Tweekums

This anime series Enji Kamisato and Suzume Yobane and their 'daughter' Alma. Actually they aren't a couple and she isn't their daughter... or even human. She may look and sound like a young girl but in fact she is a heavily armed android. Alma is capable of learning and wants them all to be a family. Over the course of the series they get into various amusing situations as Alma wants to be looked on as human. She even gets an android friend/rival called Machina, created from Suzume's earlier designs.

This isn't the first series about an android girl, 'Chobits' quickly comes to mind, but it takes things more lightly with plenty of laughs and little in the way of danger. The characters are fun as are the situations they encounter. The character designs are good as is the animation. Overall a fun series; I'd certainly recommend it to somebody wanting an amusing and good natured anime series.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.

Charlie Holmes is a shy and somewhat awkward French police officer who lives with her grandfather... she is also the great-granddaughter of Sherlock Holmes! Following a minor traffic accident where she bumped her head she suddenly finds she intuitively knows just watch each piece of information signifies. Now she is solving just about every case. Working alongside her is Samy, a Watson to her Holmes. Her new success does lead to irritability from the station's more established detectives. As the story progresses she learns more about her family's past.

I thought this series was a lot of fun. If you are hoping for something like traditional Sherlock Holmes stories you'll probably be disappointed but if you want light hearted entertainment with plenty of laughs and cases that are solved within a single episode then this is well worth a watch. The characters are fun with the cast doing a fine job; especially Lola Dewaere who plays Charlie. The cases are nicely varied; interestingly for such a series they don't all include murders. Overall I'd recommend this to fans Euro drama looking for something a bit lighter; hopefully we'll be getting the next season soon as the first ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.

These comments are based on watching the the first season in French with English subtitles.

This French crime drama is centred on a small unit that concentrates on cases involving the discovery of unidentified bodies, or body parts. Each episode involving a different case; each victim being given a name related to where they were found. The team of four is led by Darius; under him are veteran police woman Marijo; Ben, a former boxer and 'Duchesse', the scion of a wealthy family. Their personal lives aren't totally ignored but they do come second to the investigations.

I enjoyed this series; I do like series where a single story plays out over the course of the series but find it refreshing to occasionally watch something where the mystery is resolved in a single episode. Each case is nicely varied and each feature nice twists which are neither too obvious nor too unlikely. The central characters are likeable; it was good that personal matters didn't take up too much time. The cast; both regulars and guests do a solid job bringing the characters to life. Overall I'd recommend this to fans of Euro crime drama; it is a pity that only the first season is currently available in the UK; hopefully we won't have to wait too long for more.

These comments are based on watching the series in French with English subtitles.