My Dear Detective: Mitsuko’s Case Files by Natsumi Ito

It is no secret that I love a good detective, but My Dear Detective seems custom made with me in mind. Our titular detective turns out to be a slightly older woman in 1930s Japan with a bishonen assistant, so really was there any doubt I was going to be reading this?

Mitsuko is the first woman detective at the agency she works at. She faces competition and sexism from colleagues, clients, and the police but her boss supports her (after all she closes the most cases!) and believes they can change things for the better. When Mitsuko inadvertently solves a case with high-society university student Saku, he suddenly decides he wants to be her partner and become a detective himself.

Mitsuko and Saku have a good rapport; while she shows him the ropes and teaches technique, he pulls his weight being able to spot certain things thanks to his high-class background. The series questions a lot of gender norms and societal rules, weaving these topics into not only Mitsuko’s character and history but also through the cases and clients they meet.

The mysteries are starting to ramp up as the first volume ends and I’m excited to see how the story continues. It is wonderful to have a new chapter about a lady detective to look forward to each week!

• Read chapter 1 for free!
• Learn more!

-Kate