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Undead Murder Farce (also known as Undead Girl Murder Farce) debuted on Crunchyroll as part of the streaming service’s summer 2023 additions. It is Japan’s answer to Arthur Conan Doyle’s infamous Sherlock Holmes stories. Undead Murder Farce episode 6, “The Phantom Thief and the Detective,” focuses on the character of Arsène Lupin, a fictional gentleman and master thief created in 1905 by French writer Maurice Leblanc.
Editor’s Note: There will be spoilers for Undead Murder Farce up through episode 6 below.
In this anime adaptation of Yugo Aosaki’s popular novel series, which is set in the mid-eighteen hundreds, the half-demon Tsugaru Shinuchi and his personal servant Shizuku Hasei travel from Japan across Europe to find the body of Aya Rindo, who’s been reduced to nothing but a head. When reaching Great Britain, they enlist the help of the World’s Greatest Detective, Sherlock Holmes, to track down another half-demon, Aya’s attacker, to restore her remaining self.
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In Undead Murder Farce Episode 6, we open with Tsugaru hungering for some fish and chips, overlooking a lake with Shizuku by his side. Elsewhere, Sherlock Holmes addresses his upcoming confrontation with Lupin, likening it to an intense game of chess.
Just then, Mycroft walks in. When he doesn’t immediately address Sherlock, Watson appears confused. Mycroft goes on to state how he had seen Sherlock three days prior and his nails were trimmed, implying that this Sherlock was a phoney. Just then, the real Sherlock enters, much to Watson’s immediate surprise. The real Holmes acknowledges his copycat, whom he verifies as Arsène Lupin. Just then, Lupin peels back his Sherlock mask to reveal his true self.
Cut to Tsugaru and Shizuku wandering about London, the former complaining that they’d come all this way just to visit a wax museum. After some bitty banter exchanged between them, Tsugaru points out Baker Street, the home of our very own Sherlock Holmes. When Tsugaru pulls back the lace covering over Aya’s birdcage, he finds out that Aya is missing due to a “bird-brained mix-up” at the lakeside. Needless to say, Shizuku isn’t happy. She socks him right in the nose and we cut back to Sherlock, Watson, Mycroft, and Lupin.
After a monologue concerning the functions of a lock, Lupin makes a rather dramatic exit by diving out the window into an automobile below. He taunts holmes and Watson, saying he would see them tonight. As he’s making his grand escape, Lupin runs into Shizuku, who asks him if he’s seen a birdcage around. He denies the fact, then offers her a ride.
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Tsugaru runs into Annie, who remarks about his black eye, the byproduct of Shizuku’s brutal punch. He asks her if she’s seen his master.
Let’s get back to Watson, Holmes, and Mycroft. The former deduces that the driver of the automobile was concealing half of his face, therefore he must be the “Phantom of the Opera” that London fears. Then, they discuss the Penultimate Night diamond, the key to finding werewolves.
Flash-forward, we see Aya’s head laying in the road, crushed by an oncoming vehicle. Thankfully, because Aya is a half-demon, she regenerates right away. The two thugs who ran her over decide to kidnap her, despite her being just a head. Luckily, Shizuku spots them driving away and makes chase. That’s when the automobile carrying Aya drives by Tsugaru with Aya screaming his name. Tsugaru makes chase across the rooftops, following both cars.
Eventually, they corner the pick-pockets and reunite with Aya, who recognizes Lupin despite his attire suggesting a resemblance to Sherlock Holmes. Next thing you know, Tsugaru and Lupin are engaging in hand-to-hand combat. Tsugaru reckons he’s stronger, but Lupin doesn’t appear to agree. In the end, Lupin delivers a mean uppercut and knocks Tsugaru out, and that’s that.
That night, Sherlock and Watson prepare to confront Lupin at Fogg’s home. They are joined by Inspector Ganimard of the Paris City Police. Tsugaru, Shizuku, and Aya plan to cover the above ground, whereas Holmes and Watson are instructed to cover the basement, where the Penultimate Diamond is stored. Sherlock cleverly shoots the lock of the door so as to trap all current parties inside between the hours of 11pm and 11:30pm, preventing anyone from entering. He does so because Lupin had mentioned before that he could open any lock, so if there is no lock to open, Holmes gains the upper hand.
After some time passes, a sudden gush of water floods the room. It becomes clear that the outer wall of the tower was blown up, allowing for the water from the moat to flow in and effectively drown everyone inside. Sherlock remarks that they won’t be able to protect the safe underwater, then we fade to black.
The Undead Murder Farce anime is streaming on on Crunchyroll. Kodansha handles the manga outside Japan.
