Rampo Kitan: Game of Laplace

By: Robert Murphy

There is nothing quite like a good mystery to get a person thinking, there is just something about it that makes you wonder the how, why and who done it of it all and there's just no stopping it, it's practically human nature. This drive to solve mysterys is what wakes Rampo Kitan's main character Kobayashi from his dreamlike state of living as the hum drum monotony of everyday life leaves him feeling bored and out of place among society. This would all change however as a murder case leads him to being the primary suspect in a murder case but rather than react with horror, he finally feels alive. 

Rampo Kitan starts out on the pinnacle of high notes with it's first episode, you have Kobayashi who is your unassuming everyday student that is now thrust into the middle of a murder case involving his former home room teacher. This doesn't frighten or faze him in the least however and he spends the entire episode setting out to prove his innocence armed with nothing but his wits and the aide of a young detective for the government, 17 year old prodigy Akechi. The two don't necessarily work together though rather Akechi notices a particular talent and likeness to himself in Kobayashi so he holds off solving the case so Kobayashi can prove his worth. The case itself is a rather gruesome one that involves the dismemberment of a human body but it is also displayed in a strange but important manner to the story. By the end, it would have been impossible for me not to be hooked on the show if this is what the rest of the series had in store for it but sadly this isn't the case.

The show does not fall apart after it's strong opening rather it loses the captivating touch it brings you when it first starts out. Kobayashi falls into the background as a character which is odd considering he is marketed as the series main character but instead he is phased out and replaced by Akechi's story and struggles. Hence forth Kobayashi adopts a bizarre new character trait that markets on his female like qualities, his design being one of those anime character you initially mistake for a girl. He wears dresses and oddly flirts with one or two of the male characters in the show particularly his best friend Hashiba who follows him around and protest to him working with Akechi. 

Akechi himself is a bland sort of character to say the least. His story starts out just as interesting as Kobayashi's does, he is a young detective who was hired by the government at an early age due to his intelligence and incredible deduction skills, but then there is no follow through for the impressive character he's suppose to be. His complicated past however is what the main focus for the story revolves around which involves one case in particular known as Twenty Faces. Twenty Faces is a villain that has no real identity but rather he is a symbol for anyone trying to dispense justice outside of the law and claiming that it is right. The reason behind Akechi's focus on these cases is too intricate to the plot to reveal but needless to say it involves someone very important from his past. And while this would normally be quite intriguing, the cause behind Twenty Faces being a global phenomenon involves a complex and convoluted story that made absolutely no sense whatsoever. 

Some of the cases for Rampo Kitan are what did keep my attention for the 11 episode run time. All of them were extremely dark and did not shy away from showing the true ugliness that the world has to offer and displaying why exactly someone might want to become Twenty Faces in order to dispense their own brand of justice that the government and the law doesn't always seem to provide. The perfect example of this comes from Keisuke Kagami who is a young but strongly motivated detective in the series who has a tough time accepting the current system that's in place. He believes in justice and doesn't really question the law but when criminals are released on a daily basis due to random technicalities he becomes very resentful. There are also numerous TV reports and interviews that pop up during the show that have intellectuals and specialist in various fields discussing what causes violence in today's world or how we must protect the youth of the nation. All of which does a fantastic job of highlighting an underline message about violence that Rampo Kitan has hidden away beneath it's story.

I thought that Rampo Kitan was going to be a far greater show when I first went into it, the story starts out extremely well with it's appealing characters, story and dark tones but its washed away after the first few episodes and replaced with bizarre fan service and a confusing story. Kobayashi would have been much better at the forefront of the shows story if the tale kept following along with his grooming of becoming a brilliant detective like Akechi and focus in on why he feels so desensitized towards the world. But instead we are left to focus on Akechi who after his initial introduction is not a strong main character for the show to lean on as he complains and solves case after case. There was plenty to work with as the dark tones and social commentary oozed out from even the first episode and I sat there watching and wondering what sadly could have been if things had gone even a little differently.

Good:

- Social commentary on violence

- The dark tones and mysterys

Bad:

- Story falls apart after a great setup

- Akechi is a poor lead character for the show to lean on

- Bizarre fan service with Kobayashi and other characters

Scully Rating: 3.5 out of 10

Un-Go

By: Robert Murphy

It’s always a bit of a daunting task to create a good mystery style show especially in anime as often times the main character is usually a world renowned detective who is the smartest person in the room. Un-Go has this about half right as Shinjurrou Yuuki works on many cases throughout a war torn Japan but sadly his nickname as the “Defeated Detective” has him seen in low regards. This does not deter him in the slightest however as it is not fame he is looking for but rather the truth behind every situation he comes across. This in turn ends up revealing some of the secrets that have no come from this nation under attack and even though the fighting is over there is still unrest throughout the land.

The first couple of episodes for Un-Go had me completely flabbergasted if I’m being honest, the core idea for the serious was obviously a mystery anime but it featured an odd supernatural element. The first few mysteries that Yuuki had to solve were nothing extraordinary but they were intriguing enough to a point that made me want to find more out about the series. This is because by the end of the first episode it is obvious that this “Defeated Detective” is obviously much more capable than people think he is but because of the way the world works, he is snubbed. What I mean by this is the post war society we find ourselves in has gone a little backwards and is now acting more in a restrict and confined way. Things such as social media, lewd behavior and other acts are looked on with strict scrutiny and there are even centers for dangerous thinkers and people who have behaved poorly in some way. And so much of what Yuuki ends up doing reveals this sort of nature of the world so rather than being right, which he often is, you get sucked up into the actual world around you.

The style in which the episodes are presented always revolves around some new mystery that Yuuki is either invited to join in on the case or people come to him for help because they know he is actually far more skilled than most people think. I do wish that this weren’t the case though as every episode didn’t need a brand new case to be solved every single time. The second half of the series sort of drops this mechanic to the story but that’s only because the cases need two or more episodes to be solved in the first place. That being said, this is where the show really starts to shine as the cases have more time to breathe and do not feel entirely rushed through to make the 22 minute run time. Although these last episodes delve further into the supernatural elements to the story they are nonetheless very interesting pieces to the overall world. Yuuki is able to solve the mysteries but he does stumble and make mistakes, which is what makes his character easier to watch than most genius type characters you come across.

Sometimes this factor is not even the show lengths part but rather the fault lies with Yuuki’s young/older sidekick, Inga. Inga has the appearance of a young boy most of the time but can transform into an older woman with the power and yearning to ask one question of the suspect that Yuuki chooses and they have no choice to answer it truthfully. So basically a detectives dream but the urge for her to devour the souls of the person Yuuki chooses often comes at inconvenient times and it makes certain episodes feel rather rushed. While other time her powers to create some intrigue I felt that Inga was just a bit of a detraction for a series that was already doing moderately well with out this supernatural lie detector.

I’m a bit torn once again, Un-Go presented an intrigue war torn style Japan, buildings were knocked over, government sanctions were enacted and a few other curious aspects to the overall world that had me wrapped up in it all as Yuuki unveiled more and more of it. On the other hand there is the supernatural aspects to the story that are never fully explained, the ending to the series is where Yuuki tells all about where he and Inga met and why they travel together but it still leaves too much unsaid. Perhaps if the series had a longer run time and things had more time to be explained then everything would have gone better but as it stands Un-Go is a show that lacks a certain something to be considered good.

Good:

- Yuuki and his role of “Defeated Detective”

- The cases were all intriguing even the supernatural ones

- The post war Japan environment

Bad:

- Inga and other supernatural beings aren’t explained well

- The supernatural angle itself detracts from the story

- Almost every episode had a new case which was sometimes rushed through

Scully Rating: 5.8 out of 10

Horns

Zach Goodier

Daniel Radcliff departs his iconic role as Harry Potter to portray a much darker character in a less child-friendly story. In this movie, Radcliff portrays Ig Perrish, a young man who was madly in love with his childhood friend, Merrin, until she was found dead in the forest, and the entire town places the blame at the feet of Ig. Despite his attempts to argue his innocence, everyone is convinced he is guilty. However, he wakes up after a night of heavy drinking to find he has horns beginning to grow out of his head. Is this a curse inflicted on him because he is actually guilty, or is there more to this than meets the eye.

His power is really the big hook in this movie, and it really works for me.

Well, there is more, much more. Ig’s horns allow him to influence those around him that carry sinful hearts. For instance, when he first notices the horns, he rushes to the doctor to see what they are, and in the lobby a mother is ignoring her obnoxious screaming child. After the mother sees the horns, she soon begins to freely discuss her hatred of her daughter, and that she wants to just get up and leave her daughter forever. Behavior like this plagues Ig, who discovers that his mother and father also carry dark feelings towards him. However, Ig realizes that there is a strength in this power, since anyone who carries darkness in their heart cannot hide it around the horns. He soon uses this power to get to the heart of Merrin’s murder.

I wonder what the prognosis will be.

The story continues to build in suspense, as Ig finds more and more secrets about those around him. However, there is some comedy, as Ig turns the rabid media hounds on each other as the horns reveal their desire to use Merrin’s murder to feed their careers. He also finds out that several of the twists the case took, such as a witness claiming Ig forced Merrin into a car the night she died, were people looking for fame.

The characters of Ig, Merrin, and some of the supporting cast all really keep you interested all the way through. Motives of both friends and foes are called into question, and the horns are an interesting plot device that allows the viewer to see into the hearts of other characters in an honest way that is normally impossible. Some of it is funny, but some of it really shines a light on the hearts of everyday people, from priests to parents to cops, you see that everyone has secrets to hide, and that the only ones who can’t see Ig’s horns are those who don’t carry the weight of sin in the hearts, and so they aren’t affected by them.

Moments like this are strangely satisfying, as Ig's horns force people to be honest about the dark desires they normally don't reveal.

The story takes some interesting turns, and while the biggest twist wasn’t all too surprising, there are a lot of neat little turns along the way where Ig finds out dark truths about the people he thought he was close it. The is a sort of message beneath it all, that even the people we’re close to are sometimes strangers to us when we find out what they’re hiding.

In this movie, it's good to be bad, and I like that.

Overall, this was a very good movie. It is an R-rating, so don’t show it to the kids thinking this is a Harry Potter-type of flick. The only issue I had was some of the special effects later on felt a little over-the-top and outright tacky at times, where I thought they should have just left the horns as a less overdone feature. Also, there was some frustration with how Merrin’s killer kept escaping justice until the very end, where he would consistently find ways of weaseling out of things, taking advantage of the unrealistic gullibility/stupidity of everyone around him. Still, the story itself if solid, and watching the horns do their magic is an exciting plot device that keeps both Ig and the viewer on their toes, as hidden motives and dark secrets are revealed.

Good:

-The horns’ power is an excellent driving force in the narrative, and an excellent plot device that keeps the story moving and the audience entertained.

-Ig, Merrin, and other characters feel realistic and interesting.

-Lots of good twists and turns surrounding Ig and the people he was close to.

Bad:

-Some of the special effects at the end felt a little silly.

-Villain’s repeated escapes felt frustrating due to repeated stupidity on the part of several characters.

Scully Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Another

By: Robert Murphy 

I have never been a super huge fan of the horror genre, if I was a character in a game I would have the weakest constitution in the group but never the less it doesn't stop me from playing a scary game or watching a scary show. Another though doesn't start right out into the shock or the gore aspects of the horror genre but rather it strives to give you the chills and unnerves you to your core with it's story. We follow a young student named Sakakibara Kouichi who just moved back to the town of his birth for school while his father is away on business. And while everything appears to be normal in this town, his class and the town have some secrets hidden just underneath the surface and Kouichi, just like a stereotypical horror movie character, keeps asking questions until he finds out just what is going on in his new home. 

From the very first episode of the show things are a little bit eerie and unnerving as it flashes images of creepily designed dolls every so often as if to try to place subliminal messages into your brain that this show is going to be a little off it's rocker. This was a little off putting at first as it seemed to be so out of place and not at all relevant to what is going on but you can never judge an anime before it's finished and so I kept going. Happily, I was rewarded for waiting it out as the pieces started to come together in the story but Another was trying too hard to put in some horror cliches that just didn't quite fit in. The horror aspects that did work for the show are when the cliches disappear and you get to watch the story unfold and Kouichi starts to figure out just what's happening around him. All the characters in Kouichi's class move about shadily and you can tell there is something right beneath the surface of each one of them. When this breaks out it is truly a shocking scene just for the pure dread that some of the characters will exude and they really have every right to do so as many of them and their families begin to die.

Now I apologize if my first paragraph may have led you to believe that there isn't any gore in Another, no this isn't the case because once the deaths start to occur in the show they can be pretty gruesome. The very first death in the show had me at a loss for words just for the ridiculousness behind it, it's was deliberately meant to be far-fetched and the writers wanted something unique that came off as corny. Other deaths are fairly standard things that we've all seen before but are exceedingly drawn out such as the replay moment over and over when a young nurse dies in an elevator collapse, her head is shown repeatedly hitting the floor and splattering blood in every direction like a watermelon at a Gallagher show. Stuff of this nature happens constantly throughout the show and while at first it was somewhat of a draw it quickly became a predictable part of Another. 

The sad part of all this is that the show had some intriguing aspects working for it but decided to make itself into another cheap horror flick about teenagers being murdered one by one. As I said before, Another starts out trying to give you the chills as Kouichi strives to find out the secret behind his class and eventually the secret to why they're all dying around him. It's an intriguing mystery to be honest and it had me hooked right up till the end because it's an idea that I just have never seen before. Kouichi's class is almost like there own select part of the school, they have their own rules and their own way of doing things and while this is no big news when you see how proper and advanced most Japanese schools are, this was still something unique. 

In the end, if Another had avoided using so many tired cliches that I have been numb to over the years, it would have been a much better show. The creepy angles that the show was going for worked for the story that I was watching but then things go all Miley Cyrus and crashes through with a big drawn out death scene with abnormal amounts of gore. There is a solid story buried underneath the rubble but it's not enough to save Another entirely. 

Good:

- A solid idea for a mystery and suspense story

- The dynamic of the kids in the classroom is something unique 

Bad:

- A gross amount of horror movie cliches

- Drawn out death scenes with an overabundance of gore and blood 

- Some of the deaths were just ridiculous and stupid to think about 

Scully Rating: 5.0 out of 10 

Denpa teki na Kanojo

"Denpa teki na Kanojo" is a 2 episode long OVA series based on a Japanese light novel series.  This OVA follows the main character Jū Jūzawa who is a Japanese high school student that simply just wants to be left alone.  Then along comes Ame Ochibana who claims to know him from a previous life and declares herself as his servant.  At first like any normal person Jū Jūzawa thinks she is insane and tries to ignore her, but after a classmate of his is murdered and Ame Ochibana claims to know something the two pair up and start to look for the killer.

 "Denpa teki na Kanojo" is an odd anime simply due to the fact that it is an OVA with only 2 episodes and the OVA's are based on the first and third installments of the light novel series.  The series however with its limited 2 episodes does have a large amount of depth in each OVA as each one stands on its own in regards to a plot.  This is a mystery anime where the characters are faced with a problem (which is bloody and twisted for this series) and through investigating and problem solving uncover the truth behind the mysteries.   The main characters will seem weird at the beginning but as the story progresses they seem to grow on you, or rather the characters develop along the way.  

This anime is bloody, twisted, and thought provoking, though very limited action is in this series the combination of drama and mystery keeps the viewer engaged in the show.  It will keep you constantly asking questions and you will find yourself glued to the screen dying to find out how each OVA ends.  In short a great mystery anime that is sure to please the more twisted audience who enjoys highly disturbed antagonists.  

Good:

-Thought provoking storyline

-Each OVA stands on its own

-Main characters grow on you as episodes continue 

Bad:

-Only 2 episodes

-No real overall connecting story, simply random encounters for main characters

Scully Rating: 9 out of 10 

Watch "Denpa teki na Kanojo" at: http://www.animefreak.tv/watch/denpa-teki-na-kanojo-online