REVIEW: ‘Pretty Boy Detective Club,’ Episode 3 – “The Dark Star that Shines for You Alone Part 3”

Last time with the Detective Club, viewers saw Mayumi become a member of the titular Pretty Boy Detective Club. She also continued to hunt down that star she saw so long ago with her fellow club members. However, that ultimately lead to her getting kidnapped by a beautiful woman named Rei. Now, in Pretty Boy Detective Club Episode 3, we’ll see what comes of Mayumi’s adventure.

Pretty Boy Detective Club Episode 3, “The Dark Star that Shines for You Alone Part 3”, returns us to Mayumi and Sotoin, now effectively kidnapped and trapped in a vehicle with a woman named Rei. It’s clear that Rei, while not good, isn’t completely evil. In fact, that comes back into play near the end of Pretty Boy Detective Club Episode 3.

We also get a bit more information about Mayumi in this episode regarding that star she’s hunting down. You see, Mayumi has super stellar vision. She can see anything due to her eagle eyes, which also let her see the military satellite she mistook for a star. Unfortunately, there’s also a consequence to her eyesight that might limit her abilities to be an astronaut in a world where blindness is equated with a lack. 

Real quick, I’d like to return to episode 1 for a moment. In the premiere, the rules of the club were laid out thus. First, be pretty. Second, be a boy. Third, be a detective. Initially, I took rule number two literally and thought that meant a cis boy. However, episode 3 made it clear that I was making an assumption. 

 What’s nice about that rule is that it plays a bit with gender. Mayumi, assumably a cis girl, can become a member by performing masculinity. She never stops being female. Rather, she becomes a boy, and that’s a part of her identity. She’s a club member through and through, no questions asked. Honestly, I think many viewers -especially anime-only viewers- probably wouldn’t have expected that much depth from an over-the-top anime about kid detectives at a bougie academy. Yet, it’s nice to see that at its core.

Pretty Boy Detective Club Episode 3 also introduces a fourth rule: be a team. Of course, this comes in clutch when Mayumi and Sotoin need a helping hand to get out of their predicament. It also shows that Pretty Boy Detective Club isn’t just pretty: it’s a story about friendship and living the life you want to lead. In fact, even the concept of being a “boy” is nebulous. Sotoin never locks it to binary gender. To be a boy is to be a boy in your heart, no matter how you perform gender.

Pretty Boy Detective Club Episode 3 is yet another feast for the eyes with many interesting tidbits that continue to flesh out Mayumi’s world. The animation is breathtakingly beautiful at times, which suits an anime back set by luxury and riches. Pretty Boy Detective Club Episode 3 is still so extra, and honestly, that’s the fun in the show. It’s so over the top that you can’t help but enjoy it. There are definitely still caveats -such as Hyouta’s legs and some of the jokes from the source material- but honestly, I find a lot of joy in this series. 

Pretty Boy Detective Club is now streaming on Funimation.