Synopsis:
Veteran detective Eiji Kirisame has always been married to his job, leaving no room in his life for romance, let alone marriage. That changes when he meets Tsugumi Kuchinashi, a mute high school girl who communicates solely through sketches, at the scene of a crime. After her deductions and doodles help crack a case, Eiji is blindsided by her final drawing—a marriage proposal—forcing him to navigate both an unconventional crime solving partnership and an even more complicated personal entanglement.
The Good:
As author Shinichi Sawaragi says in the afterword, one of the most important parts of any good mystery is “to show any evidence or scenes that act as clues in advance.” The first volume of A Pen, Handcuffs, and a Common-Law Marriage does this quite well throughout the first volume. Even before Tsugumi draws out the answers on her sketchpad with detective Eiji translating them, readers should have spotted enough clues to guess at least the broad strokes of the case.
The use of Tsugumi’s drawings to reveal each mystery is also a distinctive touch. Visualizing clues instead of relying solely on text guides readers more intuitively, giving those who couldn’t immediately solve the mystery more chances to arrive at a satisfying “lightbulb moment” as the pieces of the puzzle come together.
From marriage registration to cohabitation, signatures of witnesses and submitting the license, the procedures and legalities of marriage in Japan are put on display in the story. While it’s not something I set out to learn when reading, I found learning about it unexpectedly rewarding.
The Bad:
A Pen, Handcuffs, and a Common-Law Marriage balances mystery with romantic comedy, but one of its central hooks is sure to create a divide. Much of the story leans on the comedy created by an uncomfortable age-gap relationship, which will alienate some readers. Even with the younger girl orchestrating the situation through her own cunning, the dynamic still feels awkward. At times it almost borders on wish fulfillment, like the humor hinges on the question, “why isn’t he thrilled that a young attractive girl who wants to live with him is forcing him into marriage?”
Eiji does acknowledge the potential social fallout of such a relationship, yet those consequences are undercut within the first book. His first coworker to find out about their marriage ends up wholeheartedly supporting it. Tsugumi’s parents even sign off as witnesses on the marriage license, trusting Eiji completely just because he’s a cop. While the book’s comedy beats are competently executed, whether they resonate depends on whether readers accept the awkward premise.
The Verdict:
Despite the polarizing romantic comedy elements, the mysteries in A Pen, Handcuffs and A Common-Law Marriage remain engaging. If you want to read a story about Sherlock Holmes who is a mute teenage girl in love with a forty-year-old detective who is Watson figuring out what all her drawings mean to solve various mysteries, your extremely specific tastes will be satisfied! Those unsure about the age-gap part of the story should find a different mystery series to delve into.
Where To Purchase: Available from the publisher Yen Press as well as from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Indigo, Kinokuniya, and the Crunchyroll Store.
If you liked A Pen, Handcuffs, and a Common-Law Marriage you might also like…
- Shion no Ou: The Flowers of Hard Blood by Masaru Katori
- Senryu Girl by Masakuni Igarashi
- Young Miss Holmes by Kaoru Shintani
Credits:
Writer: Shinichi Sawaragi
Artist: Tank Gasuyama
Translator: Ko Ransom
Letterer: Ivo Marques
Published in English by Yen Press
Thank you to Yen Press for providing a review copy. Receiving this copy did not affect the reviewer’s opinions as expressed here.
Article edited by: Adam Wescott
The Good
- Well presented mysteries for readers to deduce.
- A surprisingly insightful look at the marriage system in Japan.
The Bad
- The age gap relationship is awkward at best.
- Half of the story’s premise relies on said relationship which could be a serious turn-off for readers.
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