Kabukichou Sherlock

Preface-
Whenever a Sherlock themed work is announced, it generates a set of unrealistic expectations from fans-
1. Will the adaptation be faithful to the book?
2. Will the characters be in "character" as Doyle intended it to be?
3. Will it be a procedural police/detective drama involving analytical breakdown of crime scene?

Quite a number of adaptations we have seen ever since television became mainstream in the second half of 20th century. From the classic British TV to Hollywood remake starring Downey Jr. to inspired works like Case Closed in Japan and back to British TV......the list goes on and on.
One of the best thing about this ... magnum opus by Doyle is that the entire Sherlock franchise is super versatile- you don't have to reproduce the classic page-by-page and it will still do fine (or amazing) as demonstrated by Steven Moffat and Guy Ritchie's adaptation; something which Production IG also did. With this, we start Kabukichou Sherlock!

Story-

Kabukichou Sherlock is modern interpretation of Sherlock series set in the famous Kabukichou district of Shinjuku popularly known as red-light district. While the series had a bumpy start, subsequent episodes covered up for it pretty well though nothing much to the central plot has been revealed yet. The book adaptations have been neat with hilarious spin. Keep an eye out for easter eggs.
Note- A 23 min. episode can only have enough space for deduction and explanation so keep your expectations low.

Characters-

Holmes and Watson aren't the only detectives in this show. We are introduced to a colorful cast with their unique traits and behaviour. Sherlock is neither too eccentric nor too ordinary to be called boring. Sherlock aside, this show has some of the most wackiest character of this season which makes it even more interesting. Mrs. Hudson is one interesting character to look out for. In my opinion. she is definitely the highlight of any episode despite being supporting character.

Sound-

"CAPTURE" by EGO-WRAPPIN' is really good. The jazz/blues piece is really music to the ears and in some way reminds me of Cowboy Bebop OP. Definitely fits the theme of the show.

Art-

Possibly one of the best part of this series. From the back alleys to streets and Bar Pipecat, Kabukichou looks super lively and Production IG deserves commendation for that.

Overall don't be deterred by the ratings to enjoy this show. It is definitely not the best Sherlock but for a modern Japanese interpretation, it is doing its job perfectly. Kabukichou Sherlock show is definitely not meant for everyone, especially if you are expecting it to be like those 1-1.5hr episodes starring Cumberbatch.

Six episodes in and I am enjoying this series. Try to cast your Doyle-purist lens aside and watch this show. You will not regret it. Looking forward to more episodes in future.

Have you ever wanted to watch a Japanese Sherlock Holmes wave his dick at you?
Have you ever wondered what a murder mystery would look like if lol-so-random jokes were shoved up its ass?
Are you looking for a mystery anime that makes no sense what-so-ever? Do you even care about writing quality, or are just a you fake anime fan?

If you said yes, then look no further than this anime.

Kabukichou Sherlock is a sorry excuse for a mystery anime! The art is fine, I don't mind the op/ed, or voice acting. But the characters have nothing to them! The script is so stupid. It tries way ... too hard to be funny. Has no one realized how bad this show is?

The main issue no one has brought up is that the case are clues are illogical. No audience member could possibly pick up on them or pieced together the mystery until the episode ends. The solution to the cases involve some characters we don't even meet until the final minutes of the episode, which makes the main “mystery” not a mystery at all.

DOn't even tell me this is meant to be a comedy, because the jokes are horrendous! Never laughed once.

“A light shines in the detectives’ eyes. This row house is filled with the strangest of men, and people call it - The Detective’s Row House.”

First of all, Kabukichou Sherlock is not to be taken too seriously. Although it has its fair share of mysteries, but most of the time, comedy takes the spotlight. You’ll have to be patient, and just struggle a bit to see why it can turn out to be a good mystery and even give you chills with how it connects the dots, about half-way through the series. I couldn’t promise that it would worth your time, but definitely, the twist ... doesn’t disappoint.

Kabukichou Sherlock initially meant to introduce an ensemble of characters resembling the ones from Arthur Conan Doyle series, with a twist. The main character is of course, the Japanese Sherlock Holmes that loves rakugou and is willing to sniff, lick or try any methods to solve the mystery. There’s also his doctor-partner, John Watson who is portrayed to be more sensitive and powerless. Following up is the mastermind of the criminals, but now a young and friendly ally James Moriarty. The side characters are comprised of a flamboyant Mrs Hudson that manages the Detective’s Row House, Mycroft Holmes that works with the government and Irene Adler - the only woman that can outwit Sherlock.

If there’s one word to comment on Kabukichou Sherlock, it would be rich.

It’s rich in colors. Production I.G. (Vinland Saga, Haikyuu!!, AoT..) has done a great job in creating the opening and ending that fully utilized the color palattes to bring a contrast to each of the detectives, and framed the stories in the shape of photographs and memories that is truly mesmerizing. The art of the night city in red light district, with the neon lights of the shops and nightclubs really bring out the feeling that it’s a lively part of the city and that anything, can happen.

It’s rich in characters. Other than the ordinary names that you’d find in Sherlock Holmes series, new detectives varying in their mystery-solving style are also introduced. We have a pair of sister that represents a bad and good cop, an upright gentleman with glasses, a soft-hearted ex-yakuza and a gambler that’s in it for the bonus. They have decent development, and are some of the characters that bring about comedic relief and deeper attachment to the main casts.

It’s also rich in its songs. The opening "CAPTURE" by EGO-WRAPPIN', is funky with its rhythmic beat. It’s one of those rare opening that actually has the whole plot inside, which you will only realize afterwards. Both the ending song is decent, the first ED - Hyakuoku Kounen has a deep and resonating vocals with characters aimlessly looking into the universe, literally. The second ED – Parade is chilling, both emotionally and physically. For both arcs, they just fits.

Overall, Kabukichou Sherlock is not a spectacular anime, nor a great embodiment of mystery. But seeing how the characters shine in their own way, and how the trivial cases connect to a big reveal, one couldn’t help but stay for the last moment of it. To witness and experience the fall and the rise of Sherlock Holmes, with the other colorful detectives. As chaotic as everything seems to be, it could actually warm your heart.

If you choose to watch it, that is.

Sherlock Holmes and the novelizations and short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle have always filled my life in different shapes and media adaptations. From the Sherlock who is an overly cocky, but jaw-dropping expert on criminology, criminal history and chemistry in the original novels, or the cunning expertise and meticulous memory palace using Benedikt Cumberbatch and even in more abstract forms our beloved Detective Conan. All these Sherlock incarnates connect one thing, the ability to solve every case with precision.

Kabukichou Sherlock is majorly different. The story caught my interest because it dared to add the "comedy" genre into the mix. A mix of murder ... and slap-stick comedy might sound like a terrible mix of genres that cancel each other out, but bear with me. This time it will surprise you even more.

Kabukichou Sherlock is a mystery show set in a district of Japan that is mostly known from the Yakuza Series in form of Kamurocho. In fact, Kabukichou is one of Tokyo's centers of crime and nightclubs which has its own allure thats hard to describe. In this story our journey into Kabukichou introduces us to a dozen of wacky and eccentric characters which are connected to the Sherlock origin story by namesake, but not so much by the original role setup. In Kabukichou crime is ubiquitous and Sherlock has to solve them together with his lesser helpful squad of acquaintances.

Is Kabukichou Sherlock in any way comparable to the originals? Besides of a rearrangement of characters it isn't. The main character Sherlock, while able to solve cases really sucks as a detective. The clues are presented to him on a silver platter and he always feels smarter than the audience despite not making much an effort. He presents the solutions to the cases in old japanese style of storytelling - Rakugo. Rakugo usually involves a dialogue between two characters which perform comical or sometimes sentimental stories and act them out. In all honesty, Sherlocks Rakugo sucks really hard, but it gives him comedic relief.

People familiar with the original might be put off now, because the comedic relief in Doyles novels came more from the imbeciles in the police force or Watson himself. For me this was an interesting subversion of the original story. It also made clear to me that this adaptation shouldn't be treated as seriously.

And god I was so wrong: What starts off as a smirky comedy about the wacky life in Kabukichou and all the chaos that goes on there slowly takes up pace and introduces us to one? of the overarching plots. Jack the Ripper is causing harm in Kabukichou by killing women and displaying them in artsy styles. This is a stylistic device of noir stories to connect the gruesome with the arts. In another subplot they are after a specific mcguffin that is connected to the Sherlock group and wanders through the hands of different characters which then become targets.
As Jack the ripper makes their entry into the story the pace gradually adds up until there is actually a sense of dread lingering over the characters because they have been undermined and the culprit is among them. Believe me, this show actually picks up pace and becomes brutal at times.

This mystery then spiral out of control as the story throws red herring after red herring to mislead the audience. We begin going through the people close to Sherlock and investigate their behaviour and quickly we get invested into finding the culprit before the narrative tells us. In typical Sherlock Holmes fashion there I can only quote one thing: "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

Characters:

There are a handfull of characters worth mentioning. We have Sherlock, Watson, Fuyuto Kyôgoku, James Moriarty, Mary & Lucy Morstan, Michel Belmont and Mrs. Hudson in the main group. All characters have either unique looks or personalities that coincide but not overlap with the original source materials.

I advise you not to assume the traditional roles in this adaptation. Sherlock isn't always the good guy and Moriarty isn't diametrally opposite to him. Also Watson isn't always a sidekick and useless. Detach yourself from your expectations, everything can happen in Kabukichou.

Sound:

When we first hear the opening we might feel we took a detour to the jazzclub. This perfectly underlines the setting in Kabukichou. The lyrics of the song aren't even really deduceable without looking at the lyrics but it just somehow just wants to make you dance without knowing what is said. This is especially true for this show. You are just along for the ride but mostly don't know whats going on. It's just entertaining. The video for the opening also drags us on a wild ride through the streets of Kabukichou while showing the different characters. In a sense you could take this anime as a snapshot of life in wacky kabukichou and it works fine.

Art:

The artstyle isn't special and the show would've profited from being more stylized. Instead it feels like they put thought into the looks of the characters but not so much into the world. Kabukichou while being introduced as this wacky place where everything can happen looks rather bland and like every normal city street. But a lot of the action is going on in the side streets which gives it a sense of uncannyness and that there could be danger looming everywhere. The show is also pretty dark, as in not much lighting is used. The bar where all the squad gathers greatly contrasts that with bright colors and it feels like a safe haven from the happenings in the town.

Enjoyment:

While I honestly did not enjoy the first episodes of this anime because I just didn't think Sherlock lived up to my standards both in wittyness and wits as soon the pace picks up and an actual threat is involved I was waiting for a new episode every week to find out whether my suspicions about specific characters were true or not. Safe to say this anime managed to surprise me multiple times. I wouldn't say the writing is great, but its salvageable and true to the intention of the show.
Beyond the middlepart around ep8-11 I was hooked ultimately and so will you. But since the story is rather slow and the first cases just introduce the mannerisms of this colorful cast of characters people will drop the show before it gets good.

Overall I would say if you are here for a faithful adaptation of the source material you are wrong. This show doesn't apply for that. If you are a fan of being led around by a narrative and fooled by red herrings and like to solve mysteries then you are definitely right here. Kabukichou Sherlock is a wacky show and I'd call it an acquired taste.

But as soon you get used to it it turns into a wild ride with colorful characters and manifold possibilities in the chaos that is Kabukichou.

Thanks for coming to my TedTalk. 7.5/10 but rather 8.

What I expected: a somewhat decent mystery story.
What I got: a largely episodic slapstick comedy.

Somehow I don't think the brutal murders and cheerful slapstick comedy go together very well. It is like they are trying to fit two different shows into one, and the end result feels like an incohesive mess. For instance, the characters may be investigating a serial killer who murders women in a particularly brutal way. Then they proceed to goof around and act in wacky ways around the corpse. How am I supposed to feel here? Amused? Sad? With the tone doing 180-degree turns within seconds, who knows?

Not every case ... is equally savage, but the comedy usually still doesn't work. Why? Because it is too simple and repetitive. The same jokes are repeated over and over again until they are run into the ground. They were obvious enough the first time; they are even more so on the twentieth. Often they are character quirks that appear like clockwork whenever particular characters appear on-screen. The comedy is also very conventional. It doesn't challenge any established norms. It loyally adheres to the long-standing model of slapstick in its most blatant and obvious form, shouting at the audience with a megaphone: "This is a joke! Get it?" Yes, I get it because I have seen it before so many times.

It doesn't help that the show has adopted a heavily episodic style with unrelated cases, random villains of the week, and significant pacing problems. It becomes very difficult to care about anything that is taking place on-screen. Sure, let's have a mystery show that is usually episodic. How will that work out? I'll tell you how. I won't care about the victim, the culprit, or any of the random bystanders. Besides, the mystery isn't much of a mystery when we know barely anything about these one-episode wonders. If you like drafting theories of who did it and why, there isn't really much incentive or even enough clues for that matter. Sometimes the culprit only appears near the end of the episode. Yes, there is an overarching plot, but it moves along slowly and with inconsistent pacing.

Here is what an episode might look like. First, some crimes are happening: murder, theft, etc. Oh well, time for people to act in a wacky way, wearing silly clothes, falling over, throwing objects, comically chasing each other for far too long, and blushing at the mere sight of girls. Then back to the murders. But enough of that, let's have people get sexually harassed. Then we go through the facts of the case in the form of... traditional Japanese entertainment? What? Looks like we caught the villain of the week. Then onwards to the next episode with a mostly unrelated case but the same formula. Repeat the same process.

This has been done to death. It has been run into the ground. There is only so much you can do with this repetitive slapstick comedy. Imagine a circus that visits your town every week. It seems flashy at first, but then you realize that every week the clowns, the animals, and the trapeze artists perform the same tricks. Every single week. How many times would you visit the place? This also easily grinds the pacing to a halt. Okay, so there are some differences between episodes. For instance, there is the gangster who makes ludicrous poses and speaks like a madman in every situation. There is also a bath house episode that features Sherlock only wearing a censor bar and a bunch of people in animal masks because... I don't know. Maybe it is some Japanese cultural reference that is meant to be funny.

The one-episode characters are largely forgettable, but the regular cast isn't much better. Sherlock solves cases with semi-blind guesses that happen to be correct. He perfectly guesses the motives of the culprits based on insufficient evidence and profiles them based on superficial features. I suppose he is prone to this in the original novels too, but it goes even further here because most of the cases are so short and there is so little evidence available.

Speaking of Japanese culture, Sherlock delivers case summaries with rakugo, a form of traditional Japanese entertainment. The show treats this as though it is funny, but the punch-lines are simply that some of the characters in the presentation (who are distinct from the "real-world" characters in the show) are dumber than others and slower to figure the case out. This is apparently funny because... I don't know. Misconceptions can be funny, but they need to be constructed in a wittier way than "ha ha ha, you don't get the case" and then proceeding to explain the case. It also doesn't help that it is so random. Sherlock is artificially presenting random characters in an in-universe performance that deals with a case about other random characters who only appear in a single episode. Now, I am the first to admit that I am not the foremost expert in rakugo, but based on my layman knowledge it is usually supposed to be funny. Maybe I am not exactly the target audience here.

The show also features other detectives, but they mostly exist to be Sherlock's foils that lose to him over and over again. And they also exist for character quirks and related jokes, of course. The neat freak detective is obsessed about cleaning and feels insecure when women are around. The former mafia thug detective is all brawn and no brain and is desperate for any attention from women. Etc. Mrs Hudson owns a bar where the detectives hang out. She happens to be a trans woman who acts in a flamboyant, over-the-top manner and sexually harasses people. (The trans characters in the show are usually very stereotypical, and the show seems to assume that they are either inherently funny or weird in some allegedly interesting way.) Watson is mostly a comic relief and exists to make Sherlock look smarter. (I suppose the latter part is loyal to the original novels.) Lestrade is even more of a walking joke and barely appears. Moriarty is a high school kid who is friends with Sherlock and slow to develop. Jack the Ripper is mostly not comic relief, but being a typical evil, brutal serial killer isn't any better. Irene Adler is one of the better characters by being competent but not over-the-top ridiculous, though she is used for generic, predictable fanservice jokes sometimes.

Even generally speaking, so many characters in this act as though they are horny 24/7. See a girl? Instant blush. Speaking with a girl? Awkward, over-the-top reactions with mumbling and arms flailing. Or even better, literally getting a hard on. If you have seen anime or fiction in general, you have probably seen these jokes before, maybe hundreds of times. I don't mind a fresh take on Sherlock Holmes, but not if it means reducing most of the cast into generic comic relief. It is fine to be comedic, but it shouldn't be as lazy as this.

It wouldn't have to be this way. If they wanted to make more of an effort, they could have gone in a number of directions. One idea with potential would be black comedy that involves morally questionable topics. To clarify a bit, there is a difference between applying black comedy and sprinkling unrelated light-hearted comedy among serious events. Kabukichou Sherlock does the latter. It features murders and other crimes that are treated as serious while throwing in unrelated slapstick comedy. I would have preferred deriving laughter from the potentially evil actions themselves. Crimes can be funny, but they have to be committed for a suitable reason and with sufficient build-up. For instance, you could have a comedic sociopath who is doing it for reasons that are at least remotely relatable but still lacks a firm moral compass. Bonus points if he is relatively chill about it. Then you point out that the action is kind of dodgy without actually sounding preachy about it. But here we usually have generic scumbag culprits with thirty seconds of characterization or complete monsters that are portrayed in the most over-the-top disgusting, ugly way imaginable. The rest of the culprits have motives that are flimsy, nonsensical, or unrelatable.

By the way, the show feels like there is a need to repeat over and over again how the eastern part of the city (where the detectives are based) is a city of neon lights, chaos, and endless crimes. A few times would have sufficed. Speaking of the city, there is apparently a Berlin wall between the western and eastern side, and passage through it is tightly regulated. When did we suddenly cross the Iron Curtain? I think we deserve more of an explanation here. This wall thing could actually provide material for jokes if used right, but of course they do not even try. (Or if they did, it is so out of line with their usual approach to comedy that my mind did not register it.)

I guess this show just wasn't meant for me. The jokes don't land or deliver. It gives me the impression that I am not in the target audience at all, and that is probably the case, but the marketing should have been more honest then. I wasn't expecting jaw-dropping mysteries, but I was expecting something with a bit more effort. Even when there is mystery, it falls flat because it is impossible to care about the outcome, the deductions are more like guesses, the constant tone swings ruin the mood, or the culprit is driven by nonsensical motives. They should have called this a slapstick comedy from the start, though it would have still been ruined by the inconsistent tone and the sheer repetitiveness.

I kept stopping myself tonight from finishing Sherlock because I simply loved it so much! But eventually I had to put my big girl panties on and do the thing.

Sherlock is full of eccentric characters in a shady part of town where the night life just keeps on forever. You have Sherlock who an extremely intelligent but unsurprisingly weird man who enjoys canned mangos on top of all of his meals. You have Watson who is this very kind but very naive giant of a man. And then you have Moriarty, oh Moriarty. At just 16 he could bring many detectives to shame!

There are so ... many characters in this that all deserve to be talked about but I don't want to clutter this up anymore than I may already have.

You have your mystery, a Sherlock, a Watson, and a Moriarty. At first its very episodic but when the arcs come in they come in hard! This anime is very fun and slice of lifey episodic detective anime for 12 episodes and then shifts to an extremely dark detective anime.

Its definitely worth watching! I enjoyed it immensely and I wish I could describe to you how much fun it is from start to finish! But I had months to enjoy it and happily anticipate the next episode! And I don't want to spoil too much.

If you like eccentric characters in an eccentric community where the atmosphere can and will change abruptly with no warning. This is for you!

<3

Unfortunately, this anime was one of the most fragmented and messy ones I have seen.

Firstly, I thought this is one cool interpretation of the overexposed and overused Sherlock Holmes myth created so skillfully by Sir Conan Doyle. The odd rakugo-crazy Shinjuku Sherlock seemed unique enough to carry this on.

The addition of Moriarty as his best friend was also unexpected and thrilling, regardless of him being just a teen.

Watson himself was quite alright as the embodiment of normality in this crazy world of rejects and geniuses.

However, things went very wrong. The anime was probing the line between comedy, mystery, and drama so much ... that is lost itself somewhere in-between.

The first 12 episodes were a boring variation of the Jack the Ripper case, mixed with some ridiculous investigations varying from a corrupt sumo wrestler to a murder in a masked pop band.

The second 12 episodes were even worse, with nothing to hold them together and villains, heroes, and madness splattered all-over.

The characters were never presented properly and could not develop at all. The weird thing is, few of them (the Morstan sisters and Kyougoku) had their own mini-stories, but this was quickly abandoned, leaving the plot and the whole idea of the anime even messier.

In the end, I was left with the feeling of watching 24 promo specials or 24 "filler episodes" while waiting for the real story.

Too bad it never came to it.

You do not have to be a Sherlock fan to enjoy this fun and rather deep anime!

I honestly have little experience watching or reading about Sherlock Holmes, but I really enjoyed this for the following reasons:

1. Every character matters (a lot) and is interesting/quirky/mysterious.
2. Story is deeper, or twistier, than you might expect and initially perceive.
3. Its quite a unique work because of its setting and wonderful characters + the music and art are quite good.

I am shocked this anime is not more popular, and that people dropped it after watching the first few episodes. I was absorbed into it after the first episode, but ... there is a bit of a slow down in story progression for maybe 3-4 episodes towards the first half of the show. But it is nothing too major, and some important but discrete things do happen even in those episodes that have to do with a bigger plot.

Most people probably watch the show thinking it is too comedic or too different from normal Sherlock Holmes works because there is a very lovable transgender side character that makes often brief appearances, and many jokes and occasional talk of rakugo come up, but this one to me is just special. The comedy is just right, and is actually funny at times. But the creators did not over do it, and gave the show a good balance of seriousness and light heartedness. The mystery aspect in the anime is VERY strong and might not be immediately apparent, but it will build very nicely. There is indeed crime solving, unlike some other "mystery" animes I have watched recently, and perhaps even more so the aspects of murder and disguise. Trust me, the show takes some turns I did not expect, and you just can not help but love the characters.

The pacing of this show is also something to comment on. Pacing is just right, and doesn't drag out much at all, but is not too fast or choppy. Many recent shows lose me because of too fast or too slow pacing, but I did not experience that with this wonderful anime. Its 100% worth the watch. Highly recommend!!

A fun concept, solid craft, and excellent theme song entirely wasted by the homophobia and transphobia at the heart of Kabukichou Sherlock's scripts. Kabukichou Sherlock sets out like a dopey-yet-friendly tourist, placing many stories around queer identities, but soon descends into poisonous stereotypes and galling assumptions.

I kept watching in the hopes that there would be a masterful reversal. Measured against the criminally low bar set by anime in 2019, Kabukichou Sherlock gives remarkable screen time for queer characters. Surely that would add up into something positive-- it's better to be in the club, even if you're hazed, right?

If you're unconvinced that regressive attitudes don't weaken ... a show, consider that this is a mystery/comedy about gender, where all the gender facts are wrong and the gender jokes are old. A mystery writer who doesn't bother to research their subject is an embarrassment to themselves.

As alternate street-level shows with an eccentric cast, I recommend
Baccano!, or Kekkai Sensen if you're into the high fantastical.

Anime with sympathetic queer characters, particularly trans women, are rare, especially if you're looking for something outside of pure romance/drama. Yuri on Ice, Tokyo Godfathers, Ouran High School Host Club, and the works of Kunihiko Ikuhara are places to start.

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 ... 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.

Started well enough but by the conclusion of the first half devolves into possibly the most revoltingly transphobic piece of fiction I have ever come across. Made me feel a bit sick to watch.

Seriously, I genuinely cannot think of a story that treats trans people (trans women especially) with such disgust that I'm honestly surprised I haven't seen it talked about more. Vile show.

I'm honestly not sure what else to say at this point. MAL's system is making me write more, but I don't know what else I can say to try and ward anyone with any respect for trans people away.

Many may drop this anime for many reasons

- It does not follow the Sherlock Books
- The characters are quite different most of the time from the books
- And the serie uses a lot of japanese comedy which can be hard to understand if you lack knowledge on japanese culture and jokes.

I myself find this anime a nice one time watch. It has it's good moments and it's bad moments. It also has a bit of a slow start and you may wonder when the actual plot will begin even though they touch here and there on it.

Comedy and Mystery is usually not a thing ... to go hand in hand, but I've personally found an enjoyment with this due to my knowledge on japanese culture and comedy so I often catch jokes that a western person normally wouldn't catch. The reason is that western people can't understand the spoken jokes that well but understand slapstick, and while the anime does have it's fair share of slapstick does a lot of the comedy lie in the words as well.

Also it has a really good opening song that I just can't skip. The opening sequence in itself is not much worth but the song is great.

I would though recommend you to try to watch it. You can after 3 episodes see with yourself if you want to watch more or just stop there.

This show... Has divided views. It's either you love it or you hate it, it seems.
I have never really delved deep into Sherlock Holmes, only reading a couple of stories, which I remember little to nothing from. I think it's part of the reason why my view of the anime is so different: I had no specific expectations, and I had nothing to compare it to.

Kabukichou Sherlock is a pretty unusual adaptation of the story, taking place in the Kabukichou neighborhood in Tokyo, aka the red light district. Here, Sherlock is obsessed with Rakugo (A Japanese storytelling format, usually comedic), Watson is more like ... a housewife than an actual assistant for a good chunk of the story, Moriarty is a 16 year-old genius who is friends with Sherlock.
As mentioned before, I don't remember much of Sherlock Holmes, I didn't really remember Moriarty, because I didn't really remember names. When talking about the show on my WhatsApp story (as I do with shows I like), my friends were baffled by my words, asking me since when Moriarty is a good guy. To me, he was just a tiny psychopath who just so happened to like hanging around Sherlock.

I don't want to go too deep into how different the characters are from the books, because I am clearly not the person for that, and just because the characters aren't as they are in the books doesn't mean they're not good. In fact, the characters were my favorite part of the show, and the only thing I would say is an absolute 10/10.
Sherlock is a delight to watch, being this grumpy dude with a colorful and expressive way of presenting his mystery solving, and his dynamic with basically anyone is fun as a result. He's also low-key a sociopath, and something about that, added with his personality, makes me love this guy even more.
As mentioned before, I love Moriarty, he's my favorite character. He's intelligent, he's a leader, he's likeable on the outside, but inside he's an actual psychopath. I don't want to go into detail, because I feel like the show clarified that neither he nor Sherlock have much compassion or empathy, but that's also why they get along so well in this version: they get each other.
I expected Irene to be one of these one off characters for the weekly case, because I paid no attention to the opening animation and didn't recognize her. However, when I saw that she's here to stay, I realized two things:
1. The story isn't going to be as episodic from now on.
2. Shit is gonna go down.
Right when the format started getting a little repetitive, she waltzed in with her pretty face and her omelette USB and got us some brand new Sherlock interactions, which was very welcome. It was with her introduction when the storyline of the first episode, the Jack The Ripper case, returned to the spotlight, and her involvement helped make me enjoy it even more. So basically I like her because she's badass and I'm gay, moving on.
Other notable characters include Lucy and Mary, who have a special bond and are really sweet, Kobayashi, who is a delinquent detective who actually has a lot of heart, Mrs. Hudson, about whom I was skeptical about when she was introduced, but I grew to love her, since she has the most heart out of everyone in the show, and she's really sweet, and Kyougoku, who is so extra with everything he does, adding to the wackiness of the show.
I haven't mentioned Watson, because he's really the plainest of the cast, despite being our protagonist. Even though he isn't as weird as everyone else, characters actually play off of him really well as a result. Insanity gets boring when there's no one sane there to counter it. He serves as a sort of self-insert for the viewer (whether intentionally or not), by being just as new to the situation as the person watching. Because he is so plain, he stands out more than had he been as quirky as everyone else, and he appears predictable because his line of thinking is more "normal" than all these wackos, but it's thanks to that predictability that the rest of the cast gets to shine.

On a technical level, this show is nothing special. The art is good, but nothing much can be said beyond that. The OST is decent, though the opening theme is quite fun and has been added to my playlist. The voice acting saved the sound category from getting a 6 or a 7 from me, the voice acting was really good, especially Sherlock's, but I can't say much else. I do want to note about the animation that while it's nothing spectacular, it does an amazing job of showing these subtleties in changing expressions and atmosphere, and certain scenes were framed really well. However overall, it's a bit lacking in that department, though it's not bad by any means.

The story is what kept me watching the series. Had the Jack The Ripper plotline not at least piqued my interest, I would've dropped it after episode 1, because the homophobic implications made me extremely uncomfortable. I'm really glad I gave the show a chance. The weekly cases were neat to go through, but it didn't really kick off for me until we got the spotlight a little away from Sherlock and Watson and focusing on the other detectives more. It was refreshing and neat, and this formula continued until Irene was introduced. Even if there was other stuff in the background, the plot was more consistent in the following episodes, and the conclusion of the case was painful, yet satisfying.
Now, the Jack The Ripper storyline was technically only 11 episodes, with episode 12 serving as a platform for the characters to reflect on what had happened in the previous episode and what it meant. After that, while it was clear that the show hasn't ended yet, it was planned for 24 episodes after all, there was still some sense of closure, giving room for more stories to emerge. There was a break between episode 12 and 13, only adding to the divide between these two parts.
Episode 13 is nothing like the previous episodes. Most episodes had a case to solve in the center, or some kind of goal they need to reach by the end of the episode, but this one was purely backstory and setup of the current status quo, which wasn't completely clear because of a plot twist in the first half of the series which changed everything completely. As of writing this, it is the newest episode available, and the new setup is intriguing and scary, which leaves me, and probably many other viewers, waiting for next week's episode impatiently. I will make an updated review when the show ends

Overall, the show is good. It's not amazing or groundbreaking, but I don't think it deserves all the hate it's getting. The technical part of the show isn't great, although it's not completely average and shines in some areas, but the characters make this show a fun watch. Sure, out of all the things I've watched from 2019 it's my personal least favorite, it doesn't mean that it's bad, it just means that 2019 had some really good anime.

I liked this show a lot more than I thought I would, considering that I watched it out of spite. I've reached the point where I'll watch any Sherlock Holmes content that isn't the weird shitty BBC one just to cleanse my brain. Also, it got an endorsement from Mother's Basement, and I trust his opinion for the most part. A

Anyway, wow, this is a fun show. The mysteries are entertaining and the eventual solutions make sense and are clever and you can usually understand how they were done. I also like the characters, at least so far, specifically Holmes himself- I've seen a lot ... of different versions of him in various different media formats, but I don't think anyone has really embraced the "Rat Man" part of his persona until now. Watson is neat also in an understated kind of way, which is how Watson is supposed to be written. Also, making Mrs Hudson a drag queen was a legendary choice and I'm fucking here for it.

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

One issue I have is (here we go) the shows treatment of trans characters. This seems to come up a lot in my reviews, and this time it was more egregious than Carole and Tuesday. I would like to formally apologize to Carole and Tuesday- I now realize it could have been infinitely worse.

Basically the main villain for the first arc, "Jack the Ripper," is revealed to be a minor character who is a trans woman one of the detectives is dating. When her identity as the killer is revealed, her voice drops, she begins acting in a stereotypical "mannish" way, and she starts to smear makeup all over her face in some kind of garish approximation of femininity even though she never had a problem with applying makeup beforehand. She also is presented as a pervert who committed the murders for some kind of psychosexual gratification.

The concept of the "psycho trans person" is a tired and bigoted trope and I'm really disappointed that this show used it. That's basically it, really. It would have gotten 8 stars otherwise, though I might change my rating later because we're only halfway through the series.

Anyway, if you managed to read my whole review, thanks! Have a funky fresh day :)

Kabukichou Sherlock gets a lot of criticism for being a lackluster comedy based around the character of an off brand Sherlock Holmes, but as the show goes on and on it gets more serious, emotional, and tense. The first half is primarily light hearted and comedy heavy to set the tone of how things 'should be'; but turns away from that halfway into the Jack the Ripper case, which the case and the events that are around it become the main plot of the show. The show has plot twists that some might see coming, some not, depending on if you know the Sherlock ... Homes books and whether you think its going to follow the books at all.

The gimmicky inclusion of rakugo is also an issue of contention with watchers, as it is gimmicky and one of the things that is there explicitly to make the show distinct. That said the rakugo has explicit reasons for being there, this Sherlock loves roakugo but didnt have enough talent for it but in his depression after realizing this was convinced that if he loved it so much then he could apply it to how he acts in his life- detective rakugo. But utmost Sherlock performs it because he wants to and finds it fun, not because he hast to as part of his gimmick. As such the rakugo fades off during the darker second half of the show. Its a great emotional anime by the end that explores all of its characters on a psychological level by the end.

This was my second review for the show after completing it, here is my original review after only watching the first half watching the show:
Less of a Sherlock Holmes story and more of a weird cross between Akechi Kogorō
and his Boy Detectives Club meets Sherlock Holmes, where the character of
Sherlock is part Holmes and part Akechi, and his 'partner' is part Kobayashi and
part Watson.

Each episodic episode is enjoyable in its own right with events and outcomes
logically making sense. Possibly the largest oddity that adds to the show is that the
mystery reveal at the end is done though rakugo as apposed to just exposition.

The show is interesting for its mashup of characters and ideas, its not the most
fleshed out but entertaining non the less if you enjoy the characters. That said the
show doesn't do any particularly knew of interesting, but what it does is well
executed for what the show intended to be.

I watch anime, and I never have an account for MyAnimeList because I’m simply too lazy, but guess what? I want to vent about this one so much that I open up an account for it.

I’m a really big Sherlock Holmes fan for years, and I love to see all kinds of adaptions. When Kabukichou Sherlock had its first trailer, I was so excited! All the novelty, the setting, the weird characters! I waited and waited, watched the trailer over and over. Well, the bigger the anticipation, the worse the disappointment.

Dreadful characterization, so dreadful that by the end of the anime the only person I ... still actually like is Mrs. Hudson.

I welcome innovative approach to Sherlock Holmes adaptations, in fact I love it. Innovation toward characterization? Marvelous! But you have to make them into actual people, sane rational human beings. I don’t see any of that with this anime.

I typed and deleted, typed and deleted. Just writing this review brings me back the anger I had when I tried finish watching this anime months ago.

If you like Sherlock Holmes in the ACD novel, or actually, any good adaptations, don’t watch it, you’ll likely be disgusted.

If you want to watch characters with sane minds interacting, don’t watch it, there’re very few in the anime, and none of them is the main characters.

If you want to completely disregard the actual Sherlock Holmes novel, watch characters interact in ways you think “why would you do that???”, enjoy non-mystery mystery. Go ahead, I guess when you don’t think about it, pretending everything is okay, it might be somehow fun. I mean, it’s supposed to be funny. Although by the end of the anime, I was nothing near being entertained.

I rarely write reviews, but I was so very disappointed with this anime that I had to vent. To preface I’m not a cult Sherlock Holmes fan or anything. I watched the 2 or 3 Sherlock Holmes movies with Benedict cumberatch in them and that’s about it, but I do love a good whodunit, and mystery story.

This anime provides the bare minimum. The art style, and sound and animation are all good, nothing to complain about. But where it really lacks is the story and plot. I expected the anime to be episodic, but still have an overarching story line somewhere, but color me surprised ... when they literally solve it mid season. With barely any lead up or clues. After they find Jack the Ripper the whole anime kind of falls apart, there’s no next mystery or anything which is why I dropped it after 2 episodes of no real stakes. You’ve essentially seen all the characters growth which is essentially none, and the storyline stagnates.

The individual mysteries are whatever, none of them really interest you, ans you don’t even care about them bc they never add any growth to the characters. It’s not like each mystery makes their bond closer or anything either, they don’t grow to trust each other and no development of any kind.

Even with the low expectations it still disappoints. I think this is fine for a background anime you have while you do something else, or you really crave a character named Sherlock Holmes otherwise you’re better off watching something else. I would not recommend.

Story
Its not a mental strain to understand whats going on, despite how intelligent some characters maybe. Nice plot and the story is well craft and comes to such a well-rounded conclusion, there aren't plot holes left really or a cliff-hanger feeling. The troupes and gags work and set the mood and scenes well.

Art and Sound
Its a colourful anime with a good setting. Not to detailed but it gets the job done. The opening fits the atmosphere and the theme. The background music fits well and it doesn't take away from the dialogue.

Characters
Main characters are well-developed and there are just enough reoccurring side characters, the world ... building is great. The main crew all have their own unique perspectives and the story lets each characters personalities, methods and aims shine through.

Enjoyed this show a lot.

Personally i don't have the best interest in anime, saying my first two months of watching anime were all yaoi but please still listen.

This anime is not your typical mystery detective anime. Different stories each episode sometimes lasting two or that constant reminder of jack the ripper.

The stories range from gruesome murders to silly little children stories and there is always some comedy in each episode whether its Sherlock doing rakugo or the kids doing some nonsense like chucking water balloons at drunks.

for me i like that this anime has a wide range of humour and all sorts of characters, not your typical pretty boys ... or girls with their boobs waving at you every second.

The only thing I don't like about this anime is that sometimes it doesn't make sense or the stories are just dumb like the one they had to find the cat for Mrs Hudson.

I recommend this only if want humour and a dumb Sherlock putting canned mangoes on everything.

Sherlock Holmes Your Performance Lack Soul

Case File nº221: Kabukicho Is about an autistic man solving crime for the joy of it, and his himbo friend keeps saving him.

There are two kind of Sherlock Holmes shows, those where you can figure out yourself what the culprit is and it's fun, I called them Sherlock Holmes mysteries.
And then we have Watson kinds of Mysteries, where we are never given enough information, and we just have to look at Sherlock expanding it like a genius at the end.

The characters are quirky, and I like the setting, and it's nice to see some queer representation, but the ... characters just feel so flat, and one note. so many times they do something idiotic, despite them being detectives and it just a annoys me deeply.
And it doesn't help, what they did with Jack the Ripper disgusted me to my core.

I like the music, I like the presentation, It's just watching it is so uneven, and the mysteries are so boring in the second half.

The Sherlock Holmes and Watson relationship is good in this one, but It's just not, that fun to watch.