Ronin Suirai Tantei, also known as Top Knot Detective outside Japan is a TV show from the eighties, starring Takashi Takamoto. Besides that he also wrote and directed it. In this documentary several people are interviewed who were involved with the show together with old VHS-video of the show, of which the originals have been destroyed by the production company because of controversy surrounding Takamoto. Or at least that’s what this movie wants you to believe.
The truth is that the show never really existed. But if you didn’t know this there really isn’t much while watching Top Knot Detective which would make you think this is a mockumentary. Everything’s perfectly done and the end result is a funny, entertaining film.op.
With a great eye for detail the myth around Takamoto, his past and the show is built. He once started as J-Pop star, but made the transition to television and directed the show that would make him famous in a way that would make Ed Wood proud. He was a real bad boy, which not everyone could appreciate. Most people who are interviewed talk about him in a negative way and this film keeps what exactly happened to Takamoto unclear. The footage of the show itself are cheap looking and bad on purpose, which adds to the eighties vibe it’s aiming for. Cheap effects (like blood spraying), together with the catchphrase “Deductive reasoning!” make it a complete package. It makes it all feel “real”, making you wish that the show actually existed and can be found somewhere online.
Together with the interviews, old promotional material and even archival footage of a Japanese talk show (which for some reason features a lot of kittens), this is a complete package. A “documentary” which isn’t only funny, but also has a couple of dramatic moments which it presents in a convincing way. I hope the movie will be more easily available as this is one of those titles which could easily have a cult following.
