【Detective × Surreal Gag】Comedy, absurdity, and a bit of deduction!? The hit detective comedy Mattaku Saikin no Tantei to Kitara is airing as an anime!

Once hailed as the “high school detective who could solve any mystery,” Nagumo Keiichirou’s deductive power was unmatched, making him a prodigy of his time. But more than 10 years later, he’s now a 35-year-old man struggling with back pain and farsightedness. Unable to understand smartphones or modern schoolgirls, he seems a far cry from his former glory. Suddenly, a lively and eccentric high school girl named Mashiro appears, declaring herself his assistant and barging into his detective office. Thus begins the bizarre and comedic new daily life of a once-great detective and his wildly unique teenage assistant.

This series is a comedy manga about an aging former genius detective and his superhumanly capable high school assistant forming a strange, mismatched duo. Instead of focusing on solving mysteries, the story highlights Nagumo’s out-of-touch old-man antics and Mashiro’s over-the-top energy, creating a brand of humor that goes beyond typical detective manga. Mashiro’s outrageous facial expressions blend perfectly with Keiichirou’s melancholic middle-aged jokes, turning even potentially serious moments into comedy. Rather than a traditional detective story, this series shines as a “stage for laughter.“

The first thing you notice when reading is its high energy and abundance of gags. Mashiro’s wildly expressive faces are so over-the-top that they’re hilarious even without knowing the references. On top of that, the series occasionally sprinkles in detective trivia and quirky facts, giving it more flavor than just a gag manga. Of course, if you expect serious detective work, you might be disappointed—but the series was never meant to be a mystery. It’s a comedy using detectives as a backdrop. As long as you accept that premise, the variety of jokes and witty bits will keep you entertained to the end.

The charm of Mattaku Saikin no Tantei to Kitara lies in being more than slapstick comedy. The presence of Nagumo Keiichirou, a “man who was once a genius,” adds unique depth. Though worn down by age and outpaced by modern times, he clings to his pride as a detective, evoking a subtle melancholy beneath the laughs. That bittersweet aura is blown away by Mashiro’s youthful recklessness, creating a blend of humor and empathy. Laughing hard one moment, then feeling a pang of poignancy the next—this emotional swing is the series’ greatest appeal.