Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok Vol. 3: All Things Evil 2003   ADV Films   Buy It Now

Usually in anime, when gods come down to Earth, the results tend to be quite problematic. This isn't always the case however, and Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok is testament of this. The god trapped in a young boys body has been doing his best to solve some incredibly difficult mysteries and volume four of the captivating series, "All Things Evil," finds Loki, Mayura, and Yoshino once again trying to not only solve some rather tough cases, but find a way to get Loki back into Odin's favor.

The last volume did give fans a rather interesting three part story, but now Loki is back to trying to tackle single cases that only take up a single episode. However, he isn't the only one that's going to be the star, and you'll find Mayura taking center stage. You'll also find more references to the Norse mythology. Loki tries to solve a case involving a mysterious tree that seems to grant the wishes of anyone who keeps one of its leaves. It's all just another mistake though, thanks to Frey and his thoughtless ways. Frey also tries to help out Mayura by joining her high school mystery club, as well as her class. The result is comedy.

Evil is also the main theme here, and Loki finds himself often face to face with dark forces for his own mythos that have come to Earth to cause problems. Heimdall usually is the source of where these have come from, but not always, but Loki usually puts the clues together rather quickly and sends evil scurrying back to where it originated. The gang even finds themselves unwillingly playing a video game, virtual reality in this case, and Loki is hunting down the dreaded Count Dracula. He also has to face off against his friends and his enemies that serve as the bosses for the game, and this might be one of the most hilarious episodes on the disc.

Aside from Norse mythology being present, there are a number of Japanese cultural references, some which should be obvious. For example, while Mayura tries to keep the mystery club going, Frey enlists the aid of Heimdall for a bit of scare tactics. You'll find Loki's foes trying to climb from a television set, only one eye visible, in a nod to Ringu. The visit to the arcade features a game that is known internationally, and while the series calls is "Living Dead Hunter," we all know that this is House of the Dead. Reiya plays what is called UFO Chaser, a real game in Japan, though called UFO Catcher, and is one of those games where you win prizes if you can pick them up with the crane (and the Japanese machines have some very cool prizes.) Freya is also seen whisking green tea, and this actually part of the Japanese tea ceremony. Even if you don't understand all of the references though, the episodes are still enjoyable.

Taking a detour away from the story of Loki trying to get back to his normal form though really does work well. Although the mysteries aren't very complex and often times are very easy to figure out, laughter really becomes the key ingredient for Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok's success. The series could certainly be played off as being more dramatic, but I think that really would ruin the fun.

Now for the extras, and something that I've been long waiting for. ADV has included notes relating to the Norse Mythology. Like many tales of gods from the days before organized religion ruled the world, the Norse mythology is quite a colorful one filled with interesting heroes, gods, and sources of evil. You won't find just brief information though, and ADV has included some in-depth information that should not only help you understand some things in the series better, it may even perk your interest in learning more about the tales that have inspired the series. There is a new Japanese seiyuu interview on this volume, and this time you'll get to know Showtaro Morikubo (Narugami/Thor) and Romi Paku (Heimdall) a little better as they discuss their work on the series. Also, and you expected it I'm sure, there is another collection of character art and the clean versions of the opening and closing animations for the series.

What you'll find with Mythical Detective Loki, especially with this volume, is that this is a series that can give you episodes that are part of a bigger picture or episodes that work themselves out in just under 30-minutes, and the series is still wonderful to watch. I can't help but think "magic girl" whenever Loki summons his staff and magical powers, but that's just fine. It's not just the ladies that can wield magic abilities and get fans hooked, and Loki does it just as well as any other anime character.

Episode 9 - Mayura's Surefire Way to Pass Tests?!

Fery has lost one of Heimdall's gems that has now taken root and transformed into a tree. Rumors are spreading that the leaves will grant wishes, and Mayura sees this as the perfect way to pass her upcoming test. Loki however knows that something else is going on and just when it seems that he's taken care of the problem, the tree comes back.

Episode 10 - Twilight Coffee Shop

Narugami has taken a job at a coffee shop where strange events have been chasing away the business. Loki decides to try and solve the mystery and it turns out that a cursed cup is behind everything. Now he and Narugami must end it for good, but the item is precious to the owner and Narugami must decide what is more important.

Episode 11 - Transfer Student in Love

Mayura's after school club, the Mystery Society, is about to be disband and Frey has decided to help her out . . . . by joining not only the club, but school as well. This isn't quite enough however and now the two have very little times to prove the existence of two legitimate mysteries. It's nothing a little consecrated evil can't handle.

Episode 12 - The Traps of Castle Dracula

A visit to Kotaro's arcade turns into disaster. He wants to show off a new video game based of the legend of Dracula, but the virtual reality game is possessed by an ultimate evil. Loki has went into the game itself hoping to free Mayura and Kotaro for its evil clutches and must face off against both friend and enemy.

-mike-