HBO Brings Us 'Miss Sherlock' From Japan

Co-produced with Hulu in Japan, Miss Sherlock is HBO’s first Japanese original series. The series is a homage to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous Sherlock Holmes series of mystery novels that takes place in the present day and switches the genders of the two main characters.
Miss Sherlock’s both lead characters are Japanese women – Dr. Wato Tachibana, a surgeon recently returned from a volunteer doctors’ mission in Syria and Sara Shelly Futaba, an investigation consultant to the police department who solves bizarre and difficult cases.
In this incarnation, Sherlock lost both her parents to a plane accident when she was only seven, and has been emotionally-detached ever since. Throughout the series, the pair solves mystery after mystery with Miss Sherlock’s extraordinary observation and reasoning skills.
The series stars Yuko Takeuchi as Holmes and Shihori Kanjiya as Dr. Tachibana. The two are the latest in a long line of actors take on the iconic roles, though this time they will deliver a pair of strong, crime-fighting women.
Takeuchi is one of the most well-known actors in Japan whose career goes all the way back to the 90s with her starring role in the original Japanese movie of The Ring where she played the mother who would be played by Naomi Watts in the Hollywood remake.
Adding to the series’ appeal is its setting in present-day Tokyo, which should make for an exciting change of place for audiences used to seeing Holmes investigating crimes in England or, more recently, New York City.
The eight-part series Miss Sherlock will likely be the first of many Japanese originals that come to HBO, as the cable network sets its eyes on expanding its international offerings.
Miss Sherlock will be available through Hulu and HBO every Friday morning.
> Mar Martínez