The Millionaire Detective Balance: Unlimited

This was quite the curious show. It was as if someone wondered, what would happen if Bruce Wayne chose to be a rich detective as opposed to Batman, and was partnered with a rookie Jim Gordon? It starts out as a case of the week format before it morphs into a long form narrative which encompasses the entirety of the remainder of the show. In addition to this, as it is an eleven episode show one can be done watching it in a single afternoon.

The narrative is set up in a way that allows us to get to know the characters and their abilities first, before we go on the adventure. The first three episodes are in the format of a case of the week. While in terms of narrative we have not yet kicked off the story, what is happening in these three episodes is that we are building character. It sets up their personalities, their relationships, and the method in which they like to do things in order to get the job done.

It is in episode four that the core narrative kicks off. As the various characters have been set up, we are now taking in the development of these characters, and watching how they deal with the escalation of the stakes involved. While the initial setup seems ludicrous, the show revels in it, and treating the situation as straight as it does makes it far more enjoyable as a result, both in terms of comedy and the drama of the core story.

The scale of the stakes are incredibly fluid. Yet no matter how high or low the stakes are, as the show is coming to its conclusion, the tension and the drama only continues to rise. As such when the final action of the story occurs, it is a relief, and it makes perfect sense in the universe of the story. It is an ending which is quite satisfying when compared to the story that was told. Despite the fact that I have spoken at length about the story, this is a show which I do not think could have worked without the characters that they did have.

The show has a sizable cast, however the core of the show really is Kanbe and Katou. Their opposing personalities create interesting situations, and their way of getting things done are just as contrasting. Kanbe is the rich kid who seems fine with tossing money at all the obstacles to make it through, while Katou seems to be the one who is determined to do things by the book, and not resort to money. These contrasting characters interacting and getting to know each other is great. Episode three is a particular highlight as the two simply spend time together and learn what the other is missing from each other.

The auxiliary characters for the most part are quite one dimensional, made up of a single character trait to help them stand out from the rest. A majority of the task force remains this way save for a literal handful of characters that you could count on one hand. This is not a detractor however, as the two main characters of the show are constantly developed, and are evolving. With the progress of the show, the excess characters are filtered out till only the relevant ones are left, and it is done quite organically.

Visually the show does not stand out in any particular way. It has a standard art style, and a slightly muted colour palate. As is typical of a Cloverworks production, the integration of 3D animation with 2D animation is quite well done, with only a handful of instances where it was obvious and distracting. With that being said, even though the style and quality does not stand out, it is consistent and maintains a high quality throughout.

The choice of music is hit and miss. When the show is being light hearted, the soundtrack is over the top accentuating the ludicrousness of the show and it is weakest in these areas. It is evident that they are trying to be over the top in an obvious way and the soundtrack sticks out like a sore thumb. However, the soundtrack when the drama is the main focus is wonderful and blends seamlessly with the scene we are watching.

Overall a good show I was glad to have watched.