Karakuri Circus

Title:Karakuri Circus
からくりサーカス
Overall:Unevaluated
Keywords: , , , , ,
Notables: HAYASHIBARA Megumi
Masaru Saiga is a fifth-grade boy who aims to become a puppeteer. After Sadayoshi Saiga — the CEO of the giant home telephone maker Saiga and Masaru's father — passes away, Masaru inherits 18 billion yen. Masaru is targeted for his wealth, and is saved by two people. Narumi Katō is a man who has studied Kung-Fu and has a weird illness called "Zonapha Syndrome," and Shirogane is a silver-haired woman who controls the puppet "Arurukan" (Harlequin). Together, Masaru, Narumi, and Shirogane get thrown into various conspiracies by those who would try to steal Masaru's fortune.
(Summary Courtesy of Anime News Network)


36-episode TV anime that premiered on October 10, 2018.
Animated by Studio VOLN.
OverallArtAnimationCharacter Design MusicSeries StoryEpisode StoryReviewer
Unevaluated Stretch [series:3586#628]
(Two episodes watched):

While it was by no means a bad show, Karakuri Circus did not thrill me to the extent that I had expected, given the reviews I had read. Perhaps I fear that since we didn't get any explanation from episode one of how these super strong, lifelike puppets had come to be, perhaps we never will. There doesn't seem to be anything high tech about them, so magic is about the only possible answer, which doesn't excite me a whole lot. That is, the feelings of mystery and foreboding and the supernatural that this show manages to summon from within me seem inadequate for a show that will be relying on magic as its explanation. Plenty of weirdness, but weirdness does not equal intrigue. And trying to abduct a rich boy isn't all that intriguing a motive, either (why was Masaru wandering alone on the street if he is the key to fabulous wealth?). The villains seem like two-dimensional, cardboard bad guys who are just out for money. And Masaru's self-pitying, crying, pathetic state of mind annoys me. But the one thing I did like was Narumi, who is an imperfect but likeable hero (with his strange 'Zonapha syndrome'), and to a lesser extent Shirogane. Both are sort of colorful (is Shirogane some sort of puppet herself? How did she come to have such fierce, unquestioning loyalty to Masaru and his family?), so I watched a second episode. But episode two didn't exactly thrill me. I got few surprises from what seems a largely unremarkable plot, and few answers to the many questions that were bugging me. I was undecided about whether to keep watching until I was reminded that this show would be no less than 36 episodes long; that was just what I needed to make my mind up and decide to drop it.

Last updated Friday, November 02 2018. Created Saturday, October 27 2018.

Other Sites
NameURL
Official Japanese Series Web Site https://karakuri-anime.com/

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