Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes

Unfortunately as of the series conclusion I can safely say Kyoto Holmes is a safe but unnecessary mystery/shoujo.
Worth noting, I have no knowledge of Japanese art history though, which might present some additional entertainment value as its a subject i haven't seen covered before.

Story 4/10
As the biggest draw, to me, was the mystery, the lack of an impressive plot was a sad detraction. The mysteries weren't boring, but the cardinal sin of not giving the viewers enough information to potentially solve the mystery themselves is a sore point. Even then the mysteries tend to lack significant consequence, which brings me to the worst part. There was only one issue that was especially offensive, the weak attempt at modernizing Moriarty that falls really flat as almost everything about him is nonsensical. The writing portrays him significant but also refuses to let our protagonist lose, leaving him as no real threat. At worst there is a "technical" victory that they try to hammer home by having holmes react especially heavily but it doesn't feel deserved and marks a real low point in the plot. Its the painfully classic case where the protagonist-antagonist relationship is really contrived. The other subplots are at least good for a binge watch though.

Art 7/10
The style was consistent, seems a little over saturated at times but otherwise nothing to complain about. The subject antiques and art are fairly detailed although there were some objects that weren't given much focus. Character designs and outfits were lacking beyond the main cast.

Sound 6/10
Unremarkable.

Character 5/10
the main pair are set up is at least somewhat uniquely, but the end result is a tired standardized shoujo relationship that adds very little to the rest of the story. Again its not particularly offensive but it didn't end up very entertaining either. The heroine is occasionally competent, starting off lacking but ending up with at least one (1) redeeming quality. If you like female characters who act as victims and don't do much beyond that you'll love her. In contrast is the Hero Holmes, who's a borderline superhero, having no real flaws beyond some contrived heartbreak story that is repeated early on then eventually ignored so as to not interfere with the shoujo aspects. there was also the terrible antagonist and, about 2-3 interesting side characters, the rest were forgettable.

enjoyment 5/10
a simple mystery isn't unenjoyable but the weak antagonist (and even though sherlock/moriarty isn't the most holy of pairs, this bad of a rendition is still insulting) and otherwise lacking characters are not encouraging to say the least. besides the mysteries themselves, the props and art do provide some entertainment value though.

Overall 5/10
Its not offensive at all, the art style is nice. The mysteries are intriguing even though the characters aren't. The use of holmes in the name does carry some expectations, and those expectations were most certainly not met, as such i personally cannot recommend watching.

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Honestly, when I saw the score on Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes I had to put my two cents in. This is one of my all-time favorite anime’s ever! The characters have a real depth to them. The back stories are well-done and the romance is slow and heart warming. The concept of an art appraiser is new and I found it incredible interesting to learn about the different art pieces. If you love heartwarming anime where the characters grow and develop then I recommend it 100%!!
Oops, first review and I guess they want it to be longer :P Well, what else can I say? I personally thing the art is beautiful in this anime. It reflected the wholesome feel. I also thought they did really well on the villain in the anime. He had enough wins to keep things moving and his background was explained nicely. Honestly, I wish it had gone on another season. I could watch this show all day. It truly surprised me at times and just loves stories where the main character grow emotionally.

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Tranquil, witty, not the worst characters around, and a great way to promote the city.

I personally would have liked a little bit more about art, collecting and counterfeits, and less about the romance (the two are obviously made for each other, no need to show them dancing around, and the fact that he's a few years older isn't really shocking to me).

Admittedly, I can understand reviewers who were underwhelmed, as they were expecting some more Sherlock-like criminal cases and drama, although I wonder just how much mystery you can build into a 25 minutes episode.

Nevertheless, I found myself looking forward to another half hour of relaxing TV each week. Not all shows have to be about sword fights or giant robots.

The animation is mediocre, but with such a show, who cares?

I wish the Kyoto Tourism Board would sponsor a second season. Shoudn't be too expensive to make such an anime, and I definitely would be happy!

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If you have the love of watching mystery series such as Detective Conan, Inspector Gadget, Sherlock Holmes and the like, this series would fit right into your pocket (and a nice derivative for that).

Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes, or more specifically, Kyoto native Kiyotaka 'Holmes' Yagashira the male MC, has a knack for solving riddles, trusted by his dad Seiji, whom they both own an antique shop full of real antiques such as drawings and cups. You name it, they have it. In comes Aoi Mashiro, a high school girl who comes into Kiyotaka's shop, looking for a part-time job to help finance her needs and restart her life. And with her introduction, comes a new (unsuspecting) role for her to maintain whatever is with the shop's characteristics and the like while being Holmes' aide Watson, as they journey around people who seem to face issues from counterfeiting antiques to crime scenes.

Coming from the source material, being a novel, it's the equivalent to episodic chapters: Same MCs, different characters with their various problems, all requiring the help of the male MC to do his job, clear names and pronounce judgment (if so need be). With that said, nothing special ever goes on with the series, with the only variant(s) being the story, character, environment settings and the such. Nothing too spectacular going on there that's for sure. Oh, I almost forgot, this series also references the Holmes vs. Lupin feel by having Enshou the con-man-cum-priest counterfeit master in order for Holmes to be tested and mocked at.

Characters were nothing special ,except for the fact that their abilities are showcased, so that's saying something. And Aoi and Holmes, your romance is building and overwhelming, so get a room please!
"All Kyoto boys are bad boys." - Aoi

With that said, I'm just gonna bolster this through:
Character designs, art and animation aren't the greatest to begin with, and that's coming from a studio that specializes in hentai-based anime and the god-awful horror-fest mistake that is Ousama Game. It is very noticeable that sometimes the art isn't as what it is and is constantly blurred out in the background to highlight whatever the scenes are important in, and the character faces (e.g. check out Aoi's face near the end ot the OP credits). Add in the fairly decent to mediocre animation, and you have a byproduct that doesn't stand out much for its many and ever-increasing flaws, but yet it manages to do its job, completing the basics I mean.

Music is hit and miss. A brand new AOP song for the OP, and it is okay, but I'm just not feeling the entirety. Wagakki Band's ED is a much better, much richer job closing the gaps of the series, giving it the nice-rounded feeling of an ending that's fitting for the series to boot.

Holmes of Kyoto, on the surface, doesn't forebode its series well due to the low marketing, but also its unappealing factors which outweigh the reasons to watch this anime (heck, I even went into this series not expecting anything). But honestly, deep down its face-value, and you will see a series that's quite unlike anything about collecting and treasuring antiques and the like. If you are the audience that loves to solve riddles of expect some "mystery", this is the show for you. For jaded others, look elsewhere.

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