According to Box Office Vietnam, an independent box office tracking website, the 26th film in the franchise, *Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine*, earned over 106 million USD in 2023. The 27th film, *Detective Conan: The Bride of Halloween* (2022), also performed well. The latest installment, *Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback*, grossed over 40 billion VND (approximately 1.68 million USD) after just two days of pre-release screenings on 19/7 and 20/7. In Japan, the film surpassed 14.4 billion yen (over 97 million USD) within 90 days of its release, ranking 19th among the country's highest-grossing films. The project has also been well-received in China, South Korea, Spain, and the UAE.
Trailer for "Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback". Video: CGV
As reported by Crunchyroll, this success demonstrates the franchise's enduring popularity after nearly three decades. Last year, *Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet* topped the Japanese box office and ranked among the top 10 highest-grossing Japanese films with 108 million USD in revenue.
The first film, *Detective Conan: The Timed Skyscraper*, debuted in 1997, three years after the manga series by Gosho Aoyama began. The story revolves around Shinichi, a high school detective who is transformed into a young boy after being forced to ingest a poison. Under the alias Conan Edogawa, he secretly solves crimes while searching for the Black Organization responsible for his condition, all while concealing his true identity from his girlfriend, Ran.
According to Unseen Japan, the blend of classic detective style with modern settings contributes to the series' lasting appeal. The core formula of each installment revolves around a case, often a murder, solved in a Sherlock Holmesian fashion. The main storyline progresses gradually, allowing viewers to easily follow individual episodes without needing to rewatch previous installments. A key strength lies in the meticulous investigative structure. Each case is not merely a deduction game but incorporates psychological elements, exploring the motives and conflicts of the characters involved.
The balance between entertainment and investigative depth allows the films to reach a wide audience. Despite different directors and writers, the series maintains its focus on clue-based investigations, allowing viewers to speculate before the truth is revealed. This approach appeals to both casual viewers and fans of classic detective fiction, particularly those familiar with Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle.
Unlike the smaller-scale cases in the manga and television series, the films expand the scope with action-packed chases and large-scale "city-saving" scenarios reminiscent of blockbusters. For instance, in *Detective Conan: The Bride of Halloween* (2022), Conan and his friends work to thwart a bombing plot at a wedding orchestrated by the international criminal, Plamya. Critics praised the film's compelling villain and its suspenseful twists. The film takes viewers on a journey alongside Conan as they uncover clues to identify the mastermind behind the terrorist plot.
Trailer for "Detective Conan: The Bride of Halloween" (2022). Video: CGV
Accompanying the main character are a cast of supporting characters, each with their own unique stories. Ran embodies loyalty and resilience, patiently waiting for her beloved's return. Haibara Ai, a former member of the Black Organization, provides a contrasting perspective to Conan, grappling with guilt and pain but gradually finding reasons to live. The Detective Boys – Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta – inject a youthful energy into the investigative world. The phantom thief Kaito Kid and detective Hattori Heiji also have their moments, endearing themselves to audiences with their depth and individual storylines.
Beyond Conan, each film focuses on exploring secondary characters from Gosho Aoyama's manga universe. *The Bride of Halloween* reintroduces the Police Academy F5 group, a group of elite police academy graduates: Furuya Rei, Matsuda Jinpei, Hagiwara Kenji, Date Wataru, and Morofushi Hiromitsu. A key figure in this installment is Furuya Rei, also known as Zero, an undercover agent infiltrated into the Black Organization under the codename Bourbon.
In *One-Eyed Flashback*, a new character, Morofushi Takaaki, inspired by Zhuge Liang, possesses exceptional deductive abilities and strategic thinking. Morofushi Takaaki is fond of *The Art of War*, a treatise on military strategy written by Sun Tzu during the Spring and Autumn period. Takaaki, a key figure working for the prefectural police, encounters Mori Kogoro while investigating an assassination in the snowy mountains. As usual, Conan and Ran (Mori's daughter) accompany him.
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Images of Conan (left) and Shinichi Kudo. Photo: Netflix |
Images of Conan (left) and Shinichi Kudo. Photo: Netflix
On Reddit, many fans describe the films as having a "fantastical" style, with illogical elements that defy the laws of physics during battles with criminals. However, this absurdity is part of the series' unique charm. The young detective's popularity extends beyond Asia, with a dedicated fan base in Europe and the Americas.
According to AnimeAnime, the difference between *Detective Conan* and other popular Japanese franchises like *Naruto*, *Pokemon*, and *Demon Slayer* lies in their approach to the audience. While the latter series appeal to viewers with their shounen structure (targeting teenage boys), *Detective Conan* stands out with its investigative focus and well-developed characters. The series' appeal stems not from epic battles or tragic scenes, but from the central question: Who is the culprit, and how can the case be solved?
Over the years, *Detective Conan* has become a Japanese cultural icon, with a dedicated museum in Tottori Prefecture, the birthplace of Aoyama. The character's image is ubiquitous, appearing on posters, backpacks, keychains, and towels. At 62, Gosho Aoyama continues to work diligently, with no announced end date for the manga. At its current pace, the young detective's journey may continue for many years to come.
Que Chi (via Crunchyroll, Unseen Japan)
