Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok 1: God & Detectives

Based on a popular manga, this anime TV series deserves recognition for introducing one of the strangest concepts imaginable: the Norse god Loki has been banished by the mighty Odin and now lives in exile as a Japanese pre-teen who runs his own detective agency (Loki's companion, the fearsome wolf/son Fenrir, is now a black puppy who barks “Daddy!”). Other Norse gods also turn up in the guise of Japanese youth, either to help Loki or to hinder his earthbound efforts, and there's even a non-Norse figure named Spica, a giggly yet mute gal who is part-assistant, part-girlfriend (at least she thinks she is Loki's girlfriend), and part-homicidal (at one point she tries to strangle the sleeping Loki). Just why the Scandinavian gods are running around Japan rather than Norway (not to mention why these deities are involved in comedic mysteries) is never quite clear, but the idea of a kid who is really a Norse god trapped in a prepubescent body working as a modern day Philip Marlowe is clever (if also weird) and the episodes themselves are reasonably entertaining and occasionally funny (especially when Freya, the goddess of love, arrives as the sexy next door neighbor). Rated 13-up and presented on a dual-language disc with the first four of 26 episodes, this is recommended. [Note: Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok, Vol. 2 is slated for release on Dec. 13.] Aud: P. (P. Hall)