In 16th-century Denmark, King Amleth is falsely accused of treason by his jealous brother, Claudius, and condemned to death. In his final moments, he tries to speak to his daughter, Princess Scarlet, but she is unable to hear his last words, a failure that leaves her emotionally scarred.
As years pass, Claudius ascends the throne and rules with fear and cruelty. Now grown, Scarlet attempts to assassinate him during a royal gathering, but the plan backfires when she accidentally drinks poisoned wine meant for Claudius. As she collapses, she swears vengeance for her father’s death.
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She awakens in the underworld, a strange realm where the living and the dead coexist. There, she learns from an old woman that her father’s soul has faded into nothingness, while Claudius still exists and is seeking entry into the Infinite Land, a place where souls can live on. As Claudius’ forces pursue her, Scarlet fights them off and encounters Hijiri, a paramedic from modern-day Japan, and Cornelius, one of her father’s former assassins.
With Hijiri’s help, she defeats Cornelius and learns that Claudius is close to reaching the Infinite Land. Driven by revenge, she sets out after him with Hijiri.
Along their journey, they encounter suffering souls and violent conflicts, including attacks from bandits and confrontations with other assassins like Voltimand. Despite Hijiri’s repeated attempts to avoid violence, chaos continues to follow them, often interrupted by a powerful dragon that oversees the underworld. During one confrontation, Voltimand reveals Amleth’s final word: “Forgive”, a message Scarlet struggles to understand.
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Meanwhile, Claudius gathers an army, promising them passage into the Infinite Land. He sends his loyal followers to hunt Scarlet. She and Hijiri eventually meet a group of civilians opposing Claudius, but are ambushed. Scarlet is captured, though Hijiri rescues her at great personal cost. As the conflict escalates, they learn that Claudius has already begun his ascent toward the Infinite Land.
When Scarlet finally reaches him, Claudius is denied entry because of his sins and begs her for forgiveness. Believing this aligns with her father’s final wish, Scarlet urges him to repent, but he refuses. Overcome with anger, she attempts to kill him, but is stopped by a vision of her father, who urges her to let go of revenge and choose peace.
Though she cannot forgive Claudius, she decides to abandon her quest for vengeance. In one final act of violence, Claudius tries to kill her but is destroyed by the dragon.
Afterward, Scarlet reunites with Hijiri and expresses readiness to die, but he reveals that she is still alive while he is already dead. The old woman explains that only one of them can return to the living world. Though Scarlet insists Hijiri should go back, he is too far gone. As he fades, he urges her to live a better life, free from hatred. They share an emotional goodbye before he disappears, and Scarlet returns to the world of the living.
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Back in Denmark, Scarlet awakens from her coma, saved by an antidote. She learns that Claudius has died after drinking the poisoned wine himself. Now queen, Scarlet pledges to rule with compassion, promising a future without war, built on love and harmony. As her people embrace her vision, she looks ahead with hope, finally at peace.
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Voice cast: Yuki Saito, Mana Ashida, Noa Shiroyama, Masachika Ichimura
Runtime: 1h 50min
