Randst Magazine 5

Randst Magazine Issue #5 is the fifth downloadable episode for Dai Gyakuten Saiban: Naruhodō Ryūnosuke no Bōken. It takes place before Randst Magazine 4.

March 5

 * 2:40 PM

In the attic of Sherlock Holmes' apartment, Iris Watson and Susato Mikotoba are ready to have tea, but Ryūnosuke Naruhodō is acting fairly strange. As it turns out, he has a terrible habit. The road between this flat and the office of Hart Vortex is filled with various second-hand and pawn shops, Naruhodō feels drawn to them every time he makes the regular trip. He winds up buying something every time he goes, even if he doesn’t know what he’s actually buying. He’s been getting Holmes to help explain some of the stranger items to him, but Iris notes that him telling his form of fun. He once told Naruhodō about a collapsible top hat that was actually a cover for a pot.

Naruhodō's latest purchase is a small, hard, and shriveled up sea anemone. The second-hand shop owner got him with talks of how popular aquariums are in England. But Iris reveals that aquariums were popular here, not are. Long before she was born, the glass tax was repealed, resulting in a rather short-lived boom for aquariums. It was so short lived because exchanging out the sea water was far too difficult. As a result, many homes and shops have discarded aquarium tanks gathering dust in the back somewhere. Naruhodō actually saw one of those at the second-hand shop, that’s how the seller roped him in. They yelled it was just the right time to get a sea anemone, all he needed to do is put it in water and it would be good as new. Naruhodō is determined to buy it some shrimps as friends the next time his student allowance comes in.

Iris also notes that another fad of the time were “Wardian cases,” which functioned as small greenhouses meant to raise strange and exotic tropical plants. Like aquariums, the fad was also short lived. Susato remembers seeing one discarded in her area of the flat, she praises her for noticing; she definitely used one herself, though she had grown tropical herbs instead. While staring at the anemone in his hand Naruhodō notes England has some odd fads. Susato counters by saing Japan does too reminding him of the rabbit fad. Naruhodō would rather not be reminded of that and hopes it stays a secret as part of the Meiji era’s dark history.

That all being said, Susato would really like it if Naruhodō stopped buying so many strange things. She points out a small set of scales in the back of the room which haven’t found any use it; Naruhodō replies that he just really wanted a tiny set of scales after seeing the massive ones in the courtroom. He also notes that Holmes’ room is just the same, filled with plenty of random items. Susato agrees, feeling like the amount has increased recently: a blowpipe, a warped metal pedestal with a beryl, a golden pince-nez, and a record with “Norbury” recorded on it in a whisper. Iris remarks that these are all memorabilia from Holmes’ various cases and Naruhodō responds that that’s exactly the kind of atmosphere he’s going for. Susato’s a bit skeptical, since it feels like to her that he’s bought things that are unrelated to any previous cases.

For example, they have two collapsible top hats and there was never a case with that kind of evidence. Naruhodō just points to the first case they had many of the witnesses were wearing one. Iris says that it’s a sign of a gentlemen in London and without a top hat you wouldn’t ever be considered one. Naruhodō wonders if a top hat fits him, the black hat and the black uniform would go together well so Iris and Susato get him to try it on ... but it doesn’t not fit. The image is too strange! Naruhodō feels that anyone from the Orient would have looked at a top hat and wondered why they put a chimney on their head. Iris responds that it goes the other way as well: top knots. Susato remarks that most Westerns wondered why on earth people in the Orient fastened guns to their heads. Cultural exchange just works that way most of the time, it seems.

But speaking of hats, Naruhodō thinks Holmes’ hat is also fairly strange. This makes which Susato gets incredibly angry. As a hunter of criminals, Iris thinks it suits him well enough. But Naruhodō is still confused about why there are flaps in the front and the back, maybe it’s so no matter which way he grabs it, it’ll always look like he’s wearing it the right way. Susato is indignant trying to look up an explanation, Iris provides one. She says that since hunters usually have to hide in the bush while hunting deer, the back flap is to make sure their neck isn’t constantly poked an scratched. But Holmes isn’t exactly hunting deer.

Suddenly, Sherlock Holmes himself enters the scene wondering where everyone had gone off to. Susato again remarks that they’re about to have tea and Holmes is glad he came at a good time. He remarks that he’s invented a new detective hat with four flaps. Because Holmes has carelessly put the deerstalker on before so that the two flaps were at the left and right, but with this new hat he can never be mistaken. This makes Naruhodō wonder he doesn't just where a top hat, a defeated Holmes wonders why he never thought of that before. Naruhodō says he has one he’s been using as a pot cover, so if he wants it he’s more than welcome to have it.

Holmes takes it gladly and tries it on, only for Iris and Susato to have merriment and laughter. Iris is convinced it doesn’t fit him at all but Susato wants him to wear it even if it means the whole world explodes in laughter. Sherlock removes the hat and yells about how he’ll always wear his deerstalker. Naruhodō echoes the sentiment saying he’ll always wear his school cap. But Susato thinks “always” may not be such a good idea.

References to Other Cases

 * When Iris mentions Glass tax, Susato notes that they are having that "detestable discussion" again. This is a reference to Randst Magazine 3 where they talked with Vortex and Tobias Gregson about taxes.
 * Naruhodō notes that their first case in London contain men with top hats. In The Adventure of the Runaway Room, Oscar Fairplay, Adam Redifast, Cosney Megundal, and even some of the jurors all wore top hats.