Summary
The Summer 2023 anime season was stacked, from the newest cour ofBleachto the start ofJujutsu Kaisen’s long-awaited second season, toa superb fifth season ofBungo Stray Dogs. It was understandable that Undead Murder Farce might be overlooked, but the longer this peculiar series continued, the more its inspired storytelling begged to be seen.
From the director ofKaguya-sama: Love Is Warand based on the novel series by Yuugo Aosaki,Undead Murder Farceis a supernatural mystery series from studio Lapin Track (Sarazanmai). It tells the story of Aya Rindo, an immortal detective who has lost her body, a half-oni cage fighter named Tsugaru Shinuchi, and a taciturn, combat-ready maid named Shizuku Hasei.
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Farcical-History
When first revealed, Shinuchi is a circus performerof sorts called the “Oni-slayer,” who kills monsters for the amusement of a paying audience. One night, he is visited by a maid carrying a birdcage and, after a brief fight with the maid, is introduced to the talking head within the cage. Aya Rindo, presumably the only immortal in existence, has had her body stolen.
She asks that Shinuchi kill her, as only a man of his kind would be able to. She even offers to help him prevent his inevitable transformation from half-oni to full-oni. From the premiere alone, it’s impressive how striking the visuals are and how deeply the characters are explored in so short a time. Rindo and Shinuchi both start and end the episode with very different goals.
At first, she wants to die while he is content to let himself become a monster, thinking he’ll at least kill some humans he finds detestable. But suddenly, these two people - who are far more alike than they realize - find another way. They decide to findthe one who stole Rindo’s body, who just so happens to be the same man who experimented on Shinuchi.
She has the brains to find him, and he has the body to carry her to him. Between the animation, the visual metaphor, and the highly expressive camera work, the stage is set masterfully. Episode 2 ofUndead Murder Farcejumps a considerable time ahead when the main trio has already made a name for themselves. In the process, the sheer scope of fantasy creatures featured within this world becomes apparent, and suddenly anything is possible.
One Farce After Another
Across 13 episodes, the series contains three major stories. The first involves a family of vampires who maintain an alliance with humans despite attempts made on their lives by hunters. One night, the mother is killed, and the father calls upon the Cage User, another name for Shinuchi, who carries Rindo across the globe as she takes on monster-related cases.
Undead Murder Farceisa love letter to classic mystery storytellingemboldened by the simple gimmick of adding supernatural elements. The rules of these monsters and their weaknesses are all taken into consideration and factor into numerous misdirects. For as thorough as the story is, it can fly by, a vexing but ultimately positive quality in any story. It’s how one knows that they’re invested, and the directing makes it hard to take one’s eyes away for even a second.
The second story, written by none other than Chiaki J. Konaka (The Big O,Digimon Tamers), toes a line between ridiculously cool and stupid, and just manages to lean heavily on the former. The Phantom of the Opera, Arsene Lupin, Sherlock Holmes, Philleas Fogg, and more legendary literary characters fill out the cast. Furthermore, the antagonist is revealed to be Moriarty, joined by the likes of Frankenstein, Carmilla, Jack the Ripper, and Alistair Crowley.
Were it not for how well-written this series is andhow respectful these portrayals are, this could have easily been the moment the story jumped the shark. Every moment when it feels like the cameos will become too much, another scene comes along that completely sells it. The only characters that may truly try the viewer’s patience are the Royce agents, whose gaudy attire does little to compensate for how shallow their characterizations are.
Finally, the third and final arc opts for another murder mystery, albeit one with several added layers of complexity.Undead Murder Farce’s greatest success is how addictive its storytelling is and how it encourages the viewer to look closer and find answers themselves. It can be an incredibly satisfying viewing experience whether one participates or is content to sit back.
A Captivating Trio
In the face of all the big names,the story never forgets its protagonists. Tomoyo Kurosawa’s performance as Rindo is mesmeric in a way all detectives should be. She’s calm and cool most of the time, and when she isn’t, it’s rare but very funny. In Shinuchi’s hands, it’s as if her body isn’t missing at all. They’re impeccably coordinated, and he presents her with an appreciable level of stage presence.
At the end of the day, that’s what Shinuchi is; a performer. He isn’t interested in revenge or anything like that. He wishes to stay by Rindo’s side and give a performance. It helps that he’s a genuinely good performer. He’s often reciting rakugo stories, a form of Japanese theater that series director Mamoru Hatakeyama previously chronicled in his previous series,Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu. Needless to say, he was the perfect man to direct this show.
Of course, this show does follow a trio and if Shizuku has seemed absent from the discussion, it’s because she doesn’t become more fleshed out until later. Perhaps it’s more fair to call her characterization defused, in that she is a very quiet figurethat opens up slowly as the story progresses. Her rivalry with the vampire Carmilla helps break her out of her shell, hinting at some interesting developments in a possible sequel.
With the buzz the show has gotten over the season, it sure would be lovely if this series continued, not only to continue what it does so well but to meet its full potential. Like the monster stories it is inspired by, this series uses its various genre trappings to tell a tale of the archetypal other, how they are victimized, and how they hurt others in return. While the second arc doesn’t quite hone in on this point, it’s abundant in the other two.
The storytelling and its various twists are masterfully done, but the story itself could stand to linger more on the aftermath of these cases and the people affected. It can get so swept up in the cathartic highs of the grand reveal that the writers neglect to give these stories and their characters a proper conclusion.This is especially true of the finale, where the lives lost feel forgotten in favor of a “safe” ending that feels tonally confused.
Undead Murder Farceis one of the most surprising anime of this year. It’s an ambitious production that doesn’t always sport the cleanest and prettiest animation, but that compensates through striking directing that keeps the pace consistent and never dull. Like the most engaging detective stories, it’s one where every detail matters and where the viewer is rewarded for paying close attention.
Score: 4 out of 5
