When Shoutarou Tatewaki first meets Sakurako Kujou, he knows his life will never be the same. Initially believing her to be responsible for a disappearance in the neighborhood, he later learns of her true talent: analyzing bone specimens. Sakurako has quite the collection of reconstructed animal bones, but she wishes she had more of the human variety, much to the chagrin of those around her. Soon, Shoutarou begins accompanying the eccentric osteologist on the many different unsolved cases she comes across—usually in the form of decomposing bodies. But with so many incidents happening around them, could there be a larger mystery at work in their lives?
Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru is a story of two unlikely partners, each showing in their own way that bones can tell how one died, but only people can tell how they lived.
In the late 1930's (Show Period 14), two sides in Japan are conflicted between joining Germany and Italy in a military alliance. At this time, Isoroku Yamamoto, who strongly opposed the alliance, is appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet. The following year, on September 27, Japan, Germany and Italy form the Axis alliance.
Isoroku Yamamoto leads the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The attack's main purpose is to gain an early peace settlement. The surprise military strike appeared successful and caused massive damage, but US aircraft carriers were not damaged in the assault. After the attack, the Axis alliance initially saw advances without any defeats.
By April 18, 1942 (Show Period 17), formations of U.S. B-25B bombers, flown from an U.S. aircraft carrier, attacked the Japanese mainland for the first time. The Japanese military responded by carrying out their Midway operation, but the mission failed, and the Japanese military lost 4 aircraft carriers.
The U.S. army were encouraged by their victory at Midway and proceeded to carry out a landing operation on Guadalcanal. The Japanese and U.S. military fought fiercely. Besides the toll from fighting the U.S. military, the Japanese military suffered from starvation, dehydration and diseases while on Guadalcanal. The Japanese military were nearing collapse on Guadalcanal before Isoroku Yamamoto gave the order to withdraw to save more lives.
After the completion of the withdrawal from Guadalcanal, Isoroku Yamamoto flew on an airplane to make moral boosting visits to soldiers on the front line. His plane would be intercepted by the U.S. military.
At the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Headquarters, the core of the Japanese Police, an unprecedented hostage situation in the history of MPD breaks out. The hostages are 12 top executives of the MPD: Superintendent-General Tamaru, Deputy Supt-Gen Hasegawa and bureau chiefs. The conference room, where the perpetrator and the executives are held hostage, is completely surrounded by Riot Police Squad and Special Investigation Team (SIT). The perpetrator’s motives are unknown and he makes no demands.
Meanwhile, two gunshots echo from the conference room. Ignoring Sugishita’s strong opposition, Nakazono orders Riot Squad and SIT to storm the conference room. What they find there is Yaegashi, shot and dead. Gunpowder residue is found on all the hostages, but who fired the gun? This cannot be determined. While released from captivity, all 12 hostages become suspects.
In response to Supervisor Okouchi’s questioning, all the hostages give ambivalent testimonies that the gun went off while they struggled to neutralize the perpetrator, and that they do not know who pulled the trigger. Concerning Yaegashi’s demands, all remain silent. Becoming strongly suspicious of this, Sugishita and Kanbe gains cooperation of Chief Kakuta and others, and undertake their own question of the executives, who were taken hostage.
On the other hand, receiving the report of the hostage case, National Police Agency Director Onoda, along with National Police Agency Commissioner Kaneko, begins to make disturbing moves.
