Bena

Set during Japan's Edo period, Ichi works as a lowly laborer for a traveling circus sideshow. Already marginalized and burdened by a painful past, he is assigned the unwanted task of caring for a newly captured creature intended to be the troupe's next main attraction. The beast is ferocious and grotesque, striking fear into every handler who approaches it. Because no one else dares to take responsibility, Ichi is forced into the role of its sole caretaker and trainer. Initially, Ichi tends to the creature with deep reluctance, viewing it through the lens of his own bitter experiences. However, as time passes, he begins to notice unexpected traces of humanity in its behavior. Moved by this realization, he gives the creature a name: Bena. Bena’s innocent, childlike demeanor awakens memories of Ichi’s deceased brother, stirring a profound sense of empathy within him. Driven by a desperate desire to reunite Bena with his family, Ichi resolves to help the creature escape captivity. Yet his plan carries a dangerous complication—Bena is not human at all, but rather a child born of demons.