Like The Tomato
Nothing here but my musings about daily life, books, anime, and food.
- Anime Title: Moriarty the Patriot
- Episodes: 1 Season – 24 episodes, 2 OVAs
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
- Publisher: Bandai Visual
I am not some kind of Sherlock Holmes expert but I am familiar with the world, having read some of the stories and watching those Robert Downey Jr movies. I can’t say what really pulled me to the anime. I just remember watching it one day. And loving it. Yes, love. I watched this anime maybe five times already. Let’s just say that this anime features my ultimate pairing and another strong trio.
As the title suggests, this anime follows Moriarty as he strategies to fix the British Empire’s systemic inequity while evading being discovered by none other than Sherlock Holmes. The first episode was really good in being the hook for me. I mean, I cannot stop watching the anime after that introduction. Then the anime proceeds to keep me entertained as I see how Moriarty planned on fixing the British Empire. The story is really solid – I dare say exciting and exhilarating. Well, it kept me watching multiple times.
Let’s talk about a trio that became an instant favorite for me. The Moriarty’s. The Moriarty Siblings. Moriarty. I would gush over them over and over. Each brother has his own strength that makes this trio work so well. We have Albert James Moriarty – the oldest of the brothers, a lieutenant colonel; William James Moriarty – the middle brother, a crime consultant, a professor; and Louis James Moriarty – the youngest, the quiet but really deadly one. My favorite is William, and my hubby’s favorite is Louis. Out of these three, someone stands out – William. He was the one who had a clear vision, a clear-cut plan of how he wanted to reform the British empire. And his brothers believed and supported him in it. William was the leader and everyone who looked at the brothers could tell that he was the brains of this operation. He was so intelligent. There were so many episodes in this anime that showcased his skills and it was amazing.
Let’s talk about my favorite pair. William and Sherlock Holmes. After watching this anime so many times, these two together are just satisfying to watch. They are friends and rivals. Their intellect is on par with each other. Sherlock sparked William’s interest the moment they met. William thinks Sherlock is one brilliant man. Let’s just say that William chose Sherlock to play a role in his plans. Sherlock on the other hand has no interest in being manipulated by William. There were moments when he had no choice but to play along, but we find him doing things outside of William’s expectations often. My fujoshi heart flutters for these two. They are my one true pairing in this anime because they make sense to me. These two were featured as my desktop wallpaper for quite a while.
I was very hesitant to watch this anime with my partner. Why? I loved this anime so much that I’m really scared of what he would think about it. Spoiler alert: he ended up enjoying and loving the anime. Both of us were on the edge of our seats while watching this movie. Seriously, this has mystery, and intrigue, and is very brainy. It features some really compelling characters – Fred is also one of my hubby’s favorites that came out of this anime. I could keep on gushing about this anime but do yourself a favor and check it out. This anime became one of my favorites after the first few episodes and I would continue to rewatch this over and over and over. I need to get the manga now.
- Title: Arsenic and Adobo
- Author: Mia P. Manansala
- Genre: Mystery
- Pages: 295
- Publisher: Berkley
- Published: 2021
I remember seeing this book on Amazon before the book got released. Do not ask me how I came across this one, I think I might just be randomly perusing books. The trigger word? Adobo. That’s all it took for my interest to be piqued.
For those who do not know, adobo is a Filipino dish that can be made either with chicken or pork or BOTH cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and peppercorns. This dish is served with white rice. One of my favorite dishes to make and eat. A good adobo is just so comforting to me. So yeah, it is understandable that putting adobo on the title will tickle my interest.
In a gist, the book is about a Filipina named Lila Macapagal, going back to her hometown to get over a breakup. Helping out her family business in the meantime, her name got dragged into a murder case when a food critic – who was also an ex-boyfriend – drops dead while eating at their family restaurant.
As you can see, this is a book with a heavy subject matter – murder. However, as in any mystery novel out there, the story was very fast-paced. I cannot put the book down. Growing up in a Filipino household myself, the book really called to me. From the importance of family to the appreciation of good food.
Aside from the main conflict – finding out who killed her ex-boyfriend, the novel was sprinkled with food, family conflict, friendships, and a hint of a possible love triangle. I mean, what’s not to love this book?
But really aside from all the food mentioned in this book, it was the family dynamic that reminds me of how it is to be in a traditional Filipino family. Regardless of where they are. Having been raised in an environment where family is a huge thing, the dynamic did hit home for me. I, too, had to struggle of finding a good balance between following my dreams and still not fully abandoning my responsibilities to the family. Not an easy task.
All in all, I loved this book. And I will continue with the series. This is the first book to the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen series. Book two is already out – Homicide and Halo-Halo. I will be adding that to my cart soon.