8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Moriarty! What a Maroon!, October 20, 2005
This review is from: Sherlock Hound - Case File II (DVD)
Sherlock Hound is one of those series that I keep coming back to. I used to be obsessed with Lupin the 3rd, and Ranma 1/2 back in my begining of anime appreciation. But, replace those as my favorite Japanese animated TV show. While predictable now, episodes must have engaged kids really deep in the '80s. They have lost little charm, and now continue to delight.
Again, as I said in my Case File 1 review, this series has had it's share of bumps. It's original episodes were produced, but put on hold after a tiff with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's estate. And after it was resolved, they decided to air it and make more episodes. One of the most famed Japanese animation directors, Hayao Miyazaki was involved with the original six, and the first six after the copyright confusion. However, with this disc marks the end of his involvement, and in later discs we will see much of his influence wane, with only the character designs leftover. (For those who are curious, here are the Miyazaki directed episodes in their aired order:
From Disc 1
3. 'The Little Client
4. 'The Abduction of Mrs. Hudson'
5. 'The Blue Carbuncle'
From Disc 2
9. 'Treasure Under the Sea'
10. 'The White Cliffs of Dover'
And an episode that appears on the next disc, Case File 3,
called 'Where Did the Sovereigns Go?'.) I feel that Miyazaki's involvement may have been overhyped, because 6 of the episodes (and a few more were cowritten by him) doesn't cover enough of the series to make it HIS series. But, anyone who hears his name involved with an animated feature or show automatically goes "Really? I gotza have it0rz! lol!!1!". This one stands up to other directors and writers, giving the series many different styles, while preserving the quality. I love this, and don't think any one director controls the voice of a serial work.
I want to run through some of the characters, since the same main characters appear in almost all the episodes, now and later.
Sherlock Holmes:
This one is easy, if you don't know this, why are you watching? The Main protaginist, he appears in every episode so far.
Doctor Watson:
A portly bumbler, but also very smart. He is best friends with and sidekick to Holmes.
Mary Hudson:
The landlady and caretaker of 221 Baker street. She has a mysterious past that is revealed in this disc.
Inspector Lestrade:
Head of scotland yard. Usually the first to hear about the crime, but the lsat to solve it. He and his yardsmen are comedy hijinks waiting to happen.
Professor Moriarty:
An evil 'genius', he is a gentleman thief really, not quite the dastardly no-good-doer he's made out to be. Him and his henchmen never really seem to get their plans to fruition.
Todd and Smiley:
These brothers are Moriarty's main men, following him through every adventure and screwing up almost every episode. Todd is short and grumpy, while Smiley is tall and dopey. A classic pair, who are played as the cliche` they know they are.
We get five more episodes this disc. Here they are, with brief synopsis of plots:
6. 'Solve the Mystery of the Green Balloon!'
Watson and Holmes discover a green balloon that had floated right to 221b Baker street, with an acorn dangling from it's string. Inside the acorn, a mysterious distress message calling them to Dolphin Island. But when they check the map, there's no such place!
7. 'The Great Chase of the Little Detectives'
Moriarty steals a solid gold angel statue, one that represents peace in England! Scotland Yard tries to stop him, but when he balloons away, it's up to Holmes and Watson. But there are 7 little orphans who plan to stand in their (and Moriarty's) way!
8. 'The Speckled Band'
A young countess waits for her fiance, staying with her creepy cousin who's an archaeoligist and anthropologist with a familiar face... When Watson and Holmes happen upon the mansion, things get mysteriously fishy...
9. 'Treasure Under the Sea'
Captain Raythunder, famous explorer, has just discovered Napoleon's lost treasure! At the same time, an experimental submarine is stolen by Moriarty and crew! Holmes and Watson are forced by the Royal Navy to help them find the submarine, but Moriarty has plans to snag the treasure too! How can Holmes be in two places at once?
10. 'The White Cliffs of Dover'
While Holmes and Watson think of morning tea, a Air Post plane crashes right next door! When the event shakes up Mrs. Hudson, and the pilot knows her personally, Holmes and Watson will begin to unravel the mystery of their beloved widow, Mary Hudson. Also, Moriarty plans to stop the Air Post Service completely!
On this disc, we get the standard fare (no special features this time) with chapter selection, dual sided with english and japanese on either side respectively. Audio remains consistent, and picture quality is still great. One thing to note, is why the Intro and Outro Credits (and the previews on later discs) look so dull and grainy. They remain in their 35mm state, with the rest of the video being remastered digitally. These bits remain as a testament to those who need a little nostalgia added for good measure.
Overall, another great addition to this series. All these Case Files are self contained, you can watch this series out of order. The storylines are resolved in on episode. This may seem simple, but thats part of the allure here. Simple enough for kids, and nostalgic enough for adults, and comedic for all ages. A must watch.
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