'Moriarty the Patriot' Is 'Sherlock Holmes' Mixed with 'Death Note' and 'Code Geass'

Moriarty the Patriot is the latest anime reimagining of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.  A split cour, it ran during Fall 2020 (episodes 1 to 11) and Spring 2021 (episodes 12 to 24).  And as usual to a Sherlock Holmes fanboy like me, I was along for the ride from the get go.

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.