Reviews for Karakuri Zoushi Ayatsuri Sakon

Story: Mystery is the whole point of this show. Who killed who and why is the question asked every episode. As a huge fan of mysteries, I recommend this show to anyone who likes shows that have you thinking while being on the edge of your seat waiting for the murderer to strike again. You really get pulled into the stories, you get a feeling of pressure and of being uneasy as if you really were in the story. You want the killer to be caught and for everything to work out. Something very interesting about the show is the mixture of villains. Some timesthe murderer is a completely evil person, but often times you feel sympathy towards them, you wish that they could have found another way. It gives you a strange feeling of realism.

A 10 on story from me.

Art:

The art is nothing special. I would maybe compare it to Rurouni Kenshin, or something else of that general time. The colors of clothes, people, and objects are usually very bright, but the backgrounds are generally dark. Giving it a unique look which works well for the type of show.

A 7 on art.

Sound/music:

The sound effects are good, if only because they are put to better use in this show then in most others. The music is nothing unusual. It serves it's purpose, it sets the mood. But there s nothing spectacular about it. I will say I very much like the intro song, but other then that, nothing out of the common way.

An 8 on sound/music.

Character:

The characters, other then the core two, change every episode.

There are a couple who appear in more then one to several cases, but mostly, it's a new cast each case. I liked most of the characters, but few of them were particularly interesting. It had, at least in my opinion, very likable leads, which is a plus. Sakon and Ukon are both very fun in their own ways, and Kaoruko is always fun to have around.

A 9 on character.

Enjoyment:

I loved this show to death. It has become an all time favorite.

As a great lover of who-done-it's, I fell in love hard and fast.

The show and its characters were all very western in the way they worked. The plots were fun, and while confusing were not overly so.

As I said before, I highly recommend this to anyone who loves mystery.

a 10 on enjoyment.

Overall: Very good. A fun ride that doesn't leave you bored or lost.

10 overall!

Story: One has to be clear about this, a lot of the arcs run into the cliques of the murder mystery genera. Also, there are some that have very big simularities to cases in other Anime/Manga, but this is not do to complete coping, but due to the cliques that run through them. That being said, what makes this story is the mystery solving pair, a boy and his puppet, and how they interact with the characters. As it progresses, one gets to not only get a really good mystery to try to solve, but a better understanding of who Ukon and Sakon are. Art:The artwork is very detailed. For those wondering why Ukon looks so much like the Rurouni, it is because the two artists worked together when starting out. I can actually find quite a few simularities in their work due to this, yet their art has their own flavor to it.

Sound: The opening theme is so haunting, perhaps even gothic, as in the sence of a literary term. It is the same with the ending music. It is something that sticks in ones head and one gets out.

Character: Is Ukon possesed, or does Sakon have a major split personality disorder? That is a good question as the story progresses, one has to wonder that, as Sakon is rather attached to the puppet and is really only know being able to make friends with people, something he couldn't do when he was younger. Sakon is also very smart too, which sets him apart.

Enjoment: It is one of my favorites, I fell in love with the characters and loved the fact they were so unique.

Overall: I highly recomend this Anime to any one who is into this kind of stuff. It is worth at least watching once, to form ones own opinion of it.

Ayatsuri Sakon is anime about a young boy puppet master who is skilled at using puppets and soliving cases involving murder. Story:9 The story of Ayatsuri Sakon is About A Young shy boy named Sakon and his puppet Ukon getting involved in some weird cases involing murder and it is up to them to solve these cases. The story is really kool becasue its not episodic but instead they are like 3 or 4 episode arcs which is really different than im use to. Its like watching a mini movie every arc. Art/animation: 9 The art and animiation were great it had that old school anime feel. Characterswere animated well and so were the areas and places.

Sound:8

I didn't pay to much attention to the sound but the opening and ending were decent and music in the episodes had that mystery and murder feel to it.

Characters:8

I really think the only chacters get developed are Sakon and Ukon. there are different characters in every arc and some recurring charcters like Sakon's aunt and cameraman friend. Sakon is a shy and smart character and he uses his puppet to help him say stuff that he wouldn't say.

Enjoyment:10

I really enjoyed this series from start to finish. It was really enjoyable how people interacted with Sakon and his Puppet Ukon. It had me wondering if the puppet was a dual personality or just a way to express himself.

Overall :9

If you like mystery anime and want to try something a little different this is a good anime to pick up. This anime has some unique cases and a differnt approach to solving them. you should give it a try.

An old favorite from late 1990s, this is a solid murder-solving ventriloquist show and a particularly memorable representation of its genre. The show comprised of eight murder cases, presented in separate story arcs that last for 3-4 episodes each. It's very similar structural-wise with Kindaichi Shounen, which also shared a number of familiar whoddunit tropes between them; seemingly impossible scene of crime, multiple victims, tragic and elaborate backstory, etc. While none of the ideas or solutions for the murder themselves is particularly mind-blowing, it’s still plenty engrossing for the most part. The show also subscribes to the fair play rule and very generous withclues for audience who wanted to play along…

…a tad too generous, perhaps. The murderers tend to be really easy to figure out, as the show really like to shove visual lead-on and backstory information in your face that makes it painfully obvious, especially in later cases. Heck, a certain case/arc practically spoiled itself through its title alone! While I certainly prefer a predictable but fair mystery over ones that pulled off unfair solutions out of thin air, this could still be a problem—especially when we’ve figured out the murderer way ahead of the curve and had to wait impatiently while the characters are still busy freaking out. Luckily, Ayatsuri Sakon also has plenty of supporting elements that helped mitigate this.

For one, Sakon is a great detective character. Paired up with his ventriloquist puppet/channeling medium/bratty alter ego Ukon, these two provided the most unique Holmes-Watson dynamic I’ve ever seen. Watching Sakon develops and interacts with various recurring characters is very intriguing, as the show gradually reveals more of his personality and background between cases, especially during the second half of the series. Bunraku (the art of Japanese puppetry performance) itself is a prominent theme throughout the story, with a lot of screen time intertwined with Sakon’s development and depicting the culture surrounding it, which lend a distinct flavor and personality beyond your typical “genius boy solves murder” basic set-up.

Speaking of flavor, the show is very effective atmospherically, exuding an air of chilling mysticism in-between development of suspense, poignant character moments, and amusing banter between its main characters. While the animation is probably on par with what you expect from its time, the character models (drawn by the renowned Takeshi Obata) also meshed pretty well with the overall themes. What I really love, however, is the music: the soundtrack is terrific, with an array of background tunes that always solidified the mood, as well as OP + ED combination that not only very fitting, but also featured great vocals and ranked among my all-time favorites.

A thoroughly niche show, Ayatsuri Sakon probably appealed the most to those who are already card-carrying member of murder mystery fan club. But, if you’re interested in Japanese puppetry culture or just like good character drama/tragedy in general, it’s also good enough reason to give this an extended look.

After searching for a long time for a good mystery anime, I found Karakuri Zoushi Ayatsuri Sakon. I was a bit sceptical at first, as the animation looked a bit too old for my taste. But I gave it a try, and I actually enjoyed it more or less. Story: 5 out of 10 (Minor spoilers) The story revolves around Sakon, a puppeteer, and his bunraku puppet Ukon. Together they solve mysteries behind murders that happen within a group of people. Each arc is around 3 episodes, displaying nearly the same type of cases, i.e. ithey are a bit like locked room mysteries, so the suspects andmurderers are always one of the people in a group. But the problem lies in how they try to conceal who the actual culprit is, by giving of obvious hints. That makes all of the stories actullay really pointless, because it's really predictable for the viewer (atleast for me xD) who the murderer is. Some twists here and there wouldn't hurt. But one of the biggest problems is that quite a lot of sidecharacters die before Sakon can solve the mystery. This just narrows down the amount of suspects, making it easier for him to point out who it is. Every culprit is then revealed by one of the murderered persons spirit possessing Ukon (the puppet). But it's actually not really obvious if that's the case, it is possible that Sakon does that to make the culprit frightened. Ukon then talks in that persons voice. And, the mystery is solved, more or less.

Art: 6 out of 10

The art isn't that bad for being an anime from the late 90's, though the effects are quite bad at some part. A cut of head doesn't look like a mannequin head with pink flesh and nearly no blood. That's just one of the minor things that may lower the quality of Ayatsuri Sakon. The wardrobe change is limited: nearly no wardrobe change. The characters look quite good, and some scendery's are beautiful.

Sound: 7 out of 10

I personally disliked the opening, it's a typical J -Pop song. But the ending song is really good, it's a bit mysterious, yet beautiful somehow. I felt that it represented Sakon in a way. The other soundtracks aren't that memorable, though I liked the one called "Koe" (Voice). Both the ending song and this song is more of the traditional type.

Characters: 6 out of 10

We have Sakon, our main protagonist, a mystery magnet. When he's not holding his puppet Ukon, he's quite a shy boy. He's also quite a bishounen (I personally think that he's quite cute). But when he holds Ukon, he becomes more brave, speaks up a bit more, and also, gains confidence.

Sakon is also more calculative when he is with Ukon. All of these traits come out like that because for Sakon, Ukon is the only friend he has. But here's the creepy thing, Ukon is like a human boy when with Sakon. He has the opposite personality of Sakon, yet, Sakon is the puppeteer, so he is obviously the one making Ukon talk. Sometimes, Sakon makes Ukon say "rude" things, which leads to him telling Ukon to not be rude. I think that's really creepy, because it feels like Sakon talks to himself, and not to an actual person. (Sakon and Ukon has the most dialouges in this anime.)

We don't actually know of Ukon is a magic or supernatural puppet, who becomes alive when Sakon holds him.

If that is actually the case, then it becomes less weird that Sakon talks to Ukon when they are not entertaining the audience. Otherwise, I think that Sakon has some sort of Dissociative identity disorder, which has come up because of him getting bullied. But others don't seem to think that he's mentally unstable. Another weird thing is that Ukon and Sakon's aunt Kaoruko fight quite a lot with each other. Ukon is used as a comic relief. Though I feel that Ukon is actually a magic puppet.

Sakon doesn't either seem to feel much remorse after quite many has died because of the murderer, although it's not his fault, I felt that he would be the type who would blame himself.

Sakon seems to be a really kind and softspoken person, but he is still quite an incomplete character. He doesn't seem to show his feelings quite well, making him look kinda emotionless, and the lack of emphathy is unsettling.

Kaoruko Tachibana, Sakon's aunt, is one of the characters that pops up more than the other side characters. She's an assisstant police inspector. Although it's her job to find out the culprit, she's as dumb as a crayon. She just jumps to conclusion very fast, it doesn't even take her five minutes after inspecting the crime scene before she starts sprouting nonsense. She's quite a silly character, whom I dislike.

Enjoyment: 7 out of 10

Even though I got easily bored of the story arcs, I enjoyed this anime. The last arc focused on Sakon and his family, making it more interesting and worthwhile. You could actually understand why Sakon is the way he is, in a way.

Overall: 6 out of 10

So all in all, it's quite good anime as something to pass your time. It's not that good in the mystery department, but it's somehow interesting in a way.

This anime is one more of what is called oldy but goody and there are many reasons as to why that is. This anime about a boy and his doll solving mysteries mostly involving murders has an unique feel to it that i havent as far seen any other anime manage to emulate. There is a peacefull feeling to it as you watch and listen to this anime the story that just keeps giving you one piece and then another of a greater mystery or we get to learn more Sakon and his relaitonship with his talking doll Ukon. The stories are not those typicalmystery animes that keeps on milking itself with another bad mystery with no sence after another. Every story that one watches here has a great relaxing yet tence feel to it. In honesty whenever i watch this i feel myself sucked in so much that i tend to forget that i just watched through 3 episodes and 1 mystery. Since they fit so well together

What makes this anime so beatiful and peaceful is the art but also the music that is around it. From the good opening to the great and peacefull ending song they both come together great at showing how this anime got both exitement and a certain relaxing feel to it.

One might say that the relaitonship between Sakon the boy and the doll Ukon is kinda typical in an anime sence but in another sence its also greatly unique. Ukon is that supportive figur that gives Sakon what he lacks and their combination is what makes much of the anime.

This anime is great in everything it does. With a story that is easy to remember and get sucked into and with characters that you feel with or dislike. I think honestly i liked everything about this anime and there isnt much that i can think about that is bad about it and hopefully many more will watch it so it never gets forgotten as with many other older yet great anime.

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For me this anime is one of those hidden gems meaning its old but it never loses to other anime that it can be compared to. I believe this anime willl keep its age for a very long time.

Ayatsuri Sakon is about a boy and his puppet solving murders. That is the story in its entirety. What makes this show stand out amongst others is its usage of Bunraku, a style of Japanese puppetry, to aid in the solving the crimes. The show is unique in its execution and does well to mix elements such as humor and suspense. For me personally, what made this anime top tier above all else was the soundtrack. I don't think I've heard one so beautifully captivating. A flute sings woefully or mystically in the background as you work your brain trying to figure out the killer. Theart style was also a stunner and well done for an anime created in 1999.

My only complaint was I wish we got some more background on some of the main characters. I truly enjoyed the relationship our protagonist, Sakon, has with his puppet and partner, Ukon, and would have loved to learn more about them. As far as characters go there are some excellent secondary characters that are well developed and deserve some attention.

All in all this was an excellent anime! I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery.

What are you looking for in an anime? A crime-fighting twink and a shithead puppet? Here's an anime for you, and a decent one at that. Karakurizoshi Ayatsuri Sakon is an above-average anime - not necessarily amazingly amazing, but not mediocre - about a wandering ventriloquist and his puppet, a Meiji-era puppet by the name of Ukon. In the name of spoiler-free content, I won't be dissecting the anime or manga's contents, but the mysteries are decent. Sakon is an appealing, albeit relatable character; Ukon is his foil. There's enjoyable side characters that draw you in, such as Kisaragi-sensei, the idiot kansai-ben photographer Zenkichi, andthe 'tomboy' Akizuki Shiho - and plenty more. The interplay between Sakon and Ukon and other people is interesting, and psychoanalyzing it might maximize that enjoyment for you. The character designs are fair, and the animation can be quite foul at times, while at other times it being breathtaking, and the soundtrack... is actually better than I was expecting. If one wants a good tune to listen to, Sayonara wa Iwainaide is pretty beautiful, and Koe is as well.

You can maximize enjoyment by going in with the mindset that this isn't some high-level, make-you-feel-smart detective series, but instead almost a relaxing anime to watch drama unfold. If you go in expecting some amazing Sherlock Holmes-esque stuff, you'll be easily disappointed.

Rewatchability for me was a good 9 or 10; you notice a lot more the second and third time of watching, and it's fun to catch easter eggs you don't notice when you're caught up in the mysteries.

Overall, it's an 8/10 perspectively. However, I enjoyed it a lot more.

I will keep it as short as possible. If you are looking for a short version, read the last paragraph. Looking at the cover image and reading the short resume, I was given the impression that the series would be somewhat different than what it really is. Sakon on the cover image, and even Ukon with a bit of a dumb expression both look mysterious in a way like they have their own shocking secrets and the series would be more like xxxHolic where there's one big overarching story arc and mini arcs in between that will feel like some intense, thrilling mystery, but instead itfelt like I was watching a slightly better version of Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo, which I gave up on after 40 episodes due to sheer boredom.

I will do a lot of comparison between both series, because at this point, these two are the only ones of this "genre" that I've seen and I don't have a larger base for comparison.

Karakuri Zoushi Ayatsuri Sakon is actually better, at least in creating a somewhat solid and consistent character for Sakon and Ukon (in a way). Another good thing about the characters is they are more human and there is something like an aftermath after the case is solved, both of which are missing in Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo, where a case ends and "everyone lived happily ever after" and then we switch to the next case. Characters here have feelings, they feel flawed, like real human beings who have hopes, dreams, fears, imperfections. In Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo, they feel more plain than NPCs in an MMORPG that aren't even quest-related - they only serve to drive the plot of the arc.

The cases seem more interesting (at least to me) compared to Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo, where every case feels more boring and predictable than the last and at some point it feels like there are a handful of "case templates" and the author was shuffling them and picking at random, which made the series feel old and boring in the first 10 episodes. In comparsion, Karakuri Zoushi Ayatsuri Sakon has cases that are related to the protagonist in a deeper and more significant way and it makes you care what will happen.

The relationship between Sakon and Ukon is also explored, although as I stated in the first paragraph, I had completely different expectations for this series and the relationship between the characters. My expectations were that it would not be 100% attached in reality, but I was wrong.

Overall, for me it's not as bad and boring as Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo, especially the last arc is very important to understanding the whole situation better and I don't regret watching it, but I must admit around halfway through, I started watching it at x1.25 speed, because I wanted to get it over with. If you like murder mysteries, you will probably enjoy this a lot, if you are like me and just like mysteries in general, which are real headscratchers and not necessarily murders and there is a lot of intrigue and tension involved, you will be disappointed, because cases span 3 episodes each and none of them are something extraordinary.