KABUKICHOU SHERLOCK

DESCRIPTION

CAST

OVA ComedyKabukichou Sherlock OVA

REVIEWS

• 

  Necokeniii

  70/100
  The fun isn't the mystery, the fun lies within the process

  I had this show on the back burner for weeks and I just completed my binge for it. I do like the concept of anime Sherlock Holmes with mystery-solving rakugo, but it needed to try a little bit better to be a masterpiece. I did like the setting and premise of the show, however, it never tried to invent a winning formula. Imagine combining two things that are amazing on their own but combined they are a mediocre acquired taste. Once you watch one episode you literally know what to expect for each mystery.

  The town is filled with stereotypical characters that'd you expect, the foreigner, kids who seem innocent but are thieves, clean freaks, the old man who is softer than he looks, geniuses with family complexes.

  The setting and music carried the show for me, I love jazzy music and a crazy town combo. Each episode you get to see bits and pieces of a city that never sleeps filled with twists and turns at every corner. I love the music that plays when Sherlock is about to perform rakugo. The rakugo itself isn't that entertaining, but it never failed to put a smile on my face. Sherlock's only redeeming quality is his obscure love and obsession with rakugo and everything surrounding it such as merchandise, performances, etc. Watson's most redeeming trait is he wants to prove his usefulness (which makes even more sense toward the second half of the story). Sherlock and Watson balance each other out because they bring out the best and weird in each other.

  The best thing about the series to me was the underlying theme of everyone needs someone or something to keep them going. The dynamics between the characters kept me watching. A lot of the times what got me through the dull and weaker episodes is seeing the wacky relationship between Watson and Sherlock. I also like seeing the other members of the main cast get stand-alone episodes or moments. It makes me happy to learn more about the supporting characters who helped out in crucial moments. Usually, I don't care or cheer for the side/supporting characters yet by the time I was almost done the series, I kept cheering for their success.

  It's hard to recommend this series to everyone, however, I want to say watch at your own risk. The moral I got from this series is you never really know what drives someone until you ask. Yes, you could judge and make comments based on your observations, but things make more sense when you know the bigger picture. It was a slow burn that I almost dropped but what kept me going is I wanted to figure out what drives sherlock to be passionate and obsessed with something that he's stagnant with. If you want to see an episodic mystery and drama sprinkled with gags and some payoff, be my guest.

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• 

  yoerik

  75/100
  Unique take on a classic, it manages to paint Sherlock with a new coat of paint, and mostly succeeds.

  The most unique take on Sherlock I've seen so far. Plenty of Sherlock adaptations go the "Sherlock but in (insert location here)!" and attempt to tell the same story over and over again. Many are boring, or at the bare minimum - uniform. They don't take risks. Kabukichou Sherlock AKA Case File n221: Kabukicho, took a lot of risks. An anime original story produced by Kadokawa and I.G. Productions, Case File endeavours to shake up the classic character with a fresh coat of paint, and mostly succeeds.

  A case of the week murder mystery makes up the first half or so of the season, which can get a tad repetitive. However - the second half's twists enable the story to shift in a direction I didn't see coming.
  Some plot points you will see coming, if you have ever seen or read a Sherlock story before, however - the execution is far more unique than what you would expect.

  I watched the show dubbed on Funimation, so that means I got to see Justin Briner shine, among a lovely cast of Funimation regulars, keeping the absurdity of the animation and the story alive and well. Kabukicho is an absurd place, and the cast sells it. It would be easy to allow the performance to fail to sell the story, and they manage to pull it off under the careful direction of Cris George, and the strength of the rest of the cast.

  There are some issues with it -- I cannot go into them too much without entering spoiler territory, but I will say that the portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters is mixed in the show - with positive and negative representation causing me some concern. It's great to see an anime with so many LGBTQ+ characters, but again - there is some representation which can be interpreted in a concerning way. Some reviews I've read discussed how those issues ruined the story for them - but despite my gayness, I still managed to look past them and enjoy it for what it is

  There are uncomfortable moments in the show - it is not a pure comedy play. There are entire portion of episodes without humour - which you need to be aware of. The show can - and often is, lighthearted... but it doesn't stay that way throughout its entire run.

  Nonetheless, I really enjoyed it. The animation is gorgeous - the opening is fantastic (how often do we see a jazz-style song in an anime opening?) and wish it would be able to continue, but I doubt it.

  If you have no interest in mysteries or a new take on Sherlock Holmes that is verrry different from what you've seen before, don't watch this show.
  However, if you want an eccentric adventure that you won't forget - this is the show for you.

  There is no word yet on a second season, but the complete Season 1 is available subbed and dubbed (+ a subbed OVA) on Funimation. It could have been better, it had some weak episodes, but overall it was - fine but memorable.

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