There was a time when Italian state television produced cartoons featuring the biggest names in Japanese animation. After three years of work, exactly 40 years ago, a co-production was released between Rai and Studio Pagot, also with Tokyo Movie Shima, entitled “The Snuff of Sherlock Holmes” (Meitantei Hōmuzu, 1984), whose direction was entrusted to maestro Hayao Miyazaki, recently awarded his second Oscar for the feature film “The Boy and the Heron” after the one obtained for Spirited Away.
Inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective, the series was then temporarily interrupted (after only 4 episodes made and two more drafted) due to a lawsuit brought by the London writer’s heirs, holders of the rights to the character. After an agreement, the designers were able to resume work. The protagonist is Sherlock in an anthropomorphic bloodhound version, endowed with great intelligence and scientific knowledge. Like the famous character in the stories, he lives in Baker Street, renting Mrs. Hudson’s house, together with his inseparable companion in adventures, Doctor Watson (a terrier).
Among the protagonists of the television series there is also Inspector Lestrade who often uses the help of the private investigator against Sherlock’s bitter adversary, Professor Moriarty (represented as a wolf who in the Italian dubbing had been gifted by a strong Piedmontese accent). Helping the fearsome professor are the two bungling Smiley and Todd, also humanized animals, like all the characters in the series. This choice, in addition to being aesthetically appealing, has given a vein of humor and originality to the production, where cats, foxes, wolves and other animals also stand out, adding liveliness and personality to the intricate investigative events.
Meitantei Hōmuzu – this is the Japanese name of the production – occupies a special place in the hearts of many fans. The 26 episodes created by the international co-production are inspired by and adapt Conan Doyle’s stories, so much so that the famous writer’s family – also given the success of the series – decided to sue because it had not been authorised. The animation style of “The Snuff of Sherlock Holmes” is characterized by impeccable attention to detail, like all of Hayao Miyazaki’s works. The characters are expressive and well defined, while the backgrounds are full of details and suggestive atmospheres. The action scenes are fluid and engaging, accompanied by a memorable soundtrack that highlights the story’s key moments. The fact is that, at a certain point, production was suspended due to a dispute with the heirs of the famous writer. Ultimately, though, the entire saga came out with a deal both in Japan and across Europe. Despite its worldwide success (it is one of the series that has most inspired entire generations of anime artists), after 26 episodes “The Snuff of Sherlock Holmes” was interrupted. The reasons have never been specified, so only hypotheses can be made.
These include the possibility that the funds have run out. The production was quite expensive, due to the high-quality animation and the involvement of numerous artists and musicians. Then there is the idea that the creators themselves decided not to make a second season, remaining faithful to the initial project which followed a well-defined narrative structure. Also not helping were the logistical difficulties of collaboration between Italy and Japan, with designers, screenwriters and authors having to frequently move between the two countries to create the various episodes.
Italian theme song, broadcast at the beginning and end of each episode, is signed by Giampaolo Zavallone and was performed by the band “Complotto” and the “Piccoli cantori di Milano”, then recorded on 45 rpm. There is both an Italian and English version of this song, used when the series was sold and broadcast in other European countries.
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