Detective Manga Round-Up

An overview of some mystery manga titles. Let’s start with the original detective.

Manga Classics: Sherlock Holmes – A Study in Scarlet
by Arthur Conan Doyle, adapted by Crystal S. Chan, art by Julien Choy
Manga Classics, $19.99
Publisher’s Rating: Ages 12+

The first appearance of Sherlock Holmes is presented in full color. The storytelling and language are authentic, although the characters are drawn in manga style, with outrageous hair (Sherlock has a ponytail!) and dramatic outfits (including a bare-chested Holmes at breakfast!).

There are a few added scenes from the original to flesh out Holmes and Dr. John Watson, new roommates, getting to know one another better. The mystery moves quickly, and the flashback sequence, half of the original novel, is trimmed to just a few pages, to match more modern expectations of how stories are told and what the important parts are. It’s a welcome introduction and an enjoyably fresh take on a well-known classic.

Don’t Call it Mystery Omnibus Volume 1-2
by Yumi Tamura
Seven Seas Entertainment, $24.99
Publisher’s Rating: Ages 15+

Speaking of Sherlock, the look of the protagonist in this manga seems to be influenced by the TV show version. He’s a slender, curly-haired university student who’s scarily observant. We meet him as he’s been taken in for questioning about the murder of someone in a nearby park.

He winds up psychoanalyzing and reassuring the various officers who question him. It’s a tense showdown, as they’re determined to force him to confess, although he didn’t do it. The art is varied and evocative, although much of it shows interrogation and thus consists of a lot of head shots. There’s discussion about the nature of truth, reality, and perception, too. It’s a heady mix, and that’s just chapter one.

There’s also a story where he’s on a hijacked bus where the various kidnapped passengers end up talking about the philosophy behind killing, and one where he helps a woman on a train discover codes in family letters. As the author says in their note, the book is about “conversations in enclosed spaces.” And some disturbing thoughts on human nature.

Detectives These Days Are Crazy! Volume 1
by Igarashi Masakuni
One Peace Books, $12.95

Nagumo was a popular teen detective, but now he’s in his thirties and washed up. He can’t pay the bills at his agency, and he’s feeling his age physically. Then high school girl Mashiro turns up, wanting to be his assistant.

She’s actually helpful, giving him tips on how things are done these days. But she’s also a source of humor, as she appears to have an infinite hiding capacity in her sailor uniform, pulling out ridiculously destructive weapons and gadgets, often for comedy. This is exaggerated when she faces off against another teen detective in a competition.

The humor is broad, and this series is for older readers, given some of the language and behaviors, but it’s silly fun for those who don’t mind seeing detective story conventions being satirized.

My Dear Detective: Mitsuko’s Case Files Volume 1
by Natsumi Ito
Seven Seas Entertainment, $13.99
Publisher’s Rating: Ages 13+

It’s the 1920s. Mitsuko is working hard to be a detective, in spite of the attitudes against women with jobs, particularly one with such an unusual occupation. She starts working on her own cases after a waiter brings her one about a lost shoe.

The waiter has his own secrets and winds up being her assistant. It’s intriguing that their first cases involve people in situations that involve hidden identities or individuals working to find their true selves. In that way, it’s rather modern, in spite of the intrigue of the historical setting. Fun escapism that reminds the reader of the importance of justice.

Filed under: Manga, Reviews