A young couple's lives take a turn for the worse after a mysterious attack on the husband leaves him suffering from some bizarre after effects.

Dolls takes puppeteering as its overriding motif, which relates thematically to the action provided by the live characters. Chief among those tales is the story of Matsumoto and Sawako, a young couple whose relationship is about to be broken apart by the former's parents, who have insisted their son take part in an arranged marriage to his boss' daughter.

Set in an old movie theater, this group drama depicts the battle between dying yakuza and salaried workers who have forgotten their dreams.

Relatives gather from afar in wintery Ashibetsu upon the death of patriarch Mitsuo. A mysterious woman named Nobuko suddenly shows up. Her appearance gradually exposes wartime secrets and Mitsuo's unknown past.

#45 in the series, following "The Men's Past"