Forum - View topicUndead Murder Farce (TV).
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11443 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Undead Murder Farce (TV) Source: Novel (ongoing @ 3 volumes by Yugo Aosaki) Demographic: Shounen Animation Studio: Lapin Track Genres: action, adventure, comedy, drama, horror, mystery, supernatural, thriller Themes: aristocracy, conspiracy, crime, demi-humans, detective, Europe, gore, gothic, historical, Meiji era, oni, revenge, superhumans, vampires, Victorian era, werewolves Plot Summary: The end of the 19th century—a vampire's wife is murdered, and the detective known as the "cage user" is called in to solve the crime. But there's more to the detective and the curtained birdcage he carries...after all, when solving a case involving a monster, it might just take one to know one. Air Date & Platform: July 5, 2023 (Wednesday) Available on: Crunchyroll Episode Count / Runtime: 13 episodes ---------------------------------- Might review this while it airs, might not. I'm trying to reduce my busy-load and not over-extend myself with so much anime like I did for Spring '23. But I'm also really in the mood for Victorian era supernatural goth after re-watching Sleepy Hollow (1999) in 4K a few weeks ago. Reading some blurbs about this and all the different characters it'll have, it sounds interesting enough to give a try. And goth isn't really a theme I've seen done well in anime, so this makes it even more intriguing. Last edited by Tony K. on Mon Jan 15, 2024 5:48 pm; edited 7 times in total |
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 24157 |
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There are some titles that when I read them, I go: "Yup, checking that one out, for sure." This is one of those titles.
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Edjwald
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The fight scene between the maid and the oni-slayer was pretty slick IMHO. The rest of the episode turned out to be pretty talky, but it was weird enough and had enough attitude that I stayed right along with it. Definitely going to be checking this one out..
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24157 |
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Episode 1
I was looking forward to this but it didn't quite land for me and I'm not entirely sure why. There's something I find off-putting about both leads. Don't get me wrong, I intend to give it more episodes. I have a feeling that things will improve for me once they're in Europe. We'll see. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2968 |
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#1
Only reason I picked this series up was the main visual. After all, it's striking enough to have a severed head as a centrepiece. Having watched the episode, I can see why the website reviewers aren't completely enamoured by this, but it suits my taste and I'll stay with it. If anything, Tsugaru's speech pattern is worth listening to as it's slightly different from the usual standard Japanese speech (can't place the dialect) and I need more listening practice. Aya calls Tsugaru depraved, and I can see where she's coming from. He's certainly peculiar in his personality traits: he won't kill outside the ring, he's happy enough to buy beer to drown his sorrows, he won't kill stray cats just because paranoid people see monsters everywhere they go and he's willing to end his life in the most surreal manner I've ever heard of as a means of getting even with the scum who make entertainment out of his show. Yet despite all this, he's willing to help her in her quest and is happy to abandon his current life to make her wish come true. More to come from this character, and he'll have plenty of opportunities to showcase his martial talents if the OP animations is anything to go by. Action set-piece isn't half bad either. The maid Shizuku uses a bayonetted flintlock, so Tsugaru had to at least nullify the shot before he could continue. I can't tell if either of them were holding back, but she's probably going to have be more than just her mistress's puppet if she's going to be interesting as part of the main cast. As for the immortal, she doesn't look 14 at all. More like 16-18. Typical hime cut for what's left of her head, but the dialogue is fairly sharp between both parties. Not to everyone's taste, but the show doesn't strike me as a conventional template. If the dialogue moving forward is going to be key to the experience, it'll have to be written well to keep non-source material viewers entertained when the action isn't on screen. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2968 |
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#2
The first episode didn't give many clues as to what this series is about, but this episode lays out its stall in full. This is a mystery series, the unique selling point being a severed head as the detective, an oni and human maid as her servants and hired muscle, and their clientele being non-humans like this arc's French vampires. The world setting is also interesting; it's not just Japan where monsters and supernatural beings live side by side with humans. If you've been alive for as long as Rindou Aya has, learning different languages probably isn't too difficult even if they have no relationship with Japanese whatsoever. I doubt the Goddard clan speaks Japanese, so it's most likely she's speaking French with them. Somehow Tsugaru must know French as well, or at least he must have learnt enough in a short space of time to converse with the Goddards. All of the dialogue is in Japanese of course for the franchise's home audience. Because she's a severed head, being a private detective makes sense as it not only provides the income they require to keep their quest going, it gives them publicity which is what they intend to use to lure out the object of their quest. They can't advance further without forcing their quarry into making a move first knowing that they have journeyed to Europe. They certainly wasted little time in making a name for themselves, as Goddard was alerted to their presence through newspaper reports of their exploits (he certainly knows more than French, if the shot of the newspapers is anything to go by). It's interesting that the Goddards have been given official permission to reside in their manor from the French government in exchange for Goddard giving an oath signed in blood of his good intentions. Dracula's death certainly didn't help their wish to live quiet lives in the French countryside, but they'd avoided a similar fate until now. The six points raised by Aya suggest the intruder had help from the inside; the only question is from whom. The human servants would be the most likely suspects, but I wouldn't discount the sons as one of them might have enough of a motive to have their mother assassinated. There's going to be much more dialogue than action from this offering given its genre; that's not to say there won't be any action at all. If they are to fulfil their commission, the main trio will need to capture the Hunter alive and he won't surrender quietly. That's where Tsugaru comes in, and he'll have the element of surprise as it's highly unlikely Vampire Hunters will have dealt with someone like him before. This is a multiple-episode mystery, so how it goes from here is something I'm looking forward to. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24157 |
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I'm on the cusp with this one. I admit detective shows aren't my favourite genre but I thought the various elements like monsters, Victorian era Europe and a head in a cage might be enough to offset my bias. I'm not sure they will. I find Tsugaru annoying as hell. Trying to chisel a carriage driver out of his fee? What a douche. And as Aya pointed out - dude, you don't have to have a "clever" comment every single time, Captain Tryhard.
I'll watch the conclusion of this first case and perhaps the beginning of the next, but I am oiling the blade on my personal viewing guillotine in case it's needed... |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2667 |
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I like it a fair bit so far. I am a sucker for detectives (hell, I am on episode 833 of Conan) and the world is a very interesting place. So far there is a good balance between conversation, combat and art pieces. With the latter I mean the rather creative moments where they play with the viewpoint of the watcher, it feels like a stage play at times. Tsugaru I kind of like and dislike at the same time and that works for me. He is an annoying asshole, but he has a clear set of rules/morals he abides by and thankfully he is not the typical braindead muscle that is in most detective shows.
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2968 |
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#3
The franchise bills itself as a showcase of various farces, but the structure of this arc is very much a three-act tragedy, with each episode one "act" in the arc. This is the most archetypal example of a mystery series of the episodes shown to date, as Rindou Aya has literally copied the inductive reasoning made famous by Conan Doyle. Even the fictional detective is name-dropped in this episode, although for some reason Rindou Aya is not fond of meeting him in person despite showcasing quite a few of his skills at observation and reasoning. It is clear enough that the murder was an inside job, with the deed made to look like a typical vampire slaying to throw suspicion away from the real culprit. Aya is convinced it was one of the two servants who was responsible, with Alfred the main suspect as he has no alibi and knew where the silver stake was kept. He had more than enough time after entering the study to commit the deed, but it doesn't explain why the storehouse lock was smashed. Then again, smashing the lock would make it look like an intruder was responsible even though he had the key. My own hypothesis is that he did the job, but he isn't the mastermind and rather it was the younger son Raoul who was responsible for the planning as his demeanour during questioning was suspicious and he too lacked an alibi for the time of the murder. Next week will reveal all, as it appears Aya has gathered enough evidence to recreate the murder and force a confession from the culprit(s). Besides the main mystery, the episode does throw in exposition in various parts throughout the episode. As I suspected, they are speaking in French and it was Aya who taught Tsugaru enough to converse with the locals. Despite his demeanour and inability to say simple Japanese proverbs correctly, Tsugaru is definitely not stupid like the Oni discussed midway through the episode. Languages aren't something easily mastered in a short space of time by those with low intelligence. If anything, questioning Josef would have been done in German by Aya, which Goddard understands. Tsugaru probably knows German too, so if he was actively involved in the cases prior to the current Goddard one, that makes at least four European languages Aya can teach Tsugaru during their long quest. His propensity for lame jokes and entendres might not endear him to this audience, but he likes the repartee with Aya and clearly enjoys her reaction when she rolls her eyes at his repeated attempts. Vampires in this franchise more or less conform with the standard template made famous by Bram Stoker; the difference with the source being this set can get by with non-human blood compared to the original tale. They're still strong, and the Goddard Patriarch's ability to manipulate shadows is in keeping with what most would expect from the fantasy staple. Claude is certainly strong enough to break necks if he chooses to, although it looks like Tsugaru deliberately put up no resistance as he's one of the clients. Yet even Goddard is in awe of the Immortal's ability to regenerate from just about any fatal wound, which the vampires themselves cannot do as they have their distinct weaknesses. Oni are extremely powerful on the offensive, but don't have much in the way of defence and durability so that says a lot about Tsugaru and his combat abilities. The tone of the franchise is set, and because of the way it's structured it's not going to be a three episode rule but a four episode one as ditching it here would deprive viewers on the fence the chance to see the conclusion. As a mystery series (despite its mismash with fantasy tropes from all corners), the least it can do is prove it can pull off its main selling point. I'm fine either way, the series has done enough to keep me interested beyond a talking severed head and I'm looking forward to see what other escapades the motley trio will involve themselves in. Regardless, the thread will see less discussion after next week as ambivalent users would have made up their minds by then, if not before. |
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asoka
Posts: 15 |
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So I'm conflicted because I really like the Victorian era, I really don't like Vampires period. The only Vampire series I ever made it through was Strike the Blood and that was primarily due to Yukina Himeragi & her friends.
I like anything to do with Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie type murder mysteries, with the high point probably being the Holmes of Kyoto series. This series so far seems like it wants to walk the fine line between real historical people & fictional characters. Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn will probably show up at some point since I rarely see a Victorian gothic era story with out at least a passing reference to Aleister... Speaking for myself I'm hoping we move away from the vampires and start on the road to recovering Aya's body. Tsugaru so far comes across as being a bit of an ass, but if your mostly a monster who's been in demon fighting pits & drunk when you not I guess there's probably a few rough edges to sand off in his character. Probably the star of the show for me is the tsundere maid, hopefully we find out her back story at some point. And as a minor detail how long are the flowers around Aya's head going to stay looking so fresh? |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24157 |
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That's true of this ambivalent viewer. I'm out without even bothering to watch the conclusion of this case. It's the detective shoe leather stuff that ultimately did me in. I just can't imagine me wading through several more episodes (involving different cases, of course) of people sitting around a room and the head asking each of them, "so where were you at midnight?" and listening to their various answers. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2667 |
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It is an acquired taste, though I personally love an interesting conversation filled with revelations, traps and subtle jabs. It reminds me of Kyokou Suiri in that some episodes are nothing but one long conversation. Some get bored by that and some absolutely love every detail and find it exciting.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24157 |
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100%. I'm not dropping this show because I think it's poorly done. It's just not meshing with my sensibility at this particular time.
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Edjwald
Posts: 1586 |
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I don't mind talky supernatural series where a lot of the suspense is atmospheric as long as it's done well...the bakamonogatari series, Boogiepop Phantom, Garden of sinners, In/spectre, etc. And this one is done well so far.
On the other hand, I often don't watch those kinds of series week to week. With In/spectre and Boogie Pop Phantom in particular, I'd rather watch four episodes at a time than one. Not sure why. Maybe because when I'm in the mood for that show, I want to spend a while soaking it in. Or maybe because their overall effect is more about the slow buildup than the adrenaline fix. Anyway, I mention this because I'm falling behind in keeping up with all the anime I'm watching, and this anime is one of those, but I'm not dropping it.. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2968 |
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#4
The denouement is the most important component for a murder mystery as far as I'm concerned. If the payoff isn't commensurate with the setup invested, then no matter the accompanying trappings the product won't pass muster as it fails its most basic test for entertainment. This show doesn't skimp on the denouement; the explanation provided satisfies all of the questions posed from the start of the arc and the case was iron-clad even before the culprit admitted guilty through unprovoked attack before the explanation finished. I didn't notice any glaring plot holes with Rindou's explanation, so I'm pleased with the outcome as it resolved the question of process. Motive was heavily hinted at from the beginning but the smokescreen surrounding the questions posed in previous episodes was something I failed to figure out before this week's episode. It's not just the explanation that's offered; we viewers find out more about Shinuchi Tsugaru himself as part of the package. Regardless of his predilection for lame jokes and cringe-inducing one-liners, his moniker of "Oni Slayer" didn't just come from his stint in the arena. Turns out the Meiji government of this franchise used an old trick to deal with its monster problem: employing select members of said monster grouping to hunt their compatriots in return for some kind of compensation and immunity from persecution themselves. This assumes Shinuchi was already half-oni when he was employed with the Oni Slayers and the government made an exception for him as he was fully human to begin with. It would be all the more impressive if he was still human when he joined the Slayer Corps and then transformed against his will afterwards. I do like Tsugaru's delivery when he fights the perpetrator outdoors. Does a perfect impersonation of the arena MC during his battle combined with mocking self-depreciation. He'll face sterner challenges than this, as his opponent is inexperienced compared to him and didn't have any idea who his opponent was and what he was truly capable of. It was a surprise hearing Tsugaru was responsible for Dracula as well, which makes me wonder what that case was about as it was hushed up unlike the main trio's recent case repertoire. The Epoch news reporter knows who Rindou really is, which is a surprise as most people have the same reaction as the Goddard family when they first meet the trio. She seems to have worked out a position as the preferred scoop for the trio, as they don't object to her presence. It can't just go one way though, so she has to be doing something in return for the main trio in return for her scoops. Perhaps we find out more as the series progresses. Now that the series has settled into its pattern, I wonder what the next arc will bring. They're already throwing around Arsene Lupin's name around, so perhaps that's where the action will move to next as Paris is not far from where the trio were staying. |
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