Let me start off by saying that I've just finished binging part 1, and boy oh boy, this is right up my alley.
Let's start with the plot which is already pretty interesting as we're following a villain's POV (for the majority). Despite that, this does not at all feel like a villain's origin story for some reason. Maybe it's due to the type of "villain" William Moriarty is. You see, his actions follow a just cause - let's get rid of all the bad people in the world to make it a less shitty place. Does that justify death? No, not at all. But that's exactly why it gets all the more interesting with Sherlock Holmes in the picture. But we'll talk about the characters in a bit.
Let's talk about the way this show is portrayed.
First, the core that's driving the premise of this show is that there is a societal problem in which people are treated based on their social standing. This is set in the late 19th century, and does well to portray that period. Our main character William is aware that this is a problem, that this is what makes the world so horrible to live in, and so, he wants to change that. That is his motivation driving his future actions.
Second, every crime that conspires is beautifully executed, in a way that allows you a look into each character's psychology, whether that character is a minor character that only appears in one episode, or a major character like William.
However, what sets the two apart (minor vs major character) is that minor characters are very grounded from the beginning and it's very clear what their purpose is - it's not a bad thing at all -, while major characters, take William for example, continue to expand with each crime which sometimes leads you to rethink your previous ideas on what kind of character they are. One example of how this is well executed is in episode 7. Spoiler, click to view
The the parallel between Enders running in the forest chasing after his victim, where he's so very confident in his actions, and him running in the halls running away after being exposed, where his world is crumbling to the point where he can't think clear. And they don't hide that parallel, in fact, they expose it.
But once again, before we get to the characters, I just wanna mention the music, in particular, the opening. Opening and ending are both bangers, and quite a big contrast to each other with the opening definitely being the more fitting one to the tone of this anime. I personally like the opening more, it's got a pretty unique sound to it. But what also caught my eyes, were the lyrics - "Set a thief to catch another thief", "That's a bloody world, an endlessly discriminatory society (dystopia)" - which describes William to a tee.
Well that leads us to the characters. Let's start with William James Moriarty. A very cunning guy, one who had me in a loop for a while cause while his goal is clear, it is his means of procuring his goals that made me confused. "Is he doing it purely because of selfishness?" was something I thought along the way but then I kept dismissing it because more than selfishness, it's arrogance. He is similar to Light this way. Something I'm very curious about is whether he finds enjoyment in it, or thinks this is solely the rational way of achieving his goal no matter what. However, what he does seem to find amusing is Sherlock Holmes.
Now, Sherlock Holmes, what an interesting take on this well-known character. Especially with episode 10, I must say that was a very good dive into his thoughts of his actions and what consequences they might have. It's safe to say that he, while appears as being aloof and carefree but serious when it comes down to it, has more to him than meets the eye.
But the most interesting of it all, and what's most intriguing in this show is the dynamic between William and Sherlock. First of all, their meeting was pure tension, obviously the start of a build-up for something - a friends-before-enemies-relationship perhaps. But my goodness, every interaction between Sherlock and William is a series of psychological mind games. They both seem to have found something worthwhile interesting in each other. It's even prompting William's brother Louis to question William's weirdly sudden interest and fondness of Sherlock, who's apparently the only one who's earned William's respect (which of course is no easy feat).
It's safe to say that the best episodes are exactly when Sherlock and William are together despite it being rare. For now.
The absolute best moment of the show has to be ''Catch me if you can, Mr. Holmes'' - from the tone in the voice down to William's expression, that was absolutely perfect.
With all that said, this is a very solid show, especially for all of us detective nerds out there.
