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Review of: Matantei Loki Ragnarok

This is: Anime
Availability:Studio Deen - available on fansubs in US
Review by: GEH

Matantei Loki Ragnarok (Demon Detective Loki Ragnarok) follows the adventures of a pint sized detective named Loki and his freinds. He's got a butler named Yamino, and the entire series is introduced with the slow, but ultra-genki high school girl who stumbles across Loki's detective agency in the first episode, Mayura. (Mayura takes a back seat in most of the episodes, and seems so far to be relegated to less than side-kick status.)

Loki is, of course, more than he seems. If you're at all familiar with Norse mythology, you know Loki is the trickster. Often portrayed as a very bad guy, he's also the firebringer to mortal men, and the whip-smart thinker behind several heavenly exploits. This little kid detective is the very same Loki. We discover quickly that he's been cast out of heaven by the will of Odin, though not even he knows why. He's stuck in the body of a small child, though he's thousands of years old.

Other Norse gods show up in the first several episodes of the series. Thor, Heimdall, Freyr and others, some working with Loki, some trying to kill him. Loki thinks that Odin wants him dead, but we're left unsure as to whether some of the assassination attempts are because of Odin's orders or because these gods want personal revenge for tricks Loki has played on them in their past.

I've seen through episode 11, and so far, it's a very fun show. There is action, plenty of fun special effects, adventure, and mystery. Loki's a detective for hire, but his main goal is to unravel the mystery surrounding his own fall from grace. For the people who keep track of such things, there is a high biseinen factor, noteably in the multi talented Yamino-kun.

Matantei Loki Ragnarok is fun, and appropriate for all ages. Smaller kids can relate to the pint-sized hero, and older folks may experience a renewed interest in Norse mythology. Everything they've done in the series has been accurate to the established myths, and if I refamiliarize myself with the stories, perhaps I can read ahead and solve Loki's riddle before he does.

Posted: 8/21/2003

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