In/Spectre

A hidden gem among the sands of the current anime season whose style isn’t for everyone so it probably won't get the appreciation it deserves. In/Spectre is one hell of a chatty show riding the supernatural genre at top gear, which I personally adore so much, reminiscent of Bakemonogatari or rather Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (Is it a coincidence that mixing the two characters' last names from there gives you the last name of the main character here?); it doesn't go to such extremes in "weirdness" and graphics as the former, but then again it's darker than the latter. The design was pleasantly unorthodox of the one-legged and one-eyed demon detective character Kotoko, who I wouldn't believe one bit while at the same time gobbling up all his lies with a winch. To solve an astral case, one must always fully understand it and find the best solution, which the series pursues with constant intensity, and thus leaves little room for any action or implied (slightly stalking) Gosick romantic storyline. By the middle of the anime, I personally didn't mind, as the central trio (more like duo, since the main male character severely lacks the personality to be even remotely interesting) is sufficiently subtle and, more importantly, clever, adding to the much-welcomed unpredictability of the plot. It's not the typical "fun" you'd imagine getting out of an anime; you won't find many jokes or ecchi elements (except for a busty steelworker, probably from Třinec). Unfortunately, from about the 6th episode on, when the realization sets in that this one case will stretch to the end, the series loses traction and masochistically bogs down in its quest for perfect storytelling. I was genuinely bored and losing all attention, just praying for it to end. The case either should have been given a break the way they have hours of lectures in between or ended earlier, even if it would have lost some depth. The lovely last episode brings everything back into the charming ruts of the characters' interpersonal relationships, but it hardly makes up for that slight sourness from the previous heavily overwrought material. I appreciate the very good visuals from Brain's Base and I absolutely loved ending song. I'll give it a close 4 stars just because this material has more to offer and I'm very hopeful for the next season. (25/02/2020)