This week, I had the chance to grab a DVD
of the first season of “The Adventures of Sherlock Hound” (as is the English
reference), an animated series made by Mr. Hayao ‘Spirited Away and other great
Animes’ Miyazaki in the 1980s. The title Sherlock Hound is fitting, because all
sentient beings in this series are dogs (well, Moriarty looks more like a wolf
to me, but still…).
The series takes its freedom with the
stories written by Doyle (like “The Blue Carbuncle” or “The Speckled Band”) and
almost overuses Moriarty and his two henchmen (they’re essentially guilty of
every crime in the series), but apart from that, it’s a highly enjoyable series
which has aged well - something which can’t be said for all animated series
made in the 1980s. It also has the most badass Mrs. Hudson I’ve ever seen in a
Sherlock Holmes series. Honestly, the episode “The White Cliffs of Dover” has
her spring across a garden wall with an axe to save a crashed aerialist and
later on chase a plane in two cars (jumping from one into the other at full
speed when the first car runs out of gas) with Watson holding on for his dear
life. Before she lost her husband and became a landlady, she was piloting
herself, too. She is a good deal younger than you usually see her portrayed,
too, and capable of actually charming Moriarty when he has her kidnapped.
Even though the series was produced for
children, it also doesn’t omit the dangerous parts. There are several episodes
where bullets start to fly and usually the main characters survive through a
mixture of agility and luck. Yet, the series also keeps a light tone and is
enjoyable even if you watch it from episode 1 to episode 13 in one day as I
did. The cases are logical and can be solved with the information you are
given, so there’s never a feeling of being kept in the dark, either.
I’m also still amazed at how well the
feelings of the characters are shown, since putting human emotions on dog faces
isn’t all that easy. Yet there’s never a doubt as to what the characters feel.
From today’s point of view, the series also
has a great Steampunk style to it, from Sherlock’s car over the regular use of
steamboats and trains to Moriarty’s flying contraption and his steam tank
(there is no better way to describe this monster of a ride). There are zeppelins,
balloons, and dirigibles, interesting machinery, and a lot of fun situations
that arise because of them. It also has a great intro music and a nice casting.
All in all, it’s a great series to watch, no matter whether
you’re a kid with interest in Sherlock Holmes or an adult looking for something
to fill a relaxing half an hour (or day).
