Sherlock Holmes Meets Aleister Crowley in This Crime Sleeper Hit Made for Binge-Watching
What if you combined Sherlock Holmes, Frankenstein, and Jack the Ripper and presented them to the severed talking head of a female detective? The result would be a gripping and complex mix of detective, gothic, and comedy.
In 2023, the detective anime series Undead Murder Farce was released, which is definitely not to be missed by fans of the crime genre.
This is a story about the adventures of a talking head, a smart detective, an undead guy and a sarcastic maid. One of the main sleeper hits of the season was directed by Mamoru Hatakeyama and studio Lapin Track, based on the plot of the famous Japanese novel by Yugo Aosaki.
What Is Undead Murder Farce About?
People and monsters once lived side by side, but by the 19th century, human dominance had become apparent. Other species were almost completely wiped out, and the rare survivors promised to live together peacefully.
And yet, crimes continue to occur. A trio of unusual detectives takes on such cases: the half-demon Tsugaru, the maid Shizuku, and Aya Rindo, an immortal woman with only her head left.
The eccentric trio investigates difficult cases while trying to find the thief of Aya's body, who, it turns out, is also guilty of Tsugaru's misfortune.
Undead Murder Farce Is Full of Already Familiar Iconic Characters
The first thing you notice when watching Undead Murder Farce is the colorful cast of characters. The creator of the original light novels, Yugo Aosaki, threw many real-life personalities and fictional heroes from existing works into one pot.
Sherlock Holmes coexists here with Aleister Crowley, and Carmilla (the vampire from the 1872 novel of the same name) gets along with Jack the Ripper.
The story is written in such a way that the kaleidoscope of characters does not steal the show, but rather allows the story to be told without the need for lengthy character introductions.
Undead Murder Farce Will Keep You Glued to the Screen With Its Intricate Investigations
Undead Murder Farce is built in the format of consecutive arcs, with a trio of detectives investigating one crime or another. In the first season, there are three such arcs, and each, though mostly self-contained, moves the global events forward.
In the course of the season, the detectives manage to travel across a large part of Europe: in France, they help solve the case of a vampire's murder; in England, they protect Phileas Fogg's treasures; and in Germany, they find the culprit in a series of murders in a small mountain village.
Where to Watch Undead Murder Farce?
The first and unfortunately only season of Undead Murder Farce is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
