Joe Kuruma heads the Kuruma Detective Agency, boldly declaring himself the "Second Generation Sherlock Holmes," a stark contrast to his real-world standing as a third-rate, incompetent investigator. He struggles with severe financial hardship, including three years of unpaid rent, blaming a lack of available cases—though he admits rejecting any that fall short of his standards. His habit of interfering in investigations frequently worsens situations, cementing his reputation as a troublemaker. This is formally acknowledged when the villain Corey dubs him the "Representative of Modern Losers" in the original series' episode 18. His character mixes comedic ineptitude with flashes of unexpected capability. He modifies his fake pistol (a water gun) by adding sleeping pills and wields his hat as an improvised weapon. Physically, he sports several missing front teeth, attributed to excessive milk drinking, which clashes with his otherwise decent fashion sense. A notable anomaly occurs in episode 15 when he dons the "Horamet" helmet—a blue bucket-like item from a mysterious woman—transforming him into the powerful Typhoon Horamar during a dream. This alter ego resurfaces in the series finale through his sleep-talking utterance, "I'm a Horamar...". In the OVA *Shin Hurricane Polymar*, his role shifts slightly. Takeshi Onigawara (Polymar’s alter ego) is portrayed as a freeloader at Kuruma’s agency, not a formal assistant. Despite the agency's persistent financial woes, Kuruma tackles more serious cases, such as protecting Miss Nielsen, a researcher targeted by the Meioutou criminal syndicate. During an assault by the Oni Okoze Dan gang, he actively joins Takeshi in the defense, demonstrating physical involvement beyond his typical comedic blunders. His background reveals origins in a rural family running the Himadana Ranch dairy farm. The name "Kuruma Jō" is a linguistic play on "Sherlock" (車 *sha* meaning "car" and 錠 *jō* meaning "lock"). Across all media, he consistently provides comic relief while occasionally aiding investigations meaningfully. His dynamic with Takeshi evolves in the OVA, yet his core traits—financial distress, inflated self-importance, and inadvertent chaos—remain constant throughout the franchise.