Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
When a murder case comes their way, most cops/detectives first secure the crime scene and try not to touch anything to ensure any possible shred of evidence is not tampered with. And then there’s Ron Kamonohashi, a genius detective, whose first move is to head straight to the dead body, lie down next to them, practically whisper into their ear, asking them to tell him everything, and then promising the corpse he would avenge them. It’s almost morbidly poetic.
Based on the manga “Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective” by Akira Amano, the 2023 anime series follows the comedic collaboration of genius detective Ron with amateur cop Totomaru Isshiki. Ron is banned from doing any detective work, his license officially revoked, but he is obsessed with unraveling mysterious murder cases. Befriending Toto gives him a great opportunity to learn about cases and help solve them. Toto, on the other hand, is a simple-minded cop whose boss berates him for being “useless.” It’s by a stroke of luck that he is introduced to the asocial Ron, and he is immediately floored by Ron’s incredibly fast deductions. Solving cases together becomes a win-win situation for both: Ron gets his adrenaline rush, and Toto is able to take all credit and slowly become popular.
Akira Amano drew inspiration from Sherlock Holmes for this series, making Ron a sixth-generation descendant of the renowned detective. Much like the British mystery series “Sherlock,” where Benedict Cumberbatch deduced a person’s background with a mere glance, Ron in this anime series exhibits lightning-fast deductive skills. He can solve a case in just a few minutes, with some complicated ones spanning two episodes.
The animation in “Ron Kamonohashi’s Forbidden Deductions” is simple yet engaging. The character interactions between the dim-witted but friendly Toto and the eccentric genius Ron is the most fun thing about this series. Ron’s asocial behavior often causes second-hand embarrassment for Toto, like when he wears funny disguises to assist in solving cases, to avoid detection by anybody who might be after him. However, even though the two fail to understand each other sometimes, they develop a strong friendship over the course of thirteen episodes. The voice actors do a fantastic job in heightening the personality clash between the duo.Yôhei Azakami voices Ron, who has “know it all” tone of speaking, which is very apt for the character. Junya Enoki voices the dim-witted Totomaru, bringing a youthful verve to the character. Enoki is also the voice of Yuji Itadori, the protagonist of the hugely popular anime series “Jujutsu Kaisen”.
What sets this anime apart is the intrigue surrounding Ron’s own life, adding a layer of mystery beyond the typical detective show format. His expulsion from BLUE, a premier detective training institute, becomes a major sub-plot. Accused of killing a murder suspect, Ron suspects foul play, as he has no memory of the alleged crime. A larger, sinister conspiracy by powerful figures to discredit Ron unfolds, making the series more than just a collection of standalone cases.
You can stream the series on Netflix.
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