The Secret Hidden By the Cards

Episode 1108 (Int. Episode 1166)
Information
Title:	The Secret Hidden By the Cards
Japanese title:	カードに伏せられた秘密 (Kādo ni Fusera Reta Himitsu)
Original airdate:	December 23, 2023
Broadcast rating:	7.0%
Filler case:	#409
Season:	TBD
Manga source:	TV Original
Case
Cast:	Conan Edogawa Hiroshi Agasa Detective Boys Wataru Takagi Kazunobu Chiba Kamen Yaiba
Case solved by:	Hiroshi Agasa (via Conan)
Next Conan's Hint:	Fire alarm
Staff
Director:	Yasuichiro Yamamoto Nobuharu Kamanaka
Screenplay:	Tatsuro Inamoto
Storyboard:	Sumio Watanabe
Episode director:	Minoru Tozawa
Animation Director:	Keiko Sasaki
Character Design:	Masatomo Sudo Rei Masunaga (sub-character) Hiroshi Ogawa (design works)
Voice Cast: Minami Takayama as Conan Edogawa Kenichi Ogata as Hiroshi Agasa Megumi Hayashibara as Ai Haibara Yukiko Iwai as Ayumi Yoshida Wataru Takagi as Wataru Takagi, Genta Kojima Ikue Otani as Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya Isshin Chiba as Kazunobu Chiba Daisuke Sakaguchi as Osamu Kuno Nobuaki Kanemitsu as Daigo Zaizen Hayato Taya as Naoto Masaki Makoto Ishii as Tsukasa Nitta Hikaru Yoshihara as Manager Takahiro Shibano as Clerk
Music
Opening song:	Unraveling Love ~Sukoshi no Yūki~
Closing song:	You & I
Chronology
Prev episode:	« I Was Set Up
Next episode:	Takagi and Date and the Notebook Promise »
List of episodes

The Secret Hidden By the Cards (カードに伏せられた秘密 ,Kādo ni Fusera Reta Himitsu) is the 1108th episode of the Detective Conan anime.

Cast

Characters
Conan Edogawa Hiroshi Agasa Ai Haibara Ayumi Yoshida Genta Kojima Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya Wataru Takagi Kazunobu Chiba Kamen Yaiba (trading cards)

Gadgets

Gadgets
Voice-Changing Bowtie

Case

Situation

Within a certain bookstore, the Detective Boys were playing trading cards - Mitsuhiko was having a confrontation with Genta. While they play, Conan, Haibara, Ayumi, and Professor Agasa were watching nearby. On the other side of the table, stood two mystical people... also watching their games in silence.

The "trading card" area in the bookstore.

Mitsuhiko dispatched a rare card called "Shake My Hand" and defeated Genta effortlessly. Agasa then explained that the bookstore used to only sell books exclusively, but now, since those Yaiba trading cards have increased in popularity, some parts of the bookstore are used for playing these trading cards. In addition, they discussed the fact that "some trading cards may become exceedingly expensive", and all of a sudden, the two mystical people who were initially observing on the side interjected with the protagonist group. Apparently, these two people were rather famous in the trading card circle: one of them was named Naoto Masaki; and the other one was named Tsukasa Nitta. Notably, Tsukasa, a lot of people showed esteem to him since he is able to win the trading card games with those cheap cards, whereas his opponents use expensive ones (even though he claimed that it was by virtue of not having money to purhase the expensive ones). As their discussion progressed, another trading card expert appeared - Daigo Zaizen. He is literally the "antonym" of Tsukasa, since he won several games by using ridiculously expensive cards. They seemed to have some arguments, but still decided to have a match with them. Just as they were pleased to begin the game, Daigo went to the toilet. He urged his entourage, Osamu Kuno, to keep an eye on his luxury cards and not let other people touch them.

Seeing Daigo's temporary leave, everyone looked rather inscened due to his inappropriate attitude. Tsukasa proposed that everyone ought to stay away from the table, as it would be annoying if Daigo accused anybody after his return. As such, he told the Detective Boys to go away, and he left the table as well, in the opposite direction.

Tsukasa giving Conan a hand during the fire alarm commotion.

Surprisingly, while most of the people had their backs facing towards the trading card table, one of the bookshelves (the one right behind Naoto) fell somehow. Immediately afterwards, the fire alarm was activated, and everyone who was inside the bookstore began to panic, raoring and dashing out of the premises. Nevertheless, the bookstore owner declared to everyone that it was a hoax after all - no fire.

However, when they returned to that trading card table, they saw Naoto being crushed under the massive and heavy bookshelf that accidentally fell during the commotion. Professor Agasa examined the body and found that he was dead.

Accident?
	Location: Unknown bookstore Victim: Naoto Masaki Age: 28 years old Cause of death: Blunt force trauma Suspects: Tsukasa Nitta, Daigo Zaizen and Osamu Kuno

The clue on the bookshelf that Conan found.

Detective Takagi and Chiba arrived immediately to analyse the crime scene. Conan then saw that Daigo's entourage, Osamu, was looking for something next to the fallen bookshelf. Conan went to inquire of him about it, but he glossed it over and said it was nothing. Conan then scrutinised the bookshelf more closely and saw a bent nail attached to the top of that bookshelf.

On the other hand, Daigo was acting weird. He kept insisting and misleading the police to make them think that the incident was an accident and excluded the possibility of homicide. This made Conan point it out and ask him the intention behind it. Daigo then confessed - he was being blackmailed by the victim regarding how he cheated in one of his trading card games by peeking at his opponent's card beforehand; this was filmed by Naoto and was constantly brought up. What's more, Naoto did the exact same thing to Daigo's entourage, Osamu, as well. Therefore, Daigo possessed a valid motive for murdering Naoto; however, he kept denying committing the crime. Afterwards, Conan almost got slipped while stepping on a Yaiba trading card; Tsukasa helped him by raising him up in the air. At that instant, what Conan saw was the key to solving this case.

People

Naoto Masaki
	Victim (beaten) 28 years old Part time worker TCG Player

Tsukasa Nitta
	28 years old Part-time worker TCG Player

Osamu Kuno
	28 years old Office worker TCG Player

Daigo Zaizen
	30 years old Entrepreneur TCG Player

Manager
100px	Bookstore owner

Clerk
100px	Bookstore clerk

Resolution

  Show spoilers »

Via Professor Agasa, Conan was able to convey that the culprit is Tsukasa Nitta.

The Mechanical Gimmick

The diagonal path that Tsukasa took to activate the trick.

Tsukasa used a string of nylon to carry out the murder; he fixed one end of the string to the back of his belt, passing the other end over the nail on the top of that collapsed bookshelf beforehand. By doing this, he could make the bookshelf collapse at anytime, as long as he intends to. How? By leaving the trading card table, as he leaves the area, he is exerting a force on that bookshelf to make it collapse towards the trading card table.

That was the reason why he left the trading card area in the other direction and diagonally, even bumping into Genta and Professor Agasa, who were midway down the diagonal path. Only going diagonally would cause an appreciable effect and crush the victim below the heavy bookshelf; if he walked sideways, he would be exerting a force perpendicular to the desired direction, which means he wouldn't be doing useful work.

The Evidence and Motive

Nevertheless, Naoto did not die due to the fallen bookshelf. Since the strength from the fall would not cause a person to die, logically speaking. Thus, the culprit must have gone to the crime scene when everyone in the bookstore were escaping. In other words, Tsukasa murdered him manually afterwards.

Professor Agasa then revealed the evidence that may verify Tsukasa carrying out the murder: in order to make a bookshelf collapse, considerable strength must be applied; therefore, traces are bound to be left.

The outcome of luminol test on Tsukasa.

Another piece of evidence would be the blood that remained on Tsukasa's trousers. The police did a luminol test on Tsukasa's trousers and found the blood stains. This proves that he was actually murdering the victim.

Tsukasa admitted everything Agasa said after confronting the firm evidence. The reason that he murdered Naoto was because that - not only did Naoto blackmail Daigo, but also Tsukasa. Tsukasa claimed that he could not withstand playing with cheap cards anymore. Since he didn't have money to purchase more expensive ones, he decided to steal some at nighttime. However, his behaviour was then filmed by Naoto. To end everything right there, Tsukasa decided to murder him.

Aftermath

Tsukasa kneeled down and felt rather regretful, since Agasa had taught him a lesson: A card game can be played over again, but human life cannot be. He rumbled with a repentful voice. Right beside him, there was a card of Kamen Yaiba, who always upholds justice, contaminated with blood...

Trivia

• In this episode, trading cards are featured, sharing similarity with the series Yu-Gi-Oh!.
• On the back of the Kamen Yaiba trading cards, its official English name is visible as "Masked Yaiber".

Quotes

• Hiroshi Agasa (to the culprit Tsukasa Nitta):

Is that why you plotted to kill someone? The moment you did that, you failed, both as a TCG player and at life.
(だから人を殺める策を巡らせたというのか？その時点で失格じゃよ、カードゲームのプレイヤーとしてはもちろん、人としてもな。)

In other languages

Language	Title	Translation
French (Subbed)	Un secret enfoui dans des cartes	A secret hidden in cards

See also

• Current Season