ビブリア古書堂の事件手帖 is a single-cour live-action television series that ran on Fuji Television in early 2013, totalling 12 episodes of 45 minutes, adapted from a series of light novels written by Mikami En (三上延).
Undeniably an entry in the overall ‘Great Detective’ genre, it sees a small number of characters solving very human mysteries, with a savant genius’ knowledge of books, magazines, publishing and literature.
The stories (and mysteries) are very personal, very human tales, with some deep emotive performances, and more than a touch of wit and humour.
The setting
The story takes place in and around the Biblia Used Bookstore, an antiquarian bookshop tucked away in an out-of-the-way corner of Kamakura (鎌倉市). The store is lovely, in that rather run-down suburban way of mid-20th Century Japanese architecture.
The story is set in the real-world in the present-day, and the stories all revolve around actual books (not all of which are available in English translations), one of which is featured each episode.
The Characters
The owner of the shop – and our Great Detective for this tale – is Shinokawa Shioriko (篠川 栞子) [played by Gouriki Ayame (剛力 彩芽)]. Shinokawa is quiet, demure, beautiful, deeply knowledgeable about all matters related to books, and possessed of both a keen insight into and interest in the relationship between people and books.
Her keen biblographical insights will get to the bottom of many mysteries.
After encountering a book-related mystery pertaining to his own family, Goura Daisuke (五浦 大輔) [played by Kurosawa Ryouhei (黒沢 良平) AKA Akira] joins up with Shinokawa as her assistant, helping her both run the store and helping to resolve book-related mysteries. Goura provides muscle, energy, legwork and drive for the retiring store-owner.
Goura is joined by Shida Hajime (志田 肇) [played by Takahashi Katsumi (高橋克実)], an older man who is a bookseller at Sedori Books, but who lodges in one of Shinokawa’s spare rooms, as a part of a long-standing arrangement. The outgoing yet cynical Shida, inured to hardships and setbacks, provides an interesting and often amusing counterpoint to Goura’s more youthful exuberance and optimism.
The Stories and the Mysteries
As mentioned, each week focuses on a different book, both fiction and non-fiction, some famous and some obscure. While the mysteries sometimes hold back important minor clues, sharp-minded viewers still have a shot at working out the nature of the mystery before the reveal.
Other notes
Background music is used quite strongly in the show, with its presence (and sometimes its abrupt absence) underscoring the drama and suspense of the storytelling and performances quite well.
The spoken Japanese is usually quite clear (and not overly complicated), but can occasionally be a bit too fast for novices, or can be somewhat muffled by the musical score. Much modern Japanese culture is on display.
The interior of the bookstore often seems somewhat hazy. It isn’t clear whether this is an intentional effect, or simply an artifact of the camera-technology and lighting being used.
Look forward to e-girls’ rendition of the song Neverending Story, as the closing theme of the show.
Recommendation
Absolutely recommended for lovers of bloodless mysteries, for bibliophiles, and those with an interest in Japanese language and culture. Excellent viewing.