I’ve been waiting for a series outside the “big three” of the season to make enough of an impression to lift itself above the other contenders, and at this point I’ve seen enough to say that it’s definitely Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes.  This makes two really strong episodes out of four, and the first two were pretty good to begin with.  This show was always going to have an inside track at the rotation just based on it being so relevant to my interests, but that’s almost a moot point now – “Holmes” is just plain good in its own right.

There were a couple of elements specifically that impressed me this week.  First (and this was already a growing impression), this series pulls no punches.  It has a very sardonic view on human nature and isn’t afraid to go edgy when it feels the need.  Second, it wastes no time.  The development central to the last two episodes was addressed with a concise urgency that nevertheless didn’t feel hurried or excessively exiguous.   This was good writing, plain and simple, and it speaks well for the series’ chances for future success.  We’ve covered a lot of ground in two episodes, and done so well.

The parallel between Kiyotaka and Aoi’s situations – to wit, betrayal – was not simply a matter of convenience but something essential to the story in Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes.  It’s time for Gion Matsuri (a timely subplot, to be sure), and the owner has instructed Holmes-san that all employees are to wear yukata on the job.  That includes Aoi, of course, and it’s Kiyotaka who picks one out for her at the local traditional clothing maker.  She looks great in her yukata, as the visiting Akihito (I’m glad he’s sticking around) isn’t shy about telling her.  Meanwhile, her old friends from high school are visiting to attend the matsuri – and this has Aoi concerned about an encounter with Katsuki and Sanae, the boyfriend and best friend who stabbed her in the back.

Meanwhile, Holmes’ old girlfriend Izumi has also dropped by, and it’s clear she’s having buyer’s remorse about the “brash and arrogant Osakan” she dumped him for.  Ostensibly she’s there to have him appraise a Royal Copenhagen plate her aunt has given her as an engagement gift, but in truth she’s there to complain about the strain it’s caused between she and the her fiancee – and to test the waters regarding a possible reunion with Holmes.  She also drops off a teacup she’s made for him in Shiga, with a hidden poetic message from the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (knowing it’s a safe bet it won’t be lost on him – but Aoi figuring it out is the headline of this exchange).

One can’t help but fee for Aoi here – she certainly saw this coming, but how can one really prepare for it?  The behavior of all concerned – her old “friends”, her former boyfriend and best friend – is truly abominable.  The friends are a front, and Sanae and Katsuki are primarily interested in assuaging their own guilty consciences.  My attitude is “fuck them, all of them” – but I get why Aoi initially gave them her insincere forgiveness.  Karma and all, I know, it’s very Buddhist – but it’s way better than they deserve, and way too hard on her.

Fortunately Kiyotaka comes through like a real hero, in every sense.  He has an idea of what’s going to go down and follows Aoi, arriving just in time to rescue her from this terrible situation with a false offer to tour the matsuri together.  Yeah he’s a genius and all, but what comes across here is that he’s older and he’s been through this himself, and does exactly what someone in that situation should do.  He also puts Izumi in her place with delicious venom, writing a “parody” poem in response to her insulting advances.  He also offers her some very sound life advice (not that she’ll likely take it).  It seems as if both couples are headed for a crash on the rocks, and it couldn’t happen to a nicer group of people.

What’s really great here is how much ammo “Holmes” has to play with now, story-wise.  We have the Kyoto travelogue side, which is a slam-dunk.  Then there’s the mystery angle – and the fact that it didn’t even factor in to this ep shows that this series is not following the “Scooby Doo” narrative model.  It can also draw on the pain of Kiyotaka and Aoi’s shared past, and now clearly has a potential romance subplot too – she’s a bit young for him, true, but by the end of this week it was clear her feelings for him were deepening.  Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes is more than it initially appeared to be, it seems, and when a series can establish that it’s always a reason to celebrate.