Sherlock Holmes adaptations remain as popular as ever, and creators are continuously trying to find new interpretations of this classic character and his tales. Moriarty the Patriot is one of Japan’s newer efforts at retelling the stories of Sherlock Holmes, this time through the lens of his mortal enemy: Professor James Moriarty.
The premise of Moriarty is Patriot is not particularly original. It follows the popular trend of attempting to turn a villainous character into an antihero by giving him a justifiable motivation. Moriarty despises the rigid class system that exists in late 19th century Britain, even though he and his brothers all belong to the noble class (through either birthright or circumstance) and they want to use crime as means to destroy all the evils of the world.
As most with most Sherlock stories, Moriarty the Patriot is classified as a crime thriller, and certainly, crime plays a central role. However, it is not really about creating and solving crimes, or even about the cat-and-mouse games between Sherlock and Moriarty -- these are both weaker parts of Moriarty the Patriot. The series regularly uses famous Sherlock Holmes stories such as A Study in Scarlet but simplifies them to an amusing degree in order to keep the stories of the Moriarty family moving.
The real point of Moriarty the Patriot is in the latter part of the title -- dealing with the idea of patriotism. All three Moriarty brothers have the same goal of dismantling the class system in Britain and bring about equality and fairness there. This goal is made abundantly clear within Episodes 2 and 3 of the anime, in which the brothers are willing to kill the entire Moriarty family in order to achieve their goal. The class struggle message is hammered in so hard, there is no real moral ambiguity. The nobles are so despicable, and the lower class people are treated so poorly, that there is no room to doubt the motivations of the Moriartys are just.
While the egalitarian social justice message is admirable, it is not told in a particularly intelligent fashion compared to some of the other works that touch on similar subjects, such as The Promised Neverland or Psycho-Pass (for which the artist Hikaru Miyoshi also did character designs). However, the real political message of Moriarty the Patriot lies in its discussions about more realistic means to achieve social change and resolve divisions in society, a very appropriate message for 2020.
Moriarty the Patriot takes place in 19th century Britain, where wealth and power are concentrated among the nobles at the top and the lower class’ resentment is high. A large portion of the population, including women and rural residents, do not have the right to vote and express their displeasure with society. On the surface, the Moriarty brothers chose crime to punish those in power, and to expose the nobles’ evil doings in the process. They are actually attempting to create a common enemy for both the people and the nobles to unite against a common cause, making the nobles realize that they need the people, and vice versa, to create a safer and more just society. Their plan is much in line with Lelouch vi Britannia’s final plan in Code Geass.
So, why use crime? Looking back in history, major social change often comes after times of great turmoil and tragedy; for example, the French Revolution was a response to massive poverty and raising taxes, the United Nations was formed after World War II and the horrific murder of Emmett Till partially inspired the civil rights movement. Since people are usually complacent about their situation during peaceful times, strong emotions are needed to provoke major changes. This is why within these historical events, there is always a great villain that the people can unite against: monarchy and feudalism in the French Revolution, Nazis in WWII, racism during the civil rights movement. The Moriartys simply chose crime as their means to evoke strong reactions from the people.
However, excessive instability can also lead to chaos. There is always a possibility for the ruling class to use the fear stirred up by the chaos and redirect that fear towards war. This is where Sherlock Holmes becomes crucial to the story: providing stability where there is chaos. Holmes is not on the side of nobles, but he is still effective at catching criminals who kill them; he is not a part of the establishment, but he still operates within society’s rules. For the common people, Sherlock Holmes is the only hope they can cling to during chaotic times.
By pitting the Moriarty brothers against Sherlock Holmes, the story is attempting to pose the question of whether the end justifies the means. More importantly, it is highlighting two competing ideas for bringing about social change: whether to use radical means and completely rebuild society or to make incremental changes from within the system. The answer is not always straightforward. What is clear, however, is that the ruling class will try to hold onto power using any means necessary, for instance, by manipulating the media and spreading rumors.
If the description of Moriarty the Patriot resembles recent events in any way, it is more than likely intentional. The writers are not really subtle about their goals and are clearly using a turbulent historical period as a backdrop to echo the problems of modern society such as geopolitics, the military-industrial complex and community policing. It's far from the best crime story or Sherlock Holmes adaptation out there, but it is a very entertaining political thriller that offers viewers some interesting ideas to ponder during a wild election season.
