Every anime season brings something new and unexpected for anime fans to discover. One show I’ve been enjoying a lot is Ameku Takao no Suiri Karte, a.k.a. Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective. It’s about a mystery-obsessed doctor who loves diagnosing rare diseases and solving crimes, and it’s highly recommended for fans of Haruhi Suzumiya. Let’s explore why in this blog post!
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Doctor Haruhi? Why You Will Love Ameku M.D.!
Remember the two-episode “Remote Island Syndrome” arc in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, when Haruhi was called upon to become a meitantei or “famous detective” and solve a murder? Do you wish someone made a spin-off of that story, where “Haruhi” solves mysteries every episode? If so, then I’ve got good news for you, because that’s what Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective basically is.
Meet Takao Ameku, a genius doctor who runs the Department of Investigative Pathology at Tenikai General Hospital. She’s an expert when it comes to diagnosing illnesses that no one else can identify. But her true passion is investigating crimes the police can’t solve using her excellent deductive skills. With her sidekick Kotori, she’ll solve the cases that have the police stumped.
Takao might be a genius, but she lacks some basic social skills, making her feel more than a little like Dr. House. She’s incapable of speaking politely to anyone, no matter what their social station. She’s annoyed when dealing with normal people who aren’t geniuses like herself. So, if you ever wanted a House-themed anime, now you’ve got one. The writer is doing all of this on purpose, of course — the show even drops a ‘Lupus’ reference in episode one.
The Same Character Designer as Haruhi Suzumiya
Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective is based on a series of light novels by Mikito Chinen, an actual doctor. This helps the medical details in the show feel more accurate and has helped contribute to the popularity of the novels.
The anime gets its “Haruhi-esque” feel thanks to the character designs by Noizi Ito, who also did the character art for Haruhi. Ameku feels like a grown-up version of Haruhi with long, flowing hair. Maybe Haruhi used her reality-altering power to wish herself into an alternate universe where she’s a crime-solving doctor?
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Why Is Detective Columbo in This Anime?
Foreign TV shows are known as kaigai dorama over “overseas dramas” in Japan, and they can be extremely popular. Some shows that have become cultural icons here include Beverly Hills 90210, Full House, and Twin Peaks. The TV show Alf, about the space alien puppet, was hugely popular in Japan — so much so that its Japanese Wikipedia page is longer than the English one.
Another show that was huge in Japan was Keiji Columbo, which my Japanese father-in-law watches every time it’s on TV. Columbo was so influential that references to it show up in various anime, from Case Closed to Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. But the biggest influence Columbo had on Japan is seen in Lupin the Third. Inspector Zenigata is basically wearing Colombo’s famous trench coat, and that character was voiced by Goro Naya, who did the Japanese dub of Columbo.
Because of his importance to the detective genre in Japan, it’s no surprise an homage was added to this anime!
Thanks for reading this blog post about “Doctor Haruhi,” a.k.a. Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective. Will you be giving this series a try? Tell us in the comments below!
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