Having fully indulged its relationship/betrayal side last week, Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes embraces the mystery this time. This series has something of a split personality, but that’s fine as long as both of them work as entertainment. And given that Kyoto sightseeing seems to be along for the ride no matter which theme is driving, it has a pretty good head start either way.
In fact, sightseeing is quite literally part of the plot this week. Akihito-san has gotten a gig playing Kyoto tour guide for a travelogue (as Holmes figures out quite easily from minimal clues, natch), and his first gig is Nanzen-ji. Not having much knowledge of the place (he could have called me, I’d have been glad to help) he turns to Kiyotaka, who by happy coincidence has an appointment at that very temple the next day. His reasons for visiting aren’t so happy – there’s a rash of high-quality counterfeits sweeping Kyoto, and Nanzen-ji is at the heart of it.
Nanzen-ji is a pretty amazing place on the whole, enormous, and I find it’s the complimentary parts of it rather than the main temple buildings which stand out. Gorgeous subtemples with amazing gardens, hiking trails up the mountainside to ancient Shinto shrines, and that aqueduct – oh, that aqueduct. Like something out of ancient Rome, it’s a unique and unmistakable Kyoto landmark and one of my favorite places in the world. I’d noticed that it seemed especially popular with couples, and I guess this ep confirms that it’s an established love-love spot. What I haven’t figured out is whether Akihito keeps hinting at something between Kiyotaka and Aoi to try and push them together, or because he’s measuring the potential level of outrage if he makes a play himself.
After the history lesson a monk named Enshou (Kouji Yusa) shows the boys inside and gives them a look at the temple’s many national treasures. Akihito senses something odd (it’s interesting that Holmes’ relentlessly analytical mind seems to be rubbing off on he and Aoi), but doesn’t quite connect the dots – Kiyotaka does, of course. Enshou eventually introduces them to the vice-abbot, who shows them an interesting note, telling them that “the dragon” has been stolen. Swapped would be a better term – but then, Kiyotaka has figured that out already.
There are a lot of subtle things going on in this series which might easily pass by unnoticed, but which I find rather fascinating. One side of that it the way Holmes’ life shows that it can quite difficult being incredibly smart – f0r one thing, he can’t turn himself off where women are involved, and thus he tends to dissect any potential relationship before it can get off the ground (indeed, he admits to Akihito that at this point all he wants are meaningless sexual encounters). His intelligence also makes him a target, and enemies – and Enshou is one of them. Being foiled by Kiyotaka has made Enshou obsessed with fooling him – which starts the (admittedly unlikely) chain of events leading to the showdown at the temple.
Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes seems to be settling into that slot as the really good show nobody watches, which is more or less what one would expect given the themes. It’s esoteric and very dry by modern anime standards, but if it’s relevant to your interests there sure isn’t a hell of a lot else that offers the value for money this show does. Stuff like getting inside the mind of counterfeiting – why “intent to deceive” always undercuts the end product – is fascinating, but certainly not mass-appealing. I don’t think there will have been any delusions of grandeur here – this is a nice one-cour series designed to promote the manga, and it’s doing a fine job of it. What’s more, as someone in the bullseye of the target audience I’m enjoying the hell out of it, so I have no complaints whatsoever.
