With all the new anime releasing this week, The Millionaire Detective – Balance: Unlimited was one that really caught my eye. Right from the opening, the anime looks refined and showcases nothing but glamour to the viewer. This is further enhanced by its flawless animation and unique soundtrack.
Synopsis
The Millionaire Detective – Balance: Unlimited follows Haru Kato, a former member of the First Division of the Metropolitan City Police, who got kicked off the division to work with the Modern Crime Prevention Task Force. We’re never told why specifically, but i’m sure that will be brought up in subsequent episodes.
The day the task force is faced with a potential assassination, they bring on a new detective to the Modern Task Force named Daisuke Kambe, a mysterious yet eccentric man whose only skill seems to be his unlimited funds. During the assassination scare, it is revealed a bomb is in the premises. Daisuke then uses these funds as well as his AI butler, named HEUSC, followed closely by Haru, to chase after it.
They both manage to find the bomb in a conspicuous looking van and disable it by driving it off a bridge. They were able to so, thanks to Daisuke using his wealth to get the permits to lift the bridge as well as reimbursing all damages incurred as he drives through everything in his path.
By the end of the episode, though, its obvious Haru does not agree with Daisuke’s methods. Daisuke’s response to his dissatisfaction was to throw more money at it, which I found hilarious.
Episode Analysis
The first episode emits a sort of duality between two protagonists, one of lower status, but a strong sense of justice, and one who’s idea of justice is a mystery and only seems to want to solve issues with his sheer monetary prowess.
And whereas Haru appears to know what’s right from wrong and even helps some unfortunate criminals from plummeting to their doom in the van carrying the bomb, Daisuke is more of a cold person who only seems to be doing this for fun. This clearly shows when Haru hangs off the bridge in need of help after saving the criminals, yet Daisuke just smiles and does nothing to help him. When Haru returns to confront him on it, he merely replies with, “How Much?” So far, it’s clear the creators intend to portray Daisuke as a jerk. With money and status, it’s not a surprise he would come off and act as one.
Final Thoughts
Smug Self-satisfying sociopaths aside, the anime has the potential to be great. Not only does it offer an adequate amount of slapstick comedic events, but the animation and direction of the series also come off as quite satisfying, especially with the aesthetic and music played between each scene.
It succeeds in giving the anime a Noir crime detective drama appeal you won’t see in most other anime these days. And Whereas the opening showcases glitz, glamour, and wealth, the ending shows off the two protagonists in a more detective-style sequence.
Overall, The Millionaire Detective has turned out to be one of the season’s strongest start so far. The light humor, flashy aesthetic, refreshing sound design, and intriguing premise seem quite captivating to most and even trending in parts of the community so far. I look forward to what more it brings to the table, as if it continues on this path, it could easily be one of the season’s best.
Have you seen The Millionaire Detective? If so, what do you think about it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.