The series follows a 17 year-old student named Shinichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo in the dub), who is a mystery nut and avid fan of fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Perhaps stemming from his fascination with Holmes, Kudou himself is somewhat of a prodigy detective himself, having involved himself with and solving some gruesome cases. This obsession sometimes gets on the nerves of his childhood friend Ran Mouri (Rachel Moore), whose father is a down-on-his-luck detective himself, Kogoro Mouri (Richard Moore). Unfortunately, during a date with Ran, not only dies he involve himself in yet another murder case, but almost immediately tails a suspicious individual, lading to him witnessing a shady transaction. This curiosity was at worse a fatal mistake, a he was struck from behind by an accomplice, then being fed a drug to assassinate him. As luck would have it, Shinichi survive the ordeal... just not entirely as himself. His mind and memories within remain intact, but physically, his body has regressed 10 years in age from his teenage self. With his new misfortune and its limitations, he relies on his neighbor and family friend Dr. Agasa to help conceal his identity, until the day he takes down the Black Organization in search for undoing this, starting with the two that poisoned him: Gin and Vodka. When Ran suddenly shows up, he hastily assumes the identity of the titular child detective: Conan Edogawa, and styles himself as Agasa's distant relative, as his actual parents are absent overseas. As Conan, Shinichi resides with Ran (who sees him as a younger brother) and Kogoro (who wanted nothing to do with him), all while concealing his identity in that small frame. Not one to twiddle his thumbs however, he acts as the brain power behind cases "Sleeping Kogoro" solves, with gadgets to help Kudou along. He has to be vigilant, though, for one slip up of his survival could have him targeted... as well as those involved with him! Can he get back to normal and protect Ran? Only one truth prevails, and he'll stop at nothing to get it!
Detective Conan has exceeded 20 seasons and is even now still ongoing, breaking 1000 episodes in the TV anime alone. Some episodes were compiled in the original showing, breaking up into different
episodes in the Funimation dub, who licensed the series as Case Closed. In America, 104 episodes were initially licensed, with 50 being shown on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block. This would get pulled later due to low ratings. It also shown on Funimation Channel, as well as Colours TV, who was their affiliate at the time. Even with the anime no longer showing, 130 episodes totaled were licensed to date, counting 5 seasons.
 |
| Logo for the American release |
While blogs hint at Funi never touching it again, the anime is ripe for licensing even now, even as the original Japanese dub has yet to lose traction. Apart from the lengthy TV anime run, there were even special episodes and movies, among which a few crossovers with Donkey Punch's Lupin the 3rd. Jerry Jewell (the voice of Kyo Sohma of Fruits Basket) powers the voice of Shinichi/Jimmy in the English dubbing, while his younger self, Conan, is voiced by Alison Viktorin (who voices both Fuuka and Fumika Narutaki of Mahou Sensei Negima!). There were also a few name and background alterations to the characters in the series, more notable being Shiho "Sherry" Miyano/Ai Haibara (who went by Anita Harley in the English manga, but Vi Graythorn in the dubbed films) and Heiji Hattori (a tanned lookalike who hails from Osaka, but made him to be American as Harley Hartwell in the Case Closed dubbing)
Detective Conan seems basic at first, but as I got into it, became really really absorbed into it as it progressed. Despite low ratings stateside, it got high praise overall. I myself give it a solid 10 of 10, though I would think it difficult and expensive to collect the series, the way it is right now.
No comments:
Post a Comment