It's really unfortunate that this series aired right after Gosick ended. They're both detective series, and although I know I shouldn't be biased, it falls short in every way. It comes off as preachy. Alice randomly throws out aphorisms that I suppose are meant to be insightful, but they only look arrogant because she's a shut-in. The result is she comes off like a know-it-all and annoying, rather than someone who is actually intelligent and insightful. I can't even begin to see how she is ever meant to come off in any endearing or moe manner. "Oh how cute, she doesn't like to take baths or go outside." No thanks.

The rest of the characters are just very bland. Stereotype after stereotype. Military nerd, the playboy, the street-smart enforcer (conveniently a school dropout), Yakuza with a heart of gold, generic restaurant owner (of a ramen shop no less), generic cheery girl who is secretly not so cheery, generic pushover boy.

Worst of all is the lead. He's just going along with it, already Alice's errand boy. They never really gave a good reason why he was doing it at the end of the first episode, and in the second episode it comes off like he's been serving her for month with nothing to show for it.

I could barely stomach the forced melodrama this episode delivered.

I sincerely hope the story picks up by the next episode or two. Otherwise this feels like it is just a pathetic cash-in from Gosick reviving detective shows (by that I mean ones that aren't Conan).