REVIEW: ‘Moriarty the Patriot,’ Episode 15 – “The Phantom of Whitechapel Act 1”

It is an unspoken rule that all anime period pieces set in Great Britain must have a ‘Jack the Ripper’ episode, and Moriarty the Patriot Episode 15 is this show’s. At least it is the start of a story arc for it. From Production I.G., the anime adapts the manga series of the same name created by Ryosuke Takeuchi and Hikaru Miyoshi. The series reimagines Sherlock Holmes’ nemesis, James Moriarty, as a group trying to upend the social caste in England.

Irene Adler is “dead,” now living as James Bond as a part of The Lord of Crime. It was a fantastic twist at the end of last week. This week, we see James settling in with the rest of the team. There are a few fun-found-family antics between the men as James learns about how they all interact. Moran is the only one who initially misgenders James and makes an issue about changing in the same room as him. The comedy doesn’t feel too much as though it is punching down, mostly because the joke feels less about Bond and more about Moran. Both Louis and Fred are so accepting of Bond that it makes Moran the butt of the joke. It isn’t some morally great thing they are doing, and it is treated matter of fact by the show, which is why it works. Granted, the mileage may vary, and viewers of underrepresented genders may feel hurt by Moran’s initial responses.

Luckily, Moriarty the Patriot Episode 15 wraps that up pretty quickly. Moran, Fred, Louis, and Bond are sent on a task for William, which also serves as a test for their new member. For Moran, it becomes apparent that his issues with Bond, while rooted a bit in close-minded assumptions about “usefulness,” is also a hesitancy to trust a newcomer. Bond quickly proves him wrong, though, and hopefully, the show will feature the two teaming up more in the future, as their developing banter is quite enjoyable on the screen.

So, what about Jack the Ripper? Moriarty the Patriot Episode 15 does get to that in the second half. After opening with a murder by the criminal, the show then doesn’t address it for half the episode. Granted, Bond’s test is revealed to have to do with the case, but not until after it has been completed. It makes the storytelling feel a little awkward and incomplete this week. Yes, the story arcs are presented in multiple episodes, but generally, each “Act” has a relatively clear through-line. This one is murkier.

Overall, Moriarty the Patriot Episode 15 is a great watch purely for the joy of the new character James Bond. Given his background, as well as this reviewer’s cisgender identity, considering Bond representation is a personal choice to be made by the anime’s trans viewers. However, the show does a decent job of respecting his identity and mostly makes any comic bits focused on Moran not initially being accepting, rather than punching down on Bond. The plot itself isn’t as smooth, but it at least sets up next week.

Moriarty the Patriot is streaming now on Funimation.