[Karakuri Circus] Introducing the charm of Saiga Shirogane = Eleonore!

2025.07.29

Saiga Shirogane, also known as Saiga Eleanor, the heroine of "Karakuri Circus," is a beautiful puppeteer character. Initially, she comes to protect Saiga Masaru, one of the main characters, but she is also a character burdened with a complex and strange fate that is unique to Karakuri Circus. We would like to explore the charm of Eleanor, along with her complex and strange fate!

Contents

[Karakuri Circus] Shirogane Saiga, the puppeteer who comes to protect Masaru Saiga

Shirogane Saiga's first appearance
Source: Karakuri Circus © Kazuhiro Fujita, Shogakukan / Twin Engine

Shirogane Saiga is a silver-haired, silver-eyed puppeteer who, for some reason, inherited a huge fortune and stepped up to protect Masaru Saiga, whose life is being threatened by his relatives. Shirogane came to Japan to repay the favor Katsu's grandfather received when he hired Shirogane's mother in France seven years ago, and to fulfill his goal of helping Katsu.

The reality is a little different.

Source: Karakuri Circus © Kazuhiro Fujita, Shogakukan / Twin Engine

Karakuri Circus has many complex settings, some of which are likely added later. Shirogane said that she was 11 years old seven years ago, but in fact she has been drinking the "Water of Life" since birth, which prevents her from aging once every five years, so her actual age is now 90. Shirogane probably doesn't know this, but the setting of her being the wet nurse's daughter was created for Shirogane by a certain person.

[Karakuri Circus] Shirogane (Eleonore) Controls the String Puppet "Arurukan"

Source: Karakuri Circus © Kazuhiro Fujita, Shogakukan / Twin Engine

Due to certain circumstances, Shirogane has been honing her skills since childhood to control the powerful string puppet "Arurukan." At that time, Shirogane was unable to laugh wholeheartedly and lacked humanity. However, after meeting Saiga Masaru and Kato Narumi, Shirogane began to show signs of humanity.

What is the certain circumstance?

Source: Karakuri Circus © Kazuhiro Fujita, Shogakukan / Twin Engine

As explored in depth in Narumi Kato's story, the "automatons"—the enemy of humanity created by a certain alchemist—and the warriors tasked with destroying them, the Doll Destroyers (commonly known as Shirogane), have been fighting for over 100 years. And because his body contains a "soft stone," a key item for both the "automaton" and "Shirogane," he is in a position where his life could be targeted at any time. This is where Shirogane's name comes from.

Why did Shirogane lose his humanity?

Source: Karakuri Circus © Kazuhiro Fujita, Shogakukan / Twin Engine

Shirogane lost her humanity as she gained her powers as a Doll Destroyer. This wasn't due to the curse of the Water of Life (those who become Shirogane are generally controlled by a desire for revenge against automatons, with Eleonore being an exception). Nor was it due to a strict upbringing designed to endure harsh battles or to ensure Katsu's safety. The reason she was raised to lose her humanity is even more despicable.

[Karakuri Circus] Shirogane awakens to her humanity after meeting Narumi Kato

Source: Karakuri Circus © Kazuhiro Fujita, Shogakukan / Twin Engine

For Shirogane, the most significant encounters in his life were with Narumi Kato and Masaru Saiga. Narumi Kato was originally a young man with no connection to the two, but his strength and kindness in risking his life to rescue Katsu gave Shirogane a major opportunity to transform from a doll into a human. However, during the rescue mission, Narumi Kato shielded Katsu from a huge explosion and went missing, leaving only one arm behind. (I thought Shirogane and Katsu were dead.)

[Karakuri Circus] Shirogane (Eleonore) regains her humanity

Saigaku Katsu becomes Zenji's adopted son

Source: Karakuri Circus © Kazuhiro Fujita, Shogakukan / Twin Engine

Katsu was later adopted by his uncle, Zenji Saiga, who had kidnapped him and adopted him in an attempt to obtain a huge inheritance. Zenji Saiga experienced immense fear during the kidnapping and developed an allergy to Katsu, wanting nothing more to do with him. As a result, he no longer had the means to do anything about the inheritance.

Shirogane joins Katsu at Nakamachi Circus

Source: Karakuri Circus © Kazuhiro Fujita, Shogakukan / Twin Engine

Afterward, Shirogane and Katsu return to their normal lives and begin attending school. Since the incident, Katsu has become dramatically stronger, able to fight off bullying. However, they are attacked by the remnants of a family assassin seeking his inheritance. Shirogane rescues Katsu with the help of members of Nakamachi Circus, a fallen circus troupe, but Katsu is concerned that this will put those around him in danger, so he decides to leave the area and become a part of Nakamachi Circus with Shirogane.

Shirogane's encounters with his friends help him become more human.

Source: Karakuri Circus © Kazuhiro Fujita, Shogakukan / Twin Engine

Lise the wild animal tamer, Wilma the knife wielder, the three cow brothers of the Straw Circus who had mocked the Nakamachi Circus but had fallen on hard times and were on the verge of being homeless, and prop maker Ikukata Yasushi and his granddaughter Ikukata Ryoko joined the circus troupe. Their encounters and life with Katsu gave Shirogane a sense of humanity. Shirogane's encounter with Kato Narumi marked her transformation from a puppet into a human.

[Karakuri Circus] Who is Eleonore? An explanation of how it all began! Part 1

Source: Karakuri Circus © Kazuhiro Fujita, Shogakukan / Twin Engine

Who exactly is Eleonore? The answer lies deeply in the story of the origins of Karakuri Circus. It all began over 200 years ago. Long ago, in China, there were two brothers named Shirogane and Shirogane. The two travel a long way to study alchemy, and arrive at Prague, the holy land of alchemy. They are close brothers, but Shirogane falls in love with a woman from Prague, Francine, and tells his brother Shirogane about it, but Shirogane also loves Francine, and Francine also loves Shirogane.

Shirogane's Rampage

Source: Karakuri Circus © Kazuhiro Fujita, Shogakukan / Twin Engine

Shirogane proposed to Francine at the church, and Francine accepted. However, someone was nearby listening to the conversation. Shirogane, listening to the conversation, went berserk, abducted Francine, and disappeared somewhere. This incident drove Shirogane crazy and became the catalyst for all the connections that led to Karakuri Circus.

Shirogane's Obsession: Finding the Two

Source: Karakuri Circus © Kazuhiro Fujita, Shogakukan / Twin Engine

After that, Shirogane searched for Shirogane and Francine, and finally found them. It was nine years after Shirogane's departure. His hatred for Shirogane transformed him, but when he found out that Shirogane had heard his proposal to Francine, he came to his senses, but Shirogane had already gone insane. The villagers of Clog Village had learned that Francine had fallen ill and had isolated and imprisoned her.

Shirogane Completes the Soft Stone

Source: Karakuri Circus © Kazuhiro Fujita, Shogakukan / Twin Engine

In order to cure Francine's illness, Shirogane succeeds in creating a "soft stone," the pinnacle of alchemy and a panacea. (A soft stone, known as the Philosopher's Stone in another work) However, Francine commits suicide by self-immolation, feeling guilty about having lived with Shirogane for nine years.

Shirogane's Great Rampage

Source: Karakuri Circus © Kazuhiro Fujita, Shogakukan / Twin Engine

However, the story doesn't end there. To exact revenge on the Clog Villagers who isolated and imprisoned Francine, Shirogane creates the "Francine Doll" and the "Four Oldest Ones," automatons that spread the Zonaha disease. Seeing this tragedy, Shirogane wanted to make amends for his brother's mistake, so he gave the survivors of Clog Village soft stones and the Water of Life he had dissolved, saving them from the Zonaha disease. In exchange, he instilled in them a hatred for automatons and doomed them to destruction.

[Karakuri Circus] Who is Eleanor? An explanation of how it all began! Part 2

The Francine Doll Who Couldn't Laugh

Source: Karakuri Circus © Kazuhiro Fujita, Shogakukan / Twin Engine

The Francine doll created by Shirogane was made to resemble a human, but it was unable to laugh and remained a doll. In despair, Shirogane abandons the Francine doll, and the Francine doll is left behind to create automatons to find a way to make herself laugh, and continue to spread the Zonaha disease.

Angelina Becomes a Vessel for Soft Stone

Source: Karakuri Circus © Kazuhiro Fujita, Shogakukan / Twin Engine

Meanwhile, Lucille, a survivor of Clog Village destined to destroy the automatons, implants a "soft stone," the raw material for the Water of Life, into her daughter, Angelina (although this is not actually the case). The soft stone could not be stored in its normal state, and the only way to store it was to house it in the body of a child. Angelina, who had the "soft stone" inside her, found herself being targeted by the automatons, but her appearance was the spitting image of Francine. In fact, the three of them were related by blood.

Angelina marries Shoji Saiga in a foreign land

Source: Karakuri Circus © Kazuhiro Fujita, Shogakukan / Twin Engine

Angelina grows strong and beautiful as a Shirogane, working alongside fellow Shirogane Dean Maistre and others as a puppet destroyer. Angelina met Saiga Masaru's grandfather, Saiga Shoji, in the foreign land of Japan, and they married and had a child. That child was Saiga Shirogane and Eleanor.

Angelina Dies

Angelina is subsequently killed in an attack by automatons. However, the "Soft Stone" has already been transferred to Eleonore's body, and she drinks the "Water of Life" that dissolves the "Soft Stone" residing within her. Because the Water of Life that Eleanor drank did not dissolve the Shirogane, she was not destined to destroy the automatons, but Saiga Shoji was left with no choice but to raise Eleanor as a Shirogane.

[Karakuri Circus] Who is Eleanor? An explanation of how it all began! Part 3

Shoji and Guy's Plan

Shoji and Guy never fulfilled Angelina's last wish: "Don't let Eleonore suffer the same fate as me." If it became known that Eleanor had already become a Shirogane and possessed the "soft stone" within her body, she would be burdened with the same harsh fate as Angelina. For this reason, Shoji and Guy decided to raise Eleanor as a Shirogane, and in the future, send her to Shoji's safe home on the pretense of a mission, in an attempt to protect her.

Eleonore is raised as a doll

Shoji and Guy had no intention of raising Eleonore as a doll. However, due to a certain man's conspiracy, Eleonore was raised like a doll. The man was Dean Maistre, also known as Saiga Sadayoshi, who was Saiga Shoji's adopted son and right-hand man. Sadayoshi had been disguised as Shoji and had been leading him to raise Eleanor as a doll.

A Terrifying Plan

Dean Maistre, who had fought alongside Angelina as a Shirogane since childhood, loved her. However, Angelina ended up marrying Shoji Saiga. So Dean became Shoji's adopted son and secretly planned to download his own data into the brain of Saiga Masaru, Shoji's child with his mistress, and take his place. This was because he was obsessed with Eleanor, who was the spitting image of Angelina.

Why Eleanor Was Raised as a Doll

Eleanor was imprinted with the idea that meeting Katsu would make her no longer a doll, and indeed, she gained humanity after meeting him. As a result, Eleanor fell in love with Katsu, and by taking Katsu's place, she gained Eleanor. This was Dean Maistre = Saiga Sadayoshi's plan. However, the plan was thwarted by Shoji's efforts, and it turned out that Eleanor fell in love with Kato Narumi, not Katsu.

The Mastermind Behind All of This

And the man who came up with this terrifying plan, Sadayoshi Saiga, is Dean Maistre, who fell in love with Angelina. His true identity is "Shirogane," the mastermind behind all of this, who used the "Water of Life" to transfer memories. Shirogane stole Francine, but he wasn't truly loved by her, and Angelina was taken by Shoji. Now, he continues to work behind the scenes to earn Eleanor's heartfelt love.

[Karakuri Circus] Eleanor Becomes Human and Narumi Kato Gives Up His Humanity

After meeting Narumi Kato, Eleanor became human through her life with Masaru Saiga and his friends. However, during Narumi Kato's "Karakuri Arc," which was progressing at the same time, Narumi ceased to be human. This contrast is fascinating, and the story of their reunion is one in which Eleanor, who has become human, returns Narumi to being human. If I had to highlight Eleanor's greatest charm, I think it's this contrast that makes her so appealing.

Summary of Eleanor's Charms

Karakuri Circus is incredibly complex, and while it may be difficult to fully understand it just by watching the anime or the manga once, rewatching it over and over again will make you realize that it's a masterpiece. The more you unravel its complex premise, the more fascinating it becomes, and you'll also appreciate the heroine's charm!