"The truth is stranger than fiction!"
An adaptation of Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy, and part of the Professor Layton franchise, the anime follows Katrielle and the detective agency she runs in London. Working alongside her are a young man named Ernest Greeves (Noah Montol in Japanese), and Sherl the dog (Sharo in Japanese); as well as Ercule Hastings (Aspoirot in Japanese), a police detective, and a master criminal profiler, Emiliana Perfetti (Geraldine Royer in Japanese).
The series is part of the Spring 2018 anime lineup, ran for 50 episodes on Fuji TV's Adventure Sunday, each half an hour in length, and featured a weekly client seeking Katrielle's expertise.
This show provides examples of:
- Abhorrent Admirer: Emiliana is not receptive to Mintan's advances once he falls for her in episode 45, but gives in to teaming up with him out of necessity. In episode 46 she goes on a date to the museum to (unsuccessfully) try to shut him up. True to the trope, while Mintan is not ugly per se, he is certainly plain-looking and less than handsome compared to the other recurring named male characters in the anime.
- AB Negative: A client's sickly father requires blood of a rare type.
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade: The version of the Ratman arc adds a difficult childbirth for his wife and a scene where thugs try to throw Ratboy off a building.
- Adaptation Expansion: The anime series as a whole adds a lot more details to the game it was based on, even fully resolving the hanging plot thread that was left unanswered at the end of the original game: the whereabouts of Hershel Layton and Luke.
- Adventure Duo: Luke and his wife became this, until he levelled an Adventure Rebuff out of concern about the danger of the mission he was undertaking.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: In episode 14, the graffiti depicting Commissioner Whitehole has him taking bribes, getting along with criminals, and getting dumped five times in primary school. Of course all of them except the last one is false.
- Artistic License – Economics: The bank in episode 8. Their solution to potentially losing 20 million pounds because of a ventilation problem? Simply print extra, and nobody has to know. That is not how money works, and could in fact, only make the problem worse. Although this said, Maya's hesitance to let the problem be known is very sensible, as any issue with banking could result in loss of confidence, and runs on the bank's deposits.
- Art Shift: A brief moment in the first episode sees the characters drawn in the style of famous artworks.
- Balloon Belly: Katrielle gets one at the end of Episode 16 after eating the trio's lunch and an entire cake all by herself.
- Big Eater: Katrielle. When hunger strikes during one case, she confronts one of the witnesses... to ask for a restaurant recommendation.
- Big Fancy House: Simon from episode 1 recently obtained one of these. It seems to be a Haunted House, as well.
- Big "WHAT?!": Like the ending of the game, Ernest and Sherl react this way when Katrielle revealed what her father had told her in the letter that he gave her before he disappeared.
- Born During a Storm: Katrielle was born during a storm. On a ship. That was sinking because of said storm. Her mom didn't make it.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Ernest, usually, just after Katrielle has figured out the week's mystery. He asks the audience if they've worked it out too, and provides a reminder of the clues to work from.
- Burning with Anger: Portrayed by Emiliana twice in episode 45, towards Mintan.
- The Cameo:
- Lucy Baker and Alfendi Layton from Layton Brothers: Mystery Room make a cameo appearance near the end of the last episode, visiting Katrielle.
- Granny Riddleton is in the second opening sequence, at the very beginning.
- Caught in the Bad Part of Town: Ernest and Kat end up here during one of their investigations, menaced by a punk. Until it emerges that he was on the receiving end of Go and Sin No More and is actually saying nice things in a mean manner.
- Cliffhanger: The first four "Professor Layton and the Relics Treasure" episodes end in one. Most dramatically in episode 35, when Katrielle finally discovers what has happened to Luke and her father.
- Creator's Culture Carryover: One episode has a man delighting his good luck — but wanting Katrielle's thoughts on it, because he wants to get lucky one last time: his father is ill in hospital, and he used his gains to pay the bills. In the UK, where the anime is set, medical care is free through the NHS, and unless you are in private care (in which case, you would usually have an insurance provider to cover costs), you do not have to pay for operations.
- Dead All Along: In Episode 2, the Oliva we see is nothing more than an illusion.
- Diegetic Soundtrack Usage: Katrielle was humming the first ending in episode 4 and 32.
- Early-Bird Cameo: While three of the seven dragons have already appeared before and during episode 9, the rest of them have appeared in Madame Doublee's party.
- Evolving Credits: Once the series finished with the set of images that corresponds each episode in the ending credits, they go to the next set.
- As of episode 35, Rufus Alberdeen is shown after the room is light up, before that the room was dark.
- Exact Words: Katrielle uses this to stop one culprit from admitting his "crime". (Albeit, more out of self-interest, as Katry wants to be able to enjoy the culprit's cooking.)
- Flung Clothing: Happens in episode 30. Despite the fact the client did not have plans to go to Hawaii, he has a Hawaiian shirt underneath.
- Go and Sin No More: Ratman offers this to a group of ruffians he defeats.
- Got Me Doing It: Upon meeting Aleks's twin brother, Hans, Katrielle, Ernest and Sherl started speaking like them.
- Sherl may object to Katrielle's method of presenting conclusions, but once he gets his own case, he puts on the same airs. Likewise with Emiliana in episode 50.
- He Is All Grown Up: Luke appears as an adult in this series, and he's grown quite a lot like how Clive portrayed him. He even has a family of his own now!
- Idea Bulb: The cue that Katrielle has figured out the mystery.
- Motifs: Family, particularly broken families. Several of the episodes feature clients or witnesses being reunited with loved ones who were, to that point, estranged. It largely parallels Katry's missing dad.
- Mythology Gag: Though it might be unintentional or a coincidence, the first couple episodes actually parallels to the Professor Layton games.
- Once per Episode / Catchphrase: "I, Katrielle Layton, will take this case!"
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Katrielle is red passionate instinct to Emiliana's blue calm logic, and they usually even dress the part. Shown in dramatic fashion in the round title cards when they duel in episode 40.
- Shout-Out: During the Ratman case, the newspaper photographer is appropriately named "Pete".
- Spared by the Adaptation: In Mystery Journey, Madame Doublée mentions her "late husband", whereas episode 43 presents the show's version of him as alive and well, just a frequent international traveller.
- Squashed Flat: Sherl, after making the unfortunate decision to do a yoga pose against a door, gets crushed by said door as Ernest comes in at the start of episode 22. He flutters down to the floor before popping back to normal.
- Sweet Tooth: Katrielle. She compares each mystery to a different sweet when she is about to give her solution to the problem.
- Unishment: In episode 44, a chef challenges Katrielle to a cooking battle. If she wins, they can leave but if she loses, he will force Katrielle to wear a chinese dress and promote his restaurant as a way to pay for her food. Surprisingly, Katrielle actually likes the dress and wants to try it on, much to Ernest's embarrassment.
