I find it okay but a lot of Anime-GAF seems to be liking it a lot.
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Spring Anime 2015 |OT| The Disappearance of YEAARRT!
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I find it okay but a lot of Anime-GAF seems to be liking it a lot.
better than post hyouka drivel for sure, but it's lacking in a few areas. Still highly enjoyable overall imo
Eternal Youth of the Cautious Mind: Considering Detective Conan
So I think I might be coming up on my 'Been active in this community for more than a while' anniversary and, if I had to guess, the only common emotion coming from someone seeing my name as they scroll down a page probably comes down to something like Doesnt that guy like Detective Conan?.
To you, figurative user of my own creating yes. I do.
Ive been thinking of creating a guide for getting into Detective Conan for awhile now. Why? Because, and I think this is sort of a bold statement, but I believe Detective Conan might be one of the most impenetrable anime out there. That it sits right up at the top just short of shows that are actually unattainable or simply untranslated. Thats not to say it's completely unpopular(in-fact, theres a pretty specific active community to be found ), but I find myself noticing that even the sort of people who might enjoy it arent approaching it. Theres several pretty apparent, reasonable answers for this. Id like to talk about them a bit, break down how they might be a problem or how they might not be, and how to know if its a show you might end up enjoying.
First, and certainly most notoriously, as of this post there are 777 episodes and counting. And with Detective Conan being the institution that it is in Japan, there are no signs of it stopping soon. A few weeks ago the 19th movie aired in theaters. After the credits, as is customary, a teaser for the theme of the 20th movie next years movie played. And once that 20th movie airs, a teaser for the 21st movie will be teased, and so it will continue probably until were long dead. If ever there was a show that should provoke pause just by its sheer length, its this one.
Then theres the issue of actual content. Detective Conan as a show wears one of two hats on any occasion oftentimes both. The first being the show families sit down and watch together. Theyre presented with a setting, characters, and a mystery. The clues are put forward, events proceed, Conan begins to silently understand them, then everything is laid forth in a grand deduction show. Could you figure out the mystery before Conan did? and so forth. Its directly equitable to procedural crime drama. Every week is the same cast doing the same thing (or at least a similar thing) with a different scenario. The second hat is what Ill refer to as the long game. If you know what Detective Conan is you probably know the basics: Shinichi Kudo was a highschool detective who got caught up in some bad business, got fed an experimental drug that shrunk him into a grade school student, and now he solves crimes with an ear to the wall in hopes that he can gather more information about the mysterious group that wronged him. But dip your feet in a little more and it begins getting complicated. Intrigue, politics, subterfuge, mind games the main story thread is a slow and meticulous drip feed that honors those who are willing to closely follow it.
So why am I mentioning this in the context of a barrier for newcomers? Repetition. That first family friendly hat will never go away. If something big is going down in the main story, the context will be within a murder mystery. For someone who might be used to shonen getting to the damn point with a resolute beginning, middle, and end, (regardless of the episode count spent doing it) this might trip you up. If Conan is on the trail of a Black Organization member and important information can be found at a certain persons house, you can be damn sure there will be an unrelated mystery when he gets there. That being said, there are notable exceptions from time to time. Each major arc tends to set aside an array of episodes that build on characterization and furthering the main story. Like I said: it honors those with the patience to follow it.
Another obstacle is its checkered history of release. Funimation originally picked up Detective Conan and localized it overseas as Case Closed. They released a total of five seasons on DVD amounting to about 130 episodes. The dub is spotty, but honestly pretty good on the whole (Alison Viktorin plays Conan in the dub, who people might remember as QT in Space Dandy). Since Funimation stopped dead in their tracks after the Fifth season, the only way to ingest more Conan was through more unscrupulous means. But even then, Funimation and their legal team brought the C&D hammer down on fans trying to handle it themselves. With even those means becoming fewer and farther between, some episodes simply went untranslated for long periods of time. So even now tracking down certain episodes can be a chore if theyre even translated to a reasonable degree at all. Thankfully, Crunchyroll has been the most recent savior to fans by simulcasting (a word maybe spoken generously) new episodes. Funimation also has all of the episodes they released available for streaming on their website. So while this exists as a large roadblock for a wider audience, its not impregnable either. With a little bit of legwork and looking in the right places, this shouldnt stop someone determined to watch it.
Its difficult to speak on the overall quality of the production of Detective Conan (and whether it can deter or detract interest) since it's changed so drastically over the years. You could probably guess just by the structure of the show, but its not necessarily 'sakuga heavy'. The beginning few hundred episodes that were made in the mid to late 90s are the most visually experimental and striking. Its gone through several different visual styles, even with varying character designs, but I think ultimately it's always been at least consistent in what its aiming for. At the end of the day, Its serviceable. A lot of episodes can be pretty low rent in the way that any long running shonen can be, but they look great in fairly practical ways: The close-up character art is always sharp, backgrounds can be accommodating and flavorful, etc.
An easy way to identify the shifting styles over the years at a glance is by looking at its Openings.
Opening 5 (Ep. 124-142, 1998)
Opening 14 (Ep. 356-393, 2004)
Opening 27 (Ep. 547-564, 2009)
Opening 37 (Ep. 718-743, 2013)
The most recent episodes have actually seen a bit of an upswing in their visuals; itd be fruitless to determine whether this means they've found a production schedule that works for them or not since the series has fluctuated between good and bad across the years (and it's the reality of a long running show that changes hands continuously). I think on the whole, Detective Conan isn't a show you should be watching for a visual flourish, but will typically meet (and occasionally exceed) expectations anyway. And as a bonus, the movies can have some pretty great animation to help sate that need.
So then why should you watch Detective Conan if its as impenetrable as I claim it to be? Well, maybe you shouldnt. The show is nothing if but a commitment. There are a few mindsets and expectations to come to terms with before taking the plunge. The single most common issue Ive seen involves those who started with a certain set of expectations and stopped after a point. It has to do with the content, and in a way, with its repetition, and one of the matters I mentioned above. To put it plainly, you shouldnt be watching Detective Conan to see it finish. Detective Conan, in its most purest form, is Detective Fiction. Its episodic content is more or less an anime detective novel. Its compressed, and it comes with all the baggage that anime does, but the comparison is still very germane. I think the way to get burned is to go in hoping for large significant progress in the story and characters, then feel like youre chasing a carrot on a stick. That backend of the story is there, it goes places, but its exactly that: the backend. Its the icing on the cake. Due to the episodic nature of the show, the pacing of the series between episodes is essentially non-existent. This is hurt in part by the dreaded TV Original episodes. In order to accommodate the pace of the manga while still keeping the show weekly, the show is padded with the F word between its adapted material. These episodes can be ranked alongside some of the best manga episodes right down to some truly pitiful lows. They are, in every sense of the phrase, a mixed bag. You could ardently pass right over these episodes without missing any character or plot development, but I do think its worth saying that theres a great charm to a lot of them.
So the takeaway here is to determine if you enjoy the shows bread and butter enough to make it -the- reason youre watching it. If thats the case, and youre not checked out at this point, then youre either acutely curious, naive, or just have a ton of time on your hands. No matter where you fall, theres a great show to be had here.
So what exactly makes Detective Conan worthwhile?
I think Detective Conan worms its way into peoples hearts by the relationship it ends up building with the viewer through its characters. The show, unsurprisingly, contains a pretty enormous cast, all with their own quirks, nuances, and backgrounds. The story pays considerable service to them by fleshing out motivations over time and building them as it progresses. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police are a pretty prime example of this. Originally just existing to investigate the crimes and arrest the criminal once the case was solved by Conan, now most of the regular named detectives and investigators have their own raison detre. For instance, in the episode titled Megures Sealed Secret, were treated to a business as usual case, but when the victims begin yelling at the police, an old memory is unearthed in a pretty profound way for Inspector Megure. Later on theres groups of episodes set aside that deal with the relationships between the different officers, platonic and otherwise. In one way you could say that Detective Conan isnt accommodating towards regular viewers because of its often formulaic style, but that cant be entirely the case since it gives a lot of consistent characterization over its entire lifespan. Its reasonable to watch if you dont have that context, but its definitely a treat if you do. It tends to be self-aware in a lot of these aspects, and it actually cleverly utilizes them in the story.
I could make this big post even longer by describing the nuances of the mysteries and how Aoyama can be a pretty fantastic writer, but I dont think that can be communicated effectively enough to matter. Theres a LOT of mystery fiction here and I think only you know if youre interested in that. The concept of this post was not just to reintroduce this series into peoples head space, but also to inform them of how it works and sort of pull away at its infamous nature and make it more understandable. Ive championed the show in small ways in the past, and Ill probably continue doing that, but this is sort of one I wanted to establish as a catchall reference for those who might be interested.
I've put together a small quick and dirty FAQ for those who want to know more about things I didn't cover above:
And in the hopes of further keeping this as a single catchall post, Ill combine the recommended entry episode list that Id made previously. Below is just a few episodes to check out if youd like to see the best of what Detective Conan has to offer without diving in head first. Theyre chosen in a way that can be enjoyed without knowing anything of the story except for the basic premise. Enjoy!
So I think I might be coming up on my 'Been active in this community for more than a while' anniversary and, if I had to guess, the only common emotion coming from someone seeing my name as they scroll down a page probably comes down to something like Doesnt that guy like Detective Conan?.
To you, figurative user of my own creating yes. I do.
Ive been thinking of creating a guide for getting into Detective Conan for awhile now. Why? Because, and I think this is sort of a bold statement, but I believe Detective Conan might be one of the most impenetrable anime out there. That it sits right up at the top just short of shows that are actually unattainable or simply untranslated. Thats not to say it's completely unpopular(in-fact, theres a pretty specific active community to be found ), but I find myself noticing that even the sort of people who might enjoy it arent approaching it. Theres several pretty apparent, reasonable answers for this. Id like to talk about them a bit, break down how they might be a problem or how they might not be, and how to know if its a show you might end up enjoying.
First, and certainly most notoriously, as of this post there are 777 episodes and counting. And with Detective Conan being the institution that it is in Japan, there are no signs of it stopping soon. A few weeks ago the 19th movie aired in theaters. After the credits, as is customary, a teaser for the theme of the 20th movie next years movie played. And once that 20th movie airs, a teaser for the 21st movie will be teased, and so it will continue probably until were long dead. If ever there was a show that should provoke pause just by its sheer length, its this one.
Then theres the issue of actual content. Detective Conan as a show wears one of two hats on any occasion oftentimes both. The first being the show families sit down and watch together. Theyre presented with a setting, characters, and a mystery. The clues are put forward, events proceed, Conan begins to silently understand them, then everything is laid forth in a grand deduction show. Could you figure out the mystery before Conan did? and so forth. Its directly equitable to procedural crime drama. Every week is the same cast doing the same thing (or at least a similar thing) with a different scenario. The second hat is what Ill refer to as the long game. If you know what Detective Conan is you probably know the basics: Shinichi Kudo was a highschool detective who got caught up in some bad business, got fed an experimental drug that shrunk him into a grade school student, and now he solves crimes with an ear to the wall in hopes that he can gather more information about the mysterious group that wronged him. But dip your feet in a little more and it begins getting complicated. Intrigue, politics, subterfuge, mind games the main story thread is a slow and meticulous drip feed that honors those who are willing to closely follow it.
So why am I mentioning this in the context of a barrier for newcomers? Repetition. That first family friendly hat will never go away. If something big is going down in the main story, the context will be within a murder mystery. For someone who might be used to shonen getting to the damn point with a resolute beginning, middle, and end, (regardless of the episode count spent doing it) this might trip you up. If Conan is on the trail of a Black Organization member and important information can be found at a certain persons house, you can be damn sure there will be an unrelated mystery when he gets there. That being said, there are notable exceptions from time to time. Each major arc tends to set aside an array of episodes that build on characterization and furthering the main story. Like I said: it honors those with the patience to follow it.
Another obstacle is its checkered history of release. Funimation originally picked up Detective Conan and localized it overseas as Case Closed. They released a total of five seasons on DVD amounting to about 130 episodes. The dub is spotty, but honestly pretty good on the whole (Alison Viktorin plays Conan in the dub, who people might remember as QT in Space Dandy). Since Funimation stopped dead in their tracks after the Fifth season, the only way to ingest more Conan was through more unscrupulous means. But even then, Funimation and their legal team brought the C&D hammer down on fans trying to handle it themselves. With even those means becoming fewer and farther between, some episodes simply went untranslated for long periods of time. So even now tracking down certain episodes can be a chore if theyre even translated to a reasonable degree at all. Thankfully, Crunchyroll has been the most recent savior to fans by simulcasting (a word maybe spoken generously) new episodes. Funimation also has all of the episodes they released available for streaming on their website. So while this exists as a large roadblock for a wider audience, its not impregnable either. With a little bit of legwork and looking in the right places, this shouldnt stop someone determined to watch it.
Its difficult to speak on the overall quality of the production of Detective Conan (and whether it can deter or detract interest) since it's changed so drastically over the years. You could probably guess just by the structure of the show, but its not necessarily 'sakuga heavy'. The beginning few hundred episodes that were made in the mid to late 90s are the most visually experimental and striking. Its gone through several different visual styles, even with varying character designs, but I think ultimately it's always been at least consistent in what its aiming for. At the end of the day, Its serviceable. A lot of episodes can be pretty low rent in the way that any long running shonen can be, but they look great in fairly practical ways: The close-up character art is always sharp, backgrounds can be accommodating and flavorful, etc.
An easy way to identify the shifting styles over the years at a glance is by looking at its Openings.
Opening 5 (Ep. 124-142, 1998)
Opening 14 (Ep. 356-393, 2004)
Opening 27 (Ep. 547-564, 2009)
Opening 37 (Ep. 718-743, 2013)
The most recent episodes have actually seen a bit of an upswing in their visuals; itd be fruitless to determine whether this means they've found a production schedule that works for them or not since the series has fluctuated between good and bad across the years (and it's the reality of a long running show that changes hands continuously). I think on the whole, Detective Conan isn't a show you should be watching for a visual flourish, but will typically meet (and occasionally exceed) expectations anyway. And as a bonus, the movies can have some pretty great animation to help sate that need.
So then why should you watch Detective Conan if its as impenetrable as I claim it to be? Well, maybe you shouldnt. The show is nothing if but a commitment. There are a few mindsets and expectations to come to terms with before taking the plunge. The single most common issue Ive seen involves those who started with a certain set of expectations and stopped after a point. It has to do with the content, and in a way, with its repetition, and one of the matters I mentioned above. To put it plainly, you shouldnt be watching Detective Conan to see it finish. Detective Conan, in its most purest form, is Detective Fiction. Its episodic content is more or less an anime detective novel. Its compressed, and it comes with all the baggage that anime does, but the comparison is still very germane. I think the way to get burned is to go in hoping for large significant progress in the story and characters, then feel like youre chasing a carrot on a stick. That backend of the story is there, it goes places, but its exactly that: the backend. Its the icing on the cake. Due to the episodic nature of the show, the pacing of the series between episodes is essentially non-existent. This is hurt in part by the dreaded TV Original episodes. In order to accommodate the pace of the manga while still keeping the show weekly, the show is padded with the F word between its adapted material. These episodes can be ranked alongside some of the best manga episodes right down to some truly pitiful lows. They are, in every sense of the phrase, a mixed bag. You could ardently pass right over these episodes without missing any character or plot development, but I do think its worth saying that theres a great charm to a lot of them.
So the takeaway here is to determine if you enjoy the shows bread and butter enough to make it -the- reason youre watching it. If thats the case, and youre not checked out at this point, then youre either acutely curious, naive, or just have a ton of time on your hands. No matter where you fall, theres a great show to be had here.
So what exactly makes Detective Conan worthwhile?
I think Detective Conan worms its way into peoples hearts by the relationship it ends up building with the viewer through its characters. The show, unsurprisingly, contains a pretty enormous cast, all with their own quirks, nuances, and backgrounds. The story pays considerable service to them by fleshing out motivations over time and building them as it progresses. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police are a pretty prime example of this. Originally just existing to investigate the crimes and arrest the criminal once the case was solved by Conan, now most of the regular named detectives and investigators have their own raison detre. For instance, in the episode titled Megures Sealed Secret, were treated to a business as usual case, but when the victims begin yelling at the police, an old memory is unearthed in a pretty profound way for Inspector Megure. Later on theres groups of episodes set aside that deal with the relationships between the different officers, platonic and otherwise. In one way you could say that Detective Conan isnt accommodating towards regular viewers because of its often formulaic style, but that cant be entirely the case since it gives a lot of consistent characterization over its entire lifespan. Its reasonable to watch if you dont have that context, but its definitely a treat if you do. It tends to be self-aware in a lot of these aspects, and it actually cleverly utilizes them in the story.
I could make this big post even longer by describing the nuances of the mysteries and how Aoyama can be a pretty fantastic writer, but I dont think that can be communicated effectively enough to matter. Theres a LOT of mystery fiction here and I think only you know if youre interested in that. The concept of this post was not just to reintroduce this series into peoples head space, but also to inform them of how it works and sort of pull away at its infamous nature and make it more understandable. Ive championed the show in small ways in the past, and Ill probably continue doing that, but this is sort of one I wanted to establish as a catchall reference for those who might be interested.
I've put together a small quick and dirty FAQ for those who want to know more about things I didn't cover above:
And in the hopes of further keeping this as a single catchall post, Ill combine the recommended entry episode list that Id made previously. Below is just a few episodes to check out if youd like to see the best of what Detective Conan has to offer without diving in head first. Theyre chosen in a way that can be enjoyed without knowing anything of the story except for the basic premise. Enjoy!
It's their best since Hyouka and legitimately good on its own terms. Individual episodes are better than Chooney, Free, Kyokai no Kanata, and Amagi in their combined entireties.
KuwabaraTheMan
Banned
Yes, everyone watch Detective Conan. It's a really good series, and it would do my heart a world of good to see more people watching it.
It's legitimately very good. They've put a lot of care into it, and the story and characters are legitimately good.
It's legitimately very good. They've put a lot of care into it, and the story and characters are legitimately good.
TastyOreoFriend
Member
Parasyte 1-24
This was still good, but I feel like I should've liked this more than I did. It's got a really good old school vibe and I liked the hell out of that. I guess my problem is that the ending was pretty decisive and I wanted more of it. I think if they had drug it out however it probably wouldn't have been as good.
Well it seems to be working for the most part. I think out of everyone I know who watches the Fate-verse I'm the only one that has played the original eroge. Most of my friends didn't even know there WAS an original VN with sex in it :x
This was still good, but I feel like I should've liked this more than I did. It's got a really good old school vibe and I liked the hell out of that. I guess my problem is that the ending was pretty decisive and I wanted more of it. I think if they had drug it out however it probably wouldn't have been as good.
Well it seems to be working for the most part. I think out of everyone I know who watches the Fate-verse I'm the only one that has played the original eroge. Most of my friends didn't even know there WAS an original VN with sex in it :x
jediyoshi
Member
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
The same way they did in the movie. At least I would have thought that but they had some pretty risqué shit in FZ (the worms and some associated dialogue) so I don't know actually. The best option is probably just cutting to black but making it obvious what happened.
The comedy option is exactly like the VN. I'm not lying when I tell you that scene is legit hilarious in the VN. Like its Nasu sex scene shit so it's cringeworthy, but it also manages to be funny at the same time somehow.
Now that I look back... Euphonium is actually up there...
Hyouka - God tier
Haruhi - Cultural phenomenon
Fumoffu - Pretty funny
Euphonium - Yuri Concert Band Koshien
Tamako - Offensively inoffensive
Nichijou - Goat wrestling
K-On! - Killed anime
Free! - Pilot was better
Kyoukai - Chuni trash but it looked good
Amagi - Chuni trash but it didn't look good
Chuni - Trash
Lucky Star - Timotei timotei timotei timotei
Angel Beats - Kappa
Hyouka - God tier
Haruhi - Cultural phenomenon
Fumoffu - Pretty funny
Euphonium - Yuri Concert Band Koshien
Tamako - Offensively inoffensive
Nichijou - Goat wrestling
K-On! - Killed anime
Free! - Pilot was better
Kyoukai - Chuni trash but it looked good
Amagi - Chuni trash but it didn't look good
Chuni - Trash
Lucky Star - Timotei timotei timotei timotei
Angel Beats - Kappa
Angel Beats was from P.A Works
TastyOreoFriend
Member
Chaika 1
I feel like this is another one where I should just get off the boat now. How does AnimeGAF feel about this one?
I feel like this is another one where I should just get off the boat now. How does AnimeGAF feel about this one?
Well how do you feel about BONES endings?
Twin Tails
Member
First season is serviceable fantasy anime that (surprisingly) later touches some on the role of the career fighting man in a time of peace. Everyone here hates the second season though.
TastyOreoFriend
Member
A deep source of mental anguish and not good feelings. Not good feelings at all...
you've got me for the next 4-5 episodes then. something good better happens between now and then.
I was wondering if you guys could recommend some anime that has come out in the past few years. There's probably a huge back catalog I've missed due to the low amount I've watched thus far.
I've liked:
-Code Geass
-Full Metal Alchemist (both series)
-Soul Eater
-Cowboy Bebop
-Durarara!!
-Baccano!
-Attack on Titan
-Fate Zero (currently)
I'd try Parasyte, but there's only so much body modification gore I can take.
I've liked:
-Code Geass
-Full Metal Alchemist (both series)
-Soul Eater
-Cowboy Bebop
-Durarara!!
-Baccano!
-Attack on Titan
-Fate Zero (currently)
I'd try Parasyte, but there's only so much body modification gore I can take.
NCR Redslayer
NeoGAF's Vegeta
MetroidPrimeRib
Banned
Not worth it.
-Ping Pong
-Space Battleship Yamato 2199
-Kaiji
-Space Dandy
-Shirobako
-Gundam Build Fighters
-JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Parasyte ain't worth it
KazenY2J
Member
Parasyte ain't all that gory, I'd still recommend it though.
Parasyte isn't very good anyway, so you might be saving yourself some trouble in not watching it.
As for shows in recent years, watch Space Dandy!
MetroidPrimeRib
Banned
Interesting read. I will never get into Conan, as even watching Gintamas 260+ episodes is a huge undertaking for me. I think Conan's anime is comparable to catching up on something manga-wise like One Piece, JoJo, and Ippo, the first two of which I am actually caught up on. Of course those don't take as long since they are 20 page chapters and not 20 minute episodes but the barrier of entry is still pretty staggering at first. With manga, most people would go "800 chapters? Fuck that!" with anime it's more like "800 EPISODES? FUCK THAT!"
I am way better at marathoning manga then anime anyway.
From a guy who thought Golden Boy's art style looked really appealing just from a tiny gif with a glimpse of someone's back and an old computer.
Don't get me wrong though, Golden Boy does look good with standout moments of animation.
Do you even know what an art director does? I imagine art director Seiki Tamura was working together with Sayo Yamamoto again after Michiko & Hatchin. In any case, the character designs are owed to Takeshi Koike who later directed the spinoff movie Lupin the IIIrd: Daisuke Jigen's Gravestone that has a really similar visual style. Fujiko Mine IIRC was plagued with a really rushed schedule and then you have Mari Okada (ughh) doing series composition.
This, I think, is the rational train of thought. To even consider starting something of such a gargantuan size, something has to be a bit unhinged already. I think in my case, I started out with a nostalgia and appreciation for the series having seen pieces of it when it aired on Adult Swim in '03/'04. I remember talking with my brother about being interested in watching it in a half serious half joking way. I ended up grabbing a few seasons on DVD and putting it on while doing other things. My brother and friends poured fuel on the fire by buying me more of the seasons as they became available. After watching around 50-60 episodes I became morbidly curious: How could this possibly continue for another 500 episodes? It was an incremental slope that led into a hypnotic infatuation.
Anyway, I ended up loving it as a result. The climb through the episodes wasn't a slog at all. I think there was an unearthed part of me that loved Detective Fiction without knowing it. Between that and Hyouka, I started exploring that more lately by reading some of the classics, and sure enough, that's definitely the case. I'm in the middle of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express right now and loving it.
What's up with season 2? I only got 5 or so episodes into season 1 before it lost my attention, but it was pretty alright until then.
Think I read it doesn't follow the novels story line and just does its own thing at one point with less than desirable resultes.
MetroidPrimeRib
Banned
At some point along the way with huge undertakings like this I wonder how many multiple things I could be doing compared to this one, singular huge thing
And that's why I don't play WoW anymore.
SliceSabre
Banned
Euphonium 06
Nice to see a Katou focused episode. In the meantime I can't help but wonder if Kumiko's skill at an instrument she's not all the crazy about is gonna lead to some conflict later.
I know what those pupils mean.
Nice to see a Katou focused episode. In the meantime I can't help but wonder if Kumiko's skill at an instrument she's not all the crazy about is gonna lead to some conflict later.
8 X 11 Printer Paper
Member
....Bad Syrinx! I couldn't stop BG from going down the path of SAO, but I'll be damned if I let you do this to yourself as a well informed Animu!
UltraGunner
Banned
Kekkai Sensen 06
A surprisingly heartfelt tale about friendship that transcends the species barrier. And Hamburgers.
Also love how this show just loves referencing American pop culture that the japanese audience will have no idea about.
A surprisingly heartfelt tale about friendship that transcends the species barrier. And Hamburgers.
Also love how this show just loves referencing American pop culture that the japanese audience will have no idea about.
MetroidPrimeRib
Banned
Poor BG...
SliceSabre
Banned
Welcome to the church of Angelise-sama! All are welcome!
UltraGunner
Banned
The Cross Ange ride never ends.
Everything in moderation! I watched an anime that's nearly 800 episodes long, but I did it over the course of 5+ years.
Unless you're young, stupid and in High School I do not endorse binge watching Detective Conan.
NCR Redslayer
NeoGAF's Vegeta
I like that cover, but man, someone needs to get rid of that ugly green strip already.I got a thing.
8 X 11 Printer Paper
Member
Yep should just be a small circle in a corner, not taking a 8th of the damn cover..
ZachDeKoromaru
Banned
I think most recent SAVE editions have reversible covers, at least they do on my Strike Witches BDs.
Theonik
Member
But BD cases are transparent so it doesn't help much.
It's got a reversible cover, but different art. I prefer the main cover art.
If you've got Netflix or Crunchyroll, watch Gurren Lagann.
Joe Molotov
Member
I really just did not enjoy Michiko to Hatchin at all. It seemed to have all the makings of a great show, but it never gelled together the way I thought it would.
Euphonium's been pretty enjoyable for me.
That Episode 5 though. Can't stop thinking about it for a while after it aired. Was so good.
Eternal Youth of the Cautious Mind: Considering Detective Conan
So I think I might be coming up on my 'Been active in this community for more than a while' anniversary and, if I had to guess, the only common emotion coming from someone seeing my name as they scroll down a page probably comes down to something like “Doesn’t that guy like Detective Conan?”.
To you, figurative user of my own creating— yes. I do.
I’ve been thinking of creating a guide for getting into Detective Conan for awhile now. Why? Because, and I think this is sort of a bold statement, but I believe Detective Conan might be one of the most impenetrable anime out there. That it sits right up at the top just short of shows that are actually unattainable or simply untranslated. That’s not to say it's completely unpopular(in-fact, there’s a pretty specific active ‘community’ to be found…
First, and certainly most notoriously, as of this post there are 777 episodes and counting. And with Detective Conan being the institution that it is in Japan, there are no signs of it stopping soon. A few weeks ago the 19th movie aired in theaters. After the credits, as is customary, a teaser for the theme of the 20th movie— next year’s movie— played. And once that 20th movie airs, a teaser for the 21st movie will be teased, and so it will continue probably until we’re long dead. If ever there was a show that should provoke pause just by its sheer length, it’s this one.
Then there’s the issue of actual content. Detective Conan as a show wears one of two hats on any occasion— oftentimes both. The first being the show families sit down and watch together. They’re presented with a setting, characters, and a mystery. The clues are put forward, events proceed, Conan begins to silently understand them, then everything is laid forth in a grand deduction show. “Could you figure out the mystery before Conan did?” and so forth. It’s directly equitable to procedural crime drama. Every week is the same cast doing the same thing (or at least a similar thing) with a different scenario. The second hat is what I’ll refer to as the long game. If you know what Detective Conan is you probably know the basics: Shinichi Kudo was a highschool detective who got caught up in some bad business, got fed an experimental drug that shrunk him into a grade school student, and now he solves crimes with an ear to the wall in hopes that he can gather more information about the mysterious group that wronged him. But dip your feet in a little more and it begins getting complicated. Intrigue, politics, subterfuge, mind games— the main story thread is a slow and meticulous drip feed that honors those who are willing to closely follow it.
So why am I mentioning this in the context of a barrier for newcomers? Repetition. That first family friendly hat will never go away. If something big is going down in the main story, the context will be within a murder mystery. For someone who might be used to shonen getting to the damn point with a resolute beginning, middle, and end, (regardless of the episode count spent doing it) this might trip you up. If Conan is on the trail of a Black Organization member and important information can be found at a certain person’s house, you can be damn sure there will be an unrelated mystery when he gets there. That being said, there are notable exceptions from time to time. Each major arc tends to set aside an array of episodes that build on characterization and furthering the main story. Like I said: it honors those with the patience to follow it.
Another obstacle is its checkered history of release. Funimation originally picked up Detective Conan and localized it overseas as Case Closed. They released a total of five seasons on DVD amounting to about 130 episodes. The dub is spotty, but honestly pretty good on the whole (Alison Viktorin plays Conan in the dub, who people might remember as QT in Space Dandy). Since Funimation stopped dead in their tracks after the Fifth season, the only way to ingest more Conan was through more unscrupulous means. But even then, Funimation and their legal team brought the C&D hammer down on fans trying to handle it themselves. With even those means becoming fewer and farther between, some episodes simply went untranslated for long periods of time. So even now tracking down certain episodes can be a chore— if they’re even translated to a reasonable degree at all. Thankfully, Crunchyroll has been the most recent savior to fans by simulcasting (a word maybe spoken generously) new episodes. Funimation also has all of the episodes they released available for streaming on their website. So while this exists as a large roadblock for a wider audience, it’s not impregnable either. With a little bit of legwork and looking in the right places, this shouldn’t stop someone determined to watch it.
It’s difficult to speak on the overall quality of the production of Detective Conan (and whether it can deter or detract interest) since it's changed so drastically over the years. You could probably guess just by the structure of the show, but it’s not necessarily 'sakuga heavy'. The beginning few hundred episodes that were made in the mid to late 90’s are the most visually experimental and striking. It’s gone through several different visual styles, even with varying character designs, but I think ultimately it's always been at least consistent in what it’s aiming for. At the end of the day, It’s serviceable. A lot of episodes can be pretty low rent in the way that any long running shonen can be, but they look great in fairly practical ways: The close-up character art is always sharp, backgrounds can be accommodating and flavorful, etc.
An easy way to identify the shifting styles over the years at a glance is by looking at its Openings.
Opening 5 (Ep. 124-142, 1998)
Opening 14 (Ep. 356-393, 2004)
Opening 27 (Ep. 547-564, 2009)
Opening 37 (Ep. 718-743, 2013)
The most recent episodes have actually seen a bit of an upswing in their visuals; it’d be fruitless to determine whether this means they've found a production schedule that works for them or not since the series has fluctuated between good and bad across the years (and it's the reality of a long running show that changes hands continuously). I think on the whole, Detective Conan isn't a show you should be watching for a visual flourish, but will typically meet (and occasionally exceed) expectations anyway. And as a bonus, the movies can have some pretty great animation to help sate that need.
So then why should you watch Detective Conan if it’s as impenetrable as I claim it to be? Well, maybe you shouldn’t. The show is nothing if but a commitment. There are a few mindsets and expectations to come to terms with before taking the plunge. The single most common issue I’ve seen involves those who started with a certain set of expectations and stopped after a point. It has to do with the content, and in a way, with its repetition, and one of the matters I mentioned above. To put it plainly, you shouldn’t be watching Detective Conan to see it finish. Detective Conan, in its most purest form, is Detective Fiction. Its episodic content is more or less an anime detective novel. It’s compressed, and it comes with all the baggage that anime does, but the comparison is still very germane. I think the way to get burned is to go in hoping for large significant progress in the story and characters, then feel like you’re chasing a carrot on a stick. That backend of the story is there, it goes places, but it’s exactly that: the backend. It’s the icing on the cake. Due to the episodic nature of the show, the pacing of the series between episodes is essentially non-existent. This is hurt in part by the dreaded “TV Original episodes”. In order to accommodate the pace of the manga while still keeping the show weekly, the show is padded with the ‘F word’ between its adapted material. These episodes can be ranked alongside some of the best manga episodes right down to some truly pitiful lows. They are, in every sense of the phrase, a mixed bag. You could ardently pass right over these episodes without missing any character or plot development, but I do think its worth saying that there’s a great charm to a lot of them.
So the takeaway here is to determine if you enjoy the show’s bread and butter enough to make it -the- reason you’re watching it. If that’s the case, and you’re not checked out at this point, then you’re either acutely curious, naive, or just have a ton of time on your hands. No matter where you fall, there’s a great show to be had here.
So what exactly makes Detective Conan worthwhile?
I think Detective Conan worms its way into people’s hearts by the relationship it ends up building with the viewer through its characters. The show, unsurprisingly, contains a pretty enormous cast, all with their own quirks, nuances, and backgrounds. The story pays considerable service to them by fleshing out motivations over time and building them as it progresses. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police are a pretty prime example of this. Originally just existing to investigate the crimes and arrest the criminal once the case was solved by Conan, now most of the regular named detectives and investigators have their own raison d’etre. For instance, in the episode titled Megure’s Sealed Secret, we’re treated to a business as usual case, but when the victims begin yelling at the police, an old memory is unearthed in a pretty profound way for Inspector Megure. Later on there’s groups of episodes set aside that deal with the relationships between the different officers, platonic and otherwise. In one way you could say that Detective Conan isn’t accommodating towards regular viewers because of it’s often formulaic style, but that can’t be entirely the case since it gives a lot of consistent characterization over its entire lifespan. It’s reasonable to watch if you don’t have that context, but it’s definitely a treat if you do. It tends to be self-aware in a lot of these aspects, and it actually cleverly utilizes them in the story.
I could make this big post even longer by describing the nuances of the mysteries and how Aoyama can be a pretty fantastic writer, but I don’t think that can be communicated effectively enough to matter. There’s a LOT of mystery fiction here and I think only you know if you’re interested in that. The concept of this post was not just to reintroduce this series into people’s head space, but also to inform them of how it works and sort of pull away at its infamous nature and make it more understandable. I’ve championed the show in small ways in the past, and I’ll probably continue doing that, but this is sort of one I wanted to establish as a catchall reference for those who might be interested.
I've put together a small quick and dirty FAQ for those who want to know more about things I didn't cover above:
And in the hopes of further keeping this as a single catchall post, I’ll combine the recommended entry episode list that I’d made previously. Below is just a few episodes to check out if you’d like to see the best of what Detective Conan has to offer without diving in head first. They’re chosen in a way that can be enjoyed without knowing anything of the story except for the basic premise. Enjoy!
Ha ha, yeah it is quiet difficult to get into, and my motivation sort of petered out after 400 episodes or so. A shame because it was starting to get interesting with American agencies involved in the overarching plot. Now a days, I watch a case like every few weeks, and it is good so long as you don't care about the overarching stuff.
phoenix296
Member
Sound! Euphonium 06
Nisekoi S2 05
Disappearance of Nagato 06
Pretty good episode. Having auditions makes sense and serves the purpose of exploring motivations.
Nisekoi S2 05
Parrot humor.
Disappearance of Nagato 06
Nagato is finally making some moves and Haruhi is becoming less prominent. It's nice that Nagato has the courage to go that far but the series just isn't as fun without Haruhi's antics and Kyon's quips. The soundtrack is borrowing from Melancholy which is just making me feel nostalgic. Time to re-watch the first series.
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