Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Tantei Opera Milky Holmes Dai 2 Maku Final Thoughts--You're the Culprit!

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This show is the height of random comedy.

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If you like your anime coherent, stay away from this show. If you are okay with utterly random and nonsensical situations for the sake of a laugh, then Milky Holmes may be the show for you. I cannot promise that it will make sense, though. This is the sort of show that revels in it's own absurdity and lack of context (or even lack of explanation whatsoever). The majority of the plot revolves around putting the characters into increasingly ridiculous situations and letting it play out in the most absurd way possible, logic be dammed. At this point, it may sound like the second season of Milky Holmes is a mess. But the most surprising thing of all about this season is that it actually works.

Of course, it only works if you like the show to begin with. This second season is not made with newcomers in mind. The first season did take a little bit of time to set up the premise and the character relationships before descending into complete madness. Dai 2 Maku assumes that the audience is already aware of its brand of humor, and immediately starts things off by having our heroes become farmers and then lose everything in the expected over-the-top fashion. Milky Holmes has a love-it-or-hate-it brand of humor, and it rightfully assumes that you're watching the second season, you fall into the former category. In fact, the show feels so secure in its shenanigans that the plot (what little of it there is) doesn't advance until Arsene, the self-appointed antagonist, gets sick of the main group's antics and takes matters into her own hands.

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What results is a very well-done episode full of action, and it ended up being the highlight of the season for me. The show makes a great deal out of the supernatural powers called "toys" that people in that world have, yet we rarely get to see them in action. The dynamic shots and flow of the animation showed what this staff can do when they flex their muscles beyond animating gags. However, Milky Holmes was never meant to be solely an action show, and the references and jokes are still littered throughout Arsene's uprising.

Overall, the show is a treat for fans of the first season since everything this time around is even more over-the-top. Without spoiling the jokes, I will say that I was surprised by who the main villain of this season turned out to be, although judging by this show's humor maybe I should've seen it coming. This season had all the zaniness that I had expected and then went and topped itself. If you enjoyed the first season and haven't seen this one yet, be assured that while hilarity is still the main driving force behind the series, this season does feature a surprisingly serious character arc as well. If you haven't seen any of this show, then I recommend the first season. It doesn't tickle everyone's funny bone, but if it ends up being a good comedy fit for you, it can be quite the ride.

Images from Nico Nico.

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