*SPOILER FREE* This OVA follows a private investigator hired to find his client's husband. It turns out the man is wanted for double homicide, and she wishes to speak with him before he's arrested. What makes this anime so interesting is that this investigator travels across Japan following breadcrumbs he hopes will eventually lead to his target. But, instead, he discovers that these clues slowly unravel a psychological mystery of a man who suffers a mental break after being haunted by an incredibly difficult decision he made in the past. While I won't spoil exactly what this decision was, I will say that his survival onceteetered on a morally grey dilemma where all outcomes are tragic. The PTSD resulting from this choice forever changed him and sent him down this dark path.

Despite the anime only being 50 minutes long, they manage to create a good sense of mystery while gradually illustrating what the man's recent history was like while also making you question your own morality. In the beginning, the guy sounds despicable, but the more you watch, the more you realize that anyone could be placed in such a horrendous situation.

Although Domain of Murder is a mystery that gets into the psychology of its suspect, I wouldn't describe it as suspenseful, at least until its climax. It feels like you're watching a random episode of a tv crime drama for the most part. You don't care about the protagonist because he's been introduced ages ago in content that wasn't adapted, and he also doesn't face any real danger. If you enjoy episodic tv crime dramas, then you'll enjoy this. However, I think most other people will probably find the OVA interesting but dry. There is an English dub I think is good. However, if you want to get the most out of something like this, I'd recommend the original Japanese audio.

I give Domain of Murder a 7.5 out of 10. I recommend checking it out because it creates an engaging mystery in under an hour, plus I think it's produced well in terms of character designs and background art. To me, this anime feels like a missed opportunity to have a nice, short series because I'd love to see more along the same vein. The manga is titled Hello Hedgehog, and Domain of Murder applies to this specific mini-story. The manga series was also adapted into a Japanese live-action TV drama, but I'd personally rather just read the manga...if I could find it. Although Hello Hedgehog isn't all about crime mysteries, if each arc was written as well as this OVA, then I think it would make for a decent read.

STORY 7
ART 8
SOUND 7
CHARACTER 7
ENJOYMENT 7
OVERALL 7.5