Mayumi Doujima promises her parents that she will give up on her dreams of becoming an astronaut on her 14th birthday if she cannot find a star she once saw long ago. Overhearing her troubles, the eccentric Manabu Soutouin offers to help her search for the star alongside the rest of Yubiwa Academy's mysterious Pretty Boy Detective Club, whose rules are as follows: "Be pretty, be a boy, and be a detective!"
However, Mayumi is unique—she can see many things that ordinary people cannot. Her eyesight allows her to see the tiniest of details, from people approaching her at a distance to hidden traps that would otherwise go undetected. When the search for the lost star begins to sour, the Pretty Boy Detective Club end up entangled in something far beyond what they ever imagined.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
ExemplarCayman
“Because this is… child’s play, after all.” Bishounen Tanteidan is an anime adapted from a mystery novel series by Nisio Isin, directed by Akiyuki Shinbou and animated by Studio Shaft. It’s literally Bakemonogatari. The end. Thank you for reading my Bishounen Tanteidan review. That’s everything that I’d need to say if we were living in an ideal world. We’re not living in an ideal world. We’re living in a world full of liars. In this particular case, full of liars that lie about liking something that they can't even begin to understand. Here’s a completely hypothetical example: if a person that doesn’t know how to read says thatthey like a certain book - that isn’t necessarily a lie. After all, the book might have some beautifully drawn illustrations of sexy girls, and “the pictures make my pp hard so I like it” is reasoning as rational as any. If the same illiterate person says that they dislike a different edition of the same book featuring beautifully drawn illustrations of sexy boys instead - that also isn’t a lie. “The pictures make my pp confused so I dislike it” is also reasoning as rational as any. But if that illiterate person then says that they are a big fan of the author who wrote those books, and they think that Book A has good writing, but a completely different Book A has bad writing - they’re a lying hypocrite. They can’t be a fan of a writer, being illiterate and all. Don’t listen to their lies.
Now, leaving the world of hypotheticals: Bishounen Tanteidan is objectively the same exact show as Bakemonogatari when it comes to things such as character writing, dialogue writing, psychological themes, comedy, artwork, animation quality, visual direction, and sound direction. Their differences are entirely superficial - one features a cast of pretty anime girls in high school, other features a cast of pretty anime boys in middle school. To a fan of Nisio Isin, Akiyuki Shinbou, and Studio Shaft such as myself that liked Bakemonogatari for all the things above - these differences might as well be different hair colors. To a fan of Watanabe Akio (Bakemonogatari’s character designer responsible for that show’s extremely fappable anime waifus, as well as for 99% of its commercial success), these differences are a deal-breaker. Not a problem, if only some Watanabe Akio fans weren’t lying hypocrites that pretend to be NisiOisiN/Shaft’s fans. Don’t listen to their lies.
Now, here’s why I can’t recommend Bishounen Tanteidan anime to anyone who isn’t a Shaft/NisiOisiN fan.
The Monogatari Series is a novel series that is completely unadaptable. That’s what Nisio Isin himself thought - and he was right. Even though Shaft’s adaptation both has a ton of artistic merit and is commercially successful (thanks, Watanabe Akio), it fails as an adaptation of the actual novels.
What makes the novels unadaptable is:
1) A metric ton of comedic banter that seemingly doesn’t advance the plot, but is irreplaceable as a tool for developing characters and establishing their relationship dynamics - the anime had to omit most of that due to the runtime limitations.
2) A metric ton of internal monologues that would amount to a guy staring at a wall and talking to himself in a visual medium - the anime team had to jump through hoops to make those moments look visually interesting, and they did a commendable job - but they also had to omit most of those due to the runtime limitations.
3) The novel series is incredibly long, with 28 volumes as of now, and it has an incredibly drawn-out myth arc (a myth arc is like a story arc, but for the entire series). Many fans of Monogatari will say that their favorite installment in the entire franchise is the so-called Second Season - and for a very good reason. The Second Season is the point where you can finally begin to make sense of what the entire story is really about when viewed as a single cohesive work of fiction, not just a collection of loosely connected individual arcs. The first episode of the Second Season is the 31st episode of the entire franchise - that’s an entire 2-cour anime + 4 OVAs you have to watch before you can even begin to understand what are you watching. And there is a reason why “it gets good after XX episodes” is a meme - because it never gets good. That’s just not how anime works. The fact those first 30 episodes are popular at all is an anomaly and has nothing to do with their artistic merits (thanks, Watanabe Akio).
By the way, this drawn-out style is not a fluke, that’s how Nisio Isin writes all of his series. E.g. Medaka Box is a 200-chapter-long manga that only starts making sense around Chapter 50, and is effectively a single “novel” that can’t be adequately judged on a per-chapter or per-story-arc basis.
What I’m getting at, the Bishounen Tanteidan novel series is unadaptable for all the exact same reasons. In many aspects, its anime has it even worse than Monogatari’s one. The Monogatari TV anime adapts its first five volumes (Kizu aside) in 30 episodes, Bishounen Tanteidan adapts its first five volumes in only 12. Based on one volume I’ve read (adapted as the first three episodes), Shaft had to cut virtually ALL the scenes that do not directly advance the plot. For example, they omitted the running gag of Mayumi repeatedly spitting out Bossman’s food because of how unbearably tasty it is - and him going through the five stages of grief in reaction. They’ve omitted another running gag of Bare Legs-kun trying to constantly peek under Mayumi’s skirt - and her doing her best reenactment of the “it’s like she was looking at walking garbage” meme in reaction. These character interactions are supposed to keep the audience entertained until the real meat of the story kicks in, and they’re supposed to make the audience empathize with the cast. But since the anime was forced to omit those in favor of telling its salad dressings of detective mysteries, for the first 9 episodes it appears to be a show about nothing. And the mysteries feel as if they have no stakes to them because there can be no stakes if the audience was not given enough reasons to care about what happens to the characters.
For a [real] Shaft fan the show still works as an art project - its opening dance animation is the best sakuga produced by the industry since Violet Evergarden, every keyframe belongs on an art gallery wall, and Sakamoto Maya’s (Mayumi/Shinobu’s VA) performance is as stellar as ever. For a [real] Nisio Isin fan the show still works as a source of more of his prose, plus they come equipped with the knowledge that stuff will happen eventually. But it doesn’t work as a novel adaptation and it doesn’t work as a stand-alone anime for a hypothetical viewer that doesn’t know who all these people are. This adaptation simply can't stand on its own legs without being supported by the reputation of its makers.
You do finally start to get glimpses of this series’ myth arc in the last 3 episodes, that is, the adaptation of the fifth volume. Turns out, Bishounen Tanteidan is a story about childhood, or rather, about growing up and dealing with that exact moment in one’s life where a child becomes a young adult, which in Japanese consciousness is conveniently marked by the transition from either elementary school to middle school or from middle school to high school. For the first 9 episodes, the cast of larger-than-life hyperbolic children engages in what, as the line used for the epigraph points out, is really nothing more than child's play. And then the games end, and they have to face reality - the reality of the adult world. I’m looking forward to more novels getting translated so that I can actually experience this story.
In summary, if you want to see a title that deals with the themes of a child becoming an adult that works in the anime medium, watch FLCL. If you are new to Shinbou’s aesthetics and Nisio Isin’s prose - I suggest you put this one aside, watch/read 20-30 works made by those creators, and return to the Bishounen Tanteidan anime afterward. Otherwise,
10/10 for “Bakemonogatari [with less fap material].”
Kamacho_Bronze
Before I begin my review, I believe there is a thing or two about Bishounen Tanteidan that needs to be cleared up before actual scoring the show on its own merits, as it feels other reviews seem to miss these aspects. Bishounen Tanteidan is inherently, unrealistic. The middle schoolers act like 20s bohemian adults. They go toe to toe with kidnappers, a possibly supernatural murderer, an esoteric artistic weirdo, a first grader who acts like an adult princess trying to save her dynasty through marriage, and somehow, a middle school casino racket done for very....dangerous purposes and reasons. Realism is completely lacking in this show. And thatswhat it is supposed to be. The middle school setting of the story, is a way for nisioisin to focus on topics relating to growth and childhood, and using extreme situations to examine them. To put it simply, its intentionally ridiculous, but to the normal point of requiring suspension of disbelief. The middle school setting and age of the characters, is an aesthetic allowing Nisioisin to explore and admittedly have fun with situations of growing up, such as discarding your dream, your change in personal philosophy, and your habits. Basically, if you can suspend your disbelief for something like fantasy or science fiction, you should suspend disbelief here because this is similarly an aesthetic, just not one we are really used to, and if ever seen, usually done unintentionally(like western YA novels having kids talk like 30 year olds...is mostly unintentional bad writing. Nisio's trying for that here though).
Saying all that, the first arc is stupid. Too unrealistic even for suspension of disbelief. Almost dropped the show because of it. Thankfully, I didnt. Although Im not saying this show is a masterpiece or even great, its just a fairly enjoyable and fun show. Witty dialogues, charming philosophical conversations, great visuals. The pretty boys are all one note for the most part, with Mayumi being the only one with real complexity. Most of the time, or pretty much all the time, the mysteries are kind of no big deal, and you are left wondering as to why they are thinking so much about this(im talking about the esoteric artist weirdo arc). But it is through these frivolous adventures, that the show is trying to show us something important. Child's play and wonder. Even in small, even ridiculous things, there can be a sense of excitement, mystery and wonder. Sometimes its not even about solving the mystery, but just making something beautiful and having fun in the process.
Its not a classic show. I doubt this is one of Nisio's stronger works either(Ive only seen Monogatari and Katanagatari at the time of this review). But its a fairly fun seasonal show, and if you like shaft or nisio, you should watch it. Also, while I do give it an 8, if MAL allowed for .5 ratings, Id give it a 7.5. Definition of good and fun, but nothing too special.
Auri_Shirou
First anime I watch of this writer. The art style, animation and everything else is amazing. The character designs are creative and attractive. I found the story to be really terrible though. It was really long winded and boring at times. Things that could be told in a more clear way were explained in really weird and complex ways for no reason. It is obvious that is how this writer likes to narrate their stories. The story also doesn't seem to have any plot. It's literally episodic, in each episode they deal with something for no apparent reason, nor final objective. The story ends withnothing but some kind of weird bonds between the characters. As if nothing happened, there was nothing this story wanted to tell, nothing that it wanted me to feel.
I find that the characters are quite peculiar. I came to appreciate them at the end, but I also find that most of the guys (except Manabu Sotoin and Hyouta) and the protagonist, Mayumi, do not reflect their ages at all. I know age means nothing in anime, but here it was clear and appalling as Manabu was the only one that actually sometimes showed childlike behaviour. The other all acted as if they were highschoolers, while they only are in middle school. Manabu still being in elementary/primary school. I kind of appreciated the more mature ways of some of the characters, but it was also weird as they were still children, but thinking like adults.
chateaughost
I've seen fans of this show say they hate when people compare it to Ouran High School Host Club, and I completely understand why. Aside from a crossdressing female protagonist and a club of pretty boys, there really aren't many similarities. They're very different shows, and if you like one of them there's no guarantee you'll like the other. I won't lie, I'm a huge Ouran fan and that premise is exactly why I took interest in this show in the first place, but I won't hold it up against Ouran as a judgement of its quality. Pretty Boy Detective Club's fatal flaw is thatit takes itself too seriously. When the twist of the first arc was revealed in the second episode, I had to pause multiple times because I was laughing so hard. And that's not a bad thing! It was so stupid and over the top that I thought it HAD to be self aware. The show HAD to know that this was a terrible twist, that it was completely nonsensical and no one could ever take it seriously. I was so entertained by it that I was telling people about it for days, and I couldn't wait for the next episode to come out.
Sadly, I was mistaken. The show has absolutely no self awareness. The cast of characters navigates their way through nonsensical mysteries, arriving at batshit insane conclusions with no reasoning behind them, with essentially no plot connecting each arc. They hint at something more going on behind the scenes, with a secret society and a rival student body president from another middle school, but these plot threads never go anywhere. I was really disappointed as the show went on, and worse, bored. The mysteries were stupid enough that they didn't make sense, but weren't so over the top dumb that they looped back around to so-bad-it's-good territory. It felt like the show still wanted to be taken seriously, like it was unwilling to just be a silly, low stakes series of mysteries.
I might as well mention the cast here. Not a single character has any sort of arc or purpose for existing. They are all given a single personality trait, a name, and a quirk, and then spend the rest of the show doing nothing. When I watched the first episode, I was excited to see what role each of the characters would play in the story. They all seemed to have a decent starting point for some fun character interactions, but they never moved past those starting points. In the last arc, the protagonist and the red hair boy had a couple scenes together where they demonstrated pretty good chemistry. Would've been interesting to explore, in, say, a twelve episode TV anime series.
Some of the characters are better than others. The red hair boy I mentioned before comes pretty close to having a personality. The main detective boy, the one with the blue hair, is honestly so grating that I was tempted to skip forward a few times so I wouldn't have to listen to him speak any longer. The only character who has any sort of development (and I use that term very generously) is the student council president, the one with silver hair. His development happens through a different character who exists for one arc, long enough to make us suffer through another nonsensical mystery, and then never comes back. Any development that he went through is instantly scrapped in the next arc and is never brought up again.
This show's one saving grace is its visuals. At a certain point, I was only watching for the backgrounds and barely reading the subtitles. The art in this show is absolutely gorgeous, it's honestly worth watching the first couple episodes just to drool over the visuals. I bumped up my overall rating by a full point just because of this.
Overall, I'm really disappointed by this show. It's confusing at best and boring at worst, and there is absolutely no depth to the characters. You're better off saving your time and watching something better.
Injenss
This anime was pure trash. It was so trash that repeatedly, like a theme of the anime, they would introduce arcs and foreshadow events that never came or had no bearing on anything. For example: (MILD SPOILERS AHEAD): The heroes foil an underground casino, which seems to trigger the guy who runs it to want to directly challenge the president of the Pretty Boy Detective Club. But...then he does nothing. The angle just dies. They play up an angle where this little girl is supposed to be excessively mean, with the goal of the MC becoming her friend. Only, she never does.You never see the girl again after the misunderstanding is cleared up. Most egregious was the last villain. A guy who is WAY too extreme for this kind of anime, he just comes from out of nowhere, like he wandered out of Psycho Pass or something...but this dude goes entirely too far to try and win a school election, and they never tell you why. Because he's ordinary and people are ordinary and will vote for him...what? The whole anime they just drop stuff right from the start or never explain anything. Why are Mayumi's eyes like that? Who the heck is Manabu and why do these guys listen to him?
The anime is pure shallow drivel meant to do nothing more than showcase pretty bishonen designs. The characters are all as thin as a piece of paper. Literally they can be described as: "Delinquent, Quiet One, Femboy Jock, Smart One and Goofy Leader.". I mean, they don't even use common sense. They make the whole anime about forging strong bonds as a team, but keep reminding us that they have nothing to do with each other outside of the club. Do they not realize that one angle cheapens the other? The characters themselves were so cliche it was almost painful to have to listen to them drone on. Whether it was Manabu's pointless speeches about beauty, or the White haired one giving his snobbish and long-winded expositions, they were just irritating to even listen to.
I didn't enjoy this anime much at all and it was a slog I sped through to get to the end of. I would pass on this, as there are many better anime to watch.
APolygons2
pretty boys detective club, a show that was one step away from greatness. this show was a perfect example of why 1 weak point can ruin an entire story, depending on what it is, and in what story it is being weak in. now let me start with the positives and then get slowly to that single negative that ruins the show: art, direction and animation: 9 its more than good enough for this kind of show. I mean if this was a battle shounen, 9 would be extremely high for this animation and art. but if I'm being honest, I don't think making the animationbetter than this is going to change much. so this is was without a doubt, perfect and the best part of the show. and its a studio shaft work, which have yet to see a badly directed anime from. so needless to say, the direction was just as good as the art and animation.
sound, voice acting and music: 7.5
the music was always well placed and it sounded great.
the voice acting both in sub and dub were fitting and energetic.
the sound design was ok, but nothing special. none of these blew me away, but they were always good.
characters and dialogue: 5.5
while the dialogue was amazing and even some what poetic, i sadly can not give much credit to the all 1 dimensional cast of characters. the best one of them was by far the mc but even she wasn't out of this world. the main thing that makes them weak is something completely different though, which I will talk about in the next part.
story and the writing: 4
let me be the first one to say it, the writing is really good. do you remember what I said about one thing ruining the series. this is it:
pretty boys detective club, is a masterfully written kids book, aimed at the wrong audience. but it could have easily been for everyone. let me explain:
I don't think I need to say why this is not aimed at age 8-13 which I think it should have been aimed at if they didn't want to change the story. with its slight fanservice, and sometimes adult humor, this show is at least trying to be enjoyable to teens and adults also if not only. even if it is aimed at both, it still means its a missing the mark for most people watching it. now you may ask, why does it only work for younger people?
and that is because of the mystery. when you make a mystery show, you are making something that makes you want to know the answer. that's the hook of a mystery, wanting and guessing for the answer, and then getting a good one. pretty boys detective club is missing that hook. there is no story, in this show, the focus is on the mystery, but the mystery is not a hook. because it doesn't make sense.
while you might say its only meant to be fun, that still does not excuse not making sense. a story can be over the top, and stupid sounding , but still come from a place of it own logic.
you can indeed make a mystery with a stupid answer work, but if that answer comes from guessing and good luck, then its not a creative choice, it's a problem. haruhi is a great example of a show that sounds stupid, a lot of times is stupid, but it still makes perfect sense with context included.
now the thing about the characters. they are also a problem. they don't act like children or adults. the act like adults acting like children. meaning they alien both audiences while also making the message of the show less connected to the story .the point of the story is ruined by them not being completely like kids.
this might have worked if the theories were a little less stupid, but they aren't. the result is a bunch of adult like children that are meant to be smart but only come off as lucky. its like the author is revolving the story around them to make them look cooler than they actually are. which works for kids, but if they are the only ones that matter, what's the point of those teen/adult elements? hence the audience problem. if this was aimed at kids, then the characters and many more points don't make sense , if it was aimed at adults or/and teens, the mystery makes this show just bad.
a mystery with no reason may work for children, since they don't care much about the plot, but that's the only audience this show can give satisfaction to. and even for them some stuff are out of place if not straight up bad!
it was possible to make the story work and still make it make sense. if it wasn't, i wouldn't make it my job to point it out. but this is a fixable problem that results in 0 side effects if its fixed.
would it have been harder for the writer to do that and also keep the charm of the show? well yes.
would it being the case have any negatives, along side the huge positives that it has? no, it would be a straight up upgrade that makes the experience better for everyone watching it. and for the few that doesn't, it still wouldn't make them like the show any less.
it would have been a huge + and nothing else.
most people care about the story. yes for the small percentage that don't, this is an almost perfect show, but most people do. this show's hook was the mystery, meaning the mystery is the most important part of the show. so when that is bad, it takes away from the show, more than anything else could have.
and makes a show that could have been easily rated above 8, a low 7 on mal, and a high five for me.
my final score is:
5.75/10
KANLen09
To be part of the exclusive Pretty Boy Detective Club, follow these 3 rules: Be pretty; Be a boy; and most importantly, Be a detective. The famed Monogatari novelist NisiOisin is back, as is studio Shaft together with chief director Akiyuki Shinbo, ready to tackle another series that the legendary novelist has concocted, namely the Bishounen series. Originally, this Bishounen Tanteidan (or the Pretty Boy Detective Club) group was supposed to appear in one of NisiOisin's earlier series that is aptly named the Boukyaku Tantei (or The Forgetful Detective) series, but during its story development, he decided that it could be made as an independent titleseparately. And yes, you could definitely see why that stems from the off-beat logics that NisiOisin is known for, mainly subverting his audience like an open book, keep things the same status quo, right until the end when it hits in the most ridiculously subliminal messages that at the end of the day, still makes total sense. And that's to top up with all the idiosyncrasies of its underlying thematics, that if you have watched Monogatari before, it makes complete sense and links up with the unorthodox and impeccable writing of NisiOisin, while keeping things constant, consistent and fresh with book novel-like cases spanning 2 to 3 episodes each.
Enough talking, let me showcase to you what the Pretty Boy Detective Club in Yubiwa Academy is made out of, in their glorious Bishounen gleaming beauty of light:
- The turquiose-haired 5th grader elementary schooler: Manabu "the Aesthete" Sotoin, leader of the club. Don't try to belittle this young leader, he exudes beauty through and through with his arrogant cheerfulness, and will not do anything that goes against aesthetics. Often recognised as "the Leader" of the club, he dishes out orders to the rest of the group in the most kid-like Bishounen style.
- The snow-white-haired 3rd year middle schooler: Nagahiro "the Orator" Sakiguchi, vice-leader of the club. He holds another position in the school as the Student Council president, mostly thanks to his beautiful voice and having marvellous imitations of vocal cords, while being soft-spoken with honor. Word goes around that he has a fiancé, but it's the stereotypical setting of his family being rich people, and cherry-picked for the best...with a 6-year-old 1st grader elementary schooler, and as such, is labelled as a lolicon for all the wrong reasons.
- The orange-red-haired 2nd year middle schooler: Michiru "the Epicure" Fukuroi, delinquent of the club. From his external appearance, Michiru stands out due to his easily aggravated behaviour, and is widely known as a gangster, both in and out of school with his fearsome nature. Deep down, he is anything but that, he is also a good cook and has a family-oriented side to him. And get this, his habit of satirical metaphors is what gives him an edge to stand out from the club in various ways
- The yellow-haired 1st year middle schooler: Hyota "the Adonis" Ashikaga, the angel and speed demon of the club. Being an ace of the track and field team, Hyota is largely noticeable for his long, bare, pure legs, that stems from the fact that he modified his uniform to make it look like he's wearing shorts. The beauty which comes from his well-developed face, as is looking the part like an archangel, this bare legs-exposing boy poses strength and speed when the situation calls for action.
- The black-haired 1st year middle schooler: Sosaku "the Artiste" Yubiwa, the expressionless artist of the club. He is a child prodigy with both financial and artistic talents, though expressionless and of few words, and that Manabu can only read his thoughts and interpret that to the T.
- Last but not least, the newest member of the club: Mayumi "the Seer" Dojima, the star-studded girl of interest. I hear you say: "Wait, isn't one of the rules of the club mention that to "be a boy"?" Yep, she was once part of the club's very first case of NisiOisin's introductory book in the series, titled "The Dark Star that Shines for You Alone", of finding a star that she has been searching for 10 years since young, of a dream that she wished she'd become, but to no effect. Following the resolution of the case, she often cross-dresses as a boy (though the other Bishounens know her true nature) to visit the club, and as the series progresses, be accepted as part of the elusive beautiful "Shine like a diamond" club. Her eyes are what captured the attention of the Bishounens, and with excessively-good eyesight, she usually wears glasses to suppress her "powers". She gives names to the Bishounens for easy memory: Mr. Leader for Manabu, Mr. Senpai for Nagahiro (after Michiru noticed that Mayumi is always calling him Sakiguchi-senpai, which is a mouthful), Mr. Delinquent for Michiru, Mr. Bare-Legs for Hyota, and Mr. Child Genius for Sosaku. There, this is as pretty as a picture as you can get.
This is an excessively beautiful team of boys, but without a specialized production team, how does one take this beauty to showcase it further? And that's where Shaft comes in with the help of in-house legendary director Akiyuki Shinbo, the chief director of the Monogatari shows from the last decade. Having an in-depth knowledge of how NisiOisin likes to rehearse and rephrase (or say, take a gander of) his works, Akiyuki Shinbo does the insanity of a engrossing and psychedelic work with his production team that rehashes all the intricacies of how a modern-day Monogatari adaptation would possibly look like, while keeping true to the testament of the now decades-old experience that he is known for. And it certainly looks great no doubt, I had the nostalgia of watching the many Monogatari adaptations before, and this show's niche themes just urge me for more of that coming-of-age, mystery theses of decorative compositions and motifs.
That prepossessing action alo trickles down to the OST, and the boy band sumika has done it once again to present a rock-solid OP that reminds me a lot of WotaKoi's iconic and highly memorable OP, one that's easily another magnificent and catchy song, no doubt. The Beautiful Bishounens come back to deliver 2 EDs, the former for being every ongoing case and the latter for the ending of each case. Personally, I prefer the latter as the most attractive of the 2, but still, both are lovely charming songs. Simply...delightful.
Bishounen Tanteidan a.k.a the Pretty Boy Detective Club is a very niche show, that's the obvious part. It's when the irresistible feel of watching those drop-dead gorgeous young boys do their action that it arrests you with its bonny aesthetics and fancible Shaft visuals to become one heavenly bewitching experience just to see more Bishounens mark with stylistic valour and grace.
Dang, I could call this show being the opposite of the overly common CGDCT formula, dubbed CBDCT: Cutesy (and Handsome) Boys Doing (en)Chanting (and Engaging) Things. A buffet treat for the ladies (and few men).
ShadowLight13
The Pretty Boy Detective Club is... And experience, certainly. And here's why... It is not realistic - it doesn't have to be either. It is set in school, but none of the characters act remotely their age. Even the least serious of them. And that's fine. Ouran Highschool did that too. All that means is that in this sense, it's not all that original. (But then, nothing is original.) That said, the premise isn't the same as OHHC, as it involves "detective work" (read: lucky guesses leading to the revealing of mysteries because frankly, the connection between whatever clues we are given and the answeris just so ridiculously weak. The Sherlock Holmes book series and its various adaptations does this better.
The art is aesthetically pleasing though. Gorgeous, without a doubt. But it also makes the teenagers look even less like what they are.
The sound is solid, fits with the anime perfectly well. I believe I enjoyed the opening quite a bit.
I might have even enjoyed its ridiculousness for what it was and rated this much more highly...
... But the creepy fascination the artists/animators (or perhaps the novelist behind this), have with what is one of the younger members of the club - Hiyota Ashikaga - specifically his physical appearance... the kid is 12! He's a first year in middleschool! He's a ruddy pre-teen! It's not like this even serves a purpose - i.e, to point out someone's flaw of being a pervert, like in Mushouku Tensei. And in the very least at least by the time characters in most shounens get turned into objects of fanservice they are roughly 16+ which still is bad, but it's not THIS bad. Also it's not there for comedic purposes either... there exists hilarious bad fanservice that adds to the comedy of a show, but... And his short-ass shorts... if this were calling out girls' shorts for being needlessly short to the point of basically not even covering the ass... that would be great, but no. He's a guy - guys' shorts are typically at least twice the length of girls' shorts for some reason. So this is a CHOICE. A choice that seems like it could only be pandering to pedophiles because I don't even recall having interest in people's looks when I was only twelve, never mind less than that. So it's not like they are pandering to a supposed target audience of people up to the age of 12.
Beyond that, the characters just weren't that interesting to me either. They are these super talented, super pretty people... and that's it. The sporty kid is excitable, the artist is quiet, the deliquent is... well, I have no idea, really, the leader is a shallow asshat, Senpai-kun is the not-a-lolicon, and the MC is obsessed with a star. That's all you really need to know about them because frankly there isn't much, if anything else to them. Also, it feels like the creators were hesitant to give these characters any proper flaws or faults...
... However, the art is pretty...
And hey, it does what it says on the tin, even if it doesn't do it all that well, in my opinion.
Overall rating: 6. It's fine. Perfectly watchable, but there is fanservice and it's nothing amazing.
iridi
This show squandered all of its potential. It started off strong, with an interesting premise, beautiful art, and a colorful cast of harem archetypes that would no doubt get fleshed out into full people along the way. The opening is also a banger. So you know what it did? Immediately threw out the premise, kept each character locked to their singular core trait, and straight up did not show the most important parts of each episode. The show cuts to black to avoid having to depict anything more complicated than characters talking to each other and more than once resorts to still drawings (especially in laterepisodes). The MC also acts wildly out of character at random points. I'd praise her for being able to be more than a singular trait, but it instead just comes off as bad/inconsistent writing.
The show has roughly 5 cases that the Pretty Boy Detective Club investigates, with each lasting 2 or 3 episodes each. The investigations are all nonsensical with the kids proposing insane or supernatural causes and more than one of them go completely off the rails. That would be fine if the show wanted to go a supernatural or absurdist route, but it doesn't. It follows real life rules and conclusions of each case are largely mundane (if incredibly stupid) while also trying to wax poetic through a heavy helping of cheesy monologues. It takes itself too seriously. It does not actually describe how large portions of each storyline get resolved, instead skipping the climax and going directly to the epilogue. And nothing that happens in previous episodes has any weight on later ones save for a "sentimental" flashback sequence in the finale.
Don't worry, though: it also has a nice healthy dose of anime pedophilia. 12 year old who exists solely to sexualize his legs. 10 year old with a temu Hatsune Miku crossplay flirting with adult kidnappers. Middle school girl forced to wear a playboy bunny outfit "to go undercover". 15 year old betrothed to 8 year old so they can have a running lolicon gag. Scenes of middle school girl getting a nude massage and a bath. Bisexual pedophiles rejoice at the gender diversity!
There is no pay off to any of this. Like... there's multiple massive conspiracies introduced that could be really exciting to explore but they are all promptly ignored. Loose ends are never tied. I stuck it out on the assumption that surely even with the flaws in its story, its flat characters, and the uncomfortable elements there would be SOMETHING by the end that would make it all worth it. I willingly consume dogwater anime and can usually find something under L'Essence du Shít that is redeemable. Instead, I came away from the finale wishing I'd watched a One Piece Filler-Only compilation.
Save yourself time and skip this.
HenriqueNeves
In Bishounen Tanteidan, the real charm is in the mystery and beauty of the moments, not in their endings. All this beauty and stylization does not have a purpose that goes beyond being beautiful and stylized. The anime empties everything that can be dramatic and logical, and focuses only on what the events themselves can provide. It is evident that the anime has an objective discourse and theme, but it also seeks to confuse the viewer about its real intention. Its narrative, logic and conclusion are empty, but the main theme is not. If you think about some conventions and principles (or rules, as the more radicaland limited ones insist on saying that they exist), Bishounen Tanteidan is an anime constructed in a “wrong” way. He proposes several mysteries and possibilities, but I haven't really completed any of them. The characters are not human, deep, complex or dramatized. Every anime relationship has a goal, and as he says, to be beautiful and exciting.
In this plastic and stylized construction proposed by the director, the sets, mysteries and characters are part of a very unique style that always seeks emptiness in relation to realism. So, there is no reason for the characters to have a deeper development or drama, in fact, they end up serving more as objects in this composition. Dehumanizing them makes more sense than making them human. The only personality that exists in them is the most illustrative one, which also distances them from reality.
The characters' vibrant color and color palette mix with those of the backdrops, making some interesting compositions. These plans also reinforce the idea of treating both the characters and the scenarios with a unique and stylized importance.
The realism in Bishounen Tanteidan is seen as something ugly and frightening. The last episode brings realism as something to be feared. An existence that tries to subdue what is pleasurable by itself. That which explains; who reveals the truth – the ultimate meaning – in this last episode, he is a villain. An existence that explains how the mystery of the accident actually happened, and takes away the beauty that the mystery brought. The beauty is in the mystery, in the doubt, in the various visions and interpretations that may or may not be right, but what really matters is that they are beautiful. And in Bishounen Tanteidan, the truth doesn't matter. Truth and logic take the beauty out of the mystery of the universe. The magic is in enjoying the moments, not in actually understanding them.
By emptying what the characters are into a dramatic and human matter – and transforming them into objects in the scene, he removes the moral of the events and their characters. The last episode is also about that. Find and search for a star; investigate the secret of a casino; decipher the riddle of art paintings and a possible crime later; and all the other mysteries in the anime are fanciful, thought-provoking and beautiful, but when it comes to directly involved with something real and dangerous like death, no. If we go to see how all the mysteries happen, this last one of trampling is the one that comes closest to being a real crime, and therefore, its “morality” is realistically confronted. But it shouldn't.
Sounds like a very similar idea to Ortega's about art. S.S. describes: “Ultimately, 'style' is art. And art is nothing more or nothing less than various forms of stylized, dehumanized representation”. As if art were a disassociated view of the world, and unique in its own right. A view with which I don't 100% agree (not even Sontag itself), but which I appreciate here in the way it was confronted in the anime.
This can also be a very specific and direct comment on Shinbou's work in general (especially in relation to Monogatari). While some try to say what it is, and how it should be watched – in what order it should be watched – to understand what happens, they end up forgetting to enjoy the events for themselves. As if his anime didn't have a moral with reality, and in fact were ambiguous on this issue. A new universe that is apart from ours. So, bringing reality or a limiting interpretation to his work is the same as emptying his world – it's making him ugly and futile. As if: his real experience is in what happens, not why and how they happen. I am not here defending the moral and ambiguity of his works, but rather giving a possible interpretation of what he might be trying to express.
However, I don't think the purpose is to prevent possible interpretation, but rather “how” it should be interpreted. As the work makes clear, the mystery deduction must be beautiful and make sense, and not necessarily the truth, and that's what matters in the end. While some try to deplete the artistic potential of their work, few are really interested in preserving this mystery that so captivates the public.
PyraXadon
Oh boy, my first Nison-in review. This outta be…difficult. Story: Pretty Boy Detective Club rules: 1) Be beautiful. 2) Be a boy. 3) Be a detective. On the eve of Mayumi Dojima’s 14th birthday, the girl looks up at the sky searching for a star that she had witnessed 10 years ago but has struggled to find since. On the same night, a haughty young boy in a detective’s outfit comes up to her and offers his aid to find the star that she’s been so dedicated to find. This boy’s name is Soutouin Manabu, the president of the ‘Pretty Boy Detective Club’ where in their schoolof Yubiwa academy, is a club comprised of multiple ‘pretty boys’ who solve mysteries beautifully.
Up until now, I haven’t really talked about any Nison-in works because a) they’re seeped in a lot of double meaning phrases that are quite difficult if you don’t know Japanese, and b) because his narratives are very…peculiar in both their presentation and execution. In terms of what Bishounen Tanteidan brings to the table, what we end up getting is a set of episodes that’re divided into four or so arcs, each focusing on a different mystery that seems both extraordinary and very out there in terms of the scale or topic that’s being talked about at the time. And these ain’t some small case mysteries either. No, this show includes stuff like assassins, government projects, and kidnapping the entire school body. Definitely not topics or plotlines you would expect from a show about a school detective show. Which I think lends to part of the problem of why the show ends up faltering on its storytelling.
From a thematic perspective, the show is about the carefree time in childhood where imagination runs wild and the world is often more fantastical than it really is. As a result, the tone of Bishounen Tanteidan is exceedingly whimsical with a lot of pompous flair given the outlandish nature of a lot of the stories that the show ends up giving us. However, presentation can only get you so far. Because it’s Nison-in’s writing style, most of what ends up happening in the show is told, not shown. And in a detective show where the supposed crimes happen off-screen, the result ends up being a lot of suspension of disbelief needed in order to follow along the plotline in any reasonable manner. The end product of this creates a show that feels more like a series of rabbits being pulled out of a hat as many, many key plot points or mystery solving elements get brought out of essentially thin air and personally brought me out of the experience because half of the stuff the show brings up sometimes makes absolutely no sense, but it goes along with it anyway cause that’s the thread we’re gonna be following now I guess.
Another detriment to this style also comes at the cost of the show not being very cohesive as turning away for a brief second can easily lose one’s place in the show because the narrative is so seeped in dialogue and monologues that missing even a bit of it could make audiences miss some crucial information; I know it did for me. That and both the scene and topic changes that happen in the show are often times so drastic that it feels like whiplash when the first part of the mystery falls onto part two.
All of this comes to a head when the mysteries all just sort of…end. Story conclusions I feel isn’t one of Nison-in’s strong points, and it really shows here where sometimes it doesn’t feel like anything really happened from the start of the arc to the end. There really isn’t anything tangible that seems to have been solved at the end of these arcs, with very few if any lasting effects on the characters as a result of the actions that they took prior to the arc’s ending. The show ends up feeling unsatisfactory to watch as a result, which I think sums up Bishounen Tanteidan very well: unsatisfactory. For all of the flair and pompousness the show flaunts, nothing really sticks from this narrative as everything resets back to square one at the end of the arc. The show ending pretty unceremoniously too doesn’t really help its case either as it just further proves some previous points on top of making it seem like nothing really matters. No narrative weight means nothing really ends up mattering, and for all of the charisma that this show tries to exude, it’s disappointing that it ended up this way.
Characters:
Aside from her special eyes, Mayumi Dojima is honestly not that remarkable of a character. True, her character arc is centered around becoming a member of the Bishounen Tanteidan, but then there’re these other, later traits that we’re told about that really don’t make much sense in the end. Quite frankly her only notable character trait is her relationship with the other members of the club, and she kind of becomes less interesting as a result because there’s not that much to her.
And then we have…the rest of the club. True, I could separate Manabu from the others, but at the end of the day, the club itself feels like an entity with 5 different flavors of eye candy. True, they all have surface level traits like the bad boy, the school president, the track star, and the artist, but there really isn’t much else too them because none of the interactions they have mean very much at the end of the day. They definitely fulfill their own niches, especially with how each of them is sort of featured in one or more of the arcs, but at the end of the day, they’re not really that much more than the whole that they end up creating.
As a final note, the side characters in this show are way more interesting than they really should be. In true Nison-in fashion, entire background and settings are completely barren of even mob characters, making the show look significantly more empty than it really should be. But in place of that, the show hones onto a small handful of side characters that they feature since each arc has like one or two new characters that have some form of importance to the story at the time. Personally I find these side members to be way more interesting than the main cast, but true to the story, they all feel eccentric but rather empty since they all only have like one important scene in an entire arc and because everything is told, not shown, the whole scheme falls apart because we haven’t really seen anyone do anything up until that point. And sometimes it feels like the show just writes in some random motivation even though we’ve never seen anything to indicate what they’re talking about.
Aesthetics:
Well, thanks Shaft for bringing out the big guns again. Given the fact that Shaft and Nison-in now have basically a married couple relationship, the kind of quality that Bishounen Tanteidon got on both an art and animation perspective is both amazing and not surprising in the slightest. While there aren’t that many headtilts, the rest of Shaft’s flair from the poses to the extravagantly detailed backgrounds are top notch and add more to the lavish aesthetics that the show tries to flaunt. On the topic of character designs, the ones for the side characters are really nice and I lament not being able to see them more often because they stand out a lot especially in respect to the main cast who all practically wear the same thing.
A fun thing I did enjoy as well from an aesthetics perspective is the numerous other artstyles that the show utilized. I feel like the showrunners did this kind of stuff ‘just because’, which if that is the reason, I respect that. Definitely shows off the kind of budget this show had, but is definitely one of those creative liberties I like being used to its full potential.
Sumiya’s “Shake and Shake” is exactly the kind of song that I expected from a show like this, and I really could not be happier with the song choice. Bombastic, cheerful, and energetic, the song encapsulates the kind of flair and flaunting the show tries to show off, doing it all to a really nicely animated opening sequence that again shows the kind of budget that this show had. Personally I find this to be a really memorable song that screams the Bishounen Tanteidan. The EDs are both less memorable by comparison, which is kind of unfortunate because there’re two of them, but neither are as well produced as the opening. As a side note, the ost for this series is really dramatic. Which again, really helps sells the overdramatic flair that the show is really going for.
Final Thoughts:
Given the married nature of what Shaft and Nison-in can do when combined, especially when Akiyuki Shinbou is added to the mix, I expected this show to blow me out of the water and be a small bite of quality to its goliath brother, the Monogatari series. I was very wrong. And I feel sad that I was wrong on this one.
Because so much of the story is told through events that happen off-screen, nothing tangible actually happens when our main band of characters learns of the event, and at the end of the arc, nothing comes of it as a result. The show being all style no substance ends up creating something that feels wholly unsatisfying and hollow to watch, and it’s unfortunate that the ‘tell don’t show’ style of writing that Nison-in relies on created such a dud. True, the childhood freedom that the show uses as its thematic is present throughout the show (if you look hard enough), but because that stuff is so hard to find, what I ended up focusing on more was the outlandish plots of assassins, gambling, and secret government projects, which aren’t necessarily things that I thought I would be a feature in this show about middle school detectives.
And it’s because of that that I feel like this show misses the mark and ends up creating wild plots as a way to capture the audience. What’s being shown and what’s being said feel like completely different stories, and nothing that’s being presented makes much sense. My guess is that this show requires multiple watches in order to make sense, and even then, the small semblances of additional understanding that can come from watching the show multiple times I don’t think justify the narrative being as janky as it is. So while the show does have a lot of extraordinary charisma associated with the three rules that the Bishounen Tanteidan abides by, there’s not a lot else to this show, and as such, I wouldn’t really recommend this show for a watch. Indeed the aesthetics make the show look very pretty, but it’s all pretty meaningless if there’s nothing interesting to go along with the nice visuals.
IWatchAnime07
Sometimes you just have to turn off your head and enjoy the chaos in front of you. Bishounen Tanteidan is a story full of childhood dreams and wonder, it feels nostalgic even. The number of chaotic elements rivals that of Alice in Wonderland, with the same fever dream-like charm. The central focus of the show is to be a child again, spending your childhood doing the things you like, not caring about how others view it, and look back on it with a laugh. I enjoyed this show quite a lot, it reminds me of all the child-like ideas and dreams I had when Iwas their age. After all, it's never too late to enjoy our life while we can.
Curlybrace101
One common argument made in favor of Pretty Boy Detective Club is that, because it is by the author of the Monogatari series, one must be a Monogatari fan to enjoy it. For two reasons, that's bullshit: 1) One should not have to enjoy a completely unrelated work of fiction to enjoy something. 2) Whether you are a Monogatari fan or not does not change the fact that the plot of this show is absolute nonsense. I cannot express to you how much this anime lacks any amount of reason or sense. Don't get me wrong, I am very good at suspending my disbelief, and a lot ofmy favorite anime are the stereotypical "confusing" anime (Lain, Utena, Baccano!, etc), and not even that can save this show for me. The plot is just one random, absurd, and unrelated event after the next without any reason for any of them to be happening or any logical pathing to get us from point a to point b. Things just kind of happen. Once you think you're on track, something comes so far out of left field it has you baffled by how random it is, because there was no build up to its insanity or reason for it to happen.
The characters leave little to be desired as well. They're all middle schoolers, which...fine, whatever. That's not the problem. It's a bit ridiculous, but I can suspend my disbelief enough for that. The problem is that they're all boring, one-note, annoying, or confusing.
One of the main characters has nothing going on outside of showing off his sexy legs. He's 12. Another character is in an arranged marriage with a first grader so we get treated to jokes about him being a lolicon. Wow, this is so funny. Someone get the writer of this a late night show.
The main character is a girl crossdressing as a boy to join the club, which is...fine, I guess, but they never treat her like she's a boy nor is she really putting on an act for anyone outside the club (not to mention the male lead frequently crossdressing as a girl for no reason that actually holds up or makes sense) so I really don't get what the point is. And when it comes to her actual character...well, I'm not going to spoil it, but it's just bizarre. The male lead is...honestly too young——he's in elementary school——and exists to just do random things and act very smart in an attempt to make the show come off as smart. Spoiler alert: neither are actually smart.
There are two other characters I haven't mentioned but they're also pretty one-note and not worth mentioning. One's an artist and the other cooks.
It's just 12 episodes of nonsensical bullshit that thinks it's smart when in reality it's just saying random things and acting like they connect.
Choripan007_
This anime has one of the best art styles and production I've seen in a while without being a triple A anime. I could say that Bishonen Tanteidan is at the level of Top Tier animes on production. My favorite opening ever, Godly OST. Amazing Animation, cheers to my lads the animators and musicians. The characters and the story are pretty average, average++ I'd say, some characters are much better than others, the main character is a 6.8. While others like the little president are a 7.5. Pretty enjoyable, I didn't enjoy it that much cause it happened that I saw it after a masterpiece like VinlandSaga.
Kanna_4869
No, man, I don't want to have to watch Monogatari to ''get'' this, ok? That's a lame excuse from fans to convience people this has ''deep meaning'' cause it comes from ''deep author''. This anime fails in every aspect for me. It's boring, the stories are overly complex (and stupid) just for the sake of it. I didn't get anything from watching this. Yes, yes, ok, maybe not my kind of show, ok? but even for a casual this is 0% watchable and that's my main complain about this series. The visuals and shots are the only thing that's quality here, the rest? plain boring. I can't even writea proper review cause I didn't get anything from watching it, seriously... but I wanted to say something for those +8 reviews spitting all kind of ''Monogatari'' or ''Nisio Isin''stuff.
And no, this is no my first show of that author, I actually like Katanagatari a lot and I didn't have problems with it (chapters are 40 min lengh and all...).
If you like this series, good for you, but DO NOT RECOMMEND JUST BECAUSE YOU LIKED IT because not every anime is for everyone.
I repeat DO NOT WATCH THIS if you are not actually interested in any aspect it may offer, this is NOT a casual watch. This is not the kind of animes to go for blinded, otherwise you'll find yourself bored like me most probably.
Hubbuble
I think it'd be pretty appropriate to do a short review summarizing the main divide of opinion on this anime. This isn't an anime for those who seek a good mystery and like to theorize about the possible resolutions to problems the "detectives" face. The mysteries might as well be only a prompt for the characters to live around, being the fanciest they can. It's not at all meant to be realistic in any way, starting with the characters and ending with the solutions to the cases, which come mostly out of left field. This is an anime (obviously catered to women, not a specific age demographic)to take you on a an elaborately dressed ride, entertaining you with some fun dialogue and silly situations which inevitably result in a poetic monologue with a line that's supposed to make you go "Ha! Got'em!" before the mic drops to the floor.
If you're not OK with that, just vibe to the opening and move to greener pastures elsewhere.
PS: It's NisioishiN and underage characters, of course there are some moments where you really want to make sure the door's locked.
moodie
A show made for adults who can reflect back on their youth. I have provided additional books as recommendations to help people better understand the true value of this series. It's clear that there are people who can't understand the brilliance of Pretty Boy Detective Club and I want to help illuminate them. What does it mean to be a boy? Can anyone be a boy? What does it mean to be pretty? What does it mean to be curious? These are the many questions we have as children yet we forget to answer them as adults. Nisio Isin takes a cerebral approach when analyzingseveral key themes in adolescence. The lenses which frames the arc based plot revolves around mysteries that are absurd in nature but completely obvious once solved. Doesn't that remind you of every test you've taken? It should if you went to school. And this isn't a normal school anime. Let alone what it seems to portray as a reverse harem or otome. I can confirm that the romance is non existent as our main character is completely a scum who doesn't even want to feel attachment.
Now does that mean our main character, Dojima, is a bad person? No, because just like the real world people are nuanced. Her problematic outlook is in fact more of a helpful trait than one that impedes.
ARC 1
The first arc is a beautiful story about letting go of your childish ways. The dreams that you held on to aren't what defines you. Its what you learn from it once you let it go. Also they define what beauty really means. And to spell it out loud would do it injustice.
- Read The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima
ARC 2
The second arc challenges the notion of fakeness and realness much better than any Kaika Monogatari monologue can ever. Because Nisio had time to flesh out his thesis throughout the years.
- Read Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard
ARC 3
The most challenging arc for many might be the one about art. What purpose does art have and how does one create their own art? Its a shame schools have systematically removed the arts from our curriculum because the damage is apparent. If you read discussions in forums you will notice how no one understands this arc. To help illustrate I want to recommend the following.
- Read Ship of Theseus a concept discussed by Heraclitus and Plato
ARC 4
Last but not least my favorite arc. This arc gets deep into the election politics that is rarely discussed in anime. With an attempted murder mystery looming in the background and discussions on nepotism, hierarchies, and democracy its certainly Nisio's bread and butter. There isn't much additional reading needing for this arc to understand its beautiful as we are surrounded by instances of politics everyday in life.
Overall SHAFT really stepped up with this one. Hajima Ootani who is the chief director of Assault Lily and storyboard/episode director of some of the finest shaft anime helms this series as the series director. With the assistance of Okada Kenjirou who is Sangatsu's series director, we were bound to see something visually awe inspiring. Its such an amazing pair that Shinbo works with that I am beginning to think that SHAFT is back to their prime. These 2 directors capture what Zaregoto attempted to be. I am blessed to have a strong anime exist in the pool of mediocrity that has been airing for the last 2 years.
Edenharley
Bishounen Tanteidan is an incredibly stylistic show, it's quite unique and I definitely did enjoy watching it. The main cast, whilst obviously very exaggerated, are really fun and I very much enjoyed the mysteries within the show. To me the art and direction really stood out, you can absolutely tell this is done by studio shaft and they did it really well. Speaking more about the art, everything is so bright and flashy that you're always kind of glued to the screen, and they don't drop this too it's really consistent - there are also some incredibly stylised shots that are just so unique and greatto look at. The character designs are really cool, I love how they fit in with the environments too and I specifically love the way they drew Mayumi's eyes they're always so gorgeous.
The characters are definitely a ton of fun, I especially really liked Mayumi - she is a great protagonist and has a lot of really charming moments, often helped by all the crazy visual gags shaft do in their shows. The others in the cast don't stand out as much to me, but they all do their job in the plot and I didn't dislike any of them.
Overall Bishounen Tanteidan is a pretty solid show, it's definitely very dialogue heavy but it's worth a watch if you like mystery and its incredibly unique style because they do those both very well!
busybinging
This was good. I really liked it. The art is absolutely gorgeous and the boys are fking pretty bruh like what even. It's not BL or anything, in case anyone is wondering. The main girl does cross dress but as the viewer you already know she's a girl so yeah. They're not trying to bait or trap you or anything nefarious lmao. One of the guys also cross dress but it only happened like three times for certain reasons. The boys don't fawn and simp over her but they do care about her a lot and do pamper her at times which is really cute to me. Iactually didn't really like the main girl cos she just sounds like she's trying to be quirky but by the end, she grew on me and I feel like she's a good addition.
The plot and story is a little slow and the way they talk in roundabout ways does grate on me sometimes but I really enjoyed it either way. Each case they solve ranges from two to three episodes.
I would recommend it if you're into pretty boys or pretty girls or both. The visuals and aesthetics is really so pretty.
A 7.5/10 for me.
