Anime Full Circle

Hello and greetings fellow Otaku,

It is time now for another anime review, afc style. This time we are going to take a look at the anime series known as Steam Detectives.

Steam Detectives is a series that focuses on the steam punk genre in which can be referenced by steam powered machinery among other things. The main protagonist of Steam Detectives is Narutaki, a young man who is considered as a genius by some and a public nuisance by others. Narutaki is considered as Steam City’s greatest detective in which he conducts his investigations in a logical and precise manor like the famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Narutaki loves Steam City and vows to protect it from danger and despair from evil villains and those who vow to destroy it.

But Narutaki can’t protect Steam City on his own, he has some help from a few close acquaintances. One of them is his assistant Ling Ling. Ling Ling is Narutaki’s assistant and his personal nurse in which she assists Narutaki in his cases and looks over him when he is injured or sick. Though much of Ling Ling’s past is considered a mystery, her personality and charm makes her one of the most interesting characters in the series.

Some of the other main characters of the series include Kawakubo, Narutaki’s butler in which he helps Narutaki with his research in his cases and is the primary caretaker for Narutaki. He is also familiar with older cases of his father. Goriki, Ling Ling’s megamaton in which he provides Narutaki with the strength to take on the toughest of cases. Detective Onigawara, an detective for the Steam City Police Department in which he resents Narutaki’s involvement in cases and has a huge crush on Ling Ling. And Inspector Yagami, a trusted friend in the police department in which he provides Narutaki with information on certain cases and he calls on Narutaki for help when needed.

But while their are hero’s, their are also villains who vow to destroy Narutaki and Steam City as a whole. Some of these villains include Crimson Scorpion, An female thief who uses multiple disguises to steal her prizes which include gems and fine jewelry. Le Bled, a thief who has the same level of intelligence as Narutaki in which he steals rare items in which he feels that he is the only one to appreciate them. And Night Phantom, an villain with a mysterious past in which he hates Steam City in which he vows to destroy it and Narutaki to avenge the death of his father.

Overall Specs   

The series consists of 26 episodes in a six dvd thin-pack. The thin-pack is still available from some retailers such as Amazon and Roberts Anime Corner Store but due to Adv Films closure, the series is no longer being released. The series also comprises of an 8 vol manga which is also available in a limited supply.

Final Verdict 

As for my overall rating, I give Steam Detectives a 4.5 out of 5. Though while I like the series as a whole, I was kind of disappointed that the series did not mesh with the manga in certain aspects. But overall, this is an excellent series however I would recommend reading the manga first to get an general idea of the series as a whole and to understand certain aspects in the manga that you will not see in the anime.

And that will do it for this review. So until next time, remember that their is a ton of great anime and manga out there. All you have to do is find it. Ltrs. 

Did You Know?

Did you know that Steam Detectives was created by Kia Asamiya, the same author who also created the anime and manga series Silent Mobius. It is another series that I would also recommend watching.