Dec 28, 2019
Because of the sheer divide in loving or hating this show from many of the reviews already here, I decided this would be my first review on MAL so I could leave my own take on Kabukichou Sherlock. This will be updated once the series ends.
~ Minor spoilers ~
This show is certainly unique. It is portrayed as an alternate version of the classic stories of Sherlock Holmes, but from watching the show, I do not think it should be taken at face value and compared heavily to the original stories. Most of what has been shown in this has been comparative by
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names rather than story and character, and this show is honestly a parody/comedy mixed with mystery. There is the obvious nod at each of the original Holmes characters, but each one has their own style or twist to the character that shines a completely different light on them. Sherlock Holmes especially, despite being the obviously genius detective that he also is in the novels, this version portrays him as simply a part-time detective that wants to do Rakugo (i.e. kinda-sorta stand-up comedy mixed with one-man plays). Every time his rakugo is shown, I personally get excited, although some of it isn't high-tier, it is enjoyable to watch, especially in an anime involving mystery. Even in general we do not see much rakugo in anime, and this use is completely unique.
Story - The story itself isn't exactly linear, it starts off with an episodic formula with mystery to mystery while using that formula to show off each character before a bigger plot begins to show. I usually am not one for an episodic series, but the way it uses the formula works to fill in gaps for future episodes and ties in to the daily life of the characters.
Art - For the most part, the art is a quite basic anime style, but with certain characters, there is a high level of detail present, even with certain scenes and settings. The best parts of art, in my opinion, were during some of Sherlock's Rakugo.
Sound - Although much of the music in the show is repetitious, much of it is exciting and upbeat and seems to fit quite well with each scene. From voice acting, I really enjoy almost every character's line delivery, and each character has their own unique mannerisms and tones of voice.
Character - As stated before, each of the characters which were from the original Holmes stories have their own twist in this series, but there are also a large number of original characters only unique to this series, especially considering they probably needed some Japanese characters in there somewhere. Each set of detectives and third-party characters have pretty varying personalities, and while some do use tropes, others have interesting backstory and depth with unique personalities not often found in anime. I personally thought many of the character's personalities were a pleasant surprise and left me with enjoyment each time they appeared on-screen.
Enjoyment - Without a doubt, I am enjoying this series. From the mysteries, to Mrs. Hudson's character, to Sherlock's rakugo, there is a lot packed into this one series that makes it hard to enjoy, even though it's not a serious and fully linear story.
Overall - All in all, I believe you should watch this series if you haven't, and you should be patient with it. Kabukichou Sherlock should be watched with an open mind without comparing it to the original Sherlock Holmes or expecting it to be a serious show, it isn't meant to be taken seriously, and it is entirely a series you should go in expecting something fun and unique, rather than serious and story-driven. I loved it to death, almost as much as some of the front-runners of the Fall 2019 season.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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