is a Japanese mystery novel series written by Shiori Ōta, with illustrations by Tetsuo. Kadokawa Shoten has published seventeen volumes since 2013 under their Kadokawa Bunko label, with over 1 million copies in print. The final volume in the series was released in March 2021. An anime television series adaptation by Troyca aired in Japan between October and December 2015. A live-action television series adaptation aired between April 23 and June 25, 2017, on Fuji TV.

Plot Sakurako Kujō is a highly intelligent girl in her mid-twenties whose life is centered around one thing and one thing only: bones. With little tolerance for others, she would be completely enveloped in her study of skeletons if high school boy Shōtaro did not become her new assistant and constant companion. Why exactly she has taken a shine to him remains a mystery, but one thing is clear: whenever the two go out together, the chances are high that they will come across a human corpse.

Characters

(radio drama), Shizuka Itō (anime) Played by: Alisa Mizuki She is a beautiful woman who comes from a prominent family and lives in a big old house with only a housekeeper as a companion. She has a hobby of collecting the bones of dead animals and reconstructing them. However, she is more interested in human remains. And with her being an osteologist, she also developed forensic skills from her uncle, a prominent forensic scientist in the prefecture, and has helped with many unsolved murders. She has a dislike for interpersonal relationships, although she has a fiancé working with the Hokkaido Prefectural Police. She would often refer to Shōtarō as "shōnen" ("boy") instead of his real name.

(radio drama), Junya Enoki (anime) Played by: Taisuke Fujigaya He is a high school boy who assists Sakurako in her bone-digging expeditions. It so happens that they always find human remains in the process. He keeps Sakurako in check, as she tends to go crazy and try to keep the human remains for herself.

(anime) Shōtarō's classmate who keeps becoming entwined with his cases by coincidence.

(anime) Played by: Machiko Washio Sakurako's caretaker, who is kind-hearted but also strict, particularly when it comes to Sakurako's love of sweets.

(anime) Played by: Takaya Kamikawa A life science teacher at Shōtarō's school. He is handsome and slightly arrogant though he does care for his students.

Naoe is Sakurako's fiance who works as a police officer, and vouches for her when she works on a case.

(anime) Utsumi is a police officer who often helps Sakurako and Shōtarō on cases.

A dog previously owned by a family Sakurako helped. After said family moved into an apartment they gave Hector to Sakurako. Hector consistently exhibits a powerful interest and excitement toward corpses, seeking them out and staying near them when he finds them, and getting as excited as Sakurako when new skeletons arrive.

(anime) A classmate and friend of Shōtarō's.

(anime) Sakurako's aunt who is a florist.

(anime) A professional painter. He is the mastermind behind many of the homicides that Sakurako investigates.

Media

Light novels The first novel, A Corpse is Buried Under Sakurako's Feet, was published on February 23, 2013, by Kadokawa. By 2015, the series had sold over 600,000 copies. Sixteen subsequent volumes were released with the seventeenth and final volume in the main story being published on March 24, 2021. A spin-off book was published on May 24, 2022.

Volumes

Anime An anime adaptation by Troyca aired in Japan between October 7, 2015, and December 23, 2015, and was simulcast by Crunchyroll. The opening theme is "Dear Answer" performed by True while the ending theme is by Technoboys Pullcraft Green-Fund feat. Yuki Ootake. Sentai Filmworks licensed the series for home video release in North America.

Episode list

Live-action series A live-action television series adaptation of the manga series was announced on February 24, 2017. The series was co-directed by Yūichi Satō and Daisuke Yamauchi, and written by Junpei Yamaoka, with music composed by Yugo Kanno. It premiered on Fuji TV on April 23, 2017, airing every Sunday at 9:00pm for 10 episodes.

Reception Nicole MacLean, writing for THEM Anime Reviews, was highly positive towards Sakurako Kujo and her expertise in osteology, commended the side characters and one-off episodes for being enjoyable, but was critical of the overarching plot feeling forced and lacking substance regarding Sakurako's antagonist. Paul Jensen of Anime News Network praised the stories for their "calmer, quieter musings on life and death," felt that Sakurako's idiosyncrasies weren't presented well, and was critical of the writing leaning towards "forced drama and overwrought moral philosophy" when murder is involved and offering little information for its potential overarching villain. He concluded that: "There's some decent material in here, and it's good enough to justify a single viewing if you enjoy mystery shows [...] As it stands, I don't think it's compelling enough to win over a wider audience."

References

External links