Kindaichi Hajime is a genius with an IQ of 180, despite his sloppy attitude. Just like many other detective animes, he is apparently cursed to end up at the exact places at the exact time when horrifying murder cases occurs. Each case usually lasts 3-4 episodes, usually ending with the murderer repenting and reminiscing about the painful past that leads to the motive. Although the pattern becomes clear to the viewers very soon, it never gets old. Just when you thought that it is another same old case where they get trapped in a confined area, the show throws in an unexpected case such as the Kidnapping Case of Hayami Reika. It follows very closely to the manga, even though not all cases are present in the anime.
What is splendid about this anime is that it invites the viewers to try and solve the mystery before the last episode that will reveal all. The show makes sure that the viewer gets all the clues possible before revealing the culprit in question.This makes for a pleasant experience for the viewers and they won't feel left out of the anime. This also allows the viewers to root for Kindaichi because he will always reveal the answer to the mystery. It is always awesome to hear Kindaichi announce: "All the mysteries have been solved!" Commence anime swooning.
As far as the art goes, it is not incredible in anyway, and for a anime made in 1997, there shouldn't be much expectation to match animes of nowadays. I have no complains either way as it does not affect the experience and the creepy cases still gets to me all the same. The terrible scenes of the bodies being found never cease to instill fear in me. It does not matter if they were hanged, drowned or stabbed. It is always horrifying, despite the art being behind times.
The sound can get quite repetive, with the same music playing in the background when: someone screams, chase scene, rushing to another area, corpse found and when they realise something horrible. This cannot really be avoided since Kindaichi is made up of several cases. The incredible openings of each season easily make up for these few flaws. I cannot imagine anyone skipping past the first opening Confused Memories or Kimi Ga Iru Kara... simply because the music just suits the theme of Kindaichi so well. It is a perfect start to a new mystery or case as things gets more and more intense or bloody.
As far as characters goes, I absolutely love the main characters. There's Kindaichi with his humorous 'FAILS' with Miyuki to fix and reprimand him for. The police inspector Kenmochi proves to be slightly useful by providing information and using his authority to Kindaichi's whims. Then there's the rivalry between Akechi and Kindaichi, as well as some famous villians that never gets caught. It is always a fascinating experience to be first spooked by the murders, then to laugh at some of Kindaichi's aloof jokes later on. Thankfully, there's 148 episodes worth of enjoyment.
If you can't tell by now, I really enjoyed Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo. I still continue to read the new stand-alone manga releases and will always be hungry for more. Hence, if you enjoyed Conan, please try out Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo for a similiar experience that is slightly different. Personally, I think that both animes stand out in their own ways but Kindaichi is a little less annoying. It's true, having little kids solve mystery gets to me. Personally I find Kindaichi more realistic. But enough of that. If you enjoy a good mystery with complex and ingenious methods involved, you must definitely check this one out. There have got to be more Kindaichi fans.
