English Dub Season Review: Case File nº221: Kabukicho Season One

You already know who Sherlock Holmes is. The famous detective has been in countless adaptations based in one loose form or another on the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories, and then some which seem to be adaptations of (or at least heavily influenced by) pre-existing adaptations. The same archetypes of the seemingly cold but intelligent detective and his hapless and relatable assistant have permeated mystery and crime stories for well over a century now, so it’s no surprise that would extend to anime as well. There have quite a few Sherlock adjacent stories within anime, but the one we discuss today is Case File nº221: Kabukicho, or Kabukicho Sherlock, a modern day retelling of famous detective and his usual cast of associates.

Kabukicho takes place in present day Japan, specifically in the real life Kabukicho red light district of Tokyo. This time, Sherlock is introduced as more reluctant detective who uses the job as a way to pursue his TRUE passion: Rakugo, a form of Japanese comedic storytelling, which he uses in his wrap up deductions and conclusions when a case is solved. This is the main thing that sets this version of Sherlock apart from others and adds a pretty unique element to the show. And it’s not just a randomly assigned quirk to be different, as the art of rakugo is weaved into both Sherlock’s character and his relationship with others, most notably John Watson and James Moran/Moriarty.

Yes, his faithful companion and arch-rival are both present here as well, since at this point it would be almost blasphemous to NOT have them in at some point. Plenty of other Sherlock cast also appear in recurring roles: Lestrade, Mary Morstan, Mrs. Hudson (making me wonder how the fact that so many of these people have English names never came up), all of which have their own unique reinterpretations, along with several original characters who balance out the cast with their own quirks. And like in most versions, Watson is the foil to Sherlock’s eccentric brilliance by being the more normal and sensible assistant. Though Moriarty seems to have a LOT of liberties taken in his character, first of all being that we get to meet him before his turn to psychopathic villainy. In the first half of the series, Moriarty, or rather James Moran, is just brilliant teenager who’s one of the gang at the detective bar everyone hangs out at. But after a turning point at the halfway point, he takes a turn to become the antagonist most expected him to become.

The execution of this turn to evil brings us to the next point, how the two major arcs of the season play out. The story starts with a hunt for legendary serial killer Jack the Ripper, which becomes the major goal of the first eleven episodes. Obviously it isn’t the main focus of EVERY one of those episodes, but it does come to a head with a lot of the elements and mysteries coming together…at a VERY unfortunate twist reveal that kinda sours the end result. But the character building prior to that climax and the lead up to the reveal are pretty solid, helping endear us to the characters and their dynamics. Likewise, the stand alone stories heading into the plot relevant episodes of the second half also build on that, being fun mysteries and developments in their own right, but then the actual master plan is unveiled and we end with the plot leading to the realization that Moriarty could have lived if he had just gone into business doing escape rooms.

All in all, if you’re a Sherlock fan, this might be a fun ride that’s different than what you might expect. If you’re and an anime fan, this might be the same from the other end. If you’re both, I don’t know if I’d say this would be the perfect fit for you, but I imagine it would at least be worth a watch. As an adaptation of this iconic character and his cohorts, it definitely adds its own flavor and personality to familiar details, but it has too many fumbles to not bring up. It was a bit of a mystery where this series would go, but now that it’s solved, I’m glad I got to see it happen. Heck, I might even watch another season, though what that would even be like is a mystery in itself.