I’m always on the lookout for anime shows that are different; partly because I like shows that are different and partly because it becomes harder to get bored of shows that aren’t different since they only make up part of what I watch. This anime was an example of being slightly different, not really different like Kaiba – just slightly different.
Final Series Score: 11/12 10.5/12 Strong A
Rewatchablity: med – high
Pros: great chemistry between Ryoko and Izumida, instrumental OP/ED, nice animation, entertaining and fun to watch
Cons: the cases involve creatures found in B-movies – giant animals, undead, killer robots and plants, etc. – which might be too absurd for some, the show feels very unconnected at the beginning
Awards given to this show by this blog
- Best Female Character for Summer 2008
- Best Couple for Summer 2008
- #3 Top Anime of Summer 2008
Story
Ryoko’s father is the current head of JACES, an independent security firm that is used to augment the local police forces of Japan. JACES also has a lot of clout with the police force because many of the high ranking police officers when they retire from public service will take lucrative jobs at JACES. This allows Ryoko, the next head of JACES and current detective, great power within the police force to go after cases she likes and to pursue them in the manner she likes.
By some special trick of fate, Ryoko will often attract “supernatural” cases to herself that test her crime-solving abilities. It’s a good thing that she’s very skilled at her job but she probably couldn’t do it all without her assistant, Izumida. The pair actually remind me a lot of Haruhi and Kyon in how they interact with each other. It’s even clear to almost everyone that Ryoko likes Izumida but all he sees in her is an outstanding boss.
Thoughts and impressions
When I was deciding on a grade scale for this blog I wanted to stay from being too precise because there isn’t really a difference between a score of 7.75 and 7.8. I also wanted a scale to be specific enough that I could accurately separate the measurable differences in quality. So in the end, I came up with this scale and it’s pretty good except it leaves me with a desire to split hairs sometimes, like in this case. I’d really like to give this an 11.5 but I’m going to resist the urge.
The reason that I couldn’t give this a perfect score is that the show felt too disjointed at the beginning which made it difficult to fully enjoy the show. Each episode left me feeling a little lost and it was only after watching 5-6 episodes that I felt that I had a handle of the show. Once that happened though, this became one of my favorite shows of the season. Reading around, I found a fair amount of people has a similar experience with the show’s beginning. Maybe if the show had a longer episode count, they could have done a better job introducing the series. It also didn’t help that I was expecting something like Ghost Hunt where each case had multiple episodes to be introduced, investigated, and solved. Without giving away the ending, the last two cases take up the last five episodes, and it’s really during these episodes that the show really excels.
What made the series slightly different was the characters of our show where adults, not school-aged, and the excellent instrumental OP/ED. I really don’t mind watching series that are set in school or where school plays a role but seeing an occasion series with adults is always nice. The same goes for opening and ending songs; I love Jpop and Jrock songs as much as the next anime fan but getting an occasional big band/jazzy instrumental song is a nice change of pace.
Characterwise, I mentioned the main ones, Ryoko and Izumida, already. They get a lot of screen time which is good because are fun characters to watch. I’d’ve wished if they had had the time that the side characters like the rival investigator to Ryoko, the other people that work at Ryoko’s office, Ryoko’s sister, and a pair of French maids/personal bodyguards would have been fleshed out more.
So, if you’re looking for a slightly different show to watch with good animation, a fair amount of well-executed action and that has entertaining characters and cases then I’d recommend this show. And, finally, lets hope this gets a second season – it deserves one.
Essential Information
- 13 episodes
- genre: Supernatural, Mystery
- animation studio: DogaKobo
- director:Tarou Iwasaki
- OP: “Thème Principal” by KATSU
- ED: “La Vie en Rose” by KATSU
- Seiyuus of note: Hitomi Nabatame, Hidenobu Kiuchi
The Null Set 
I liked this series quite a bit, although I think 11/12 is a little high. Most of the episodes were entertainingly implausible. But I think things got stretched past the breaking point in the final arc. Ryoko and Izumida were wonderful characters. I think my favorite episode was when Ryoko’s greatest rival appeared – Izumida’s cousin.
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