In a fictional Japanese town, the emperor has decreed that flirting is a crime punishable by death. Nanki-Poo, the son of the emperor, flees his father’s court to escape an arranged marriage to Katisha, an elderly courtier. Disguised as a wandering minstrel, Nanki-Poo arrives in the town seeking his love, Yum-Yum, a schoolgirl who is engaged to her guardian, Ko-Ko, the town’s newly appointed Lord High Executioner, a man chosen for his lack of proficiency in executing anyone.

Complications arise when Ko-Ko is ordered to carry out an execution within a month or face his own demise. Nanki-Poo, heartbroken that Yum-Yum is betrothed to Ko-Ko, offers himself for execution to escape his despair. Ko-Ko hesitates but sees an opportunity, and an intricate plan unfolds involving faked deaths, hidden identities, and surprising romantic entanglements. In the process, the social norms and strictures of the town are humorously turned on their head, leading to a satirical exploration of duty, love, and societal expectations.