As with my Fullmetal Alchemist thread, I'll be transferring my review of what I've seen of Detective Conan over here. The post below will have a proper introduction to those who haven't seen it.
April 15, 2011 - 11:23pm
#1
Looneygamemaster: The Case of the New Detective Conan Fan
Hello, to anyone who might view this section.
Seeing as how my love of mystery stories has been born anew by the Ace Attorney video games, I decided a while ago that I'd try out Detective Conan, the most famous mystery anime I've heard about. Like the original Fullmetal Alchemist, this is a popular title I have yet to see, so I thought I'd make a thread about my viewing experience.
My thread here will be different from the last time, though. I plan to make each episode review in a particular format: first, a brief summary of the episode, followed by any technical stuff I found interesting (animation, music, voice actor performances), and concluded by my thoughts about the episode's plot, its characters, etc.
There are a few things I'd like viewers to take note of. I'm viewing this show via Netflix (due to issues I've heard about edits, and the show's sheer length, I'll probably never buy this show), so first of all, this will mean that this thread will probably be updated very infrequently. Second, I'm going to be reviewing my impressions on the Japanese version, so I will be using the Japanese names (though I will include the English equivalent the first time I mention the name), and commenting on the Japanese performances. Sorry if this is a problem to anyone, but feel free to comment on how the dub compares to what I mention.
Anyway, enough introductory crud, because now...the game's afoot!
Couldn't resist.
Episode 1: The Roller Coaster Murder Case OR The Big Shrink
Summary: Lauded teen super-sleuth Shin'ichi Kudo seems unable to avoid mystery, as even on a date, a murder on a roller coaster demands his attention. But lurking in the shadows are a pair of shady men in black, who are about to seriously impact his life...
Technical Stuff: Coming into this show, I wasn't sure what to expect, animation wise. My two major experiences with TMS are radically different--their work on Sonic X is...not impressive, to say the least. But their work on Batman: The Animated Series was phenomenal.
So I went in, and found...not much of an impression. The animation is definitely not bad--in fact, by 90s standards, it looks darn good. Still, it doesn't leave me much to remark upon...but who knows, maybe that'll change. The music's made more of an impression, actually--the jazzy pieces that play sound really cool.
Voice acting wise, I always find it cool to come into a show and find a bunch of voices I know. I knew beforehand about Kappei Yamaguchi voicing Shin'ichi, but in this one episode, I recognized Kenichi Ogata (the professor), Ikue Ohtani (the little boy who's part of a trio of kids), and Fumihiko Tachiki (one of the "Men in Black"). Also found out that Wakana Yamazaki does Ran (Rachel in English). Still, no one's made much of an impression on me yet, except Yamaguchi. It's only the first episode, and he's able to play every part of his character--the goofiness, the slight arrogance, the seriousness--awesomely. It's almost a shame we won't be hearing that much more of him.
The Episode: So, this episode starts off with a little mystery at a mansion, which doesn't do much...except establish that Shin'ichi is cool. When you're not only a genius sleuth, but able to stop a perp by kicking a vase at them...you've automatically become cool in my book.
My favorite comedy bit of the episode has to be when Ran smashes a telephone pole...while insisting she's not mad about her dad losing work, with a serene smile.
That murder on the roller coaster took me by surprise. The guy was actually BEHEADED. If all the murders on this show are going to be so graphic, I can see how this show wouldn't have been able to get on anything other then Adult Swim.
Aside from that, the case wasn't too interesting (I hope the next ones are longer), but the part where Shin'ichi trails the "Men in Black" was really thrilling for some reason. Definitely my favorite part of the episode.
Bottom line, a good introductory episode, hopefully sets the stage for better stuff. I give it a 7/10.
Episode 2: The Company Presiden'ts Daughter Kidnapping Case OR The Kidnapped Debutante
Summary: Stuck in the body of a child, Shin'ichi--or rather, Conan Edogawa--can't take a break from solving mysteries, as he works behind the pompous Detective Moori's back to solve the case of a kidnapped child.
Technical Stuff: I said it was "almost" a shame that we wouldn't be hearing more of Kappei Yamaguchi...because I was really looking forward to hearing Minami Takayama, in what seems to be her most famous role. She'd already gained my awe with her rendition of Envy from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and she thus far hasn't disappointed as Conan. She does an awesome job switching from cute child, to sarcastic remarker, to serious detective.
In fact...I'm convinced that she had to at least partially base her performance off of Yamaguchi's work, because there are certain points where she sounds exactly what you'd think he'd sound like as a kid. It's...almost kind of uncanny.
Is that...really Akira Kamiya doing Kogoro (Richard in the dub)? Wow, not at all the type of character I'd expect he'd do. But he's absolutely hilarious.
I'll have to listen to the score more, but I think that piece playing while Conan's riding the dog is my favorite thus far.
The Episode: Now this is what I'm talking about! In a cartoony way, this episode is really thrilling, and the whole case was really cool. I loved how Conan kept nudgin Kogoro in the right direction, and his snarkiness was really enjoyable. And Conan and Ran confronting the kidnapper was really cool.
Plus, I practically "awwwed" inside my head at the president's "punishment."
Really good, thrilling mystery, and I give it a 9/10.
Episode 3: A Murder Behind the Locked Doors of a Celebrity's Apartment OR Beware of Idols
Summary: Inspector Mori is approached by famous idol Yoko Okino with fears of spying...a case which turns to murder when a man's dead body is found in her apartment. With his new voice-changing gadget, Conan works behind his back to discover an unimaginable truth behind a murder with three suspects...
Technical Stuff: The animation in this episode...is a little weird. For the most part, it looks okay, but there are certain points where I'm not fond of how the characters (especially Conan) look.
It took me a bit to hear it, but that's definitely Wataru Takagi voicing Genta. And on another note...when Conan is impersonating Kogoro, is the same voice actor used? It doesn't sound anything like what he usually sounds like, but Kamiya does seem to have a lot of range To anyone who knows this (English or Japanese), I'd appreciate a confirmation.
The Episode: While I'd like them to be longer (I have a feeling that this will be my biggest complaint about the show), the mystery in this episode is the type I really love--where the truth behind the situation is absolutely nothing like what it seems, and is a lot crazier then you could imagine. I hope more mysteries are like this.
The story was too short for me to care about any of the characters involved, but the scene at the end, where Ran gets a call from Shin'ichi, is really poignant.
Good mystery, not the best characters, but a heartwarming epilogue...I give the episode an 8/10.
Episode 4: The Case of the Coded City May OR Fish Marks the Spot
Summary: On a trip with his new friends Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko (Amy, George and Mitch in the dub), Conan discovers a treasure map, and before he knows it, is guiding the newly formed "Junior Detective League" on a hunt across town, unaware of the treasure's shady owners stalking them...
Technical Stuff: The animation in this episode is even more odd then the last one's. I think it's a bit more pleasing, but the characters seem a bit more off-model. Plus, there's that annoying "character springs up without actually moving" technique that I really don't care for (and this show had been doing so well in avoiding that), but only in the beginning, thankfully.
...The opening narration changed. In the last episode, it was Shin'ichi's voice that started and changed to Conan's voice--but in this one, it's Conan's mature voice that changes into his childish voice. Weird...
The Episode: All I have to say is that I hope we see more of the Junior Detective Club. Ayumi, Genta and Mitsuhiko are, for me, by far the most entertaining characters in this show, so far, with their wild enthusiasm that gives Conan plenty of snark opportunities. My favorite part is when they're raiding a clothing store and tossing bras around.
The Club aside, this episode played out more like an episode of Scooby-Doo then anything else (with searching for clues and trapping the bad guy), but a good one. It was breezy fun, and good for what it was...8/10.
Episode 5: The Great Bullet Train Explosion OR The Time Bomb Express
Summary: While riding a bullet train, Conan's mistake in seeing the "men in black" leads him to accidentally discover a bomb onboard the train. Unable to discover it among all the passenger and stymied by Ran, the detective considers admitting who he really is in order to save the train...
Technical Stuff: The animation seems to have gotten back on track, with solid and on-model work all through the episode. Good.
I can't say how much I love Minami Takayama as Conan. I love her dry laugh, the way she plays the character's desperation...I think, between this role and Envy alone, she's become one of my absolute favorite voice actors.
The Episode: So we've had a couple of murders, a kidnapping, a Scooby-Doo mystery...and now a bomb thriller. And it is thrilling, even though I was highly doubting Conan would reveal himself. I was a bit disappointed to see the "men in black" wouldn't be making an appearance, but the episode managed to be good without that. 9/10.
Episode 6: The Valentine Murder Case OR Tragic Valentine
Summary: Ran is pushed into attending a Valentine's party and a jealous Conan follows her when he sees her making chocolate. Of course, mystery is never far behind, and someone is murdered, seemingly by poisoned chocolate...a person who everyone seems to dislike...
Technical Stuff: Not much to say for the animation, but that's good, since it was pleasing and on-model. Aaand...I'm almost certain that that's Satsuki Yukino (Kagome from Inuyasha and Kaname from Full Metal Panic) doing Ran's friend...*goes to check* Huh, guess my seiyu ear failed me...it was Naoko Matsui.
Now I'm pretty sure that it's Kogoro's same voice that Conan uses...I just couldn't tell the last time he did it.
The Episode: This mystery was short, but pretty engaging. I could tell right away who was gonna die, and figured out who the murderer was pretty quickly, but it was still fun.
What I really loved in this episode, though, was Conan and Ran in this episode. It was hilariously sweet seeing Conan pout and actually fight over her, and hilariously awesome to see Ran put her foot...er, fist down, after being badgered by her admirer. And I liked how the episode ended, with the two just eating chocolate together. To be honest, I think the relationship between these two is going to be my favorite part of the show.
...I can only assume, too, that Conan knocking Kogoro out and imitating him is going to be a common practice.
8/10
Episode 7: The Threatening Monthly Presents OR The Case of the Mysterious Gifts
Summary: A troubled surgeon requests Inspector Mori's aid--for the past two years, he's received a great deal of money and gifts. As Conan works to solve this mystery, Ran watches him and begins to suspect his true identity...
Technical Stuff: It looks like the animator from episode 4 is back to torment me. [&:] The characters aren't as on-model as they have been last time and it's kind of distracting--or rather, it would be normally, because...
The Episode: Best. Episode. Yet.
This episode has everything. A creepy mystery with a thrilling climax (Conan rocks), a touching, if slightly mushy resolution, characters I actually cared for, and great interactions between Conan and Ran that provide some hilarious laughs...especially when Ran realizes she might have revealed how she felt about Shin'ichi to...Shin'ichi.
Awesome episode. I really don't have much more to say then that. 10/10, easily.
That's the end of the first disc, and I'll resume reviewing whenever Netflix allows it. To be honest, I was weighing on whether or not to continue this series since it hadn't really "hooked" me yet...but episode 7 has given me more then enough incentive to continue.
"Of course you realize, this means war!" -- Bugs Bunny
"Here we gooooo!" -- Mario
I just checked Netflix to see if they offered subtitles for Case Closed, and they're DVD-only? How are you able to watch them? Do you live outside the US? I can't think of any other reason why you'd be able to watch them and not me.
Netflix shouldn't be offering the subtitle version to Case Closed as that's considered a bonus feature, and they typically aren't allowed to give access to them, so I'm confused as to how you're able to view them.
I have to say it's disappointing that you won't be buying the official releases. I know the edits are rotten and plentiful, but if you buy the series, at least you'll be able to appreciate it for years to come.
Not to rain on your parade, but MagicBox created a website with a good chunk of "Sub vs Dub" comparisons which has been accessible by us fans for months now. These comparisons offer technical aspects as well as other tidbits and information. With that said, I don't think you're really going to get much out of this project in terms of replies since we've discussed this to death, but hey, if you like doing this then go the distance (Episode 130)!
その名は・・・ 名探偵コナン!
Sono na wa... Meitantei Conan!
His name is... Detective Conan!
There's no legal way to watch streaming episodes with subtitles in the U.S. & Canada. The only way to enjoy the episodes legally is via DVD.
I imagine Looneygamemaster is getting the DVD discs from Netflix to watch the series. Which is a great way to sample the series.
"The wise speak only of what they know."
-- Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Hm, that's weird. My friend told me Netflix disables all the extra features on a disc. I only have a Netflix streaming subscription, so I didn't know.
その名は・・・ 名探偵コナン!
Sono na wa... Meitantei Conan!
His name is... Detective Conan!
Hello, to anyone who reads this...sorry about the long wait, but I said this was gonna be infrequently updated. But enough of that, let's continue with the summaries!
Episode 8: The Murder of the Art Museum Owner OR The Art Museum Murder Case
Summary: On a trip to an art museum, Conan comes across a ghastly murder involving a living suit of armor, bearing resemblance to an eerie painting labeld "Divine Judgement..."
Technical Stuff: I can't find any sources, but I could swear that that's Shigeru Chiba doing Mr. Manaka...
Nothing really to note, animation or voice acting wise, but both are pleasing enough.
The Episode: A nice and creepy episode with a fun mystery. I totally called the murderer's identity, but it was still fun to see Conan unravel how the murder was done...especially with his acting like how a real kid his age would act.
"I have to go to the bathroom!"
I'd say about...8/10.
Episode 9: The Tenkaichi Night Festival Murder Case OR Festival Fiasco
Summary: On the night of the Tenkaichi festival, the fireworks that form the characters in the mountains take on an important role, as a suspect in a murder case, (the only likely suspect), concocts an airtight alibi...
Technical Stuff: I really like the art in this episode, especially the murder scene at the beginning. The lighting and staging were really cool there.
Took me a bit to place it, but that's Akio Ohtsuka doing Inspector Yokomizo (Worthington in the dub). I really placed it during the hilarious epilogue (once you hear him laugh as Blackbeard from One Piece, you can never forget it
).
The Episode: AWESOME episode. This is another one of my favorites--the audience already knows who the murderer is, so the episode can focus solely on the case and the battle of wits between the murderer and Conan. That's the part I love most about the Ace Attorney games, so to see it here was really a treat.
I also really like Inspector Yokomizo, with his humorous admiration of Kogoro and I hope he appears in more episodes.
10/10.
Episode 10: The Blackmailed Pro Soccer Player OR Deadly Game
Summary: A girl calling herself Ryoko Akagi (Riana Acres in the dub) comes to the agency, claiming that she's been seeing Shinichi. Dodging his way around a furious Ran, Conan tries to investigate the girl, uncovering a sinister kidnapping case...
Technical Stuff: I think the animation director from Episode 4 and Episode 7 did this one. I don't like his style, but it wasn't as bad as the last few times.
...And that's really all I have to say in this category.
The Episode: What a weird episode. In some regards it's silly, and in others, it's very creepy. One thing I noticed is how angry and violent Ran is in this case...and how she kind of lost some IQ points. I mean, I saw in Episode 7 that she was pretty smart...but here, she's completely ignoring everything else in her violent search for Shinichi, and easily gets herself fooled. It's...kind of annoying, actually.
On another note, since this episode was relased in '96, I'm pretty convinced that Mamoru/Matthias's game (where the main character dies and you have to bring him back) is a reference to Chrono Trigger, which is pretty neat.
On the whole...6/10.
"Of course you realize, this means war!" -- Bugs Bunny
"Here we gooooo!" -- Mario
Episode 11: The Piano Sonata "Moonlight" Murders OR The Moonlight Sonata Murder Case
Summary: Receiving a mysterious request, Conan, Ran and Kogoro travel to Tsuchikage Island...and find that their mysterious client is a pianist who has long since died, playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata amidst his burning mansion. His preserved piano is thought to be cursed, as the Island's mayor died playing the same song...and soon, more people start dying one by one, always with the same melody...
Technical Stuff: The animation was solid all around in this episode, but again, I was more impressed with how it was staged and lighted. It's really cool, and greatly helped with this case's eerie atmosphere.
I thought I recognized one of the voices, and it's Ai Orikasa (who's done too many roles for me to name, so I'll just mention she did Ryoko from Tenchi Muyo). Not to spoil anything, but she was definitely the right voice for her character.
The Episode: What a fantastic case! This hour-length special addresses my biggest problem with most of the other cases...they're too short. Not this one.
It's probably the most intense and atmospheric episode I've seen of this show yet, and the case was really gripping. I was completely off on who the murderer was
I hope the show has more awesome, creepy, twist-filled cases like this one. 10/10.
"Of course you realize, this means war!" -- Bugs Bunny
"Here we gooooo!" -- Mario
Episode 12: Ayumi-chan's Abduction OR Kidnapped: Amy
Summary: While playing in the park with the Junior Detective League (against his will), Conan suddenly embarks on a high-speed chase through town when Ayumi is supposedly kidnapped by some fiendish, little-girl targeting kidnappers...
Technical Stuff: Either I'm getting used to that one animation director I don't like (I have a feeling he'll be doing most of the Junior Detective League stories), or this is his best work yet.
The Episode: Definitely nice to see another episode focused around the League. The episode's not so much a mystery as a "thriller," but it was still entertaining. And disembodied heads...yeesh. Guess I can see why this show didn't do so well...it's not Adult Swim material, but it has a whole lot of violence going along with its cutesy art style.
Fun little adventure that I'll give an 8/10 to.
Episode 13: The Bizarre Manhunt Murder Case OR Mystery Mastermind
Summary: Kogoro is requested to find a woman's missing father. But this simple request turns into an odd mystery when the father ends up dead the next day...
Technical Stuff: Nothing much to say animation wise, but everything was pleasing. Also, I can't find a source for it, but I think that's Ryzuboro Otomo voicing Okita/O'Brien.
The Episode: An entertaining thriller with a cool conclusion. I liked seeing Ran do her thing in this episode (Conan and Kogoro's reactions to her finding the guy amused me). 8/10.
"Of course you realize, this means war!" -- Bugs Bunny
"Here we gooooo!" -- Mario
Hello everyone. To be honest--I've kind of given up on this thread. I'm still watching (and enjoying) Detective Conan, but not only am I not getting a lot of feedback--these summaries aren't very fun to write for some reason.
Sorry to anyone who enjoyed it, but it's done like dinner.
"Of course you realize, this means war!" -- Bugs Bunny
"Here we gooooo!" -- Mario