender roles among samurai
• 20:49 – Otsuyu as a monster girl
• 23:05 – Oyoné's emotional labour
• 25:18 – Who's the stronger samurai?
• 28:41 – A word about Rangda, Barong, and hope

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Chapters

1. Content warning (00:00:00)

2. Botan Doro, or, The Peony Lantern (00:00:48)

3. Welcome to the party! (00:12:27)

4. The undying popularity of Botan Doro (pardon the pun) (00:12:48)

5. Historical Japan, women, and spirits (00:15:25)

6. Gender roles among samurai (00:17:50)

7. Otsuyu as a monster girl (00:20:49)

8. Otsuyu: not a feminist icon (00:22:20)

9. Oyoné's emotional labour (00:23:05)

10. Patriarchy makes monsters out of women (00:24:17)

11. Who's the stronger samurai? (00:25:18)

12. Outro and a couple show-related notes (00:26:32)

13. A word about Rangda, Barong, and hope (00:28:41)