Miss Sherlock
Miss Sherlock (ミス・シャーロック) is a female-led adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories.[1] The show is primarily set in Tokyo, Japan. It is a co-production between HBO Asia and Hulu Japan.[2] Both the main characters, based on Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, are played by women, Yuko Takeuchi and Shihori Kanjiya respectively[2] and it is the first major series to cast a woman as Holmes-like detective.[3]
| Miss Sherlock | |
|---|---|
| ミス・シャーロック | |
| Genre | Crime drama, Japanese drama |
| Based on | Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle[1] |
| Screenplay by |
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| Directed by |
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| Starring |
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| Composer(s) | Ken'ichirô Suehiro |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Original language(s) | Japanese |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
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| Cinematography | Hiro'o Yanagida |
| Editor(s) | Ryûichi Takita |
| Running time | 45-50 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Robot Communications |
| Distributor | HBO, Hulu |
| Release | |
| Original network | HBO (Asia) |
| Original release | 27 April – 15 June 2018 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
| Production website | |
Premise
Miss Sherlock depicts "consulting detective" Sara "Sherlock" Shelly Futaba (Yūko Takeuchi) solving various mysteries in modern-day Tokyo. Sherlock is assisted by her flatmate, Dr. Wato Tachibana (Shihori Kanjiya), a doctor who has recently returned from volunteering medical aid in Syria.[1] Because of Sherlock's keen observational and deduction skills, she is frequently asked by Inspector Gentaro Reimon of the Metropolitan Police to help with cases.
Although the series depicts a variety of crimes and perpetrators, Sherlock must deal with the secret organization, Stella Maris, who is behind some of the crimes they solve. Other recurring characters include Kimi Hatano, the landlady where Sherlock lives, and Kento Futaba, the Prime Minister Secretary and Sherlock's older brother.
As the first major series to cast both leads as female,[3] it has received praise for this choice.[2][4] Yukiyoshi Ozawa, who plays Sherlock's older brother, said "I'm not trying to offend any guys, but some types of guys think very square. Women are more sensitive and know how to touch people's hearts, so they know how to win the game. I think they make better private detectives."[5]
Cast and characters
Main
- Yūko Takeuchi as Sara "Sherlock" Shelly Futaba,[2] a brilliant yet introverted consulting detective. She frequently is asked by the Metropolitan Police for help with their investigations. The character models Sherlock Holmes from the novels.
- Shihori Kanjiya as Dr. Wato ("Wato-san"[1]) Tachibana, a doctor who recently returned from volunteering medical aid in Syria. After the hotel she was temporarily staying in burns down, she is forced to move in with Sherlock. The character models Dr. Watson from the novels.
- Kenichi Takitō as Inspector Gentaro Reimon, a detective working for the Metropolitan Police Department. The character models Inspector Lestrade from the novels.[6]
- Tomoya Nakamura as Sergeant Tatsuya Shibata, a police officer who works under Inspector Reimon. This is an original character.
- Yukiyoshi Ozawa as Kento Futaba, the Prime Minister Secretary and Sherlock's older brother. The character models Mycroft Holmes from the novels.[7]
- Ran Ito as Kimi Hatano, the landlady of Sherlock's building and a family friend of Sherlock. The character models Mrs. Hudson from the novels.[6]
Recurring
- Ryohei Otani as Toru Moriya, a war photographer.
- Yuki Saito as Mariko Irikawa, a psychological counselor who is counseling Wato and Moriya.
Additional cast members
- Kei Tanaka as Toshio Yoneyama (ep. 3)
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The First Case" | Jun'ichi Mori | Jun'ichi Mori, Amane Marumo, Yôsuke Masaike | 27 April 2018 | |
| Dr. Tachibana returns from Syria and is greeted by her mentor, Dr. Mizuno, when a remote bomb detonates in his stomach and he dies. Sherlock is asked by the Inspector Reimon to help on the case. Wanting to know the truth behind her mentor's death, Tachibana offers to help Sherlock who reluctantly agrees. Akiko Mizuno, the widow, had received an experimental health tracking pill and modified it to be a remote bomb. She intended to use it as revenge to kill a recently released drug addict who had killed her young daughter. When her husband discovers the large amount of money she spent donating to receive these pills, she is forced to kill him with the pill. Before she can be arrested, she sets off the bomb pill in her own stomach. The hotel where Tachibana was temporarily staying, burns down and she is forced to move in and live with Sherlock. | |||||
| 2 | "Sachiko's Mustache" | Jun'ichi Mori | Jun'ichi Mori, Amane Marumo, Mami Oikawa | 4 May 2018 | |
| Dr. Tachibana struggles with adjusting to living with a demanding Sherlock. A client, Mrs. Mariko Maibara, wants Sherlock to investigate the recent defacement of the painting, "Sachiko", she recently loaned to a museum. Previously, Mrs. Maibara was offered an open offer by art dealer, Keisuke Yanagisawa, which she declines. "Sachiko" is given to Miho Kuwabata to be restored. When visiting him, they discover he is a struggling artist who is still hoping to become famous. Yanagisawa is found dead after falling from his apartment building which appears to be suicide but Sherlock believes it was murder. Mr. Takakura, a wealthy businessman and art collector, had hired Yanagisawa to buy the painting from Mrs. Maibara. But what he really wanted was the frame, made by Stradivari, which was originally made for another painting he owned. Kuwabata switched the real frame with a replica in exchange for supporting his one-man art show by Yanagisawa and then Takakura, neither who intended to keep their promise (the former being killed for it). Wato begins to see Dr. Irikawa for counseling. | |||||
| 3 | "Lily of the Valley" | Jun'ichi Mori | Jun'ichi Mori, Nobuaki Kotani, Mami Oikawa | 11 May 2018 | |
| 4 | "The Wakasugi Family Curse" | Jun'ichi Mori | Jun'ichi Mori, Nobuaki Kotani, Yôsuke Masaike | 18 May 2018 | |
| 5 | "The Missing Bride" | Yûsuke Taki | Jun'ichi Mori, Nobuaki Kotani, Amane Marumo, Yôsuke Masaike | 25 May 2018 | |
| 6 | "Stella Maris" | Yûsuke Taki | Jun'ichi Mori, Nobuaki Kotani, Yôsuke Masaike | 1 June 2018 | |
| 7 | "Stolen Virus" | Takashi Matsuo | Jun'ichi Mori, Amane Marumo, Mami Oikawa | 8 June 2018 | |
| 8 | "The Dock" | Yûsuke Taki | Jun'ichi Mori, Nobuaki Kotani, Amane Marumo, Mami Oikawa | 15 June 2018 | |
Reception
Kate Burtyl of Den of Geek rated the show 3.5/5 and called it "worth a watch for any fan of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock, or international TV."[6] Kevin Yeoman of Screen Rant praised the relationship between the two leads and called the show "a satisfying binge-watch for HBO subscribers."[8] Kristina Manente of Polygon recommended the show and said "Self-professed Sherlockians dig Miss Sherlock. Global audiences dig Miss Sherlock. And if you don’t mind ditching the deerstalker, you might love Miss Sherlock, too."[2]
References
- Livingstone, Josephene (August 31, 2018). "The Irreverent Joys of a Japanese Sherlock Holmes". The New Republic. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- Manente, Kristina (September 28, 2018). "Why you should watch Japan's answer to Sherlock Holmes, now on HBO". Polygon. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- Charity, Justin (August 31, 2018). "Rehabbing the World's Greatest Detective: The Brilliant Reinvention of 'Miss Sherlock'". The Ringer. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- Steiner, Chelsea (August 31, 2018). "HBO Asia is Bringing Us a Japanese Female Sherlock Holmes in Miss Sherlock and We're Not Mad About It". The Mary Sue. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
- Hyo-won, Lee (April 23, 2018). "Stars Preview HBO Asia's Female Sherlock Holmes Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
- Burt, Kaytl (September 4, 2018). "Miss Sherlock Review (Spoiler Free)". Den of Geek. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- Smith, Alyssa. "Yuko Takeuchi steps into an iconic role on 'Miss Sherlock' with elementary ease". The Japan Times. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- Yeoman, Kevin (September 1, 2018). "Miss Sherlock Review: A Clever Reimagining Of A Classic Character". Screen Rant. Retrieved December 6, 2018.