Character Relationship Map: Odd Obsession

Characters

• Kenji Kenmochi (played by Ganjirō Nakamura II) — supporting

  Kenji Kenmochi is an art historian married to the much younger Ikuko Kenmochi and the father of Toshiko Kenmochi. Worried about his waning virility, he receives hormone injections and encourages Kimur...

• Hana (played by Tanie Kitabayashi) — supporting

  Hana is the Kenmochi family maid. During the post-funeral meal, she uses the actual insecticide to poison Ikuko Kenmochi, Toshiko Kenmochi, and Kimura, killing all three. Although she confesses, the d...

• Kimura (played by Tatsuya Nakadai) — supporting

  Kimura is an assistant doctor and Toshiko Kenmochi’s fiancé. Although he becomes the focus of Kenji Kenmochi’s scheme involving Ikuko Kenmochi, Kimura’s main ambition is to join the Kenmochi family so...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Hana → Kenji Kenmochi (Professional Household Servant) — Hana serves within the household that Kenji controls.

  Hana is identified as the family maid in Kenji's household.

• Kenji Kenmochi → Kimura (Family Prospective Father In Law) — Their family connection is shaped by Kenji's manipulation of Kimura's engagement.

  Kimura is engaged to Kenji's daughter, making Kenji his prospective father-in-law.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Hana → Kimura (Conflict Killer) — Hana's final action directly destroys Kimura's plans for the household.

  Hana uses the actual insecticide to poison everyone at the post-funeral meal, including Kimura.

Story Analysis

A destructive household scheme turns sexual jealousy, financial dependence, and concealed violence into a chain of deaths and a misleading official verdict.

Plot Progression

1. Virility and Manipulation — Kenji confronts waning virility and turns to hormone injections. He also attempts to use Kimura's interest in the household as a remedy for his jealousy.
2. The Jealous Experiment — Kenji's plan entangles Kimura with the family while Kimura remains motivated by access to Kenji's money. The apparent scheme for restoring manliness becomes increasingly destructive.
3. Inheritance After Death — Kenji dies of heart failure caused by the hormone injections. After the funeral, Kimura becomes part of an uncertain plan to establish a new household.
4. The Poisoned Meal — The proposed new life begins with a post-funeral meal. A mistaken container switch changes the intended poison, but Hana then uses the actual insecticide to poison everyone.
5. Diary and False Verdict — The diary reveals the incestuous love quadrangle behind the household crisis. Although Hana confesses, the detectives attribute all three deaths to suicide.