The Case of the Metropolitan Serial Drownings (episode)

## The Case of the Metropolitan Serial Drownings

**The Case of the Metropolitan Serial Drownings** (大都会連続溺死事件, *Dai tokai renzoku dekishi jiken*) is the first episode of the *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* anime.

## Synopsis

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigative Division is investigating a series of murders. However, the young detective Totomaru Isshiki, known as "Toto," keeps failing and is ordered home by his boss, Amamiya. Kiku of the General Affairs Division introduces Toto to a detective. The man he meets is Ron Kamonohashi, an eccentric man with a shaggy head...

The Metropolitan Police Department is struggling to investigate a series of murders, yet Detective Isshiki is ordered to go home. Kiku of the General Affairs Division sends him to meet a certain sleuth—a shaggy-haired eccentric named Kamonohashi Ron.

## Summary

During a briefing of the Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigative Division, Amamiya learns that a fifth victim in the recent serial killings was found. She subsequently orders everyone to expand the scope of the investigation and for Totomaru Isshiki to go home, as he would only be a hindrance due to his incompetence. Saddened, Toto seeks out Kiku from the General Affairs Division instead of going home.

Kiku tells Toto that he needs results or he will soon be kicked out of the Investigative Division. He also reminds him of his past mishaps: Totomaru let several culprits escape and was once reported for questioning people in a residential area at 3 a.m. While Kiku likes Toto's straightforwardness and disregard for consequences, Toto is unsuited for detective work. Still, Toto cannot stand having his hands tied while a serial killer is around. Kiku then refers him to a sleuth whom he believes to be the only person capable of solving the case. He hands Totomaru an old photo, tells him of the detective's "slick" personality, and sends him to the Maison du Kamonohashi.

There, Toto goes to the manager's office. He is about to ring the bell when a voice from the apartment tells him to "do it yourself" and "go and pray at the shrine again." Only when Totomaru mentions that Kiku sent him, does the door open, and the detective appears. Totomaru notes that he, Ron Kamonohashi, looks quite different compared to his photo. Ron asks Toto whether he is only satisfied if he says his thoughts out loud before he goes back inside. Toto apologizes and follows him into the flat. He nearly steps on Ron's cat and after Ron confirms that it is only sleeping and that Kiku gave it to him, Totomaru asks how he and Kiku know each other. Ron explains that he knows Kiku because he used to go to the same school as his son, and then throws himself onto his cushioned "Floor of Indolence."

Ron continues that he completely cut himself off from the outside world out of despair; hence, he has his blinds closed and he has neither a TV nor internet access. He is only a mere "hunk of junk, frozen in time," and it would be better if Totomaru left and gave Kiku his regards. Totomaru is unwilling to leave just now though; after all, he has not even told Ron the reason for his visit yet. When he is about to give it, Ron cuts him off and says that Kiku sent him young officers before. They all hoped to partner up with Ron to get promotions; Ron turned them all down after knocking them down a peg. Nevertheless, Kiku keeps on going because he wants Ron to make a comeback although he knows that Ron does not sleuth anymore.

His words surprise Toto, as Kiku sent him to Ron to get help in a murder case. He wants to tell Ron about it, but Ron yells and says that he does not want to hear anything about any cases. Annoyed, Totomaru turns to go. However, when Ron encourages him to seek out a shrine again, he stops and inquires how Ron knew about his shrine visit.

Ron explains that he could have only gotten pollen on his shoulder on the path to the Wakana Shrine. Further, the unopened canned coffee in his left pocket and the jingling coins in his right one indicate that he brought the can to get change to make an offering. After Toto unconsciously voices out loud his amazement that someone so "boorish and bratty" can make such a brilliant deduction, Ron points out that this habit is a sign of overreliance on others. That Totomaru walked down the center of the shrine path also reveals that he was raised in a refined environment, presumably by his grandparents.

Ron also deduces that Totomaru most likely came to him to prevent being transferred to another department due to his incompetence. Toto confirms this, though insists this only covers 30% of his reason. Realizing that Ron could solve the mystery, Toto tries to persuade him to help, but Ron resists and even puts on earplugs. Just when Toto tries to remove the plugs, Amamiya calls him. Out of anger, Ron slaps the phone out of his hand, but his action puts it on speakerphone, and he hears Amamiya tell Toto about the discovery of a sixth corpse in Kazahana Park. Because Toto is currently the closest to the crime scene, she orders him to go there.

Devastated that he heard about a case, Ron informs Totomaru that he desperately wants to sleuth; unfortunately, he has a "fatal flaw" that prevents him from doing detective work. For that reason, he has been living like a hermit. Believing the "fatal flaw" to be nothing but a simple illness, Totomaru offers to be his support. Ron finally agrees to help but urges him to never let him out of his sight.

Together, they hurry to Kazahana Park which leaves Toto out of breath and Ron unfazed as he works out daily. A police officer leads them to the victim: Okamasa, a private investment broker. Shockingly, Ron throws himself next to Okamasa and swears to avenge him before he examines the body. Ron deduces the victim drowned (white foam around his mouth) and handed over his valuables without resistance (no signs of violence, and his watch and wallet were stolen).

Toto informs Ron that it was the same with the previous five victims; none of the victims have anything in common besides being men though. He then hands Ron a map showing where each body was found. Considering where they were found, a limited area where they must have encountered the murderer can be discerned; however, there are no places where someone could drown grown men in that area. When Ron learns that, he immediately solves the case. Glad that his deductive ability has not become rusty, Ron excitedly jumps to his feet. He tells Totomaru that he figured out who the killer is—and that he decided to call him "Toto" from now on, as he thinks his name is too long. Before they arrest the culprit though, they have to go shopping first.

Using Toto's money, Ron buys tasteless designer clothes and makes Toto wear them to make him look rich. Afterward, Ron leads Toto to a barber shop to get his hair cut and urges him that he cannot fall asleep in there, even if he is running low on sleep.

While Ron waits outside, drinking brown sugar syrup, Toto enters the shop. He tells the barber that he is good with stocks before he is told to lean forward to get his hair washed. As soon as Totomaru becomes still, the barber begins to drown him. Before he succeeds though, Ron barges in and exposes the barber as the serial killer.

A moment later, Toto—who was instructed to hold his breath for a minute during the shampoo—takes his head out of the water and demands to know what is going on. Ron explains that the barber was about to drown him: The barber filled the sink with oxygen-deficient air to make his victims pass out and easy to rob and kill. Ron realized that a barber must be the culprit because, although all victims were heading to events that required them to look good, they either had longish hair or undyed roots. This means they died after visiting a barber, one that is in the area, accepts walk-ins, and has easy access to dry ice to create carbon dioxide. Only this shop fulfills all criteria. Furthermore, a barber always talks with their customers and would, thus, know if they are rich or told someone of their barber visit.

Ron then reveals that he recorded everything with Totomaru's phone, prompting the barber to escape via the roof. However, Ron locked the gate there beforehand, and he and Toto can corner the barber on the roof. Upon Toto's inquiry, the barber confesses that he killed the six men for their money because, in the past, rich people tricked him into investing in their stock, and he ended up with a huge debt because of that.

Upon hearing the confession, Ron unknowingly pressures him to jump, and the barber complies and climbs over the fence. Totomaru immediately hurries to save the barber when he jumps. Right afterward, Ron "wakes up" and asks where the culprit is. Toto tells him that he jumped, and Ron believes he killed someone again until Toto yells at him to help him: After all, he managed to grab the barber, but can neither pull him up nor hold him much longer.

Ron is stunned to learn that the culprit is alive. After he concludes that, because Toto is such a pure, naive fool, his body must react faster than his mind. He then saves Totomaru and the barber with bungee ropes just when they are about to fall. While they are hanging from the roof, Ron tells Totomaru that he has changed his opinion of him and that his actions sparked an idea in him. On the ground, Kiku smiles as he watches Ron and Toto's accomplishment.

Later at Ron's flat, Totomaru cannot believe that Ron did not tell him that his "fatal flaw" is a sickness that makes him compel others into committing suicide. Ron stresses that he has no control over this strange ability and never even remembers using it. Because of it, his case resolution rate was 100% and his arrest rate 0%, and he was banned from doing detective work. Toto, however, managed to break his "disgraceful streak." Kiku must have sent Totomaru to him because Ron needs a "pure, naive fool" as his partner, not someone talented. Ron tells Totomaru that he should bring him all his cases from now on; he will solve them for him and turn him into a famous detective.

## Characters and cast

* **Ron Kamonohashi:** Yōhei Azakami
* **Totomaru Isshiki:** Junya Enoki
* **Amamiya:** Yoko Hikasa
* **Kiku:** Hiroshi Naka
* **Barber:** Eiji Hanawa
* **Detective:** Mitsuki Nakamura
* **Police officers:** Yuu Wakabayashi, Yuuji Murai
* **Clerks:** Mikoto Nakai, Karin Nanami

## Gallery

### Episode stills

KikuRon before he became a hermit.Ron's catRon deduces that Toto visited Wakana Shrine.Ron and Toto in Kazahana Park.The sixth victim, OkamasaThe first five victimsThe barberToto wearing tasteless designer clothes.Kill on Sight is activated.The barber is compelled.Toto is stunned to hear Ron wants to partner up with him.Ron after he tells Toto he will make him a famous detective.
### Others

【鴨乃橋ロンの禁断推理】事件現場（アフレコ）アフタートーク第1回【-阿座上洋平 -榎木淳弥】Talk video with Yōhei Azakami and Junya Enoki
## Trivia

* This is Akira Amano's favorite episode because "it feels like the beginning of a story about the duo" (Ron and Toto).

## References and notes

1. ↑ "E1 - The Case of the Metropolitan Serial Drownings" — Crunchyroll
2. ↑ File:RKDD Amano, Azakami, Enoki Interview 1.png

1. ↑ Translated from the Japanese description with DeepL Translator and Google Translate