Author: Katou Motohiro
Copyright © 1998-2000 Katou Motohiro

Even if you have never read any of the Sherlock Holmes stories you probably have heard of him and Dr. Watson. There is a whole genre of manga based on this type of mystery. Q.E.D. is also this type of story. However instead of having a super-intelligent detective and a somewhat goofy side-kick we have a super-intelligent 15 year old boy, Touma Sou and his classmate, Mizuhara Kana. Although she is not really goofy she definitely can be amusing. The duo is described as "Intelligent and Active!" which fits them very well. However, instead of people asking Touma for his help it is Kana and her desire to help who drags Touma in to most of these capers.
The first story starts with a murder. Apparently we see the president of the video game company "AKS Entertainment" being killed. After the killer leaves, the president has just enough strength to turn over one of the cards he was playing with: the King of Diamonds. Elsewhere in the city Kana and her friend Noriko are having fun at a local arcade late at night. Just when Kana decided it was time to go home, a fight develops. She is just in time to help her classmate, Touma Sou, escape from serious harm.
After berating Touma for inciting a fight, which he did unwittingly, Noriko pulls Kana aside and tells her that she should not bother with Touma. Apparently Touma is very famous at their school. Just last year he was a student at MIT in America. The boy is nothing short of a world-class genius. He is also not the most socially well adjusted. No one knows why Touma had suddenly left MIT and decided to try to become an ordinary student at an ordinary high school, but it is obvious to all that he definitely is not ordinary.
Suddenly Noriko gets a call on her cell phone—it turns out that the murdered man is her father! Kana and Touma get Noriko to the crime scene, and Kana sees that the inspector in charge of the case is her father. Kana is driven by two things: curiosity and the desire to help people. She pretty much forces Touma to get them in to the secured area of the building using his intelligence. It is there that she learns the details of the case. The next day at school Kana comforts her friend Noriko. Kana notices Touma on the roof of the school with his laptop. She tries to get Touma to help her find out who killed Noriko's father. At first Touma refuses but suddenly he decides to help. Thus our duo is formed. The things that set this series apart from other "Sherlock Holmes" style stories are the characters and the situations. Most of the episodes deal with solving some mystery or crime. Some of these involving Touma's past is a nice touch. However the characters are what keeps the reader interested. Especially how Touma and Kana interact.
Touma is very reserved, logical, and withdrawn. He always seems very polite and amiable but there is something going on in his eyes—either his past or some troubling glimpse of the future. Touma treats almost all experiences as if they were very new to him. Sort of like learning to be a kid for the first time.
Kana is extremely outgoing and active. She masters virtually every sport she puts her mind to. With a quick smile, a ready wit, and the desire to do everything she attacks life. She also has some attachment to Touma and drags him along with her every where she goes, frequently to Touma's chagrin. Although Kana will quickly and vehemently protest that they are not going out together, it seems that a relationship may be developing here.
It is all about humor, suspense, character development and some neat mysteries with interesting resolutions. Each volume contains two episodes, which tend to wrap up nicely. This gives the readers nice digestible bits of story without having to go through a painful 10 volume run of anxiety and worry. However there is enough of a common thread running through the stories to give us a nice sense of progress and continuity in the stories.
The art itself is nicely drawn. Lines are fine and detailed. Each of the characters has a very unique look to them. The use of backgrounds is plentiful and the reader always has an excellent sense of where the characters are in the world and in relation to each other.
If you want a relatively easy and fun read that has deeper undertones waiting for you to explore them, Q.E.D. is highly recommended.

Publisher: Monthly Shonen Magazine Comics
7 volumes (and continuing)
Format: 178 ~ 214 pages; Black & White
Vol. 1: ISBN4-06-333659-X
Vol. 2: ISBN4-06-333664-6
Vol. 3: ISBN4-06-333679-4
Vol. 4: ISBN4-06-333696-4
Vol. 5: ISBN4-06-333706-5
Vol. 6: ISBN4-06-333722-7
Vol. 7: ISBN4-06-333734-0
Price per volume: ¥390
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