I know that this is effectively going against my rule of reviewing an anime AFTER you've seen it the whole way through, but Futari wa Milky Holmes is an exception. Six episodes in, and there is already so much to say. A lot of disappointment and an unexpected dive south has befallen Milky Holmes. Can we just forget that Milky Holmes is airing a third season? The original flavor of Milky Holmes thrived in pointless comedy and endless stupidity, effectively creating a series that not only made your face and palm better acquainted, it was actually boatloads of fun to watch. Futari wa Milky Holmes effectivelyends the run of the original series with a season that makes sense. How much sense? A whole lot of sense, which it substitutes for all of the airheadedness, all of the moe, and all of the charisma that the first two seasons blessed us with. Why would you ruin a series that was brilliant to begin with, to turn it into something entirely different? And who actually tells the writers that it's okay to fix something that isn't broken?

Story: We are thrust right into a brand-new storyline set two years after the events of Season 2, I think, following two aspiring detectives that are probably the same age as Milky Holmes, who have mysteriously regained their powers. These aspiring detectives decide that they will protect the city from the recent uprising of gentlemen thieves by calling themselves "The Feathers". Now, I do not have a problem with the name, as stupid and 8th-grade as it sounds, but I want to address a very important issue: The Feathers actually go out and do things.

I love the pointless nature of Milky Holmes 1 & 2. I love the way they would go out, attempt to do something, and at the end of the day, they would end up merely trying and never achieving their goal as part of the comical impact of the episode. I love the storyline that doesn't seem to move anywhere. In the case of Milky Holmes, it worked and that's all I really hope for.

But now we have two "successful" detectives who are capturing villains left and right and the serious tone of the third season as a whole can only hinder the issue further. Suddenly, the story that was originally about random antics day in and day out becomes a story about hope, determination, and struggle. The only other place I ever see that is a sports show. Why is it heading in this direction anyways?

Art: I think this is the only thing that is saving Milky Holmes. As far as the animation goes, it looks more refined and there is a heavier emphasis on powers and the special effects keep the action sequences shining bright, but in the case of a show that has taken a very drastic change for the worst in its sequel, a select few will yearn for the older animation style, to remind them that once upon a time ago, the show that they see before them used to be good.

Character: Milky Holmes makes an appearance as does the rest of Genius 4, even though only Kokoro becomes a regular character. The series is centered on two characters that are so memorable, I don't even remember their names. Not only are they bland, uninteresting, and it is essentially a bore to watch them take the stage, the older characters from the previous seasons change so much, they are beyond recognition. Nero doesn't seem like a tomboy, Cordelia is no longer delusional, Sheryl seems intelligent, and Elly, my favorite of the original protagonists, doesn't seem shy anymore. Is it true that when you regain your toys, you do so by losing a large chunk of your charisma? I'd say so.

And the character that makes this entire show a joy to watch (as if the first two seasons were not already enjoyable enough), probably the most well-known for a 10-hour loop on YouTube, Akechi Kokoro, is not bragging about her 1400+ IQ or panning Milky Holmes for their usual stupidity. Why isn't she? It was comedy gold in the first two seasons and they decided to throw that out as well.

Enjoyment: How can you enjoy watching a show that used to be so great fall from grace and become a show that is so utterly normal, that it's almost unbearable to watch? Maybe for a first-time viewer or a viewer who has had relatively little interest in the Milky Holmes series, it's possible to watch this show with so much as a blank stare, but for an avid fan who enjoyed the original series through-and-through, this third season is like being promised a good thing, only to realize that the promise was no better than getting shot in the foot. It's disappointing. The story has direction which doesn't work with this show and the characters are a shell of their former selves. What's there to like?

Overall: Maybe my excitement got the better of me this time, but for those of you who saw the original two seasons that came before Futari wa Milky Holmes, as much as I want to recommend a NEW Milky Holmes to you, it's not that easy. This season is radically different. It's boring, it does not retain any comedy, and it's really difficult to enjoy. There are 6 episodes left, so hopefully there's something to look forward to within 6 12-minute episodes, but as far as what I've seen, there's no salvaging the old seasons and there's no guarantee that things will even begin to pick up in a more favorable direction.