The anime modernises the setting to thge contemporary Japan, but still keeping boys as main detective characters. In a nutshell, it's sort of like BBC adaptation of Sherlock. So, if you like the series, you should also enjoy this anime as well.
Story: 7
Well, as with many 'modern-set' adaptations, the story isn't original because it's based on other people work. But you have to understand that you may find the twists and plots quite cliche and orthodox since Edogawa's work is heavily inspired by Doyle's mystery style popular at the time. Edogawa's specialty is pretty "ero, guro and nonsense," so if you don't like those themes very much, then you might not enjoy this show for its plot. It's not as gory as made-for-gore's-sake shows like Another or Blood-C, though.
Art: 7
Average for a 2015 anime. Not too terrible, but just 'acceptable.' Having said that, the noir colour scheme and lighting are employed very expertly, capturing the atmosphere of mystery. I also appreciate the fact that the producer applies theatrical stage direction, such as light casting and shadowing people until they are introduced, implying theatricality of human nature and all. There is an imagery of butterfly too, but so far (episode 3) I couldn't see how that relates...
Sound: 8
The sound effect is pretty mediocre,but I love both the opening and ending. Though it's probably partial of me considering Amazarashi is my favourite band, I do think that Amazarashi's song "Speed and Friction" is well-choreographed with the OP animation, creating this overall sense of mystery.
Character: 8
I think the cream of this show is the characters. Well, yeah, boy detectives are common enough, but these are not just normal boys.
Here, we have Akechi, the genius boy detective with quirky and somewhat cheeky personality, basically an adolescent Japanese version of Sherlock. This might sound unoriginal, but the original Edogawa work also intended to create a Japanese Sherlock Holmes, so technically this is not 'unoriginal.'
Then, we have Kobayashi, who according to the original work, is an adolescent boy, who is very good at disguising as a female. Hence, his character in this show is designed as an ultra-androgynous boy, who makes your eye bulge upon learning that he's a 'boy' in the first episode. Many people find his character to be shallow due to his lack of 'human' reaction and empathy, but I'm convinced they just misunderstand his character. In fact, Kobayashi is an interesting character in this aspect. I'm sure you're probably familiar with the pop-culture term "sociopath," or psychologically speaking unaffected psychopathy. Kobayashi is reacting to murders around him like a game not because he's shallow, but probably because of his mentality. Rather than striking me as an extreme doormat, he surprises me on several occasions.
Finally, we got a fanboy spectacled classmate, who is actually a son of a telecom CEO, who could be quite annoying but hilarious at the same time. There is also a hackneyed 'young and righteous cop,' though.
Enjoyment: 7
Well, it was good but failed to sustain my interest after that fluffy filler episode, so I put in on hold.
Overall: 8
A pretty average plot, but fun for any mystery fans with interesting casts of characters.
