Joseph Luster
April 8, 2013 
When someone initially pointed out that there were multiple hair fetish… ish shows floating around, I kind of shrugged. Of course there are. Cuticle Detective Inaba kicked off its 12-episode run in January, and now we have The Severing Crime Edge (Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge), based on the manga by Tatsuhiko Hikagi. Judging from the wildly bizarre first episode, the best compliment I can pay the show at this point is that I’ll definitely be watching the next one just to see what the hell happens.
Comparisons have been drawn to Mysterious Girlfriend X, which is understandable. But while MGX certainly wears its oozing, honey-thick drool on its sleeve, The Severing Crime Edge presents a protagonist who is almost frighteningly aware of his obsession. The way he proclaims his love for hair and the cutting thereof would be cause for immediate psychological evaluation in reality, but whatever; this is a cartoon, right? Still, our first impression of protagonist Kiri Haimura is a desperately creepy one.
Kiri’s love affair with hair runs marrow deep. When he gets off on the wrong bus stop and finds himself at a mysterious mansion full of haunting rumors and stories, he ends up meeting Iwai Mushanokouji. Contrary to word on the street, this young girl isn’t a ghost. Her impossibly long, flowing hair, however, is cursed, and cannot be cut no matter how sharp the blade. He’s forward, she’s forlorn, and the two quickly form a strange kind of bond throughout the episode.
Kiri makes it his mission to cut her hair, and while he gets his chance, he also ends up being sucked into a sinister, deadly game centered on killing the “Hair Queen” using cursed tools known as the “Killing Goods.” If one such tool can “kill” Iwai’s cursed locks, then surely she’s not safe from the rest. Thus, Kiri takes it upon himself to protect her as The Severing Crime Edge prepares to spiral into new territory.
The way the first episode is paced had me wondering if we even needed to see a full series. I only say that because there’s actually somewhat of a complete story told within these opening 20 minutes, and what lies beyond is murky at best. The Severing Crime Edge as a single shot is like an experimental short film animated by a group—in this case Studio Gokumi (A Channel, The Ambition of Nobuna Oda)—that put every last dollar toward bringing anime hair to luscious life. When hands are fondling follicles, Crime Edge is absolutely gorgeous. Most everything else about it, including Katsuzo Hirata’s adaptation of Hikagi’s character designs, isn’t so special.
With that in mind, it’s tough to resist the call of episode two. I was completely put off by Kiri. There’s not much to like about our hero other than, I suppose, his willingness to put himself on the line for Iwai, but even that’s mostly self serving at the moment. If he were obsessed with any of Iwai’s porcelain doll-like qualities besides her hair, he’d just be your average screaming otaku. This is just episode one, however, and I’m totally open to the fact that the next chapter will kick off a rousing, murderous thriller. Director Yuji Yamaguchi (Fate/stay night, Angel Links) has, at the very least, brewed up some thick atmosphere for the series, so we’ll see how it stacks up as the season continues.
First Impressions Court deems further evidence necessary to evaluate The Severing Crime Edge, and sentences Joseph Luster to watching more episodes. The show, however, is absolutely guilty of wasting a really cool title on a show about hair.
The Severing Crime Edge is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
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