I'm a sucker for detective anime, so when I found out Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo got a sequel, I was all over that. Is Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo Returns as good as the original? Not really. But it is a decent series in its own right. The story is very episodic in nature, so there's no need to watch the original series before this. The original series is very episodic in nature as well, so the only thing that really connects the two series is its cast of characters. There is no major overall plot, but a series like this doesn't really need one. The animation isn'tanything special. It's basically an updated, cleaner version of the original series. There isn't anything particularly impressive about the animation, but the animation still gives the viewer a clear idea of what's happening and doesn't look inherently bad. It just isn't anything special, but at the same time, it doesn't need to be.

The sound isn't anything special either, but it fulfills its purpose. There are some recycled tunes from the original series, which is a nice little touch. The opening and ending themes aren't terribly memorable, but they aren't bad by any stretch of the imagination. The soundtrack does do an adequate job of setting the mood for the mysteries, and the voice acting is pretty solid.

The series has two main characters and a couple of recurring characters. None of them go through any arcs or development, but given the episodic nature of this series, character development isn't really necessary. We do get introduced some intriguing characters in the mysteries, however. When the mysteries unfold and the motivations become clear, they are often times heartbreaking.

Overall, I would say I enjoyed my time watching this series. The cases are generally pretty interesting, and it's always fun trying to guess who the culprit is. I will say this, however: The cases in this series aren't quite as intriguing as the cases in the original series. The cases in the original series are much darker and result in a lot more death. This series does have some dark cases (especially near the end), but the cases in the original, in my opinion, were far more interesting.

If you're a fan of Kindaichi, then definitely give this a try. It's not as good as the original series, but it's still a decent series on its own merits. If you haven't seen the original series but enjoy detective anime, then you'll still have an enjoyable time with this series. Just don't expect anything spectacular.