Kindaichi Kosuke no Boken
1979 / 113m - Japan
Comedy, Mystery
3.0*/5.0*
The Adventures of Kosuke Kindaichi poster

Watches

April 26, 2021

3.0*/5.0*

Kosuke Kindaichi is one of the most famous detectives in Japan, made popular by the films of Kon Ichikawa (but originating from a long line of novels). Madcap director Nobuhiko Ôbayashi also had a swing at it and delivers what could've been a fun live action Lupin film, only with a different set of characters.

The plot is pretty negligible and little more than an excuse for some insanity along the way. Kindaichi is summoned to recapture the missing head of statue. What starts off as a very simple assignment, quickly escalates into a mad search for the head. Again, the comparisons with Lupin are never far off.

I'm not familiar with the original series so it's difficult to compare, but the elements that stick out bear the clear signature of Ôbayashi. The tone is extremely light, even bordering on outright comedy, there are some truly wacky moments and the hand of Ôbayashi is always present. Probably more fun for people already familiar with the series, but still worth a watch even if you've never heard of Kindaichi before.