| Revision as of 17:42, 30 September 2005 edit155.91.19.73 (talk)No edit summary← Previous edit | Revision as of 01:06, 12 October 2005 edit undoUltratomio (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users6,737 editsmNo edit summaryNext edit → | ||
| Line 94: | Line 94: | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ]{{Link FA|tl}} | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 01:06, 12 October 2005
Case Closed, known as Detective Conan (名探偵コナン, Meitantei Konan) in Japan and in non-English speaking countries, is a detective manga and anime series by Gosho Aoyama (青山 剛昌), which has been published in Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine since 1994.
The anime version is produced by TMS Entertainment and has run over 400 television episodes and nine movies in Japan, and is still running on Japanese television today. It airs Mondays at 7:30 PM on Nihon TV. In July 2003, FUNimation announced that they licensed Detective Conan for a release in the United States, to be released as "Case Closed" due to legal issues concerning the name Conan (Conan the Barbarian, although Conan can be considered a regular name as in Conan O'Brien). In every other part of the world, in the many countries where Detective Conan was released and aired, the name "Detective Conan" (or the literal translation of it), remained intact. The title Detective Conan is also used by TMS Entertainment. Detective Conan has aired in Spain, Germany, Italy, China, the United Arab Emirates, and other nations. However, it was at the insistence of TMS that such precautions be taken in the US market. Likewise, FUNimation was also instructed, much to their dislike, to use a new logo designed by TMS, as well as change most of the character's names to what the Japanese licenser felt would be more friendly to an American mainstream audience. However, like many licensers who have an inaccurate perception of the North American market, marketing an animated murder mystery show to a family audience in the US was far more difficult than TMS anticipated. There have been unconfirmed reports that the Fox Network (pre-Fox Box) considered licensing the series, but couldn't because it was thought to be far too violent. Indeed, there are many situations that involves disturbing homicides, such as human corpses, dismemberbed bodies, and in very few cases, even murdered children, etc.
Cartoon Network began broadcasting Case Closed as part of their Adult Swim programming block beginning in May 2004. Although a family series in Japan, it airs on Adult Swim in the US due to the mature content of the crimes portrayed. Currently, Adult Swim possesses approximately fifty episodes, while FUNimation has dubbed additional episodes into English for American audiences; some of which have been released on DVD. In January of 2005, Adult Swim announced that it would not purchase additional episodes due to poor ratings in the US.
VIZ Media publishes Detective Conan manga in English as Case Closed for American audiences. The comic uses the original right-to-left format and the English anime names for the main characters while it uses the original Japanese names for the minor characters. In Germany a German translation of the manga is published by Egmont, and in France the manga published by Kana.
A ninth Detective Conan movie, Strategy Above the Depths, was released in Japan on April 9, 2005.
Story
Names are in Western order, with the surname after the given name.
At the beginning of the story, 17-year old (16 years in the manga) high school student Jimmy Kudo (Shin'ichi Kudo in the Japanese release) becomes the boy, Conan Edogawa. Jimmy Kudo in the beginning of Case Closed is known as a high school student detective. One day, Jimmy goes to a theme park named "Tropical Land," with his childhood friend (or current girlfriend), Rachel Moore (Ran Mori). He encountered a case where a roller coaster passenger, Kishida (Kenneth in the English anime), is killed in a spectacularly bloody decapitation. He solved the case and on his return home, he witnesses a suspicious deal involving some men dressed completely in black. Another man in black spots him, knocks him down, and gives him an untested poison named Apotoxin-4869 (APTX4869), which is intended to kill him. The poison does not kill him. However, when he came to his senses, his body had shrunk down to the size of an elementary school boy.
Following the advice of Dr. Hiroshi Agasa (Dr. Hershel Agasa in the English anime), Jimmy hides who he really is, lest the men in black find out that he is alive. When Rachel asks for his name, Jimmy spots books by Arthur Conan Doyle and Edogawa Rampo and comes up with the name "Conan Edogawa." Agasa then suggests that "Conan" go live with Rachel, and both Conan and Rachel accept the change.
Rachel's father, Richard Moore (Kogoro Mori) is also a detective, but is not very capable. Conan always solves mysteries in his stead. Because Conan appears to be just a boy, police don't pay Conan any mind. Conan instead uses Detective Moore by putting him to sleep with a "clock type anesthesia gun" and pretending to be Moore by using a voice changer disguised as a bow tie.
Other important characters that appear (some later) are Jimmy's parents Booker (Yusaku) and Vivian Kudo (Yukiko), Harley Hartwell (Heiji Hattori), a rival detective from Osaka, gentleman thief Phantom Thief (Kaitō Kid , who also appears in Magic Kaito), inventor of the APTX4869 Shiho Miyano (codename "Sherry" within the black syndicate, turned into a child also after she took her own drug to escape the organization, and then lives with Dr. Agasa under her new name Ai Haibara), and the other members of the black organization: Gin, Vodka, Tequila, Calvados, Pisco, Vermouth, Kir, Chianti, Köln, and a mysterious "boss" who has only been mentioned so far.
Case Closed has the format of classical mystery/crime literature, with such classical set ups such as the Closed-Room-Type murder case, and cases with a limited number of suspects. It also includes the wrap up of the case and conclusion/solution of the case like in typical crime literature.
Many references to other detective literature can also be found for fans of detective novels; References to Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie's works, Kogoro Akechi, Kosuke Kindaichi, Arsène Lupin, Maigret and many more.
The manga also includes a Detective Encyclopedia, where many characters of detective, mystery and crime literature and film are introduced, including even Columbo and James Bond.
There is a new theatrical movie of Detective Conan coming out every year in April during the Golden Week. Also, regular appearances of 1 hour specials as well as the yearly 2 hour new year special define the series.
As of August 2005 Case Closed is being shown on Cartoon Network' Adult Swim at 05:30 AM eastern.
Detective Conan is airing on Yomiuri TV (producing TV station), NNS TV stations, and TV Miyazaki on Mondays at 7:30 pm, after Tezuka Anime, Black Jack.
Characters
The Japanese names are in Western order (surname after personal name), and are followed by the names used in the American adaptations.
- Shin'ichi Kudo (工藤 新一 Kudō Shin'ichi) / Jimmy Kudo - A high school detective now living in the body of a small boy under the alias Conan Edogawa (江戸川コナン).
- Ran Mori (毛利 蘭 Mōri Ran) / Rachel Moore - Jimmy's close friend. Both are in love with one another but they never have the nerve to admit their feelings. She is skilled in the martial arts and is the captain of her karate team.
- Kogoro Mori (毛利 小五郎 Mōri Kogorō) / Richard Moore - Rachel's father, an incompetent private detective. He's married to Eva Kadan (Eri Kisaki in the original Japanese anime and manga), a successful lawyer. They are now living separately.
- Hiroshi Agasa (阿笠 博士, Agasa Hiroshi, also Agasa-hakase, which means Professor Agasa) / Dr. Hershel Agasa - An absent-minded professor who invents several devices to help out Jimmy. His given name is Hiroshi in the English manga and Hershel in the English anime.
- Shiho Miyano (宮野志保 Miyano Shiho) a.k.a. "Sherry" (シェリー) a.k.a. Ai Haibara (灰原哀 Haibara Ai) - A former member of the crime syndicate that created APTX 4869, the poison that shrank Jimmy, Shiho betrays the organization after Gin killed her sister, Akemi Miyano. Shiho took the drug and became small. She is taken in by Dr. Agasa and becomes Conan Edogawa's right hand under her alias Ai Haibara.
- Juzo Megure (目暮十三 Megure Jūzō) a.k.a. Inspector Megure (目暮警部 Megure-keibu) / Joseph Meguire - A detective that covers some clues that Conan and Richard Moore miss. Richard used to work under him 10 years ago.
- Genta Kojima (小嶋元太 Kojima Genta) / George Kojima (manga) or George Kaminski (anime) - A friend of Amy and a self-proclaimed leader of the Junior Detective League (Detective Boys, or Shōnen Tantei, in the original Japanese anime and manga).
- Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya (円谷光彦 Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko) / Mitch Tsuburaya (manga) or Mitch Tennison (anime) - A friend of Amy who has a scientific approach. He seems to be infatuated both with Amy and Ai Haibara.
- Ayumi Yoshida (吉田歩美 Yoshida Ayumi) / Amy Yoshida (manga) or Amy Yeager (anime) - A girl who becomes friends with Conan. She has a crush on him.
- Sonoko Suzuki (鈴木園子 Suzuki Sonoko) / Serena Sebastian - Rachel's best friend. Serena is very obsessed with guys. The guy she likes is Makota (also known as Makoto Kyougoku in the Japanese version). Serena has a sister (named Ayako Sebastian in the English manga, Anne Sebastian in the English anime, and Ayako Suzuki in the Japanese versions).
- Heiji Hattori (服部平次 Hattori Heiji) / Harley Hartwell - Jimmy's rival detective from Osaka, who later becomes friends with him. He has a relationship with Kazuha Toyama (遠山和葉 Toyama Kazuha).
- Yusaku Kudo (工藤優作 Kudō Yusaku) / Booker Kudo - Jimmy's father, a famous author of detective stories. Created the popular character, "Night Baron".
- Yukiko Kudo (工藤有希子 Kudō Yukiko) / Vivian Kudo - Jimmy's mother, a former actress.
- Kaitou Kid (怪盗キッド Kaitō Kiddo) / Phantom Thief - A thief that looks a lot like Jimmy. Kaitou Kid appeared in his own manga series, Magic Kaito.
- Vermouth - One of the important member of the crime syndicate (also known as the Black Organization, BO). Her true self is Sharon Vineyard, a famous American actress who has learned the skill of disguise along with Vivian Kudo.
- Gin - Also one of the top ranked member in the BO. The person who gave the APTX 4869 poison to Jimmy.
- Vodka - A member of the BO and is always seen alongside Gin.
Movies
- Timed-Bomb Skyscraper (Tokei Jikake no Matenro), 1997
- The 14th Target (14 banme no Target), 1998
- The Last Wizard of the Century (Seikimatsu no Majutsushi), 1999
- Captured in Her Eyes (Hitomi no Naka no Ansatsusha), 2000
- Countdown to Heaven (Tengoku He No kauntodaun), 2001
- The Phantom of Baker Street (Baker Street no Bourei), 2002
- Crossroad in the Ancient Capital (Meikyū no Crossroad), 2003
- Magician of the Silver Sky (Ginyoku no Magician), 2004
- Strategy Above the Depths (Suiheisenjō no Sutorateeji), 2005
External links
English
- FUNimation's official U.S. website
- Case Closed TCG website
- Adult Swim - Case Closed
- Case Closed at IMDb
- J-Revolution.com's Case Closed section
Japanese
- Official website of the Detective Conan movie
- YTV INTERACTIVE -よみうりテレビ - Official Japanese TV series web site
- Official Japanese manga web siteTemplate:Link FA