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The Detective Is Already Dead Episode 1 Review – Quick Summary
In The Detective is Already Dead episode 1, “Attention Passengers: Is there a Detective on Board?,” Kimihiko Kimizuka could not escape one significant conclusion about his life. Namely, that it sucked. No matter where he went, he walked into a drug deal, or a robbery, or even a murder scene. It got so bad the police detectives began to suspect him because he seemed to always be on the scene! Today, he didn’t witness a crime. He was the victim of a crime. Someone had kidnapped him and forced him to become a courier. Now, he sat in an airplane, flying at 10,000 meters, when he learned something important: Things are never so bad that they can’t get worse.
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quotes from The Detective Is Already Dead Episode 1
Since this was a double-sized episode, I’m going to choose two favorite quotes! I’d hate to not share notable quotes just because of an extra long episode! But I’ll only pick one favorite moment.
Favorite Quote Number 1
The facts seem to support Siesta’s theory! Capture from the Funimation stream.
It’s the first episode, and I had read just about nothing describing this show, with one exception: I knew what the title implied. So I was on my guard. Was Siesta already dead? Should I look for signs that she’s a ghost or a zombie? I mean, I’ve had recent experience reviewing a zombie series. Maybe that would come in handy?
Well, in the first half at least, none of my suspicions came true. There was one thing I noticed, though — I really enjoyed the banter between Kimizuka and Siesta. Well, more like I enjoyed how Siesta came up with these interesting and esoteric lines that somehow still seemed relevant. For example, soon after revealing herself to be a detective, she gave Kimizuka a “code name”: Kimi. She said everyone had code names, and she wouldn’t listen to his protestations that no, code names weren’t a thing.
They met the hijacker in the cockpit. When she asked for his name, he said something to the effect that his name was Bat, and that was his code name.
Turning to an incredulous Kimizuka, Siesta said (03:29), “See? Like I said, everyone’s got a code name.”
It was the beginning of a long string of her being right.
Favorite Quote Number 2
If the “Ah!” didn’t hurt, the cute little smile certainly did. Poor Kimizuka… Capture from the Funimation stream.
After watching the equivalent of two episodes, I don’t think I have a good handle on who Siesta is — or why she so badly wanted Kimizuka as her sidekick. On one hand, after the incident on the airplane, it seemed like she wanted to move in with him. I say that because when he got home, she was already there. Not only that, but she had dressed herself in one of his shirts, which was almost the same size as a modest night gown! That’s kind of an affectionate thing, isn’t it?
At other times, she seemed to actively shoot down any notions of romance. For example, she stopped by his house to try again to convince him again to be her side kick. He was in the bath at the time. When he finished, after announcing she had ordered pizza, he got out of the tub. She threw the doors open, and there he stood, stark naked, in front of her. She made no sign that this was anything unusual.
“If you’ve seen something, could you react as if you’ve seen it?” he asked in exasperation.
She looked down. She actually looked down. Still, her expression didn’t change. But she said (24:28), “Ah. That doesn’t hold my attention as much as wondering if the pizza will arrive on time.”
Ouch! If Kimizuka had any hopes of sexy time, they were dead now!
And for the record, there’s no way either of them are in middle school. It’s like I’m watching a 1980s sitcom where actors in their late 20s are playing high school kids!
Best in Show Moment for The Detective Is Already Dead Episode 1
I still don’t know who she is or where she trained, but, my god!, that girl can fight. Capture from the Funimation stream.
Setup: Never Seen a Hearing Aid Like That…
Siesta figured out quickly that the hijacker really didn’t want to hijack the plane. He’d had a change of heart half way through. In most mysteries, that would have been the end of it, and Siesta and Kimizuka would have returned to their seats for some witty romantic banter.
I’m starting to suspect that The Detective is Already Dead isn’t content with being like “most mysteries.” Because as the hijacker left the cockpit, she announced that she’d also figured out the hijacker had run afoul of some powerful, angry people. Even now, he wanted to find a way to get onto their good side. In other words, their current impasse didn’t end the conflict.
There’s such a thing as being too right. Realizing that Siesta knew too much, he saw that killing a detective like her might just put him in good with the people he’d angered. So, he triggered a combat implant in his left ear.
I’m pretty sure that’s on this list of objects prohibited to take onto a plane. Capture from the Funimation stream.
Siesta somehow knew what was coming, because just before he struck, she shoved Kimizuka out of the way. Then she physically picked him up and sprinted back into the airliner’s cabin. By this time, I’m not sure she’s even human. Even Kimizuka accused her of being an android! She took such offense that I don’t think she’s robotic. But I want the name of her strength trainer.
Delivery: CQC and Firearms Skills!
What followed next was one of the most enjoyable fight scenes I’ve had the pleasure to watch in years. As the hijacker Bat slashed at her, she dodged and danced and even sprinted on top of the seats. All while wearing a remarkably cute dress.
At one point, hiding behind some seats with Kimizuka, she lamented not having a weapon. He asked her to buy him 30 seconds and sprinted back to retrieve the mysterious package he’d been forced to bring onboard. He didn’t know why, but he had an intuition that it held something she might find useful. When he got back, she was on the run — Bat the hijacker had sprouted another set of arms! Kimi threw the package to her, and she braced herself to catch it. Unfortunately, Bat used his tentacles to slash it.
She seemed really happy that Kimizuka retrieved her rifle! Though I think those are on the list of prohibited items, too… Capture from the Funimation stream.
Fortunately, the contents spilled out: a very long, very tough rifle. It looked like an ancient flint-lock muzzle-loading rifle, but it was clearly new. No muzzle-loader I’ve ever seen gleamed as if it were made of steel. Moreover, it also worked as at fighting staff, because Siesta easily used it to fend off Bat’s attacks. Blowing off his tentacles with one shot, she ducked under his attack, knocked him down, and shoved the barrel into his mouth.
It was awesomely badass!
But that’s not the cool part. Well, it is a cool part, but the even cooler part is that she pretended to pulled the trigger, then said (16:46), “Bang!” She went on to explain that now that he was now officially dead, a pronouncement her friends in the Japanese police would support. That meant the angry men he had double-crossed would stop looking for him. She was so powerful and had prepared so well that she could save everyone. Even the hijacker! That some top-notch hero work, that is.
What did you think of the Donnie Darko-like rabbit in the second half? What was your Best in Show moment? Let me know in the comments!
The Detective Is Already Dead Episode 1: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Tantei wa Mou, Shindeiru. – Episode 1 discussion
- RABUJOI: The Detective Is Already Dead – 01 (First Impressions) – To Have and to Hold
- AH Brandon Reviews: YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS INSANE ANIME! | THE DETECTIVE IS ALREADY DEAD Episode 1 Review
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- The Detective is Already Dead Episode 1: Attention Passengers: Is there a Detective on Board?
- The Detective is Already Dead Episode 2: I Still Remember, After all this Time
- The Detective is Already Dead Episode 3: That’s Yui-nya Quality
- The Detective is Already Dead Episode 4: What I See in That Eye
- The Detective is Already Dead Episode 5: That Was Directed at One Year in the Future
- The Detective is Already Dead Episode 6: Crimson Devil, Ice Queen
- The Detective is Already Dead Episode 7: In Time, You Will Recall This Day
- The Detective is Already Dead Episode 8: With That, We Set out on a Journey Once Again
- The Detective is Already Dead Episode 9: SPES
- The Detective is Already Dead Episode 10: So I Can’t Become a Detective
- The Detective is Already Dead Episode 11: A Light in the Midst of Hope
- The Detective is Already Dead Episode 12: Those dizzying Three Years I Spent with You
I’ll put that one on my list of summer bookmarks and give it a shot.
I’d be interested to hear what you think of it!
For some reason, the show reminds me of a lesser In;Spectre (the characters can’t measure up). I’m fairly sure (though not entirely) that the “you’re now officially dead” scene is foreshadowing the series’ concept. She needs to solve cases by proxy, and that’s what our main character’s for (or so I think; prove me wrong show). His misfortune mightn’t be random to begin with. (Have you ever seen an American TV show called Strange Luck? That’s what our main character’s situation reminded me of.)
I thought the show was okay but nothing special. I’m not really invested so far.
Yeah, I also got the sense that this series is a worse version of In/Spectre. Not impressed so far. The action was the only thing that even remotely held my interest. Of the 8 series I’ve started watching, this series’s first episode was the only one I disliked.
You didn’t even like Siesta’s fight against Bat?
I did like the fight. That’s why I said the action was the only thing that even remotely held my interest.
Well, I’ll grant you Kotoko Iwanaga represents peak banter. The show does kind of remind me of In/Spectre, even to the point that Kimihiko Kimizuka does have an unusual trait, much like Kurou Sakuragawa terrified yokai.
interesting thought on the root cause of his misfortunes.
The show hit me just right. The light supernatural elements and the two lead characters caught my attention. My biggest worry is that Siesta won’t have a large role. I’m not sure how much Kimihiko will work if he gets too much screen time.