Anime: Yakushiji Ryouko no Kaiki Jikenbo

THE STAFF
- Animation is done by Doga Kobo, a minor studio which never produced anything significant outside of some aesthetic quality in Natsuyuki Rendezvous.
- Directed by some nobody not worth of mentioning.
- Based on the light novels of Tanaka Yoshiki, the writer of the god-tier Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Sadly that was his only worthy work and this is nothing to look forward to.

Something-something Jikenbo is basically a mystery series, a combination of CSI Miami and Supernatural (the series). It has to do with weird crimes that always end up having something supernatural (the term) about them. The protagonist is also the main attraction of the show, Ryoko the investigator. She is a highly dynamic, highly cunning, and super sexy woman, and as long as you like her charm, then the rest of what is going on in the show don’t matter. It seems as if people dying by the hundreds and martial law being enforced are less important that watching her devious smirk, her mesmerizing eyes and her perfect curves.

But she wouldn’t be able to do all that without someone next to her to be compared to and here is where her assistant Izumida, a male police investigator comes into play. He is also a handsome guy but always tries to look serious and distant, unwilling to mix business and pleasure. He is a rather unsecured with himself young man who does his best to not fall for her… but ends up being her lapdog anyway, as she loves to constantly teasing him in various ways. Practically Ryoko is a sadist who loves to torment guys with her charms before she sends her dog Izumida to beat them up and make them spill everything they know.

The chemistry of the main duo is the most important element of the show and, again, as long as you like their relationship you can stop worrying about what is going on with the plot. Because if you do chances are you will fall asleep. Each case is performed in a very straightforward manner and no matter how much they try to make it look scary, or mysterious, or different, it is still nothing but a simplistic route of going from place A to place B after an easy to follow line of thought. Plus the whole deal is lacking very much in excitement as the protagonists are almost almighty in whatever they are doing and their opponents make terrible mistakes. So watching Izumida carrying the several heavy luggage of Ryoko, while she is telling him what a good job he does is more interesting that a super virus that can kill anyone in the world. Plus not everything is logical or that scientific from a detective’s point of view and all cases end up being non-detective with so many magic stuff they have in them.

The rest of the cast is completely flat and you hardly get to see them being colorized. They are there just playing their roles without anything for you to care about. The most interesting amongst them is Ryoko’s main rival and her own aid, and only because they are their evil counterparts albeit with less charm and screen-time.

The production values are very good, as everything is drawn with great detail and good lighting and shadowing effects. The OST is also made to feel like it fits the show, Jazz, Blues, and a touch of film-noir. Both lack some fine details to count as super great but are otherwise very good.

In all, this show is not really good outside the cool/sexy Ryoko and her dog Izumida. The cases are played out in a silly and boring way, the rest of the cast is uninteresting, and even the main duo never develops to anything more than what you see them at first. Replay value is practically zero and your enjoyment equals how many episodes you could stare at those two before getting bored with the rest. I managed to stand them for three.

If you liked it, also try Kuroshitsuji. It is gayer but it has more weirdness in visuals to keep you interested for more.

And now for some excused scorings.
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[br][br]Rate me! That's what that link over there is for. This is based on the AonE-AnY fansubs and is subject to possible review when the DVDs come out.[br][br][br]Quick Take: Based on a series of 8 volumes of Kodansha light novels written by Tanaka Yoshiki and illustrated by Narumi Kakinouchi, released 2004-07, this series is a crime-mystery drama that feels like X-Files in many ways. The story revolves around Ryōko Yakushiji, a super-rich, multi-talented, gorgeous and headstrong 27-year-old elite investigator with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. Together with her long-suffeering subordinate Junichirō Izumida (who reminds me of Kyon for some reason), the two often investigate mysterious closed cases involving bizzare and supernatural elements. Her main rival in her career is Yukiko Muromachi, another talented police investigator. It's a little film noir, a little James Bond, and a little romantic tension a la Remington Steele. It features excellent animation, superior sound, but the main problem is that we never get close to the lead, perhaps just because she's just too superior, and hasn't got enough faults so we can identify with her. We love our leads to have faults that they grow into, out of, or through. It's a very pretty show, with an interesting if episodic narrative.[br][br][br]Animation: Directed with flair by Tarou Iwasaki (Baki the Grappler, Full Metal Alchemist), this short series has lots to commend it. Animation is produced by Dogakobo (Planetes, Seirei no Moribito, Darker than Black) and is on par with the better 2D cel-shaded computer animation offered today. The background animation by Kusanagi is technically excellent, and the closing montage is really just a series of these backgrounds, the sum of which might tell a story (some imagination required). In fact, I enjoyed the possible subtle changes made to the closing montage, see if you also see them and perhaps there is a story implied.[br][br][br]The only drawback is that the dark parts (and there are a lot of them) are not well-rendered in my fansubs, causing a gamma correction and a couple swear words. It's hard to make out what is going on in the dark scenes, and they did it much better in Darker Than Black.  I hope it's corrected in the DVDs. Not too many cinematics, it's basically got good action parts, excellent in-betweens, with some slight interaction with background and foreground (watch them disappear under a roll-up door) and good, sexy art direction. The backgrounds in particular are beautiful. Opening montage introduces us to Ryoko, her shoes, her earrings, her city, and her figure in silouette. It's sexy, it's fun, and it's mostly appropriate for ages 10 and above, due to implied violence and sexy situations (no ecchi). It gets an 8 from me. And it's appropriate for ages over 10.[br][br][br]Sound: Well done, as sound is directed by Kazuhiro Wakabayashi (Ghost In the Shell, Darker Than Black, Eureka Seven) with his usual competence and attention to detail. There is an excellent active soundstage with competent foley and sfx by Anime Sound Production. I did not hear 5.1 directionality in my fansubs, but suspect that will be corrected in the DVDs. Op is a pop-jazzy non-vocal that is pure 1950's, and ED is a nice jazz ballad by the same group, both over montages (the first to set tone, the second to set context). It is effective, but you can't sing to it (don't try).  BGM is used throughout and is mostly effective but unobtrusive, and stays in the same noir genre: jazz, with slight variations. There are no missteps at all in the sound, and the technicals earn a 9.[br][br][br]Seiyuu are on top of their game, but for some reason, I'm just not in love with Ryuko yet. She's voiced with a playful, sexy ease by Hitomi Nabatame (Kanade Jinguji in Best Student Council, Kei Kishimoto in Gantz) and she's more than up to the task. Yet somehow, I never sense she has a need for anyone to fill; there's no need in her voice, she just uses Jun-chan as her servant and driver. There should be some sense of humanity convyed, and so I'm not in love, just in awe. Opposite her and voicing Junichirō Izumida is Hidenobu Kiuchi (Hei in Darker Than Black, Jose in Gunslinger Girl), and he's the very model of the strong, patient long-suffering and and mostly competent assistant investigator. I never have liked men who enjoy being dominated, but he's just right in his capturing the essence of strength in a position of weakness. Loved him, worshiped her. I'd rate the seiyuu as an 8, with the total sound balance being a 8.5+.[br][br][br]Story: Episodic, with a thread that starts with a dream in episode 1 and ends 12 episodes later with the "reveal" that completes the series. It starts somewhat weakly, but gains momentum as it goes, and by episode 9 it's in a final narrative drive that makes you happy you stayed with it.[br][br][br]Normally, I don't prefer episodic series, but each episode is well-crafted and stands alone well. The plotting holds up to several mini-arcs (actually just long episodes split between two episodes) and reminds me of DTB in the later episodes. There is something going on that's mysterious, but it doesn't seem to tie everything together well until the last episodes. It's a little like X-Files, in that there isn't a central plot or character development point, unless you consider the story arcs, to tie it all together.[br][br][br]It's actually a good storyline, and one that grows on you, but the problem is that you don't much care about the outcome for the titular character, except as it concerns Jun-chan.  I'd give the story a 7, with points off for episodic narrative and a weak emotional connection with the main character. We are in awe, but from the outside. 7 points.[br][br][br]Character: As I have discussed, the main weakness is that Ryoko has none. She's a super-girl, sexy, smart, rich, talented, almost impervious, and vain and headstrong and egocentric to the extreme. I imagine the cheerleaders in high-school would have loved to be like her, but she's even too distant for that. Jun-chan is exactly the long-suffering and essentially plastic leading man she needs: compliant, competent, and able to take a licking and keep on ticking. If you watched Remington Steele, switch the characters and you've got this series figured out, except there isn't enough romantic tension between them to fill a shot glass. Points off for failure to engage: 6 points.[br][br][br]Value and Enjoyment: Actually, I'm looking forward to the DVDs just to be able to see what I've missed in the dark parts. It's a good series for animation, terriffic on sound, and though it's episodic, it's worth collecting for the animated goodness it it. However, realistically, it actually has a value of about a 6. Enjoyment is a little higher, because there are good action bits, it's noir, and I liked the stories. 7 on enjoyment.  This could have been much better if they had given the characters some small flaws, or if Ryoko showed a need that Jun-chan could fill. Truthfully, it's a failure to add to the manga what our imagination usually supplies.[br][br]Conclusion: It's sexy without ecchi. It's got action without gore. It's not totally irritating It's got an idol for a lead. If this sounds like your cup of tea, watch it.