Undead Murder Farce

Episodes 1-3

Undead Murder Farce is a prime example of what an anime can achieve when it stops flailing around and starts using its noggin. It didn't have a leg up on its competition, yet it has managed to race ahead of many heavy hitters in this neck-and-neck summer season through the power of its brain. Naturally, there's little chance of stumbling when the body of your work is supported by a director like Mamoru Hatakeyama at the head. Like his other ex-Shaft contemporaries, he understands that a good-looking anime doesn't need to cost an arm and a leg. If you're utilizing the grey matter between your ears, you can create a feast for the eyes that's more than skin-deep—something you can really sink your teeth into.

Please forgive the previous prevalence of anatomy-based puns; I am only trying to emulate Undead Murder Farce's writing style out of a gesture of respect. In fact, I've genuinely had a wonderful time with this offbeat detective series so far, thanks to its emphasis on the “farce” component of its title. The dialogue never wastes an opportunity for a wry twist of phrase, and its characters never shy away from a macabre joke at the expense of themselves or others. There's a wit here that feels congruent with its Victorian-era setting, which is just one detail that reveals the series' confident command of voice and tone. And when your protagonist is naught but a severed head, having a strong voice is more important than ever.

I already lauded the central conceit of the series in our “Most Anticipated Summer Anime” column—a crime-solving lady lopped at the neck makes for a great elevator pitch—so I'd instead like to focus on how much I've enjoyed its execution. Namely, the dialogue and character writing are strong as heck, especially between the main characters. Aya and Tsugaru lace all of their interactions with poisonous puns and play on words that double as verbal fencing and flirtation. Their chemistry crackles when we see how much they mutually amuse each other with this rapport, and the hilarity doubles whenever the camera pans to the unamused faces of their company and clientele. While there are a lot of parallels to draw between this series and In/Spectre, both stories recognize that their Holmes-Watson pair needs to be as insufferably in love as possible, and that is what's most important.

Like much detective fiction, Undead Murder Farce wears its Holmesian influence on its sleeve. Aya's cold read of their carriage driver's marriage troubles is practically ripped from the pages of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. While it may be a tired trope, it's still a fun way to exhibit her intelligence and aptitude in her profession. I also like the implication that Aya may be deliberately poking fun at Holmes' tendencies in this interaction since he exists in this universe, and she explicitly expresses no desire to meet him. However, given the imagery in the OP and the heavily implied involvement of Professor Moriarty in Tsugaru's past, I have every expectation they will meet, and I look forward to their banter when they do.

I am disappointed, though, that the narrative was in such a hurry to leave Japan. I liked its take on the Meiji Restoration, where Japan's impetus and desire to emulate Western culture resulted in the extermination and exploitation of the creatures from its folklore. Thematically, it works as a commentary on cultural erasure and oppression and is an example of the world's rapid industrialization at the expense of a natural environment cultivated over eons. Undead Murder Farce still carries this theme into its first arc, as the integration of vampires into human society does not prevent their discrimination at the hands of the law, press, and public, so it's not like this is a betrayal of the premiere. I'll admit to my biases; I'm less familiar with Japan's yokai and folklore than with those of Europe, so I'm more interested in a story that explores and enumerates them. That's part of what drew me to In/Spectre. Furthermore, the Meiji period is a fascinating and complex concatenation of cultural influences and anxieties, so it would be nice if the series returned to it eventually.

I can hardly complain about what we've gotten: a standout premiere and two smartly composed installments of murder mystery goodness. Hatakeyama's storyboards for the first two episodes play with form and structure in the way we've come to expect from him. He's perfectly willing to bend or break conventions to pursue impactful images. I especially love the visual interplay between Tsugaru and Aya, whose physical asymmetries fuel a unique form of intimacy as Tsugaru becomes Aya's hands and feet. While she will tell him what to do in some cases, he will make other subtler gestures without being prompted, which speaks to their closeness. Furthermore, these aid the anime as a primarily visual work. Even something as small as him turning her cage to face her addressee makes a scene's composition much more interesting.

The last point I'd like to touch on is how short these episodes have felt. Writing quality is unbelievably important for a series rooted in dialogue and investigation, and these scripts have risen to the challenge. They are tight. This shouldn't come as a huge surprise because Noboru Takagi also adapted both seasons of In/Spectre for the screen, so he seems to know his way around a loquaciously inclined detective who lacks a body part or two. Additionally, the translation on Crunchyroll has done an excellent job preserving character voices and head-based puns alike, so none of the original work's charm has been lost. Plenty of that charm comes from the casting too. Taku Yashiro brings a laidback and backstreet swagger to Tsugaru that complements Tomoyo Kurosawa's proper yet playfully venomous take on Aya the immortal.

As you might be able to tell, I like this anime a lot! Undead Murder Farce has a lot of appealing morsels rattling inside of its cage: flirtatious jerks, monster mysteries, flamboyant visuals, and a wry taste for the macabre. I hope it can keep its head on straight for the rest of the season.

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Undead Murder Farce is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Steve is on Twitter while it lasts. He's just trying to get ahead in life. You can also catch him chatting about trash and treasure alike on This Week in Anime.