Series like this are not uncommon entires on any given anime schedule.  Stuff like Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes spring to mind  – a reminder that mysteries often fall under this “modestly interesting” umbrella.  Koukyuu no Karasu so far is the very definition of “not bad”.  It doesn’t do anything exceptionally well, but nothing about it is off-putting to a deal breaker degree.  It’s watchable and pleasant, but never quite compelling.  The production values are fine, the casting unremarkable.  A more middling anime it would be hard to imagine.

I think this mediocrity – if we’re to be brutally honest in choosing a descriptor – largely comes down to the writing (as always).  Everything here just sort of happens “for reasons”, starting with the Raven Consort’s magic (for lack of a better word).  It gives the animators a chance to do something pretty and the CGI guys to weigh in.  It bails the plot out whenever it needs to get to the next square.  Why can the Consort do this?  Is there any physical or karmic price for overusing it, or is it just a bodily function like breathing or perspiring?  Maybe we’ll get answers but honestly, you get the sense the series doesn’t really consider it important.

I thought the resolution to the first mystery was perfectly, well, fine.  It was neat and tidy and brought about with minimal effort and no twists.  Exactly the people you expected to be responsible were responsible, and the ghost moved on with the simplest of gestures (seeing her beloved).  If anything was notable it was that the Empress Dowager got a radical haircut this early in the story, which obviously means the power struggle with her won’t be an ongoing narrative.  As for the potential for romance between the Raven Consort and the  Emperor, that’s another matter.  He doesn’t care that she’s of the dynasty his grandfather wiped out, as you’d expect.  But is she even allowed to have relations with a man, according to her status?

That’s one angle of the story that is sort of interesting.  Another point in the series’ favor is that it’s not an isekai or CGDCT (we’ve reached the point where that’s a significant plus).  There are some flourishes in the art design that work well, and while the Raven Consort acts way too much like a modern anime teenager (as does her sidekick) all of the major characters are likeable enough so far.  The bubble was invented for series like this, as was the three episode rule (which is often not sufficient), though the bar this season is going to be higher than most.  We’ll see.