Taking place in Paris during the 1970s, the tale revolves around a cirque atmosphere rather than a conventional circus, emphasizing the allure and seediness of the ring. Expect slit-eyed jugglers, thrill-seeking trapeze performers, and melancholy Pierrot clowns; even the protagonist, Torinosu, or "Bird's Nest," dons a red nose despite its artificiality. The circus master's unsavory activities include selling his performers to the highest bidder. The story also features tanbi decadence, with ghostly figures resembling teenage girls, neurotic women who delight in inflicting pain, buracon, possible murder, unspoken yearning, and a hero in perpetual existential agony.
