A highly enjoyable manga collection about Sherlock Holmes - only here there is a new rising star, his niece Christie Hope, a Count's daughter and at age ten is almost as clever, quick, deductive, and brave as her beloved uncle. She is precocious, relentless and never gives up; not bad for a rich child who dislikes studying and behaving "ladylike".
Mainly her detective skills are honed from boredom and loneliness in her mansion (her parents are away in India on business), and wanting her uncle, her nearest relative, to be proud of her. Her library is her escape.
Lady Crystal "Christie" Margaret Hope is a precious crystal, all right.
I love all the characters in 'Young Miss Holmes', chiefly Christie's maids: Nora, who starts off illiterate, comes from a poor background, and she is unrefined, uncouth, hilarious, and helps out on Christie's cases, and carries a damn whip - she is a deadly force to be reckoned with; and there's Annemarie, a more proper and traditional maid who looks out for Christie - and carries pistols to help stop crimes. Christie also has a governess who is like her Watson. To reveal her name would be spoiling a previous case where she is introduced, but she is just as sweet and surprising as every other female character.
Really, this manga is super feminist. It features a lot of intelligent women and girls who work together. And they are present for the action, no questions asked.
Each case is often being solved by both Christie and her uncle Sherlock, with Doctor Watson. The little girl and the older, experienced and professional man will either collaborate or work in tandem. To say that Miss Holmes/Hope shows promise is an understatement. She looks up to her uncle and wants to be like him, but she is special on her own. The little blonde Victorian girl is not just cute or contrary; she's a mature, determined, dedicated authority figure as well, possessing a fine sense of humour.
'Young Miss Holmes, Casebook 1-2' is a joy. Well-researched, well-translated, well-put together, well-plotted (the mysteries range from decent to very cleverly crafted), well-characterised, and well worth the investment in every sense. Aside from a few slightly uncomfortable race relations and unsavoury stereotyping for its time period, and a little violence for an "All Ages" manga, plus there's that weird vampire case that only Christie truly gets to the bottom of (vampires are real in this manga - yes, real, and it is apparently a spinoff of 'Dance of the Vampire Bund'), I'd recommend it to anyone, whether you are a Sherlock Holmes fan or, like me, curious about a feminist approach to his stories (especially after being long since sick of the overrated and sexist-as-hell BBC 'Sherlock' series)
My curiosity got the better of me, and I'm happy it did.
"It's elementary, my dear uncle!"
Final Score: 4/5
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