Beautiful Bones: Sakurako's Investigation
Beautiful Bones: Sakurako's Investigation or A Corpse is Buried Under Sakurako's Feet 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 genius beauty 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 isolated in her study full of skeletons if it weren't for high school boy Shotaro—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
;Sakurako Kujō
;Shōtarō Tatewaki
;Yuriko Kōgami
;Ume Sawa Gran
;Itsuki Isozaki
;Naoe Ariwara
;Hiroki Utsumi
;Hector
;Haruto Imai
;Sōko Chiyoda
;Hanabusa
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.
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 "Uchiyoserareta Bōkyaku no Zankyō ni" by Technoboys Pullcraft Green-Fund feat. Yuki Ootake. Sentai Filmworks licensed the series for home video release in North America.
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."