Holy mother of titan’s–this show is amazing.
Welcome back to Otaku Thursday, today we’re going to skip the chitchat so I can go straight into talking about today’s topic–The Millionaire Detective Balance Unlimited. It is, without a doubt, one of Star and I’s greatest joys to watch together recently.
So. First off, this anime started last season but went on hiatus for account of the rona. It has begun airing again this season, so I decided to lump it in with this season’s anime and start watching it now. Balance: Unlimited was one of those anime that I wasn’t super into watching at first…and then Star and I watched the opening for it. And then we were both very intrigued into what it was and decided to start it up. I’m so incredibly glad we did. This had been the humorous show I’ve been waiting for all spring/summer. There is something so pleasing about an honest detective having to partner up with an eccentric rich dude who is also a detective. Honestly, so far there has been no greater joy.
Kambe and Kato are the real stars of the show–on all levels. Like yes, they are the main character’s but they really make the show as good as it is. Star and I are only a few episodes in but the chemistry (or perhaps lack thereof) between these two characters is absolutely entertaining to watch. On one side, we have Kato who is the typical good detective–wanting to do things for the sake of justice, super dedicated to his work, definitely on the serious side of things. And then we have Kambe–aka the one that makes all the fanboys and fangirls swoon. Kambe is the rich, privileged cop who often goes over the top with his risky antics, but remains completely calm and collected–the cool rich guy who doesn’t bat an eyelash at explosions as he uses his money and connections to solve cases. To sum up the pure perfection that is this detective combo–I refer to the end of episode one where Kambe has perfectly good moment where he could’ve saved Kato from falling from a bridge into the river by simply grabbing his hand…and CHOOSES NOT TO AND JUST SMIRKS. See, this is the dynamic I live for–because we know that eventually these two are going to start forming a better relationship than this, and it’s going to be a fun ride as we watch it change from …this to hopefully one day true respect for one another. And if even that never happens I’ll be perfectly happy with continuing this dynamic. These two are just so good.
You know what else makes this series great? The music. But it’s not for the usual reasons. No, see I would normally praise a series’ music for the artistry–the beauty of sound and tone in which it fits the show. But when I praise the music here…well, it’s more like I’m praising the sound mixing/sound effects. See whoever did this show really impeccably timed all musical and sound cues to fit with the over-the-top vibe of the show. Equally parts fitting, equally parts ridiculous, we have sound cues that just blend in so seamlessly that Star and I had to keep applauding the placement like –” WOW that music though”. From the swanky detective theme that Kambe gets when he pulls off James Bond esque maneuvers, to the abrupt stops to said music…it just works to emphasize certain moments. The way the sound mixing is made, truly reminds me of Sarazanmai–another show who had good music but who placed it so well that it really added to the humor or emotional moments of the show. While this doesn’t seem like something super praise worthy, it’s something that I feel, when done well, is just as impressive as pulling off a perfectly choreographed fight sequence. So good job Balance: Unlimited–cause you are there.
Another thing we really appreciate about this show is that we could 100% make a live action of it using our friends (who could play certain characters so well it’s almost sickening). Anyway, this is definitely one of our feel-good, enjoyable anime to watch. We haven’t really been trying to dig too deep in it, and it’s just been a great time. Would I recommend anyone else watching it? HECK YEAH. You may not find it as entertaining as we do, but I think it’s a pretty good watch either way. I think once the season is over I might try to revisit it in-depth, but also it’s just at that point where I kind of just want to enjoy this ridiculous James bond esque, rich detective/poor detective, oddball of a combo.
Stay weebtastic
xoxo
Luna
P.S. Star and I are on episode 5 now and I totally see why people are shipping Kato x Kambe
We be bloggin' 