Reviews - 憂国のモリアーティ 1 [Yūkoku no Moriarty 1]

622 reviews for:

憂国のモリアーティ 1 [Yūkoku no Moriarty 1]

Ryōsuke Takeuchi

4.18 AVERAGE

bluedesert's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

ligiandbooks's review against another edition

4.0

I enjoyed this one so much!

For the plot

deroga_tori's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

lavenderfrost's review against another edition

3.75

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

theseventhl's review against another edition

2.0

A physical copy of MORIARTY THE PATRIOT was provided via the Goodreads' giveaway program. I am not being compensated for this review, and my review is not influenced by receiving the book for free.

Full disclosure: I am not well versed in the Sherlock Holmes canon, so my knowledge of Moriarty does not run deep as others. Regardless, this didn't have to be a Sherlock series. They could have easily filed off the numbers of the IP-based characters and made it a fully original story about class conflict and the morality behind the main character's actions as he punishes 'evil nobles'. I didn't feel like the main character being Moriarty really had a huge impact on the story.

The 'cases' themselves are rather simple and black and white in terms of 'working class good, nobles bad', except it can't even get that right all the time

Spoiler

(does Moriarty et al. really think all the servants who died in the first chapter deserved to die, despite being working class?).

I don't think the author has a good grasp on the class system in England during this time period, and it's definitely lacking any nuance on that front.

The characters are . . . fine, I guess? I know it's only the first volume, but I feel like I don't have a great grasp of them beyond their mission to rid the world of evil nobles. It doesn't help that the book introduces a bunch of new characters at the very end, and they all seem to be destined to be reoccurring characters, so that's three more people I have to suddenly become invested in if I want to continue reading. The most interesting character, naturally, is Moriarty, and he does seem very charismatic and cunning, befitting his eventual role as Sherlock Holmes' greatest adversary. Everyone else rather acts as his support, without any internal motivations or desires of their own.

The art is good though! The action flows very well on the page, and Takeuchi knows how to keep the readers' attention with beautifully drawn moments of drama and horror. Takeuchi also does a lot of interesting things with POV angles in panels that made scenes very fresh and interesting.

Overall, MORIARTY THE PATRIOT kept reminding me of a non-supernatural BLACK BUTLER, only not as good or inviting to read. I will probably not go out of my way to read more of this series, unless I'm told it gets better in the second/third volume. I am, however, thankful to Viz for giving me a free copy, as it let me experience a new series I would not have picked up on my own.