Kara Dennison
November 18, 2024 
It’s time for a new manga to join the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump—but from a familiar name! We Never Learn creator Taishi Tsutsui is back with a brand-new rom-com… this time, about a brilliant Sherlockian sleuth whose talents don’t match his desires.
Syd Craft: Love is a Mystery just launched its first chapter, and we’re taking a look at this inventive new title. Who is Syd Craft? What does he really want out of life? And how does he manage to miss two really strong romantic prospects despite being super observant? Let’s find out!
The Story So Far
New manga star Syd Craft is a detective in the vein of greats like Sherlock Holmes. He can solve mysteries at a glance and piece together improbable cases. It’s in his blood: since childhood, his parents have encouraged him toward his fate as a great detective. But that’s not what Syd really wants out of life. While most people see him taking his coffee and his books equally dark, he’d much prefer a milk tea and a romance novel. He doesn’t want to be a great sleuth… he wants love.
But it seems he truly is fated to be unlucky in love and lucky as a crime-solver. Every close relationship he ever gets into ends up intertwined with some case or other. If his girlfriend isn’t murdered, she’s the murderer. But maybe today (i.e. Chapter One) is the day things will turn around.
Partners in Crime(-Solving)
Every good new manga needs a good supporting cast. And Syd in particular, given his weak stomach, needs all the help he can get. Fortunately, he’s got two eager helpers at his beck and call. There’s Inspector Souffle Flamberry, for one. Despite her agitation at a detective stealing the police force’s thunder, she has a soft spot for Syd. Why that is becomes clear as this first chapter closes.
And then there’s Elio Evelyn, the young boy who serves as Syd’s assistant and apprentice. This bright-eyed young lad is eager to help Syd in all his cases. And he’s adept at talking to strangers… something Syd envies. But Elio has a secret of his own: one Syd must never find out, but that also might change his romantic prospects.
The First Case
As this new manga kicks off, we jump right into Syd Craft’s latest case: an apparent suicide involving a very strange pair of shoes. But a stray clue marks this suicide as a murder, and soon Syd’s brain is in overdrive. As he’s chasing down clues, he’s getting to know Limmery Rose: the lovely owner of a local pub Elio frequents. Limmery seems very interested in Syd. Could things be looking up for him?
If you’ve read this far (or even the summary of the manga), you’ll already know the answer. It seems we’ll have many similar scenarios to look forward to. But given the people in Syd Craft’s circle, perhaps romance is not fully out of the question. It all depends on if he can see the obvious while he’s solving crimes. We’ll keep reading to find out!
Syd Craft: Love is a Mystery is now available through the Shonen Jump app.
