Review of Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions

As a detective show, this is pretty decent. It doesn't have the kind of swagger that Undead Girl Murder Farce did, and while neither show makes it particularly easy for the audience to figure out what happened (I'd say it's pretty close to impossible in both cases), this one just didn't feel like it had the strong wrap-ups to each of its cases that that one did. It also doesn't have the character-driven emotional elements that make the mysteries of The Apothecary Diaries so enthralling. I hate to compare this anime to other mystery shows, but it's just missing something to separate itself from thepack even when its mysteries come together in interesting fashion.

So, why did I keep watching? Two reasons: the pair of leads that headline this series, and the mysterious supernatural element that drives Ron's story. The former is pretty good. I'm not terribly fond of Ron's character, who is largely just quirky to be quirky (trying to emulate many idiosyncratic characters in a similar vein - more on that later), but I am fond of his partner Toto, despite his relative lack of background. I think they make quite the pair, with the latter functioning as a straight man who grounds the former and keeps his weird eye power from claiming more lives. I don't love that his role as last second lifesaver is the reason they came together, but their development as a pair is interesting, especially given Ron's isolation.

As for the supernatural element... yeah, it's not working for me. It's essentially an uncontrollable Geass that forces the accused, at the point that they admit to their guilt or are completely found out, to kill themselves. It's interesting in a way because it gives a reason why Ron is not an active detective, but it's a pretty weak reason, especially as we find out that other characters are aware of this and... did nothing. Why Toto was the first to try to address it is beyond me. Why it exists at all is kind of perplexing. Turns out there's a conspiracy behind it that I won't spoil, but it makes very little sense, and the basis for that conspiracy is depressing.

Again, relating back to Undead Girl Murder Farce, I had a problem with the episodes where Sherlock Holmes participates because it felt like the series and its characters could stand by themselves. They didn't need to lean on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but they did anyway. And while I won't spoil the mid-season twist here, it's similarly leaning on outside characters and I don't like it. I appreciate that very little of the series is driven by that element, and it certainly sets up some interesting antagonists for S2 (which I'll watch to see if this goes anywhere), but it's lazy writing, shorthand to explain why Ron and his antagonists are worthy of attention rather than just showing why they are.

Overall, this series was at least an interesting watch. I enjoyed watching the murder mysteries play out and the central duo commands some worthy attention, but the central plot thread just doesn't work for me, at least not yet. The first season answers so few questions and introduces more. I'm hoping for better from S2.