Katou Narumi is afflicted with Zonapha Syndrome, a rare condition that stops his breathing unless he can make others laugh. This has led him to abandon his training in Chinese kenpo and return to Japan, where he now works as a clown. However, there's a significant issue: he isn't naturally funny.
One day, he meets Saiga Masaru, who recently inherited a large fortune. Masaru gives Narumi the first genuine laugh he has had all day. When Narumi learns that assassins are after Masaru, he steps in to protect the boy. To his surprise, these assassins use massive, eerie puppets instead of traditional weapons. Soon after, they encounter Shirogane, who controls her own puppet and claims she was sent by Masaru's late grandfather from France to protect him.
Their paths intertwine and separate, forming two narratives: Karakuri and Circus, puppets and performers, tears and laughter. There is the strange circus of living dolls spreading Zonapha Syndrome, the human puppets collectively known as the Shirogane, and the puppet masters driven by an eternal grudge that sets both sides of this spectacle in motion.
(Source: Batoto)