Detective Conan/Case Closed is a well-known and long running Japanese detective manga created by Gosho Aoyama. It depicts the adventures and cases of the protagonist, high school detective Shinichi Kudo, who is transformed into a child during the course of his investigations into a secret organization. The original manga series has been serialized since 1994, and has since been adapted into various spinoff works, including anime series, movies, OVA, special comics, and live-action TV series. The anime has been well received since it began broadcast in 1996. The various cases in the series have entertained countless everday fans and critics for years. This work is considered one of the most popular Japanese manga series. In addition to the many commemorations of the author Gosho Aoyama and his work in his hometown of Hokuei, including a museum, there are also statues of the Detective Conan protagonists and supporting characters in many public places across Japan.
Detective Conan’s History From 1994 to Today
Since the original Detective Conan manga began serialization, it has branched out into many different spin-offs across many kinds of media from 1994 to the present day. New series attached to the Detective Conan franchise are being produced at a regular pace even in 2021! Let’s look back on the history of this famous series, from its first publication to now!
| 1994 | Serialization begins in “Weekly Shonen Sunday” magazine in January 1994 |
| 1996 | Anime series adaptation premieres in January 1996 |
| 1997 | The first Detective Conan movie ‘The Time Bombed Skyscraper’ releases on April 19, 1997 |
| 2005 | The first novel in the series, ‘The Legend of the Buried Treasure of Koshu’, releases on April 6, 2005 |
| 2009 | The TV special collaboration ‘Lupin the 3rd vs. Detective Conan’ is broadcast on March 27, 2009 |
| 2014 | Exhibitions are held in Japan, Taipei, Shanghai and other places to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the original manga series. |
| 2017 | The first Detective Conan spin-off manga series ‘Hanzawa the Criminal’ begins publication in May 2017 |
The Main Characters from the Cases
Conan Edogawa / Shinichi Kudo
Conan Edogawa is the main protagonist of the Detective Conan series, and his real name is Shinichi Kudo. Although he looks 7 years old, his real age is 17 years old. Because of his first-rate reasoning ability, he is called “The Savior of the Japanese Police” and the “Holmes of Heisei (referring to the Japanese era name)”. He is a well-known high school detective in the Kanto region of Japan.
Ran Mori
The main heroine of the series, Ran Mori is a 17-year-old high school student. She is very skilled at karate, and is a captain of her karate team. A childhood friend of Shinichi Kudo, she secretly loves Shinichi, but does not know that Conan and Shinichi are the same person. She is the daughter of detective Kogoro Mori and lawyer Eri Kisaki.
Kaito Kid
Kaito Kid, whose real name is Kaito Kuroba, is a high school student and gentleman thief. He became the second generation Kaito Kid when he decided to pursue those responsible for his father’s death. This mysterious thief is known by many other nicknames as well. He is good at using magic techniques and disguising his identity. His main tool is a white Hang Glider Cape. An elegant gentleman who sometimes reveals a more mischievous side.
Shuichi Akai
A 32 year-old top American FBI investigator and the eldest brother of the Akai family, Shuichi is very skilled at Jeet Kune Do. His sniper ability is also first-rate, able to hit targets from incredibly far distances with either hand or eye. He has a personal vendetta against the evil Black Organization for killing his love interest in the past.
Rei Furuya / Toru Amuro
Rei Furuya, also know by his pseudonym Toru Amuro, is a 29 year-old public security police officer under the Security Planning Division of the Police Security Bureau, a branch of the National Police Agency. He is a spy sent to investigate the Black Organization with the codename Bourbon. Rei has a contentious relationship with Shuichi Akai related to the death of Rei’s partner within the Black Organization, Scotch.
The characters introduced above are highly popular with fans of the series, but there are many more to get to know in the story! In the end, the only way we think you can see the quality that has kept Detective Conan going for so long is to read it for yourself, so give it a try when you can!
