There
have been Japanese Holmesian figures before, like Detective Conan, but there
has never been a consulting detective at #221B who was this stylish. She might
also be the brusquest and rudest Sherlock ever. She makes Cumberbatch’s Holmes
look like Alan Alda in his whiny, in-touch-with-his-feelings 1970s prime. Of
course, that is also why she is so much fun to watch, but her new roommate
finds her dashed difficult to live with. That would be Dr. Wato Tachibana, or
Wato-san. You had better believe the games afoot in Miss Sherlock, the first production of HBO Asia made available on
HBO Go and HBO Now, starting today.
A
rough stint volunteering in Syria with a Doctors Without Borders NGO already
had Dr. Tachibana questioning her choice of a medical career. Then her mentor
Takashi Mizuno is assassinated right before her eyes with some sort of internal
explosion. As he is apt to do with a case of any degree of complexity,
Inspector Gentaro Reimon summons a consulting detective known simply as
Sherlock (a name that everyone finds utterly baffling).
Naturally,
Tachibana is appalled by her insensitive treatment of Mizuno’s widow. Yet, the
circumstances of the case keep bringing them together. In fact, when Tachibana’s
hotel is mysteriously leveled by an explosion, Sherlock’s brother Kento Futaba
somewhat impishly invites her to move in with his sister. Why yes, he holds a
very hush-hush position within the government. However, he and Sherlock get
along better than Mycroft ever did with the Victorian Holmes (one of many tweaks
in Miss Sherlock that works quite
well).
During
the first six episodes, Sherlock and Wato-san investigate mysteries that are
mostly separate and discrete, but still seem to share an obscure connection to
some sort of hazy criminal cabal. Arguably, the best mysteries involve an
apparent incident of vampirism and the disappearance of a newlywed bride, but
they are all pretty strong and consistent. However, episodes seven and eight, dive
full on into the conspiracy in an overt homage to The Final Problem, the only original Holmes mystery Miss Sherlock explicitly riffs on.
Miss Sherlock has a terrific
cast, including many faces fans of Japanese cinema will recognize. Yuko
Takeuchi (Creepy, Magnificent Nine) is
an absolute blast playing Sherlock, as long as you do not have to live with
her. She can out do Cumberbatch’s verbal calculations, while rocking Hermes
overcoats. Shihori Kanjiya (Vancouver Asahi, Golden Slumber) provides a resonant humanist center and general
rooting interest as Wato-san. Believe it or not, Kenichi (The Inerasable, Unforgiven) Takito’s Inspector Reimon could very
well become many fans’ favorite Lestrade. Regardless, he delivers the character’s
most redemptive incarnation perhaps ever, even more so than Rupert Graves opposite
Cumberbatch.
Yukiyoshi
Ozawa (The Forest, Rurouni Kenshin 2 &
3) deserves similar credit for the
verve he brings to Futaba, the Mycroft analog, somewhat humanizing him, but
adding a bit of roguish attitude. The Moriarty figure is also terrific, but it
would be telling to call said mystery person out—even though most fans will be
trained to recognize who that might be rather early on. The caliber of the
episodic guest stars is also quite high, especially Mahiru Konno and Haruka
Kinami, who play Arisa and Yuma Shiina, two dysfunctional sisters embroiled in
a plot to steal a potentially lethal chemical compound (and look out for Rinko
Kikuchi in episode seven).
The
battery of screenwriters does a nice job of modernizing and culturally adapting
Conan Doyle, without becoming slavishly beholden to the source material. Yet,
they still channel enough of the original spirit to keep fans happy. They also
raise the stakes higher than just about any other Holmes homage. Plus, Ken’ichiro
Suehiro’s distinctive music amplifies the tension and helps give the series its
own identity. There is no question, the series borrows elements from the Cumberbatch
Sherlock and Elementary, but Takeuchi makes them her own. Enthusiastically
recommended for all Holmesians/Sherlockians as well as fans of Japanese
mysteries, Miss Sherlock is now
available on HBO Now and HBO Go.
