Júkoku no Moriarty

This show can be best described as an 'unassuming king' of the otherwise (not only for anime) tragic year of 2020.  Personally, I often find fault with the cookie-cutter approach that anime series often take in portraying historical Europe, or any country for that matter, which is why I typically have issues with anime adaptations of classic works of European or American literature. However, Moriarty the Patriot is not only a well-crafted anime series, but it also stands as one of the best renditions of Sherlock Holmes books that I have ever come across. It's evident that the anime's creators have a deep understanding of Arthur Conan Doyle's works, and yet, they also try to bring the material up to date while respecting the source material. I do realize that the character design may not appeal to all, especially male viewers, but if you can look past that, you'll find yourself immersed in a very mature, atmospheric show that stands among the best anti-hero anime series since Code Geass. Some may criticize the middle section of the series for becoming overly convoluted as the number of characters increases, but this is a minor inconvenience that is thankfully rectified as the well-executed conclusion approaches. Overall, Moriarty the Patriot is a mature, thoughtful, and suspenseful show that deserves a strong four-star rating. (09.11.2021)

[1st half of season 1] Ha. I have to chuckle at how right q66 was. There are countless stories and overall works dedicated to Doyle's famous novels, and here after the first episode I was already expecting the anime to get stuck in the mud and absolutely embarrass itself with its concept. The design of the main characters in a purely bishōnen style set in industrial Britain fit me like a Borat swimsuit at the Nobel Prize and the plot just dragged on and on. Only, with each successive episode, skillful direction and a very solid script managed to build up a really clever spectacle. For the first time in a long time I found the use of flashbacks meaningful and the minor, sometimes not very distinctive, characters helped pave the way for the development of Moriarty's ingenious anti-heroic character with refined precision. Nothing seemed careless, just like all of Moriarty's plans and diabolical plotting. The reasons for his actions are compelling, and I was flattered by the complexity of his decision-making, which was not crudely plotted but instead flexible – the intent and the goal are clearly stated, but often Moriarty bounced off for a minor "sidequest" when he heard a call for justice that couldn't be resolved in a purely legal and clean way. You'd expect that with Sherlock at his back, we might be more interested in the quirky detective, but Moriarty was everywhere and when he happened to be missing from the screen, I wished he was back. My enthusiasm was supported by the successfully depicted European setting (the characters get a touch of the creaky Engrish here and there), the music, which included elements of classical music, and the overall form exceeded expectations given the knowledge that this was not the only anime Production I.G. was working on. As I alluded to at the beginning, yes, I am one of those for whom this anime is the best of this fall season. No, it’s no eighth wonder of the world, but I was touched and entertained more than enough by this intelligent venture. 4 stars (20.12.2020)