Holmes of Kyoto Episode 12: Conditions of an Heir

And that's it? There's no resolution, not even with the protagonist's rival, and the romantic scenes go nowhere. I imagine these conclusions come later in the light novel, and the anime ended after the first few volumes, but I still feel like I wasted my time watching this anime. The romantic and jealousy scenes couldn't be more cliché, and saving the girl from being harassed by a creepy guy (who should be in jail for forgery and now harassing a woman) is a textbook cliché. This anime isn't bad, it's just boring and predictable, so it doesn't leave any lasting impression, not even a negative one.

To be honest, it was a pretty underwhelming finale. There was no real conclusion to either Holmes' rivalry with Enshou or his romance with Aoi. Even the final case felt lackluster and didn't have the impact you'd expect from a season finale.

I know the source material is still ongoing, but even with that in mind, I can only judge what the anime delivered. It clearly doesn't feel like it was made with a continuation in mind. The animation also kept getting worse as the series went on.

Overall, it's not a bad anime, just a rather boring one. Most of the cases are fairly mundane. That's not necessarily a flaw, but I personally prefer grander or more intense mysteries like in episode 11. At least Aoi is adorable, and the romance was enjoyable enough to keep me watching.

As a 12-episode anime, having the finale be a major breakthrough in regards to Aoi's feelings as well as the progression of her study as an appraiser is nice since it put the spotlight at her, while also highlight the complex feelings between Moria and Holmes on the side. It would have been nice if Aoi's good eye is being shown most of the season instead of two or three episodes after off screen study, and allow Holmes take the backseat so he doesn't become a deus ex machina detective who always have the right answer every time.