Meitantei Catherine

The weather is fine in Kyoto. The tourists are at the temples, and various schools of flower arrangement meet for a power struggle. A perfect opportunity to commit crimes and drop clues, right? Unfortunately for the criminals, a classy lady from the USA takes up the case, earning her the title Detective Catherine.

As a puzzle mystery, it is relatively simple. If you want a challenge, you might be able to guess who did what, but it can be more difficult to guess how.

The theme of flower arrangement adds aesthetics, but the setting of a cultural society is too similar to an average episode of the TV shows like Midsomer Murders. Most of the suspects are also bland and cliché.

The detective has a clear personality, and a strong presence, making her a center of attention. She also has things going on outside of the investigation, and talents aside from catching criminals. The "Dr. Watson" on the other hand is mostly useless.

A strength of the movie is that it is lively with many characters, and subplots outside the case. The use of an American detective in a tourist trap setting might be attempt to appeal to an international audience.

Watch it if you like classical puzzle mysteries and want to see one set around the shrines in Kyoto.