Karakuri Circus

Narumi Katou is a middle-aged man afflicted with the strange Zonapha Syndrome, a rare condition that triggers violent seizures without warning—eased only by watching someone laugh. During a part-time shift, he crosses paths with Masaru Saiga, a young boy hauling a massive suitcase while fleeing three adults. Masaru reveals he has just become the new head of Saiga Enterprises after his father’s death, and that relatives are now trying to kill him to seize the inheritance.

Narumi chooses to protect Masaru and confronts their pursuers, only to learn they aren’t ordinary attackers but humanoid puppets with inhuman strength. When Narumi is pushed to the brink, a white-haired girl appears, introduces herself as Shirogane, and draws a puppet from Masaru’s suitcase—declaring she is his guardian. Their encounter sets in motion a tangled journey of diverging destinies, as long-buried mysteries surface around an old story of love and betrayal and a centuries-spanning conflict between humans and puppets.