UN-GO

Someone has been murdered in cold-blood. No one knows who did it. Suspects are named, the innocent are in shock. Two quirky individuals, Yuuki and Inga, set out to find out just what is going on.

Un-Go is mystery done right. The mysteries themselves are fairly straightforward, but its execution is where the show really excels in. Un-Go is great at engaging its audience, presenting what may seem like a simple murder mystery into something much more fascinating. The set-ups for these investigations are always gripping, and the music and animation do a great job at making the stories triumph. Un-Go knows perfectly well what it wants to convey, and it capitalizes on its strengths in order to realize it. While the execution is straightforward, there are twists and turns along the away that misdirect the audience without giving away too much. These moments are tasteful and add a little more flavor to the mysteries.

Un-Go adopts an episodic structure with different arcs up until its second-half where it ramps up the engine and produces a well-executed mystery in its last arc. Un-Go’s individual stories are pleasantly introduced and conclude nicely, but they are not entirely separated from each other. Each story connects with each other in clever ways, and it gives the anime a much smoother and steady sailing.

The cast of characters in Un-Go are an interesting bunch of individuals; Un-Go doesn’t add much depth to these characters, but their personalities play off each other nicely and the characterization is enough for the show’s concept to be pulled off. Yuuki, the detective of the show, alongside his assistant, Inga, make for an interesting pair. They are fun and enticing enough to follow around, and for what little growth that Yuuki does develop throughout the show’s course, makes his deductions that much more entertaining to witness.

While the anime succeeds in its sole purpose, there are still things that are worth addressing.

Un-Go feels short-lived. There seems to be a lot of material to be explored from its world-building and the philosophical moments the show touches on. There’s also the fact that the show can be pretentious at times, referencing certain aspects about the nature of society which doesn’t amount to much considering how short the show is. Even the recurring themes about the desire for truth feel underutilized for a show that wants to convey these topics a lot. The specific philosophical subjects that are touched on briefly give the anime a nice flavor, but it also gives it potential that it would have benefited from exploring more thoroughly. I would have loved additional content for more interesting detective stories that delve into other facets of society and its relation to the individuals that make it up.

The most apparent issue, however, is Inga’s part in solving these mysteries. It feels cheap, and the series uses a lot of his “abilities” in order to steer the investigation in the main characters’ favor. The ability feels like a gimmick (you’ll know what I mean when you start watching), and it doesn’t help the show at all. The fact that the anime doesn’t explore the background behind this character also makes him feel more out-of-place. There is a prequel movie which apparently does, but the actual show itself could’ve incorporated just the main characters’ past in little doses. The tidbits we do get aren’t enough to give them proper depth.

Un-Go isn’t a special anime by any means. It has its fair share of issues, and while the execution is great, it doesn’t leave much for people to leave it up there alongside the “greats”. That being said, Un-Go never wants to go above and beyond. It knows where its strengths lie and capitalizes on them, producing a perfectly serviceable detective mystery that makes the time well spent. If you want a fun, little mystery show, then Un-Go may very well do the trick.