You can go ahead and add Yuko Takeguchi’s name to the growing list of stars synonymous with the great Sherlock Holmes.
That’s because HBO Asia and Hulu Japan are mounting a radical new interpretation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous sleuth, one that not only relocates Mrs. Holmes to modern-day Tokyo, and therefore far, far away from 221b Baker Street, but also flips the gender.
Its name? Miss Sherlock, and it’s headed for the small screen in April. Headed up by Takeguchi as the world-famous detective, the hour-long, eight-part drama is similar to the BBC’s rendition of Sherlock in that it takes place in a modern-day setting, where Takeguchi’s titular lead must call upon her “extraordinary observation and reasoning skills.”
She won’t do so alone, of course, as Miss Sherlock also includes an Asian version of Watson (or Wato Tachibana) to be played by Shihori Kanjiya, as the two go about solving crimes in the Japanese capital. You can see the debut trailer above, while the following photo is designed to introduce your new Holmes and Watson:
They certainly look the part, and only prove that the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle continue to enthrall and inspire, even as we approach the 100th anniversary of his death.
Here’s the official synopsis, courtesy of HBO:
Miss Sherlock pays homage to the classic by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, with bold interpretations of the iconic characters, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. Miss Sherlock is set in modern-day Tokyo and both lead characters are Japanese women – Dr. Wato Tachibana, a surgeon recently returned from a volunteer doctors’ mission in Syria and Sara Shelly Futaba, an investigation consultant to the police department who solves bizarre and difficult cases. Throughout the series, the pair solves mystery after mystery with Miss Sherlock’s extraordinary observation and reasoning skills.
The game is afoot: Miss Sherlock is expected to roll out via HBO Asia this April, though further details of an international release weren’t disclosed at press time. Sherlock, on the other hand, is still awaiting its fifth (and perhaps final?) season, though there’s been no sign of an official announcement occurring anytime soon.
