10 Things You Didn’t Know about Detective Conan

Detective Conan is one of the longest-running Japanese manga series that can be found out there. It started up in 1994 and is continuing in the present, meaning that there are around 20 series that are longer than it. Regardless, the name of the series is pretty simple and straightforward in the sense that it is indeed focused on a detective who uses the name Conan Edogawa. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Detective Conan:

1. English Name Is Case Closed

In the west, people might be more familiar with Detective Conan under the English name Case Closed. There were potential legal issues with Detective Conan, which is why the series received a new name in said market.

2. The Protagonist Is Shinichi Kudo

The protagonist of the Detective Conan series is called Shinichi Kudo. In short, he is a high school student who sometimes helps out the police by performing detective work, which is something that gets him into serious trouble.

3. The Protagonist Uses the Name Conan Edogawa

As a result, the protagonist uses the name Conan Edogawa to protect his true identity. Something that is very important because it has been made very clear to him that he is under threat from unknown enemies. This is the same incident that made it possible for the protagonist to protect his true identity with nothing more than a simple name change.

4. Its Science Is Rather Loose

Often-times, the science in Detective Conan is more super-science than real world science. For example, the protagonist was forced to swallow an experimental poison, which had the strange side effect of turning him into a child. This is how Shinichi Kudo is able to become Conan Edogawa.

5. Some People Know about the Change

There are some characters in the series who know about the change. For example, Dr. Hiroshi Agasa knows about Conan’s true identity, which is why he provides Conan with various gadgets to help him protect his true identity as well as continue his detective work. Likewise, Shinichi’s rival Heiji Hattori has learned what happened as well, though it is interesting to note that Heiji discovering Shinichi’s secret has actually enabled them to get along better. To an extent, this is based on Heiji’s concern for Conan’s well-being in light of the criminal organization that has already attacked him.

6. Other People Don’t

With that said, most characters don’t know about the change, including a small number who probably should’ve been told. For example, Conan is living with his childhood friend Ran Mori, who is very worried about Shinichi. Rather dubiously, Conan has put serious effort into convincing Ran that he and Shinichi are separate people in spite of her suspicions about where exactly Shinichi has gone.

7. Conan Uses Other People to Solve Cases

Speaking of which, while Conan solves his cases, he tends to use other people to reveal his findings. In particular, he has been known to knock out Ran’s father Kogoro Mori and then impersonate his voice to pretend that Kogoro is the one who has solved whatever case has come up. This has led to the result that Kogoro believes himself to be a great detective, though in truth, he really isn’t.

8. Conan Is Hunting Down the Black Organization

The enemy that Conan seeks to hunt down before he can reveal his true identity to his friends safely is a criminal organization called the Black Organization. Suffice to say that the Black Organization has engaged in a wide range of serious crimes, meaning that his caution is understandable.

9. There Has Been Defections from the Black Organization

Speaking of which, it is interesting to note that the poison that Conan was forced to consume has had the same effect on other individuals. To be exact, it de-aged its creator Shiho Miyano, who did so in an attempt to commit suicide. Previously, she worked for the Black Organization but has defected because one of its members killed her sister, with the result that she has a new identity courtesy of Dr. Agasa.

10. The Creator Has an Ending In Mind

The series creator Gosho Aoyama has stated that he has an ending in mind for Detective Conan. However, he is in no real rush to complete the series, meaning that interested individuals probably shouldn’t expect the series to end anytime soon.