I've been wanting to play these game for a while now but I've heard people say that they can be emotional. I'm not really a fan of sad/tragic movies and I wanted to know just how sad the stories in these games can be overall?

Thanks so much for your time!

(I wasn't sure if I should put this in the DS or 3DS section, so I'm sorry if It's in the wrong place)

Not really. I only remember the end of The Last Specter being pretty emotional.

From what I have heard/what games I have played I think Diabolical Box had a very sad ending and The Last Specter wasn't as sad,but still fairly depressing. Unwound Future is supposed to be the saddest in the series from what I have heard.

There are definitely key moments of melancholy in all of the first four games (haven't played Miracle Mask yet), but on the whole, the games are all still pretty silly, cheery and optimistic.

Unwound future will make you cry

Curious Village will make you a little sad.
Diobolical Box will make you feel a great amount of pity.
Unwound Future will make you cry.
Last Spector is pretty sad
Eternal Diva (The Professor Layton Movie) is pretty sad.
Miracle Mask isn't that sad, but a few would disagree a little bit.
Keep in mind these games aren't tragedies. They do have a good hint of happiness in each one.
If you want to start the series it is best if you start from when they were released, otherwise you will be confused.

I haven't played it, but Unwound Future should be the saddest since it's technically the last game in the series' timeline.

Unwound Future will jerk some tears

Eh, while I agree that you might enjoy some moments a little more if you play the original trilogy in order, it's far from a necessity to enjoy each game individually. Aside from a few recurring characters, each Professor Layton title is largely a standalone episode, storywise.

It's not like Ace Attorney, where there are many series-long running gags to go along with character development and larger story arcs that can also span multiple games.

I was born to answer this question, this is my favorite series. I shall solve this question, no gentleman would leave someone in need!

Well, each trilogy DOES have an overarching plotline... I recommend starting with the beginning of either the original trilogy or the prequel trilogy. Though most of the overarching plots are mainly touched on near the ends of the games, most of the games are fairly standalone.

As for the sadness... I don't know, I get emotional easily, but I think there is always some joy in each ending, it's a bittersweet feeling. The Unwound Future was by far the saddest in my opinion, left me in tears, but there was also some notable sadness in The Diabolical Box and The Last Spector. The latest, The Miracle Mask... very little sadness by the end, it actually was resolved the best way possible. Please don't let the sad parts deter you though, the games are rich puzzle experiences with beautiful stories. If you cry easily, I can't guarantee you won't get tears, but in sadness their is joy, and in the end, things wind up how they're supposed to be. Life isn't full of Disney fairy tales, and games like Layton are there to try to help us see there ARE silver linings. Even the saddest endings in the series do show growth and hope.

Oh god... I've turned into one of those sappy after school specials! DX

I agree with these, but I have yet to either see the movie or finish Miracle Mask.
I kept crying at the end of Future.
Still, the games as a whole aren't deeply depressing anyway, they just have very involving storylines so by the time you finish the games you will probably have cried at least once, wether because of happiness or sadness(like the post above this summarized).

The Lost Future,will make you cry so much,but the other games,not so much.