Master Keaton

Master Keaton in my humble opinion is the best Episodic anime I've seen so far. Though I can admit it's not for everyone since this series requires you to have an understanding of contemporary history. The series touches subjects on the Cold War and many Geopolitical conflicts from the era.
The story follows Taichi Keaton, who is a veteran of the Falkland's War and a former SAS officer in the British Army. His combat training and survival skills help him land a job as an insurance investigator from a prestigious agency known as Loyd's of London. This line of work takes him in some ... of the most peculiar places and situations. Keaton travels to different cities in Europe, the middles east and even the desserts of China trying to solve insurance claims on inheritance, businesses and expensive items belonging to some of the elite members of society. These investigations often put his life at risk, where Keaton deals with Russian Mobsters and former KGB agents, deals with thieves and professional hitmen.
Each episode brings a new story and new characters that are very interesting, I only wish some of those stories could have been a bit longer but other than that they are very enjoyable.
Love how Keaton is a badass and yet very average, divorced middle aged man with a teenage daughter. the way he looks just screams average at best, yet in reality he is a professional in his line of work.
The art in this anime is immaculate and can see the 90s era portrayed really well in this series. Keaton is a man full of class and the series shows appreciation to the finer things in life.
Don't skip this hidden gem, you'll definitely love it.

An absolutely great watch! Highly recommended for people who are searching for traveling series based in Europe with Slice of Life, Naoki Urasawa is a great writer. The exploration of the outside world in those 90s feels gives really good vibes.

Animation was not extraordinary, but everything was moving in sync; the background was the most detailed and beautifully done; it wasn't looking flat like how some of today's anime looks; it really breathed life to the anime; there were some sakuga moments as in character animation; and lastly, there were no CGI cars, and they were animated perfectly.

The thing I most loved was its sound ... design. It was good that you could hear more natural sounds compared to today's sounds, like glass being put down on a wooden countertop, which sounds more realistic.

I'll highly recommend it; it's a good watch, especially the dub, which sounds even better.

Master Keaton is an episodic, dramatic thriller based on a manga series co-written by Naoki Urasawa. The titular Keaton is a half-Japanese, half-British investigator for the real-life Lloyd's of London, an unorthodox insurance company that works more like a betting house. Each chapter, which is largely self-contained, takes Keaton to various places (mostly in Western Europe) where he becomes entangled in criminal operations, suspicious murders, scholarly matters, and--sometimes--more lighthearted family affairs. The show's pacing and subject matter somewhat bring to mind American detective shows like Columbo: Keaton is intelligent, resourceful, and combat-proficient, though it's his deep well of knowledge which typically provides a solution to ... the matter at hand.

Urasawa's charming character designs and generally understated presentation are competently brought to life in this anime, though most scenes feel directly taken from manga panels, often lacking dramatic flair or inventiveness. Every episode directly or indirectly helps flesh out Keaton's character: as a failed husband, an absent father, an ex-military agent, an aspiring archaeologist, or just a man of the world. However, and despite the grim subject matter of most episodes, things are kept relatively light by Keaton's easygoing demeanor and an atmospheric, Celtic folk-inspired soundtrack.

Ultimately, Keaton can sometimes feel like a crash course in European and 20th-century history, as every single episode provides interesting tidbits on everything from the War of the Roses to the paintings of Degas to the inner workings of a rifle. While the plotting of each episode--whether it deals with a murdered heiress or with Keaton's plucky teenage daughter--is solid, the writing is often trite and heavy-handed, feeling like an expository lesson on whatever academic subject is relevant to the episode. The best stretch of this show deals with Keaton's family life and past, which provides a respite from the somewhat repetitive cloak-and-dagger fare of other episodes. Don't expect any sort of conclusion to the story, as it simply trails off wherever it stopped adapting manga chapters. Nonetheless, in a landscape of harem shows and shounen spin-offs, Keaton can be an enjoyably adult-feeling series.