While Ryoko is in Vienna studying music, her boyfriend dies in a traffic accident. Ryoko believes that she has psychic powers which killed him, and when she returns to Japan she is sent to a mental hospital. While recovering, her brother-in-law, Kouji, decides to look after her, and she goes to his house to act as a governess for Kouji's sister Keiko's daughter, Alice – who Ryoko becomes increasingly sure had something to do with her sister Fuyuko’s death.

In this intricately layered Japanese film, the nature of actresses and what they gain from acting is explored. The lives of three actresses are laid bare, and scenes from their lives are woven in and out of interviews with each of them. Each of them has experienced a traumatic event which contributes to their particular enjoyment of becoming someone else in dramatic roles.

Set in the Sengoku Period, a time of turmoil and upheaval, this action period drama follows the solitary life of Sae, the "Hagure Kiba," who takes on dangerous jobs for hire.