Episode 1
Eva’s First Impression: Surprise! Well this is super late…. Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes was among one of the shows I had my eyes on this season, but decided to skip until now because at the time had my hands full and I was scared of falling for the temptation of picking up another show. But since last weekend, I have made some serious cuts to my summer selections, so I decided to get around to watch the first three episodes, and see whether or not it is something I am willing to pick up. And sure enough, I am a bit disappointed at myself for putting it off for this long, because this is one of those type shows I absolutely love to watch.
The premiere was relaxing, fun and very interesting. In many ways, it surprised me, starting with Aoi coming into the shop in hopes to make some quick cash, and Holmes reading her like a book. But what I found to be the most surprising was how Holmes didn’t actually chide her for her incredibly selfish and petty reasons for stealing her great-grandfather’s beloved antiques. Here I was thinking it was for a more serious reason, so when we learned she wanted to travel back to Saitama (where she used to live) to give her ex and her “friend” a piece of her mind, a part of me died inside. I mean, sure it’s one thing to go back to do that, but to steal and sell your great-grandfather’s treasures is absolutely disgusting. Luckily, this ugly side of Aoi was cleansed when she came to terms of how selfish and was ashamed at she was acting, through the story behind Hakuin Ekaku’s painting. To her surprise, Holmes offered her a job, having noticed she has a keen eye for antiques and is now giving her private lessons. He isn’t kidding around either. Aoi’s instincts of identifying valuables is quite impressive, as she is naturally drawn to especially expensive articles, such as the Shino Tea Bowl. The antiques she brought fetched a price of two million yen, and the other couldn’t even be named a price because of its rarity.
Yagashira Kiyotaka is currently works at his family’s shop, founded by his grandfather Yagashira Seiji. He will be a Kyoto University student this spring. He failed the entrance exams, so he’s applying as a graduate student. This way he can still put it on his resume- what a shrewd guy ahahaha! That’s pretty clever actually… What is also rather unexpected (and quite creative) is how the nickname Holmes is not inspired by the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, but is actually his name’s characters. They were written for “home” and “head” (zu), Home-zu, which sounds a like to Holmes, and everyone rolled with it since.
One of the things I found rather intriguing how Holmes feels comfortable enough to share his thoughts with Aoi, something he says he usually keeps to himself. (Which is really for the best, considering how eerily sharp he is when it comes to reading people like an open-book!) He describes himself to be a wicked guy, which I agree with Aoi, he has yet to show that side, at least to her. He isn’t afraid to be wicked to those who attempt to fool him with counterfeits, he will rip them apart if he gets the chance to. But he is certainly a cheeky one.
It looks like one of the main conflicts that the story will be revolving around is how lately there has been reports of the rise of counterfeits are making their rounds around town. Holmes dealt with one particular customer who attempted to fool him, only to be spooked out by being outwitted. However the man who tried to sell the fake seems to be working for someone else, as the dealer of the sorts.
Overall, Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes had a very strong showing for its premiere, and having watched and written to episode 3, I can tell you right now I am very interested in covering this show to see where it goes!
Possibility of Blogging: High – That being said, let’s jump into straight into Episode 2!
Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes Episode 2
Episode 2 wasn’t that great. In fact I was pretty bored by the case. Instead of dealing with antiques, the Miyashita Family was brought in by Holmes’ grandfather to help them solve a harassment case. However I don’t know about you, but it was insanely predictable. It was obvious that the two salty bitches weren’t behind it, in fact I already had suspicions both Saori and Kaori were the ones behind the letters- the second they were introduced. Why? I had already suspected their had their own reasons and I found their reaction to the situation to be a bit off.
With Aoi’s help of gathering intel from Yuko and Keiko, and based off his observations from the Flower Arrangement Exhibit, Holmes was able to quickly solve the case. The common thread between the letters and the flower arrangements were how they were presented. Kaori’s piece was small but refined, and the one Saori made in the classroom was large and lacks quality. The same applied to the letters. Kaori’s letter was thoughtfully put together, and Saori didn’t put the same amount of effort, and it showed.
I suppose what makes the case interesting however, is the intention behind the letters. Kaori planted it out of selflessness, and has made great sacrifices due to her family struggling with the finances. While being the Saio-Da is a great honor, it is also incredibly expensive (10 million yen), and she wanted to give them a reason to pass up on it. However she stopped when she overheard of her parents wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to give their ailing business some good publicity.
And then we have Saori: who planted the letter herself out of selfishness. It’s quite sad how she did this in attempt to restore her so-called “friendship” with the two salty bitches. She can do so much better. There’s no point in hanging around people who are jealous and hostile of you, they are toxic and it’s simply unhealthy to be in such presence. To some extent, she was delusional, thinking that if she planted harassment letters, the girls would be worried and support her. Unfortunately she got a rude awakening that was not the case. Even after all that shit they put her through, she still wanted to be friends with him.
Overall this episode was a lot weaker than the first, but despite its predictable outcome, it wasn’t without merits. The culprits’ motivations are one thing, but I feel like their intentions is what gave this case a bit of flavour, and will ultimately come down to one’s taste for mysteries.
