The myth of Sherlock Holmes has been told a plethora of times, with the adaptations varying significantly over the years. This time, Production IG and Kazuya Nomura adapt the mystery manga by Ryosuke Takeuchi which functions as a prequel to the franchise, focusing though, on Holmes's arch enemy, Professor Moriarty.
In a Victorian setting, taking place in a somewhat imaginary 19th Century London, class stratification has become the ultimate law of the country, with the despicable nobility treating all the people beneath them like something between slaves and animals. Albert Moriarty is the eldest son of one of those aristocratic families, who are forced by the Duchess , though, to adopt an orphan, with the number eventually raising to two, after Albert's interactions with two brothers in a local orphanage, William and Louis. His mother and his brother, a sadistic racist, are infuriated by the adoption, and proceed in trying to make the brothers' life as miserable as possible. Albert, however, is tired of his family's and essentially, of all the aristocracy's behaviour towards common people, and eventually conspires with the two adopted brothers to kill his brother, burn down the family estate, and then start a new life together aimed at using illegal means to destroy the class system which has plagued the country for centuries.
Years later, the three brothers have reached adulthood, with William, whose genius has been recognized repeatedly, working as a mathematician in the university, Louis being his assistant and Albert helping from a distance. At the same time, however, William runs a side business that allows people who have been wronged by the ruling class to exact revenge in the most violent and murderous ways, while he has an ulterior plan to overthrow the aristocracy by plunging the country into anarchy. For his plan, he is assisted by two more associates, Fred and Sebastian.
Eventually though, and during the execution of an elaborate plan taking place on a cruise ship, William is confronted by a man who seems to share an equal level of genius, Sherlock Holmes, with the series changing the point of perspective after episode 7, to him. In that fashion, we meet his associates, Watson and Irene Adler, who help him in his quest to clear his name after Moriarty frames him in order to check how much of a threat he is. Soon, the fight is on.
After a bit disorienting first episode that shows the whole Moriarty group in action, the story of the three eventual brothers starts from the beginning, with episodes number 2 and 3 being probably the best in the whole series, greatly combining drama with thriller and exploitation elements.
Apart from that, Kazuya Nomura does three things great. First, presenting the members of aristocracy as truly despicable, monsters who care for no one apart from themselves, with the majority of episodes highlighting the fact in the most eloquent fashion, thus giving the title a sociopolitical elements that enriches the narrative significantly. Secondly, he analyzes his characters and particularly his two main opponents to the highest degree, presenting them both as geniuses but also as human beings who have to face everyday problems, with the second aspect being more intense in Sherlock's case. Thirdly, he follows the recipe established by “Death Note” and “Code Geass”, of introducing an ingenious character who becomes immediately likeable through his ingenuity, before highlighting his chaotic good nature and introducing a more than worthy opponent.
This approach allows the series to eventually rise above its episodic, “villain of the week” structure that takes up episodes 1-7 with the exception of 2 and 3, setting up the next season as a battlefield that will definitely be even more impressive than this one.
At the same time, the presentation of the Victorian era with all its mysteries is implemented in great fashion in the narrative, with the work done in the details (clothes, vehicles, weapons, shops etc) being top-notch. In general, both the drawing and the animation by Production IG is excellent once more, with the movement of the characters being utterly realistic and the background beautiful and detailed even during the darkest episodes. On the other hand, the job done in character design by Tooru Ookobu has its faults, particularly since many of the characters look too much alike in their “Europeaness”, something that occasionally makes the series somewhat confusing. However, as the narrative, the overall story, and the characters are quite interesting, this aspect becomes an almost insignificant detail in the end.
“Moriarty the Patriot” is an excellent anime, and the fight between Moriarty and Sherlock's groups definitely one to follow. Â
