Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok Vol. 1: Gods & Detectives 2003   ADV Films   Buy It Now

I'm always intrigued when a new anime comes along that I haven't heard of. There was a time when I was really up on what new things were airing in Japan, but obviously the last couple of years I've been a little preoccupied with reviewing anime than keeping up on what exactly is going on. Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok was one of those anime series that I looked at, not sure what to think. Anime that is using the Norse mythos as a basis for its characters is an interesting idea to say the least, and the detective based anime have been popular in Japan for quite some time now.

As the name implies, the series is based around Loki, the Norse God of Mischeif (among many other things) who has been banished to Earth. Loki was a teenager when he was in Asgard (I'll assume that's where he was since that is the heavens in the Norse mythology) but here on Earth he's been forced to inhabit the body of a child. He has since started the Enjaku Detective Agency along with some help from his associate Yamino, but Loki is about to get another assistant.

Mayura Daidoji has stumbled across the agency after a doll that she recently found has been stolen. This isn't some ordinary toy however, and it happens to be possessed by a spirit. Loki ends up helping her, and little does he know that Mayura has always wanted to be a detective herself. She even has started a mystery club at her high school, though she's the only member. Mayura however isn't quite the detective type as she's clumsy, not quite too brilliant, and seems to find herself in trouble too often, but Loki tolerates her, and finds that she can come in handy from time to time. The biggest mystery for Loki however is why the god's are all coming down to Earth and trying to kill him, though Mayura seems blissfully unaware of any wrong-doing.

At first I was thinking that this was going to be an anime that was trying to replicate one of Japan's most famous and incredibly popular detective series, Detective Conan, known by many people here as Case Closed (and I still dislike the name change.) However, Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok isn't anywhere close to being what Conan is, and instead of hard-boiled, crime solving mysteries, you get something that is going more for gentle and fun approach, and that's a good thing because honestly, there is only one Detective Conan and there's no need for pretenders to the throne.

If you're familiar with Norse Mythology, this isn't the Loki that everyone knows so well. Although he is called an "evil god" at one point, that doesn't seem to be how he is at all. Loki is compassionate, he's trying to avoid major conflicts, something that isn't easy since both Thor and Heimdall have come to Earth, both in the guise of children or young adults themselves. Thor is now calling himself Narugami, happens to be in the same high school as Mayura, and has even taken to doing some part time jobs. I bet you never imagined that the God of Thunder would be delivering pizza. Heimdall on the other hand has taken the form of a young boy, Kazumi Higashiyama, and claims to be Loki's friend, though he's already tried to kill him.

Loki's mysteries tend to be slightly supernatural in nature much of the time, and he soon discovers that Mayura's father Misao, a Shinto priest, has the power to see spirits, though he denies it and his daughter doesn't seem to have the same skill. Dad isn't happy about his daughter hanging around with Loki, probably because he knows that Loki can also see spirits and he doesn't want his daughter falling into the occult. Hey, heavy metal music could lead her down the same path and from what I've seen recently, metal is quite popular in Japan, especially among women. Yamino, Loki's assistant, really ends up being something of a non-descript character, usually on hand to lend some moral support and the two have also been joined by an odd rabbit like creature, Ecchan, who also tends to come in handy.

The real mystery in this series is what did Loki do to cause Odin to banish him? That much we don't know at this point and is one of the things to keep you coming back to the series instead of brushing it aside. I'm curious myself, and though there have been a few flashbacks prior to his banishment, there aren't any real answers yet. The first four episodes introduce all of the important characters, gods and humans, and show us what direction the series is headed. Mythical Detective also has something of a magic girl air about it, though it would be magic boy in this case. Loki doesn't undergo the standard transformation though, no ripping clothing and no naked bodies (sorry ladies) but he does summon his mahono staff (magic staff) in many of the episode, the perfect thing to defeat evil and rid the world of spirits.

Loki may be the serious side to the series, but Mayura serves as the comedy. She's obsessed with becoming a detective, and since she is a bit dim witted, she finds herself falling over things constantly and getting herself into some sort of trouble. It's not anything that Loki can't handle, and he hasn't yet let her know the truth about who he really is. Obviously mythology isn't a popular subject in Japanese school, though I would say that the real answer is that Mayura just didn't pay attention. So, we have two real stories going; a god looking to return to the heavens and a young lady trying to find herself, and both have great obstacles to over come.

Animation wise, the series brings many different series to mind. At times the character designs and the magical transformation definitely remind me of Cardcaptor Sakura, though in this case, the animation is much better. DNAngel is another series that springs to mind, especially with the character designs. Mythical Detective has a more refined sense of style when it comes to the overall look, but some might say that it's more or less the norm in terms of anime that has been released in Japan over the past couple of years, which is true. But, even so, Mythical Detective still is a eye-catching show, and the story and comedy helps to push things along.

I'm a bit surprised at the extras on the DVD. ADV has included the usual clean opening and closing animation, and this isn't a real surprise. They have also a character gallery and again, I didn't think this was out of the question. I'm also very pleased that there is an interview with Yuriko Fuchizaki (Loki) and Takehito Koyasu, who plays Frey and we haven't seen yet in the series, and it's not just a text interview but instead is live action. Considering the subject matter however and the fact that this is based on Norse Mythology, to some degree, I would have thought that including information about the real mythology would have been a nice touch. There are still volumes left though, so maybe we'll see that on a future release.

Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok is a very entertaining take on the Norse Gods, though this isn't a retelling so much as just adapting names to a much more suitable story. All things considered, this does feel more like it was a series that was aimed more for a female audience in Japan, but that doesn't mean that it's a bad series either. I was shocked to learn that DNAngel was really a girls series, but that didn't make me stop liking it, and that's the case here as well. If you've been looking for the boys to do a little magic, if you're looking for gods in human guise and troublesome teenagers, this is the series that delivers all the good like a gift from the heavens.

Episode 1 - Presenting: The Mythical Detective!

When Mayura found a talking doll in an old clock tower, she didn't think much of it, and after a cat stole it form her room, the only person that she could turn to was Loki, a detective in the area, It seems though that he's not helping her and she does off on her own to find the doll, unaware of the evil contained in it that Loki is trying to stop.

Episode 2 - The Allies of Justice are Totally Broke?!

Mayura has enlisted the aid of Yamino to try and get people to join her high school mystery club (no takers) and she's also asked Loki to come to school to investigate the supposed "seven mysteries," most of which are easily solved. The final one though that involves a suit of armor that moves mysteriously on it's own seems to be real . . . . or it could just be someone trying to kill Loki.

Episode 3 - The Assassin Descends!

A young woman from the zoo has come seeking help. All of the birds have been attacking people as of late, and Mayura has decided that she is in fact the right detective for the job. Loki and Yamino tag along to see that she stays out of trouble, and there is big trouble brewing as yet another god, Heimdall, has come to try and kill Loki.

Episode 4 - My Dad's a Great Detective?!

Mayura's father has strictly forbidden her to hang around with Loki anymore and to abandon her plans of becoming a detective, but Loki has other ideas. He takes them into a memory from long ago when Mayura was little that ultimately will bring daughter and father closer together, and may even get her dad to forget why he was angry in the first place.
 

-mike-