‘HBO Asia will premiere this Friday Miss Sherlock, which also marks the network’s first Japanese production, featuring eight episodes shot over a period of four months. In addition to starring actress Yuko Takeuchi as Miss Sherlock, the series’ equivalent of Dr. John Watson is also played by a woman (portrayed by actress Shihori Kanjiya).
Miss Sherlock is a young woman with extraordinary observation and reasoning skills that allow her to become a trusted investigative consultant for the Japanese police. She is able to solve bizarre cases by partnering with gifted surgeon Dr. Wato Tachibana (Kanjiya).
It will be a younger, tech-savvy detective and slices of Japanese life in Tokyo. “Social media and the internet come in handy for solving cases with more efficiency. It usually took a few days for Sherlock Holmes to solve a case, but it will be only a few seconds for Miss Sherlock,” said Takeuchi, who added how “what Japanese takes for granted will be shown in a way that is new for foreign viewers.”
But fans of the original British detective franchise will also be able to find similarities or homages. For example, Miss Sherlock was born in England before moving to Japan. Yukiyoshi Ozawa (playing Miss Sherlock’s older brother Kento), a self-professed “superfan” of the original novels in his childhood, said he was excited to bring something that was new and different at the same time.
Miss Sherlock debuts on HBO and streaming service HBO Go (www.hbogoasia.com; available only in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Philippines) on Friday. The first episode will be available for free across Asia and with no registration on HBO Go and HBO Asia’s Miss Sherlock microsite (http://hboasia.com/miss-sherlock; available in all other Asian territories) from Friday until May 11 with English and local language subtitles (available in select territories).’
The Book to Screen Club 