The anime is set during the Victorian Era, the same time period of the original Sherlock Holmes series. But this time, as the title implies, the
story focuses on Sherlock Holmes’ nemesis, Moriarty. However, this version of the character is
portrayed as an anti-hero. This series tells the “real story” of Moriarty, as the story that we have come to know
through Dr. Watson’s accounts (information for those who haven’t read the original Sherlock Holmes series: it was written
in way as if Dr. Watson wrote the stories) is supposedly just a “fictional” rendition of
what really transpired.
In this anime, “James
Moriarty”, the Lord of Crime, is an identity that is collectively shared by the
Moriarty Brothers – Albert James Moriarty, William James Moriarty, and Louis
James Moriarty. However, the main
“Moriarty”, the mastermind, is the middle brother, William James Moriarty. During their childhood, the three brothers
began to share a hate for the corrupt nobility, who would commit injustices
against the lower class and get away with it.
Desiring social reform for the British Empire, they decided to plot for
the downfall of the status quo, and vowed to do whatever is necessary for this
end – even the employment of nefarious means, and even at the cost of human lives. Possessing a genius intellect and Machiavellian
talents even as a child, William kicked off a long-term master plan to achieve
this, and his two brothers became his loyal co-conspirators. Later down the line, master-of-disguise Fred
Porlock and sharpshooter Sebastian Moran would join their cause.
As a young
adult, William starts a career as a mathematics college professor. Secretly, however, he operates as a “crime
consultant” for the poor and weak who have become victims of crimes committed
by the wealthy and powerful. He would
help them get their revenge by laying out “perfect crime” schemes for them,
where they can murder their aristocrat transgressors without leaving any
evidence.
Eventually,
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson would enter the story. And from this point onward, Moriarty the Patriot begins to feel more
like a Sherlock Holmes reimagination
similar to BBC’s Sherlock, as it starts
going through Sherlock Holmes lore. More alternate versions of Sherlock Holmes characters are
introduced, and iconic Sherlock Holmes
cases are adapted, repurposing them to serve the overarching storyline.
By the way,
aside from putting its own spin on Sherlock
Holmes storylines, the plot also makes use of other lores at some point, such
as Jack the Ripper (side note: this isn’t the first time this was done; many other post-Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes stories have already made use of
Jack the Ripper in the past) and James Bond (!). Yeah, this
show is a mix of clever and ludicrous with its twists, but either way, it never fails to be engaging.
As for its depiction of fiction’s greatest detective, he is characterized with a distinctive brand of Sherlockian cockiness going for him and more ready to be bubbly and socialize than the typical incarnation. There are also aspects of his personality and arc that are seemingly based on Benedict Cumberbatch’s legendary take on the consulting detective. Nonetheless, at his core, he
displays the charisma, talents, eccentricities, and touching bond with Dr. Watson that make a bona fide
Sherlock Holmes.
But what really makes
this version truly unique is that he and Moriarty became friends. Finding intellectual kinship with each other,
Sherlock and William hit it off immediately during their first meeting. When Sherlock realizes that a Lord of Crime
is pulling the strings from the shadows, he starts maintaining some suspicion that
William is the Lord of Crime. Still, even
with this into consideration, Sherlock’s friendship and esteem for William remain sincere, and
vice versa. This totally gives an interesting layer to the conflict, and yields more engaging drama to their eventual “Final
Problem” encounter.
Moriarty the Patriot will certainly appeal to those who
love Death Note and Code Geass. It’s not exactly as cerebral and thrilling as
those two, but it arguably scratches the same itch. Sherlock and William’s cat-and-mouse dynamic
is reminiscent of L and Light’s.
Meanwhile, William’s intricate scheming, manipulating, and orchestrating
are definitely Lelouch-esque. Heck
(SPOILERS), his endgame is essentially Zero Requiem!
All in all,
I had a good time with Moriarty the
Patriot. It’s certainly not
perfect. Like with another Sherlock Holmes anime reimagination, Kabukichou Sherlock, the end part didn’t
completely satisfy me, but its whole is generally terrific that I didn’t mind whatever flaws were in
its parts. Presenting terrific aesthetics, intriguing themes, compelling characterizations, and riveting storytelling, Moriarty the Patriot has greatly pleased both the Sherlock Holmes fan and anime fan in me.
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