Before I start writing this impression, let me first mention that I have not blogged this show during this Fall Season 2010 (when it came out), for many reasons. At first, I didn’t have enough time, and in the end the show was almost over and I didn’t see the point in blogging it episode by episode anymore. I wanted, however, to write a final impression on it since it was a very good show and should have its place on this blog :). Basically I got addicted to the amazingness of this show and had to prove my addiction to the rest of the blogging world.
Story / Plot:THE WHOLE THING WAS AMAZING!!!
The plotline for Psychic Detective Yakumo was probably the best plotline of all shows that came out this season, from what I’ve watched anyways. Amazing twists, the story kept you at the edge of your seat at all times, and the emotion put into the storyline was simply beautiful.
This was a show that seriously had me thinking. Watching this without being completely focused made the story very confusing sometimes, because then I’d miss/forget a feeble detail that turned out to be not so feeble, and in the end I was utterly lost. Everything that was said/done in the story had some meaning or importance behind it and added content. The investigations were very well filled and, unless you missed a feeble detail that wasn’t so feeble which happened to me a couple of times, everything tied up together in the end and it suddenly all made sense. It really gave a feeling of “every single scene has its own importance” and in the end you could only say “Ohhh, now I get it…”(Unless you missed a not so feeble detail). I loved how all the investigations were pretty much all related and all had to do with the main plot, because it gave the show much more content and I never had the impression that the show was trying to add a filler in between the main storyline. Even if at first something seemed really unimportant, it usually ended up being a key point in the story and only made everything more interesting.
The ending was really well done also. It closed off everything and was an actual ending. It was a happy ending, everything was sudenly back to normal, however there was still some opening as to what could seem like a new encounter with the antagonist and his faithful sidekick, which brings us to think there might be a second season. It isn’t necessary however, because everything was still wrapped up very well. I liked how, although all this happened, Yakumo came back to his “I am indifferent” personality and continued making investigations for Haruka. Everything was finally back to normal and he could stay in his lonely room again with Haruka popping in once in a while, of course.
I also loved the bonds that were formed between characters. As much as you could see them as romance, it was easy to figure out that what was being formed was much more than that, it wasn’t just some high school romance. That kind of bond was put into the show all the time, and gave everything A LOT more feeling and emotion.
Fans of intrigue and mind-twisting investigations, this is for you. You will be incredibly surprised with each episode as it comes out, because unlike other shows of this genre, all investigations (except maybe the first one) are related to the main plot and have something to do with the storyline. The twists and turns of this story are very impressive, and as I watched the first episode I did not expect this much greatness out of a concept that seemed pretty basic at first. Moreover, fans of the supernatural will also be pleased with this show, as there are ghosts at every corner.
10 / 10
No further explanation needed, as the number 10 wraps up pretty well all I have to say. Perfect.
Characters: Great! 🙂 Yakumo endures a lot and there is definitely a huge character behind his emotionless face. The character development he is put through is enough for everyone to change as much as he did, and his personality goes through some huge modifications. He might not show it on the outside, but on the inside he does. He is very likeable, and so is Haruka, who is basically the complete opposite of Yakumo. Also, the antagonist of the story looks evil, feels evil and we learn later on that he really is evil. His sidekick is also very well done, and she wasn’t “just a sidekick” but rather had a great background story behind her as well. Isshin, the kind monk, was also very well done, and his thoughts were that of a monk up until the last episode. All other characters also had personalities and although they weren’t so distinct, the development gone through them was insane and totally worth watching.
8.5 / 10
Technicalities:
Art: Really nice. It wasn’t “absolutely-over-the-top amazing”, but it was pleasant to watch and the dark feeling the backgrounds gave us worked really well with the storyline. The characters were pretty and everything was decent.
OP/ED: Opening was fine. It could have been done better (obviously), but it was nice and there were some parts in it that I just simply loved (When they present the characters one by one, for example). The song worked well in the beginning, however when the chorus came around I didn’t get the same feeling as the show did, and that deceived me a little bit. The ending was absolutely beautiful and I always let it play because the song was amazing.
7.5 / 10
Overall Impression: Amazing! I loved the show! Although it didn’t strike me as great when I watched the first 2 episodes, it ended up being in my favourites this season and I simply loooved every single second of watching this show. The plot was what amazed me the most, and the characters were also absolutely great and loveable. I will definitely be re-watching this. Now all we can do is hope that we will eventually see a second season featuring once again the emotionless Yakumo and the high-spirited Haruka.
8.5 / 10
Recommended: Yes