Hobgoblin2012

Sighs..... I don't even have the strength to express disappointment anymore.

Why, Kindaichi isn't horror in my opinion. I only watched the anime though, but the plots are good in terms of mystery, but neither frustrating nor scary. By the way, my mother is also interested in Conan (even more than myself, since I became a little bored lately ), we watch it together.

Here are the chosen questions: http://www.reddit.com/r/OneTruthPrevails/comments/2gakam/gosho_aoyamas_ama_questions/

In the movies the murderers are usually less sympathetic than in the short episodes in my opinion.

I understand all of them and even sympathize with most of them: Gosho writes criminals in such a way. There are only a few in this series who have killed for money, power or jealosy etc, usually it's because the "victims" did something horrible themselves and won't stop ruining everybody's lives while the law "watches and laughs". So eventually somebody breaks down and turns violent. DC is very interesting, but it's the only detective series in the world that makes me wish for most of the criminals to get away. But there was at least one absurd motive I remember: in the episodes about the Sherlock Holmes club, where the victim was killed for writing a story about Irene Adler and Sherlock Holmes out of character. There was another one I think (don't remember the number of the episode) where Ayumi's haidresser was killed because of throwing a coat-hanger on the murderer.

Sorry, I didn't realize it was the same thread. I will subscribe.

Could you post a link please?

My 2 most important questions would be: 1) Why are almost all murders about revenge and the murderers are always portrayed almost sympathetically? Why no murders for money, jealosy, power, killing of witnesses etc? 2) Is Conan ever sorry (at least just a little) for the situations the murderers find themselves into when they kill out of despair, only after being convinced that legal justice doesn't work (I mean, does he feel the powerful "victims" without scruples deserve so much more sympathy)?

I hope Gosho won't draw a childhood romance for Takagi he mentioned because then I would be sorry he got together with Sato. Unless Sato is his childhood friend he doesn't remember.

On one hand, I agree that the past shouldn't be forgotten if it had at least some happiness in it. On the other hand, it's easy to say that people should face the life no matter how difficult it is, but it's easy only if you aren't that person. I personally don't know if it's better that she stays as a child or not, but in my opinion it depends on what Ai herself wants. If she would like to forget about the unpleasant past, it would be her right and in my opinion wouldn't show her as weak at all, and even if it would, such a weakness could be forgiven, considering what she had to suffer. I don't know, maybe Ai returning to the Shiho form has a better potential for future plots than if she stays as a child, I just think that the alleged "necessity to face life no matter how bad it is" isn't a very convincing reason.

I agree with this part, as he doesn't really deeply analyze the causes of the crimes, considering the fact that almost all the criminals he traps are only consequences of other crimes committed by the victims, who I think may be defined as the "real villains" in the stories. By the way, I am rather puzzled why do most of Japanese detective authors I know (at least in manga and anime) avoid making the guilty ones somebody without scruples, who acts out of greed or lust for power. After more than 700 episodes of catching almost exclusively the "avenging" kind of murderers, it becomes boring imo.

I am not just saying "I like her", I told you why: she is open, friendly, honest, faithful, and (as you yourself said you don't deny) not stupid nor immature. This is enough for me. Also, the childhood friendship angle is very important to me, I find it very touching. I think Ran has a mature approach towards an unpleasant thing, such as the separation of her parents. She didn't close in herself like Haibara, she continues to live and hopes for the better. And again, this isn't something like "Haibane Renmei", this is a detective/adventure series. As important as Ai may be, what "philosophical beliefs" are you talking about?

I get your point, but whatever the values of the tragedy genre might be, this specific work of fiction (Detective Conan) is too important to me, and precisely for the fact that I became very used to some characters and like them very much, I wouldn't appreciate their elimination for the sake of "originality" and "suspense" at all. If you think my reasoning is too primitive, then, sorry, I don't care. To me, the priority is that the main characters get a happy ending because there already are too many tragic ones both in real life and fiction. I like dark plots too, I fully realize that sometimes some characters have to be killed, but only when all ends well anyway, at least for the main characters. A dark plot full of suspense will make the happy ending even better, by contrast. And what's this statement about "narrative stasis"? If the ending is a happy one, it doesn't mean that everything that comes before is primitive, sugar-coated and without suspense.

RSP, I think you are making things too complicated. The episodes/chapters are too short for warranting such an analysis, and whatever you say I am perfectly fine with Ran as she is and I don't see her as lacking a role. If Gosho had more space, he would surely explore each character more deeply.

I probably should wish the same for YOUR favorite characters, but I don't want to be like all those Ran-haters, as she herself (if she existed) wouldn't have wished this to anybody. Damn all sad and tragic endings. People usually think that tragedy is the highest fictional genre, as if killing a main character always improves the level of the book/movie etc. In my opinion, tragic endings are usually a sign of poor creativity of the author, who isn't able to creat something new and impressive and is only able to destroy.

I don't see her like that, she never did anything that would indicate her as stupid or immature. For that matter, Ai too is sometimes greatly overrated, just because she was on the Black Organization's side and then transferred to the "good guys'" side, is very secretive and has suffered much, this doesn't make her the most original or complicated character ever. And I couldn't care less about her abilities with chemicals. If there was no Ai in the series, I would still watch it, while if there was no Ran, I would be probably quickly tired of it.

Totoro rocks!!!!!

I personally like Ran more as a character than Ai, she is more open and friendly, Ai is too secretive. I agree that Ai is an interesting character, it's just I don't think she should necessarily be paired with Conan in a romantic way, friendship is good too, and it's not because of pity for Ran being alone that I support ShinxRan. It's just I can't get emotional by watching a romantic pairing if they are not childhood friends.

They don't because Kujo doesn't defend himself My favorite pairings are Kenji x Nanami from Lamune and Conan x Lana from "Future boy Conan".

What's so bad about movie 7 ? The crime plot was interesting, not just the usual revenge. Also, Heiji and Kazuha's story was touching.

1) My neighbor Totoro (one of the cutest fairy tales ever) 2) Future boy Conan (interesting adventures with a good ending) 3) Lamune (a very touching childhood friend love story) 4) Kindaichi shounen no JIkenbo (complicated murder mysteries; there may be less interesting characters than in DC, but the murderers are harder to guess) 5) Mikakunin de Shinkoukei (a new anime; comedy romance, well done in my opinion; childhood memories between the main characters play an important part, which I always like) Maybe I should have included Detective Conan too, but lately I became too annoyed by the continuous "bad victim - good murderer" plots, especially because Conan never seems to get the fact that such situations are not black and white and the murderers deserve a least a little compassion, considering the circumstances that made them become criminals.

Ai is an interesting character, but I will always root for Shinichi and Ran because for me the bond established in childhood will always seem more touching and tender than any relationship that can be established between people who met as adults or late teens. I can't really logically explain it, but for me only childhood bonds have all the tenderness and innocence that touch my heart. I respect other kind of pairings as well, but when the two characters don't have innocent childhood memories to share together, I simply can't feel the same.

I she doesn't want it, that's another thing. I just said that I like her "Shiho" form less than the "Ai" form.

I personally wouldn't mind if she stayed a child and started a new life. As Ai she is so much better than as Shiho, in my opinion. She at least has some cuteness then, not just cold intelligence.

Shinichi x Ran. I like Ran more than Ai and childhood friend romances are the only romances that impress me enough.