Sherlock: The Untold Stories (2019)

I LOVED this adaptation SO MUCH.

The show really has a flavour of its own, and is able to sustain the gentle mystery theme throughout, and I loved all the intros, and specially the restaurant murder in episode 9, the cast looked so damn good in formal wear.
Also loved the cast and the engaging plot and also the 'Wakamiya-chan' cuteness from Shishio. Recommend to see a different type of Sherlock which is just as entertaining.
The ambience of this show was too immersive, and was honest to the source material as much as possible, the murders really felt like I was watching a true rendition of how Sherlock would've been had it been created in a modern day Japan setting, with the murders and characters all playing a great role.

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A solid retelling of a loved story with strong performances, and a really handsome Shishio...

Shelock: untold stories takes the classic story and inserts a unique japanese's point of view that makes it refreshing enough to be fun to watch even if you've already seen every single adaptation there is of the dramatic queen of the 19th century. So, because it's a retelling I'm gonna focus on that, on how the sherlock lore is proyected on it and why is it good. for me. But maybe you're asking yourself what if I just like a good detective story, I'm not a fan of sherlock holmes and just looking for good jdrama to watch, would I like this? I'm gonna try to answer to that too.

Let's start with my favorite thing, the characters, whatever they're adapted or original they nail most of them. There's an evolution and you see them changing with the episodes and it's great to have a drama focusing on character growth. There's no bad acting in anyway, it's solid all the way. Dean Fujioka is such a good Sherlock! Shishio stole my heart from episode 1, he is classic with the hobo clothes and so fun to watch go around, doing his things, being a drama queen, he is adorable, nice and heartwarming. ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW HOT DEAN IS? Wakamiya, on the other hand, I didn't like him at the beggining it was too simple and too bland for me, but half way through he started to felt like a real companion and a friend to Shishio, someone who did something at least. Etou is an amazing secondary character and so are the other support cast.

Now the story: this's a 'case by episode' kinda thing so besides some little things here and there, there's no real continuation in the general plot. And here lies one big flaw the drama has, in the early episodes the cases are very forgetable, there's no point in watching for the detectiveness of the series because its kind of bad, and I even would say that there is none; they are very easy cases, you know who did it by the first 5 minutes so even Shishio doesn't have to explain anything, it kind of goes like this: there's a murder, there's like a little thing that's wierd and gets Shishio interested, there's a woman/suspect acting not very normal aaaaaand that's it. Don't get me wrong, it's still fun to watch but it's not very innovative in terms of writing. BUT IT DOES GETS BETTER, episode nine (if anyone care) was my favorite because it nails the classic 'who done it' and it's so simple that it fits perfectly with the drama, it plays with the characters rather than with the story and it does so much with a single stage, Shishio felt more connected with the secondary characters and with the mystery itself, anyway it wasn't twisty or anything but it felt so good.
*Hardcore spoilers ahead* The finale is mediocre at best, Moriya is the weakest character, he doesn't do anything to make you afraid of him and his power, It's bad, really bad and not in a villain way. I though they were going for Etou-san being the real Moriya and that would've been so freaking cool! the reaction that we could have had! but no, we had that... what a loss. Also that "death" was so wrong, I appreciate the reference to the waterfall but that was a 5 meter fall, bitch you swim! It doesn't ruin the rest of the drama for me but it still shitty they did that.

SO ANYWAY.... The music is also great, bringing the classic back is nice and those violint scenes are just perfect. So... if you want to enjoy a simple detective story with nice characters and good perfomances this is for you. AND if you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes and doctor Watson it's a fun new way to see the characters that are loved so much around the globe, so definitely don't miss it, it's not perfect but your time will not be wasted.

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Exciting "New" Sherlock

The plot line follows the origin story(ies) of Sherlock Holmes, however, with a few tweaks and changes, this show is something completely new... yet familiar.


The story does have the comforting (?) and typical feel of Japanese detective shows; but when you throw in the "eccentric Sherlock and his witty sidekick (friend?)" then you get a completely different drama. Combined with the technology, thrills, suspense, and mystery that a Japanese police/detective/crime drama already has plus the Sherlock story itself seems to make this drama quite interesting; something new, yet something old and familiar. Which is why I think it's a "comforting" show. To say it's a predictable show is an overstatement, the feeling of it is but the story itself is something brand new!


I like how they did not dwell on the "major evils" throughout the show, nor did they build up to a big bang finale. Towards the end, the show created the "major evils" one step at a time; sometimes a line, sometimes a person, sometimes an entire criminal plan, etc...


The cast selected made this show what it is, I believe. Dean Fujioka was the perfect choice for Sherlock; though I can think of a few others who I would like to see in a few of the same roles, but it would just be my personal preference(s) based on what I've seen of their acting and because I've seen the entirety of this drama.; so it would sort of be like me superimposing a role from one show in to/on to this show. Which wouldn't be too interesting, but it wouldn't be too bad, either. So I think the cast was chosen with that in mind; something like "pick a couple of A-list actors then fill out the roles with B and C list", sort of thing. The entire cast had me completely mesmerized right up until the end! Their skilled talent full of respect and genuine humanity is what made this show such a success!

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Imperfect but likable detective drama

Each episode has a story of its own, but the stories are not all equally solid as detective stories. I think they are in general pretty good, however. The stories may always not intrigue the viewer or keep the viewer guessing 'whodunit', but they have their own special character. Sometimes there are nice twists, sometimes the culprits are predictable but the revelations of their motivations or methods are interesting. There are many sorts of detective stories, and I personally won't expect all of them to conform to a single standard.

Perhaps the best representation of how good this series can be is Episode 9 (the murder of a chef), an episode with interesting revelations (the story can go in many possible ways, and one is kept guessing). The characters in Episode 9 also have interesting back stories that make them human and fallible whether they are the culprits or not. There is a lot going on even though the scenes are largely set in a restaurant, and there isn't a boring moment.

Because the series is centered on the equivalent of Sherlock Holmes (Shishio Homare, same initials), it is important to have an intriguing or likable enough character here. Of course, Shishio has to be ingenious at solving cases, but beyond this necessary trait, there has to be something that makes the viewer care enough about him. The character of Wakamiya (the equivalent of Watson) becomes useful as his relationship with Shishio gives an additional dimension to Shishio.

With some attention on the interactions between Shishio and Wakamiya that do not become distracting, there is something that keeps the different stories together, and the series is not just one of a detective solving one case after another. The changing relationship between the two over the episodes, especially as narrated by Wakamiya, is nicely done. There are hints/teases of BL that are not excessively done, and one could see the relationship one that becomes more like bromance too. From someone in a case investigated by Shishio and someone Shishio imposes on (by making a unilateral decision to live with him), Wakamiya eventually grows rather attached to Shishio and he is the one who reacts most strongly when Shishio falls into the water in Episode 11. (By Episode 8-9, we can already see from the way Wakamiya looks at Shishio that he has totally accepted Shishioi into his life.)

The final part about "Sherlock's" confrontation with Moriarty (Moriya) turns out to rather anti-climatic, with a strong suggestion that the Moriya we see isn't the real one. Perhaps it is meant to keep things open for a second season while also being faithful to the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in which Sherlock Holmes "dies". But perhaps ending the first season this way isn't the best way to make a second season attractive to viewers. (The special episode, however, does give a better sense of temporary closure.)

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Yet another Sherlock Holmes incarnation, this time with slightly different relationship dynamics between Holmes (Shishio) and Watson (Wakamiya) than what I'm used to.

In this version, Shishio is the grounded one, he's less manic than Holmes usually is. Sure, he still has a flair for the dramatic but he's less insulting, less acerbic - and he certainly isn't into drugs of any kind. For Wakamiya who doesn't really know what to do with his life at this point, having given up being a psychiatrist, he serves as an anchor, even though Shishio's adventures are sometimes a bit too much for him.

It's an interesting setting and Shishio is definitely the one in control of their relationship and when he deems something too dangerous, he has no qualms to have Wakamiya arrested to keep him out of harms way - much to Wakamiya's anger, of course.

The cases are interesting - and what's also interesting is that we never actually get to really, truly meet and interact with Moriya, the man remains a shadow, someone passed in the hallway, a glimpsed smirk...

I finished the main series I still have yet to see the movie-length special, though - and the film sequel that should come out next year, of course. I'm curious how they will handle the post-"Reichenbach" period because Wakamiya seemed very wistful after Shishio's disappearance. Will he get angry when Shishio returns? Let's wait and see!

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I never read Sir Conan Doyle's Sherlock series so I can't say how any versions of Sherlock played up to it's book predecessors but I will say the Japanese version lacked some depth in many many ways.

I've seen several British versions of Sherlock and enjoyed those. I even enjoyed the US version with Jeremy Miller and Lucy Lu.
When I saw that the Japanese had their version I had to watch.

The first episode was great. I liked how it started off but by the third episode everything became predictable before I can say predictable. There was no mystery in each episode as to 'who dunnit'.

Dean Fujioka's version of Sherlock was good. We didn't learn his backstory until the very last episode. I don't know why Iwata Takanori's character was there. His verion of Watson was so bad! He didn't add anything to the series. The kid who got info for Fuijoka's character was way better than Takanori.
I really despised the detective's character. He was another character that made the series less desirable to watch. The guy who played as the fake Moriya was also really really weak. I didn't understand what his purpose was. The last episode had me scratching my head. It was truly a waste of a watch.

I stuck this out because I've been hooked on Korean dramas. I've enjoyed a lot of Kdramas but is trying to expand my dramas to Chinese and Japanese as well but for some odd reason these two just don't have the skill Koreans have. It's hard trying to like other genres when dramas like this is given.
I just hope they're done with this series. Leaving it as a cliff hanger makes me hope they won't bring back a part two.

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I wish it were a BL....

Well, this was underwhelming! Another retelling of Sherlock stories and I mostly dozed off while watching it! There was nothing spectacularly new and intriguing in these stories.

Except for the hot chemistry between Shishio and Wakamiya. WOW!!! They should have made this a bl and that would have shaken things up and kept me awake!

Everything is as it has always been: a charismatic and charming Sherlock and sweet and a bit dumb sidekick Watson. The modern setting has been done to perfection by BBC and since you cannot improve upon perfection I found the japanese drama boring mostly. The cases, the deduction process, the police....everything has been seen so many times over the decades of Sherlock Holmes imaginings. But eventually Shishio's pushy ways got to be really annoying for me though it had the opposite effect on Wakamiya who had become his friend and keeper of the altar dedicated to SH (his violin!).

This version had the feel of a series made in the 80s: muted colors, closed empty suffocating sets, timeless fashion and loud music. I find it is often the case with japanese dramas. I liked the music but there was too much of it and it drowned the conversation and took attention from crucial scenes. I found myself rewinding because I realized I had not heard anything so overpowering the music was. On the other hand, the scene with Shishio playing the same violin piece over and over again, which helps him focus and think, well those scenes were amazingly filmed and played. I kept wondering if the actor actually played the violin for real.

If you play close attention, there are little things(signs, numbers) throughout the series pointing to the original works of AC Doyle. That was slick and smart!

All in all, it is just another classical version though in modern setting of Sherlock Holmes. The only redeeming quality is the hotness of Watson: it is probably the most handsome Watson in history!

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De nouvelles aventures pour Sherlock & son acolyte.

Je commencerai cette critique en disant que j'ai souvent du mal à me faire une réelle opinion sur les dramas policiers... Pourquoi ? Car au final, le schéma & le type d'histoire reste fréquemment les mêmes et celui-ci ne déroge pas à la règle :
• Un duo de héros assez improbable en la personne d’un détective avec une grande capacité de déduction & d’un ancien psychiatre qui fût un des suspects lors de la première enquête. (Ce drama donne donc beaucoup de place au raisonnement logique & à la psychologie criminelle --> Ce qui est à la mode en ce moment ^^ Bon je ne vais pas me plaindre j’aime les analyses psychologiques =D)
• Des enquêtes qui semblent au premier abord sans rapport mais qui finalement se lient à la fin. (Enfin pas toute non plus hein x’D ça ne serait pas drôle sinon !)
• Un méchant dont on ne comprend pas réellement l’utilité… (C’est peut-être moi mais je n’arrive pas à voir l’intérêt du personnage de « Moriya ». Enfin, c’est peut-être aussi que j’ai regardé ce drama en deux fois et donc que j’ai loupé des éléments ^^’)
• Une fin qui nous laisse sur notre faim… (Et oui, comme les américains qui aiment nous laisser imaginer n’importe quoi au dernier épisode, les japonais ont décidés de nous laisser sur une fin ouverte afin que l’on attende avec impatience l’épisode spécial puis le film…)

Vous l’aurez compris, ce drama n’a rien de vraiment « original » d’autant plus que le duo est l’équivalant de « Sherlock Holmes & Watson ». Néanmoins, nous prenons plaisir à suivre les raisonnements de Shishio & ses prises de têtes avec le terre à terre Wakamiya =D !

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Caricaturale, noioso, senza suspense, pathos o umorismo. Piatto e irritante.

Diciamo che il titolo sarebbe già sufficiente, ma espandiamo.
Mi viene il dubbio che, se sonio storie mai raccontate, forse un motivo c'era...
La storia non ha quasi nulla dello Sherlock classico, se non le trasposizioni vagamente simili dei nomi e dei ruoli dei vari protagonisti principali. Non sarebbe il male, se ci fossero suspense, mistero, almeno un po' di sano umorismo. Invece, niente. Già il format "un caso a puntata leva il medico di torno" è quanto di meno entusiasmante si potrebbe pensare, ma se poi ci si aggiungono lentezza e assoluta mancanza di tensione, condite da una recitazione spesso sopra le righe da parte dei personaggi di spalla, si cade nell'umorismo involontario.
I casi presentati nelle prime 4 puntate sono poco interessanti, noiosi. Arrivata al quarto, complice la recitazione dei personaggi secondari, mi sono chiesta chi mi obbligasse a sorbirmi questo pastiche. E, rendendomi conto che la risposta era "nessuno", mi sono precipitata con sollievo a chiudere immediatamente l'esperienza.
Parlavamo degli attori. Se la coppia principale, bene o male, si lascia guardare, gran parte degli attori che interpretano i personaggi specifici di ogni episodio sono poco convincenti, spesso legnosi o eccessivi. Insomma, alla fine Dean Fujioka è più o meno l'unico veramente guardabile, e solo perché il suo personaggio "è" una caricatura, e lui la interpreta bene.
I personaggi sono in gran parte sgradevoli. L'ispettore è inguardabile, la macchietta di una macchietta, la sua assistente sembra un palo della luce, lo stesso simil-Watson è poco convincente nelle sue motivazioni già a partire dal primo episodio, e così via. Simpatico e ben recitato l'Irregolare di Baker Street in chiave nipponica. Shishio? Guardabile ma, appunto, caricaturale. Mi si dirà che è il suo personaggio. Sarà anche vero, ma arriva piatto. E irrita. Almeno, non si droga.
Si salva la musica. Carine le canzoni e il commento musicale, ma è un po' poco per convincermi a rimanere in questo mondo.
Difatti, saluto e me ne vado.

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