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Reviews for The Millionaire Detective – Balance: Unlimited

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w
worrapsa

almost 5 years ago

6

This anime had so much potential from first episodes. The whole idea of a millionaire detective pairing up with a detective, who doesn't like justice being made through money was really fresh to me, but unfortunately the story was rushed and nothing interesting came at the end. I was expecting more character development and engaging fight scenes, but they also were rushed, 11 episodes were clearly not enough to present an interesting plot to the viewers, because 2 or 3 episodes were filler type and the rest didn't succeed in telling the main story right. There were things that I liked - like the openingand ending songs, also the drawing style, but that's all.

I'm being so mean about this anime, because I was very excited about it when it first came out, but like I mentioned in the beginning, it's amazing potential was wasted.

345
Mixed Feelings
D
DarknessReality

almost 5 years ago

9

Just came off finishing this series and DAMN IT WAS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Honestly this series was such a unique experience to watch and I loved it from start to finish. The series starts off episodic with the MCs solving individual crimes to help smooth us into the story then it gets to the main plotline later on. The immediate appeal is Daisuke and the whole theme of Balance Unlimited. I never get sick of seeing him throw around money to solve his problems with that smug smile that makes it hard to hate the guy. Matter of fact Daisuke is now one of my top 3 favouritemale characters. The characters in this series are all pretty great. But definitely the highlight of the show is Kato and Daisuke. They have such good chemistry from their opposing views that make them such good partners. One is a normal guy while the other a rich millionaire with a flawed common sense. So the two complement each other where the other lacks. Just watching these two talk is amusing as hell.

As usual with a great anime the soundtrack is AMAZING in Balance Unlimited. It gives it such a unique vibe and feel with its jazz/trumpets that gives that kind of James Bond spy type of feel. Also helps Daisuke's natural charisma to make him the ultimate chad badass lol. The OP is SO GODDAM CATCHY!!!! It really encompasses that rich theme the series has.

Overall I absolutely loved watching this series and highly recommend if you're even slightly interested in the premise or look of the series give it a try. Or if you're not quite hooked yet just go watch the OP on youtube and that might motivate you to watch it with how good the OP is. A very high 9/10. Will definitely buy it on DVD and re-watch again in the future. I'd love to revisit some of the earlier episodes again.

159
Recommended
B
Britannian13

almost 5 years ago

9

This is my first review on MyAnimeList, and what a good choice for my first show to review. I am here to review The Millionaire Detective- Balance: UNLIMITED: This show felt like a breath of fresh air. This show had me looking forward to a new episode every single week. Let's get into specifics. Story: 7 The story of this show is pretty good. Some might say it's nothing to write home about but I believe that the story was good for the narrative the creators wanted to pull off. The first few episodes are sort of in an episodic nature, with just a case-of-the-day sort ofsetup, but the actual story picks up after that. As per what you'd expect with a detective show, the story has a good amount of mystery and twists that keep the viewers intrigued from start to finish. The concept of Daisuke's unlimited balance, hence the title, lends itself to very interesting, unique, and fun occurrences. When they're doing detective work, it's interesting to see them uncover clues and put the pieces together. The action is well done, and while some may see it as a tiny bit over-the-top because of Daisuke's James Bond-esque gadgets and obscene amount money, I think it's great in the context of this show.

Art: 10

I absolutely loved the art style of this anime. The best way I'd describe it is quasi-simplistic. Everything in this show is animated with just a little bit less detail than a traditional anime, which gives it a quite unique art style. It really stands out from other shows and just looks really great. As for the characters, they are all animated very smooth and well. There are some instances of CGI in this show, mainly just with vehicles, but it doesn't distract from the show.

Sound: 9

The sound design is well done in this show. All the effects sound like they should. As for the soundtrack, it is sublime. The soundtrack has a soundtrack reminiscent of buddy-cop shows and movies that helps to set this show apart from others like the art style does. It uses more brass-sounding music that just sound really good. This show also has really good opening and ending songs. This is one of the few shows where I never skipped the opening. NAVIGATOR by SixTONES is a very good song that is also quite catchy. It's more clean-sounding to reflect one of the main characters, Daisuke Kambe. The ending, Welcome My Friend by OKOMATO'S, is also quite good, although not as good as the opening. I often found myself staying for this ending, something I usually don't do. This song has more of a rugged-sounding effect to reflect the other main character, Haru Kato. Voice acting is also very good. Daisuke Kambe is voiced by, as far as I know, a newcomer to the voice acting business, Yuusuke Oonuki, as this is his first and only role listed on MAL. He does a fantastic job. The voice fits the character perfectly. That is the only voice acting I felt like specifically mentioning, but the rest of the voice acting is really great.

Character: 8

The characters are done quite well in this show. For starters, the main characters are very likeable. Daisuke and Haru have great chemistry. Even though they often butt heads over conflicting ideals, their reasonings for doing things are perfectly understandable. Also, they are very entertaining together. The development the main characters receive is very good, as well. I won't delve into it to avoid spoilers, though. I won't spoil who the villain is, but I will say that the reveal was initially a little confusing, but once I put more thought into it I understood it fine. The side characters, while they don't add too much to the story, are still quite entertaining. It was always nice when they were featured in an episode.

Enjoyment: 10

I couldn't get enough of this show when it initially aired. It was so much fun watching a new episode and seeing how the intriguing story progresses. It was also fun to see character interactions and how they bounce off each other.

Overall: 9

Despite some minor flaws, The Millionaire Detective - Balance: UNLIMITED takes the detective genre and gives it a fresh twist that manages to stay very entertaining from start to finish. From the characters to the music to the art style, everything in this show is well done one way or another. It really sucks that this show is on the short side, as it only clocks in at 11 episodes, but that just gives you more of a reason to quickly check it out. I'd highly recommend seeing this show for yourselves. It's exclusive to Funimation if you want to go out and see it.

113
Recommended
C
CrimsonKing25

almost 5 years ago

6

In the beginning, Balance Unlimited presented itself with a unique plot and cast of characters that don't fit the mold of standard investigators. With those two combined, it should've created a fantastic show. And it did, for the most part. Sadly, there's a lot that I found to be underutilized with some wasted potential. Story (6/10) The story I found to be entertaining in the beginning but before things started to get serious with Daisuke's story, the cases were somewhat episodic while following a linear storyline that would be presented later on. When the story suddenly shifts, it makes the first couple of episodes feel a bitredundant. Not to mention for someone of them it was hard to throw away my disbelief. I could get behind Daisuke using his money to solve most of the cases (which I did like) but they feel like an afterthought when compared to the later episodes. Speaking of later episodes, this is where it sort of falls apart with how rushed some things are. Given that there are only 11 episodes, I figured that the last remaining few would tie together nicely in an even-paced. But with how rushed some parts of it were, it left the ending somewhat bittersweet.

Characters (5/10)

This is probably my biggest gripe I have with the show as a whole. Haru and Daisuke were presented as polar opposites who don't agree with everything and goes about doing things their own way. Whether it be Haru going by the book or Daisuke going the easy way, it gives the viewer a look into who they are. Except, it doesn't. They don't work AT ALL in this entire series. They pretty much remain the same even at the end with little to no growth. I don't expect them to be best friends but somewhere along the lines of acknowledging their differences but working together. That does not happen at all. One anime that was recently released, Great Pretender, does a much better job at creating a group dynamic of different individuals coming together to get the job done. They may not agree with everything but they compliment each other and their bond is believable. Haru and Daisuke on the other hand... they're nothing more than co-workers and that's it.

As individuals, they could've been better. Haru, in my opinion, is useless and a redundant character. Daisuke carried the series for about 90% of it while Haru carried the last 10%. For most of the series, he tries to be a by the book person but his attitude comes off as annoying and ovebearing. He sees his way as the only way when in reality, Daisuke using his wealth helps a lot with several cases even if it means going against what people do. He was useless while Daisuke was doing his part and only in the last 2 episodes did he actually do something. If he wasn't in the show, nothing would be different. I rather prefer Daiskue over him.

Speaking of Daisuke, I do think he's an OK character but his personality could be summed up as a rich asshole. And that's about it. Now, I do like him and how he goes about things especially in the later half of the series, but I can't say that there's anything interesting about him other than he's rich.

The other characters... I honestly couldn't care less since they didn't stand out other than a few.

Art (7/10)

I did like the art style though the animation did drop a bit in the last few episodes. Nothing major but I do like it.

Sound (6/10)

The sound was OK. I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of the OP and prefer the ED. The OST was decent enough.

Overall (6/10)

Fugou Keiji: Balance Unlimited had lots to go on with it's unique plot and characters. And it does for the most part but there was lots of wasted potential with Haru, the last couple of episodes being rushed, and Haru's and Daisuke's friendship (if you could even call it that). At best, it's an average show.

98
Mixed Feelings
E
Ellenwitch

about 5 years ago

8

There is a lot to say about this show, for all the right reasons honestly. You cannot go wrong with this show, and thankfully it's back, and it's really hit the ground running once again since it's come back, and here is why! Of course the main focus is on the two main characters and who they are. The chemistry between the two main characters really mesh well together, and it really pushes the show forward. I'd honestly say the last two episodes for sure have been great on that, and have really pushed my liking towards this anime more. So well done on that part.As for other cast members, they fit into the show really well for who they are, it's great to see.

As for the story itself, where can you go wrong? It's action packed, and it's charming and funny in it's own right. Like I mentioned the two MCs, it can be over the top sometimes, but what's wrong with that? It's all out fun, and can be very serious when it needs to be.

The art style can be flashy sometimes, but also match the scene it currently is in. Much like the music can do so too. Well done there. You'll really not mind either thing.

Should you watch this show? For sure! It's been great so far, and it'll just continue to get even greater as we go along. So give it a shot!

55
Preliminary
Recommended
Preliminary
d
diazna

about 5 years ago

6

-initial:- the first episode was absolutely a great start and i saw the (unlimited) potential of this show, but the humor & hype hasn't been exactly the same since then. and no, i don't just mean because it was on hiatus. episode 4 was a literal fanfiction. not to repeat jokes but...as someone else said, fanservice: unlimited. character development is good! but did we need a whole episode of fluff just for daisuke to learn a few basic living tips? i'm not complaining, because i still like where this show can head given time. the pacing is just a bit weird, there's not really much of anestablished plot for the long run yet. the tension isn't continuous. haru and daisuke's discontent with each other? resolved to the point in which they can hang out and be chill. any leading mysteries besides how exactly suzue is related to daisuke? nah. shine for the other coworkers including the glorious kamei??? no.

OBVIOUSLY we have plenty of time for this, and honestly in the next episode i expect to see the full cast again ready for action. it's just that it's weird, the first episode set such a high standard for at least me personally. episode 2 served its purpose introducing suzue & showing inner conflict (still a bit iffy but i did like it!). and episode 3 i also liked because the humor came back & the conflict was more personal. haru flashbacks were appreciated. (haru in general is appreciated ok.)

i should mention that even beyond what we know, there are already theories in my head & hopes for the future... maybe last episode is to majorly subvert expectations. this show is pretty unpredictable so hopefully that works in its favor.

-updated:-

so we have a plot. the pacing still isn't my favorite and the conflicts still don't hold much weight imo. something about it all feels dull.

54
Preliminary
Mixed Feelings
Preliminary
T
TheFreycook

about 5 years ago

4

This show is honestly terrible in so many ways mainly involving the plot, the base problem that really ruins the show being said plot and how Cuck James Bond can literally buy anything he wants which makes everything in this show have zero stakes because you know he's literally just gonna buy evidence, answers, or an entire building if he has to to solve the case. At least shows with gimmicky things like this have good characters, good character interactions, good writing, or god-tier animation and sadly this show has none of that. To end it all off go read Spy x Family or reallyany other mystery/spy/thriller because it'll probably be a lot less mind numbing than this can be.

42
Preliminary
Not Recommended
Preliminary
K
KANLen09

almost 5 years ago

7

"(The love of) money is the root of all evil. So I came, I saw, I sponsored." Balance: UNLIMITED, proudly sponsored by the Kambe Conglomerate. Another series that was unfortunately delayed by COVID, but gained its foothold back into the Summer season, and I'd have to say that for a police/detective mystery show of a novel like this, it was good overall, but somehow faltered along the way for the precedence of speculations as far as Fujoshi fandom between the 2 central characters. Don't quote me on this, it's just my gut feeling on this show, but this has to be just said out loud: fanservice:UNLIMITED.

I have long trusted in director Tomohiko Itou's ways of doing work that through time have never ceased to impress (a.k.a. Gin no Saji, Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin (Occult Academy), SAO Season 1 and 2, AND ESPECIALLY Erased), but it's scriptwriter Kishimoto Taku that raises a lot of red flags when it comes to the source adaptations of ANY type (see Hanebado!, the collab of both in Erased, and Joker Game). And speaking of Joker Game, Fugou Keiji is more of the same under the novel adaptation, to put it best and quote-unquote ZephSilver's words: "Cool gadgets. Fine women. Exotic locations. Fast cars. Espionage. Epic Adventures."

Based on the novel of the same name, Fugou Keiji (or the Millionaire Detective) is as what it sounds like: a total gung-ho mystery detective show that has a gimmick to it, and that's the "Balance: Unlimited" part, where money is used from the most basic stuff to the ultimate extreme parts of espionage and bribery in the most flattering way possible to outwit any level of disaster in typical crime-fighting fashion.

The centrifugal force on this show lies between 2 main characters: the simplistic Haru Kato and the millionaire himself, Daisuke Kambe. More often than now, justice is defined very differently in the eyes of the beholder, and this is a perfect case when debating against both of their practices. Haru is more of the down-to-earth approach in wanting to see justice be served in the most humane way, and Daisuke is a man who leaves nothing out of proportion when it comes to spending money on the footbill of millions of yen (and yes, there was that one episode where Daisuke was Balance: Limited, and that's one of my favourite episodes). Regardless of how these two fine gentleman mete out their accord of justice, the time of collaboration when Daisuke was called to help in Haru's police division truly shows how the both of them have their discords that while can be divisive, they must work in tandem with each other to utilize strengths to solve crimes along the way, from typical public crime to a family conspiracy.

The other supporting characters, from Daisuke's personal digital assistant HEUSC (something like out of Knight Rider) and the close cousin Suzue, to Haru's colleagues, they each serve their purpose of roaming around both Haru and Daisuke to figure out their schtick, and regardless of conflicts, work together to fight crime that does not pay to evildoers in an episodic basis that slowly conjures up to the limits of Daisuke and the conflict between his family (even though high access is given but only to the person in control). If anything, most screentime is served on both Haru and Daisuke, and to see the background characters get some story plot is already taking liberties at what made the original novel good. In a nutshell. to understand humans,

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the high detail of animation through CloverWorks (after splitting from A-1 Pictures) was high-octane great with utmost clarity. With great animation comes great action, and it absolutely doesn't disappoint at maintaining a very high crisp level of detail that's reminiscent of the parent company from one of its subsidiaries. The pumped-up action also isn't wavering from quality, so that's a good indication.

Sound wise, the OST is pretty much synonymous with the setting of the entire show in flesh, blood and heaps of money thrown in your face. SixTones's "Navigator" is honestly one of the best OPs I've heard, and it's in a J-Pop idol style, so that makes all the charm so wise. Okamoto's "Welcome My Friend" for the ED puts a jazz spin that's screams "the show must go on, more than ever". One great start and a decent end, something does not seem right here, but for what it is, I will gladly take it.

I do love mystery, spy-tactical shows (a.k.a Princess Principal, Spy X Family) that manage to keep me invested from start to finish, but sadly for Fugou Keiji, the contents just whizzed by in an episodic format, and while I can say that "For this episode, I liked so and so", it just doesn't connect as fluidly as it should have, and novel readers are right to swear if the content is somewhat missed or axed out. This show does nothing to stand out, and I don't blame you if somehow the dropping turnover rate does increase till the ending.

In the end, what our rich boy Kambe does with his money, it's one thing and one thing only: Balance: UNLIMITED. If you want a war with Daisuke, match his millionaire status and espionage skills with elegance.

36
Recommended
d
ddrcrono

about 5 years ago

8

Balance: Unlimited delivers more or less on what it promises from the first episode. Action, detective work, and oil and water police partners coming to see eye to eye. Oh, and unlimited money, of course. Insofar as police shows go, outside of "One of them has unlimited money," this doesn't stray too far outside the sorts of patterns you'd expect to see, however, a show doesn't need to be completely unique to be enjoyable and well-delivered. The unlimited money quirk is enough to make the show interesting, and the rest of the more "normal" writing in its characters and relatively episodic plot isn't particularly stellar, butgood enough to be enjoyable.

As for the more aesthetic elements of the show, the animation quality is reasonably good and the soundtrack is decently catchy. The characters are similar to some we've seen before, but they're enough their own people that they don't feel like total cardboard cutouts.

The plot is reasonably decent and at least a cut above run-of-the-mill as unlimited money allows for some normally unbelievable liberties in its writing. Despite this, some developments seem, even given unlimited money, a little too hard to swallow.

Overall, Balance: Unlimited looks to be a decent show worth watching - nothing particularly special, but different enough to be memorable. Something to consider picking up if you're looking to fill out your Summer 2020 season with another show.

28
Preliminary
Recommended
Preliminary
X
Xyphnos

almost 5 years ago

6

This show has a story that, while interesting, I feel was never really the focus of the show. Now this is a buddy cop show, so the main focus of the show is the dynamics between the conflicting personalities of it's main characters, which I feel is done well. Kanbe and Katou are fun to watch, and that really is the most important thing in a show like this for me. This show has a nice style to it, which partly drew me in initially as it looked interesting. The sound design is good and the little theme song that plays whenever Kanbe unexpectedly pulls someJames Bondsy gadget out of thin air always gets a chuckle out of me.

This show is fun. It has some darker episodes, but the art, sound and especially the characters ultimately give it a more lighthearted and fun feel once you're done.

In conclusion

This show is good, but not great. The story might not be the greatest but it's interesting which is more than a lot of shows have, the art style is pleasant, the sound nice, and the character dynamics are fun to watch. You probably at least find this enjoyable but don't go in expecting a masterpiece.

25
Mixed Feelings
M
Marinate1016

almost 5 years ago

8

Balance:Unlimited is probably one of the freshest shows I've seen in a while. I really can't think of any anime to compare it to, that I've seen at least. The closest comparison I could come up with is James Bond meets mission impossible with a little bit of Rush Hour. If you're interested in any of those franchises, you need to be watching this. It's a consistently entertaining and fun show with over the antics, cool characters and a surprisingly good plot/mystery. The first few episodes kind of make it feel like a villain of the week type set up with the two detectives solvingcases, apprehending criminals and a light tone, but once you get about halfway through the series the story really gets going and starts to shine.

Cloverworks have yet to disappoint me with their character designs, animation and quality production and Balance:Unlimited is no exception. Character models stay on point throughout and when the show calls for it, the action scenes are great. I think the OST for this one is also quite underrated, it adds a lot to the atmosphere of several scenes.

Overall, Balance:Unlimited has been one of my fave shows of the year, it's a shame the COVID 4 month delay took some of the wind out of its sails, but for those of us who did get to watch it, I think we all enjoyed. Balance: Unlimited gets 8 Rolls Royces out of 10 from me.

20
Recommended
h
haijisan26

about 5 years ago

4

It ended. Thank god, this is the last time I'm ever coming back to this show. "Hero", what a misunderstood word. The show aims for charisma in a three piece while tripping over its own laces. Gotta say, I was very excited about this show. The opening came out and it was such a good hit. The animation from the opening seemed better than average as well. However, after watching the first few episodes, man, what a letdown. The soundtrack is interesting and fits the theme of this kind of crime-detective shows well, love the sometimes jazzy tones that really sparkle. The ending and openingare gems as well.

Next, the very very problematic characters. I understand the hype about Haru but I can't help but think he makes such a bad cop. He's judgmental (without enough evidence), idealistic (to the point of being a danger to himself and everyone else) and abrasive (diving headfirst with only his blind justice for armor). I'm not sure how someone like that became a cop, and why he wants to remain a cop if he can't even discern right from wrong in the best of times. The situations (under plot armor) allow him to appear infallible. Reality is rarely so kind.

As for Daisuke, I actually much prefer his character. Character trope or not, that rigidity of morals is something I admire and look forward to. He's not a bad person, it's just the way he was brought up: throwing money at everything. In fact, throughout the show, we see lots of instances where he destroys inanimate objects but keeps casualties to a minimum. However, I keep waiting for that moment of change. It doesn't happen by the way.

Their chemistry is nonexistent. Only fujoshis can look forward to those moments forcefully inserted from thin air. It's a show built on fanservice and a fanservice show it will remain.

There are great things about it (I do love the way they show the balance tally at the end of each episode to discern how much Daisuke has spent -- and the gradual decrease). Daisuke's voice actor is pretty good, considering that it's his debut anime.

But, the plot. Or the lack thereof. There are so many problems with the plot that I gave up analysing. You don't even have to squint to see it. Even if you close your eyes, you could probably hear it. I'm not expecting perfection, but at the very least, some realism would help.

Every week, I'm not sure what I'm watching, and why I should feel anything for it. The "heroes" are bad, the villains are worse. There are so many moments where I ask myself, "why did they do this", "why did that happen" that I just got tired of it at the end. Watching this show is exhausting, trying to forgive every mistake. I forget each episode after I watch it and have no desire to rewatch it.

17
Preliminary
Not Recommended
Preliminary
B
Blastemperor406

almost 5 years ago

6

I was really hyped for the show, it was exactly what i was looking for and could have been season top for me but, Decline graph is all I can say which went to negative. the first episode really captured a smooth edgy cowboy bebop/Durarara vibe with an interesting concept. The second episode delivered on it with and and things were going well. but after that.... meh N_N In my opinion they should have gone with episodic slice of life action approach if they were going to give it this beige and clustered story, the backstories are attempted to be set in ground in exchange of being mindblowing but it failed to deliver on that.

the arc that consumed 6 episodes was plain uninteresting and sort of cliche to a certain extend

i wont discourage a watch, but the its one of those fade from memory shows

13
Mixed Feelings
c
chimichangass

about 5 years ago

6

If you're reading this very review of mine and are interested in watching this anime, there are two possibilities... ONE, you're here for Daisuke Kambe TWO, you're actually genuinely interested in watching the anime. Well, if I'm going to be HELLA honest, I started watching this for the sole purpose of fangirling over Daisuke and lemme just say that those were some embarrassing times. But no worries, I've grown and learnt from my past mistakes and am now a new man. It took me quite a while to realize that there isn't much to Daisuke other than the fact that he's just hot and yeaa. Aside frommy Daisuke obsession, I did take this anime seriously and was in a way invested in it. I wanted to see if this anime was something more than one with a rich hot dude and what I found was ehhh???? Idk man

For starters, episode 1 gave me a good first impression. It was pretty good, especially with the action scenes. However as things went on, it slowly became more of a kiddy-like slice of life anime. Episode 3, in particular was SUCH A LETDOWN. I wanted drama, violence, suspense and some excitement but unfortunately NOTHING of the sort ever happened.

Continuing on up until episode 5, it's all just boring. At that point, the anime had literally abandoned its original plot, detectives fighting crime and solving mysteries etc. NGL, by then, I was so close to dropping this anime as I figured that it wasn't worth my time anymore

BUTTTTT then came episode 6 and THAT WAS A WHOLE ASS U-TURN IHDIUEEIUEUHEF

Episode 6 had everything the anime was lacking but it was so much more. It really impressed me and boy was I not expecting ALL THAT. With that, I now currently have some new found hope that maybe this show isn't that much of a flunk but we'll have to see how the anime progress from here.

So, if you're willing to be patient enough to watch through all those boring and uninteresting episodes till the real drama hits, then sure, go ahead but if you're not willing to do so...sorry fam but you ain't goanna like this one.

10
Preliminary
Mixed Feelings
Preliminary
H
HenriqueNeves

almost 5 years ago

6

The anime risked proposing a plot far from reality, even if it happens in the present times. What I mean is that she took on the use of technology with an almost fanciful and surreal air, and that immediately fascinated me right away. Unfortunately, the direction took on a very personal and forewarned look, Anime spends few moments when it manages to highlight this reality. With the exception of the first episode, which is one that manages to go further with the idea of ​​the work, most of the time, he is more focused on dramatizing some moments in an unnecessary way than on enhancing whathe takes as a starting point for his own premise. The truth is that it sounds very safe for an anime with such an inventive idea. Except that even though it is not conducive to surprises in the way it is staged, he managed to entertain me with only the little that he presented. The most episodic form at the beginning of the series, where each episode well maintains this idea of ​​a universe conducive to changes and rules of its own, which does not change when switching to a linear style.

11
Mixed Feelings
2
21stdealer

almost 5 years ago

6

Fugou Keiji is about two people, first and foremost. Kambe Daisuke is extremely wealthy and he can solve virtually all of his problems using his money, so he does. He doesn't actively disrespect others, but he carries the attitude that he doesn't have time for them, which the show initially suggests is not a wrong assumption. Katou Haru, on the other hand, initially looks down on Daisuke's methods and respects Cho's more traditional approach. Where Daisuke is stoic and unmoved, Haru is always throwing himself into danger—often unprepared, and with little regard for his own safety—for the greater good. Thus the question is, do they change? STORY (3/10) Thestory is lackluster. Nothing about the plot is particularly groundbreaking. The show does a good job building tension, but it's not very cohesive. The first three episodes of the show are relatively episodic and self-contained. Haru and Daisuke deal with different conflicts, then Daisuke enters with all his money and saves the day.

Then (with episodes 5-11) the show converges to focus on one subject with much higher stakes—multiple threads interweave a mystery that involves Daisuke's family, the police force, and an unresolved murder.

The finale's twist is unpredictable, but only because it was never foreshadowed or even hinted at. It came out of nowhere and left almost as many questions as answers. The pacing is messy; an entire is dedicated to flashbacks about characters who aren't even the main two. An antagonist they spend much of the penultimate episode fighting has virtually no plot significance.

In that respect, the story warps around the characters. If you watch Fugou Keiji for its plot, you will likely walk away unsatisfied.

ART and SOUND (8/10)

The action scenes are well-animated, the character designs are memorable, the OP and ED songs are phenomenal. Environment is consistent, interesting, and well-established. Daisuke has a brass theme that plays whenever he enters to do something badass, and it's exciting every time. Nothing to complain about here.

CHARACTER (6/10)

Kambe Daisuke and Katou Haru are the central forces the show orbits around. The other members of the Modern Crimes division are there for comic relief and contribute virtually nothing. There are characters who are interesting (i.e. Hoshino, Cho, and Takei—Hoshino for his moral conflict with Haru contrasted so sharply against their camaraderie in the past, Cho and Takei for their relevance to the plot).

Suzue—though she is featured almost as much as Haru and Daisuke in the opening animation—completely lacks autonomy and does nothing except help Daisuke in unmemorable ways. She's a convenient vehicle used to show things to the viewer that would otherwise be offscreen (i.e. her and Daisuke's house when he isn't present, a diagram of the location Daisuke and Haru are in, etc). Her contributions are always either foiled or end up being helpful but non-crucial, and she obeys Daisuke's commands with unwavering resolve. In that respect, she's barely her own person. It would feel cheap if she saved the day from her desk chair in the mansion, so she never does. The show would be almost the same without her there.

The show also deals with Haru's trauma—the depiction of it is lackluster. It comes up only exclusively when it's relevant to the plot, and it's resolved in a rather shallow friendship-saves-the-day manner, and it's used as a plot device to make space for a few rather frustrating moments.

Ultimately, this is a character-driven series that relies heavily on the main leads. The first episode establishes that Daisuke looks down on Haru (both figuratively and literally). It's clear that Daisuke couldn't care less about how things are done in the police department, but he goes as far as to actively let Haru get hurt when he has the means to help him. When Haru confronts him about it, Daisuke's response is dismissive and condescending. The first episode is a promise that they will change.

Daisuke is human in small moments—he is so sheltered and disconnected that he's enthusiastic about small everyday things that Haru shows him (like instant ramen). He acts in a way that shows he doesn't feel like he owes anything to anyone (which is not entirely untrue).

But (excluding episode 1), he isn't cruel for fun. He learns to respect Haru begrudgingly; he trusts Haru's assessments of the situation (episode 3) and there are moments where he is genuinely selfless. This doesn't excuse his general assholeness, but it does make him likable.

And Haru—despite showing disdain towards Daisuke's methods at first—quickly learns that while they're frustrating, they're effective. There's a moment when his assurance about Daisuke's motivations is thrown into doubt, but even then, it's clear that there's still a quiet trust between them. That moral juxtaposition is somewhat shallow but enticing—we get the best of both worlds (money/power and also morality/justice) when they work together. And even when they learn to see eye to eye, they still remain vastly different (and self-driven) people; they don't lose any individuality along the way.

This is where the show succeeds.

ENJOYMENT (7/10)

Despite everything—despite the hit-or-miss supportive cast, the inconsistent pacing, and the lack of cohesion in plot—Fugou Keiji is a fun watch. It's sort of a mess, but it's also blatantly unafraid. Daisuke solves problems in crazy, grandiose ways, using ridiculous sums of money, and it's fun to watch him do it—it's a spectacle. The show leaves room for action scenes that aren't strategically memorable but are still entertaining. And (aside from the start), it's adequately fast-paced and packed with action. The main characters are not passive.

As for the answer to the question 'will you enjoy the show?' A better question is, after a few episodes do you enjoy the characters?

Overall: 6/10.

11
Mixed Feelings
y
yoyojian123

over 4 years ago

3

its was disappointing. The story was very intriguing at first because you get two people who have totally different values put together to work. But then the show just focused on this one case and you dont really get to see the two main characters dynamic with each other and it got really boring. Amazing opening and ending song though. Also mamo-chan voiced Katou which was great.\ overall, I wished the anime focused more on the interactions of the two characters and how they work together. maybe the anime was for the novel readers but it wasn't what I thought it would like.

15
Not Recommended
W
Wolxies

over 1 year ago

3

The only appeals I found in this anime are watching someone spend money without thinking about the cost and the futuristic gadgets. My first impression was "It is weird for Husk to be able to do illegal stuff with money" (especially as it happens a lot) but I gave a chance to the anime and after all, why not. Unfortunately, there is little to no character development for the main and supporting characters so it's difficult to follow the story, which is okay at first. The two main characters get along after a skip, but it's hard to believe they made up so quickly in one travel(and it was so badly done that I had to check if I had missed an episode). Moreover Daisuke is the most expressionless character you will ever find and all characters have only one or at best two traits so it's hard to relate to them.

As the end was near I noticed it was hard to believe that some inventions only required money and no time all.

The anime's ending is far too rushed, raises unanswered questions and the saddest for me was that I suspected the main plot's culprit since the middle of the anime (for half good reasons). It was frustrating to see he wasn't suspected at all and that later it make me believe he was not the culprit because it was absurd...

3
Not Recommended
I
IchUndAnime

over 1 year ago

6

When "I am Batman" becomes "I am super rich", you've made a mistake and are watching the anime "The Millionaire Detective: Balance Unlimited"! The policeman by passion Katou was demoted due to an incident, but he catches the eye of a super-rich man who just spontaneously felt like fighting crime! So while Kato tries to knock some common sense into him, his new partner Kambe investigates as he pleases and perhaps blows up a bridge or two, because after all he has an infinite amount of money in his account... I think you can tell from this brief description that the anime has its own charm, whichis quite convincing. The chemistry between the two protagonists, but also many of the other, colorful and rather nonsensical characters, are fun - even if all the characters outside the protagonist duo play a rather small supporting role.

The whole thing is further dampened by Katou, who I would hate as an independent character. He complains about the work of other policemen and impulsively puts his life and the lives of civilians in danger all the time. However, this gives Kambe a stage to shine, which makes Katou bearable.

Unfortunately, the fun ends quickly. Although scenes in which Katou fights his trauma and Kambe is amazed at how badly normal people live were to be expected, the anime quickly overdoes it with serious scenes. Soon an overarching story develops in this seemingly episodic series, which really couldn't have interested me less. It very quickly became stale and was too serious for me - even though there were always serious moments beforehand, they still alternated with the rather silly and playful character dynamics. Not only do such moments almost completely disappear from the series, but the overarching "case" is really uninteresting because the villain was obvious from the beginning and at the same time some of his actions made no sense.

All in all, I can't really understand why you have to turn a series with episodic stories into a coherent anime anyway. Do viewers not watch the first episodes because of the episodic stories and are then disappointed because they end? I would have at least liked more focus on everything outside of this rather mediocre crime story, also because some of the case's problems probably wouldn't have been as noticeable if it had only been a few episodes long. Still, I'd like to end by praising pretty much all the characters (except for the one antagonist), who were really well done and fun, but didn't get enough attention.

1
Mixed Feelings
E
Efeee

over 4 years ago

8

Solving crime with infinite Money. This series was such a good experience. Art style and the Characters design are really good. If you love watching thriller detective anime. This one is for you. The characters were plot addictive.Especially the opening and drawing are perfect. One of the most entertaining anime. The Main characters are so good. Especially Daisuke. He is very handsome , smart and the richest anime character I have ever seen. The story is very good written and it's look like James Bond movies and Batman but that's good. I like both of them. Hope there's a season 2. It’s really fun to watch.

2
Recommended