The anime adaptation of Kazuhiro Fujita’s manga series Karakuri Circus began airing on October 11 last year and has since gone on to be praised as a “legendary masterpiece.” Japanese singer-songwriter Lozareena sang the series’s first ending theme Marionette which was well-received by fans. Her newest song Over me is now being used as the third opening theme.

Lozareena enjoyed a strong debut with Marionette which was played on over 40 radio stations across Japan when it was released last year. It become a favourite amongst anime fans and was dubbed “Shirogane’s song,” one of the main characters in Karakuri Circus.

Regular Edition

At the time of releasing Marionette, Lozareena chatted with Kazuhiro Fujita, the author of Karakuri Circus, and both of them exchanged opinions on both the series and their creative endeavours. For the new song Over me, the singer sent letters back and forth with Fujita regarding the content of the song lyrics. Like Marionette, the song was once again produced by the internationally acclaimed artist TeddyLoid.

Details on the content of the CD, which is set to drop on May 22, as well as the CD cover of the Limited Pressing Edition have also been released.

The CD features both the title track as well as the already-released Marionette (Piano Ballad Ver.) and a new song titled Anemone which is based on the anime’s last boss character Faceless.

Limited Pressing Edition

The Limited Pressing Edition comes with a DVD containing the full music video for Marionette as well as the creditless anime opening video for Over Me. The CD cover features an illustration of the main three characters of the series.

This is the full Lozareena x Karakuri Circus package that any fan of the singer or series shouldn’t miss out on.

It has been announced that BUMP OF CHICKEN’s song Gekkou will be used as the third ending theme for the ongoing anime series Karakuri Circus from April 11 onward.

Gekkou was previously used as the anime’s first opening theme from October to December last year. The song features a unique fusion of acoustic guitar and accordion mixed with a fast-paced guitar sound.

The song was written and composed by the band’s vocalist and guitarist Motoo Fujiwara. All the members are known fans of the Karakuri Circus manga series which made them a perfect fit for performing the track.

It is extremely rare to see the same song used as both an opening and ending theme to an anime series. Perhaps it is an insight into the song’s deep connection with the series. This time, the second half of the song will be used as the ending theme. The new lyrics and deepening ensemble will serve to prop up the story as it draws to its conclusion.

An official new promotional video was posted YouTube which plays the new ending theme. Check it out below.

“Karakuri Circus” 6th Animated PV

Japanese rock band Memai Siren will release their new CD single Yūdachi on February 6, 2019. In the run up to its release, the anime edit version of the track is now available on streaming platforms.

The song serves as the second ending theme for the ongoing anime series Karakuri Circus. A creditless version of the ending video was also posted on TWIN ENGINE’s official YouTube channel.

Memai Siren have also released a new artist photo with art direction from INNI VISION who worked on the band’s 2017 EP Rikka.

Japanese anime is popular worldwide, and one part of the watching-experience that makes a series so memorable is its opening and ending themes. Here’s part one of a list of artists providing music for ongoing series and soon-to-air series.

Lead x Hinomaru Sumo

Three-member dance and vocal unit Lead will release their song Be the NAKED on January 30, 2019 which will be used as the opening theme song for the anime series Hinomaru Sumo starting on January 25. The series depicts themes of friendship, endeavor and victory.

Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/155895

ЯeaL x Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

Popular rock band ЯeaL will release Tsuyogari LOSER on February 20, 2019, their new single that will be used as the new ending theme for the ongoing anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. ЯeaL has released a string of smash songs for popular various anime series and they are gaining much attention from anime fans who are anticipating this new release.

Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/155887

KANA-BOON x Karakuri Circus

KANA-BOON wrote their new song Haguruma as the second opening theme song for Karakuri Circus. A promotional video for the series was released that includes a snippet of the track. The video features scenes of the characters working together to knock down the circus. Be sure to check it out!

Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/155647

The Quintessential Quintuplets

The Quintessential Quintuplets is set to begin airing in January 2019. A video teasing the anime’s opening theme song Go-Tōbun no Kimochi was recently released. The song is performed by the series’ five Nakano siblings themselves. It begins with the sisters calling out to the series protagonist Fūtarō Uesugi to wake up. It drops into a cute pop song where each sibling expresses their feelings towards Uesugi, from hate to love.

Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/155625

Continued in Part 2.

Having just dropped their mini album Nerine, Japanese rock band KANA-BOON have announced a new song titled Haguruma which will be used as the second opening theme song to the popular ongoing anime series Karakuri Circus. You can get a taste for the song in the new trailer for the series below.

The band’s vocalist and guitarist Maguro Taniguchi has been a fan of Karakuri Circus since his childhood. Talking about his dream collaboration, he commented: “I have loved Karakuri Circus since I was a child, so in getting to be a part of it I wrote this song with fiery passion. I’m still very influenced by the characters as I was back then when I see them pushing forward in spite of their wounds and choosing their own path with their own hands while in the middle of misfortune. That’s why we laid the theme out in this song as ‘choices.’ I am very happy to be able to perform music for a series I love. I’m a fan too so I’m really looking forward to [the series] airing. I hope ‘Haguruma’ will be one of the things people look forward to too.”

The anime adaptation of Kazuhiro Fujita’s dark fantasy manga series Karakuri Circus will begin airing on October 11. It has already been announced that BUMP OF CHICKEN will perform the series’ opening theme song. In recent news, it’s just been unveiled that singer-songwriter Lozareena will perform the anime’s ending theme song.

The song is titled Marionette of which a snippet was revealed in the latest trailer for the anime series which was released on October 3.

Lozareena made her major debut with her single Tarareba Ryuuseigun which was released on April 11, 2018.

In coming to write the ending theme Marionette, Lozareena went ahead and read the Karakuri Circus manga and projected the character Shirogane Saiga into the song. The singer commented on the process, talking about how enthusiastic she became about the manga and her thoughts on producing the track.

Comment: Lozareena
“I began writing this song as Shirogane’s song. She has lived her life feeling like she can’t smile, like she doesn’t have a self and is being controlled by something other than her. That’s something that everyone has felt in life, even if there’s a difference in to what extent. We are just being controlled by someone, by society, like puppets. We are ‘marionettes.’ I’ve felt this before too. Even so, I may still be able to find something that is my own – something that only I can do. If you meet someone that can help you find that or feel that I believe the world you see is sure to change. Like how Shirogane met Narumi.”

Marionette arranged by sound producer TeddyLoid who boasts fans across the world. The song, with its melancholic and piercing melody, is made even more grand and emotional thanks to Lozareena’s unique voice.

The latest trailer for the show which can be seen below includes a short preview of the song along with scenes focusing on Shirogane.

Lozareena will be holding weekly live streams every Thursday from 23:00 (JST) on LINE LIVE. The first stream was held on October 4 where she gave her thoughts on both Karakuri Circus and Marionette.

It’s been announced that BUMP OF CHICKEN’s new song Gekkō will be used as the opening theme song for the upcoming anime series Karakuri Circus which is set to premier on October 11.

The anime is an adaptation of Kazuhiro Fujita’s manga series Karakuri Circus which was serialised in Weekly Shōnen Sunday from 1997 to 2006. It’s a dark fantasy tale that tells the story of Masaru who inherits a big fortune after his father’s death. There are people out to steal this fortune, but after being saved by Narumi from being kidnapped, he discovers they’re not humans but actually puppets. Shirogane arrives with a weapon – Arlequin, a puppet, to save him.

The announcement of an anime adaptation received a huge reaction from fans of the popular manga series. The first trailer can be seen here.

BUMP OF CHICKEN’s vocalist and guitarist Motoo Fujiwara wrote composed the lyrics for Gekkō. The fast-paced electric guitar is combined with acoustic guitar and accordion to create a completely new kind of sound. The anime’s second trailer below features a snippet of Gekkō.

“Kakuri Circus” 2nd Trailer

Comment: BUMP OF CHICKEN

“We are huge fans of Kazuhiro Fujita’s work. When we came across Ushio and Tora during our teens we were completely immersed in the book. At the minute we’re looking forward to the next volume of Sōbōtei Kowasubeshi. We go crazy every time a new book of his is announced. ‘Karakuri Circus’ is of course also a very important and beloved series of ours. It’s hard to put into words but we’ve been moved a lot by it. We get exited and talk about Ushio and Tora and Karakuri Circus at every opportunity. When we heard there would be an anime adaptation of Karakuri Circus coming out, and that we’d received an offer to perform the opening theme, we were really surprised. We are happy and honoured from the bottom of our hearts. We wish we could tell our teenage selves that this is happening. As fans, we will properly see it through to the end. We cannot wait for the anime to be completed.”

Karakuri Circus will premiere on October 11 on TOKYO MX and BS11 and run every Thursday. It will also be available worldwide on Amazon Prime Video. An early screening of the first episode will take place in Japan on September 30. Tickets are limited.