The Boss of the Black Organization
The mysterious boss, respectfully called Ano Kata (あの方 That Person) by his subordinates, is the leader of the Black Organization. The true identity and gender of the boss is still unknown, with only a few insignificant facts about them revealed in the manga's 19 year (and counting) run. Conan Edogawa, the FBI, and the CIA wish to uncover the boss and cause the destruction of the Black Organization.
Background
The boss appears to be the highest authority in the Black Organization. "That person" directs the Black Organization's activities and plans crimes[1] to protect the Organization and advance its interests. The boss communicates to subordinates by text messages. The boss is also responsible for promoting agents[2] and deciding on their code names.[3] The FBI think that only a few of the highest ranking executive agents like Gin or Vermouth could lead them to the elusive boss.[4]
While most agents follow the boss's orders, some agents have acted contrary to the wishes of "that person". Shiho Miyano boycotted her research on APTX 4869 before ultimately defecting and escaping. The boss later recalled Vermouth after discovering that she had blackmailed a man to murder a movie director.[5]
Plot overview
Before the current storyline
In Clash of Red and Black, James Black explained to Conan that capturing a high ranking member of the Black Organization who could lead them to the boss was the goal of Shuichi Akai's spy mission. After three years of infiltration, the boss gave the undercover FBI agent the codename "Rye" and ordered him to work under Gin. The FBI's plan to capture Gin fell apart when Akai's true allegiance was uncovered. In the two years since the mission failure, the boss came to regard Akai as a "Silver Bullet" - someone who is especially dangerous to the Black Organization.
Prior to this confrontation with the Black Organization, it was unclear who or what authority commanded the codenamed agents of the Black Organization seen so far. Gin's discussion with Pisco about the planned murder of Shigehiko Nomiguchi revealed to Conan the existence of an authority figure referred to as "ano kata". Gin relayed that person's orders to Pisco: silence the politician Shigehiko Nomiguchi who was going to be arrested for bribery and use APTX 4869 if it was necessary. Pisco's act of murder was accidentally caught on camera, so the boss ordered Gin to kill Pisco.
Vermouth had secretly been executing a plan to kill Sherry without the Black Organization's knowledge. Someone discovered that Vermouth was up to something and Gin and Vodka were ordered to investigate an off-season Halloween party aboard a ship. Before Vodka was sent aboard the ship in disguise, Gin told him "not to hold back" even though Vermouth was "that person's favorite" and they had not been granted permission to kill her. At the party, a man that Vermouth blackmailed to murder a director began screaming someone called "Vermouth" was to blame.[6] Later, the boss sent a message to Vermouth's phone informing her that her freedom was now being restricted and she was to return. When Vermouth replied back, Conan noticed the sound of the keypresses of the boss's phone number sounded familiar.
| “ | It looks like I have given you too much freedom. Come back to my side, Vermouth. | „ |
— The Boss orders Vermouth to return[7] | ||
Conan later uncovers that the key-presses of the boss's phone number sounds like the beginning of the children's song Nanatsu no ko, and Conan deduces the boss's phone number is #969#6261. Haibara warns Conan of the danger of calling it, likening it to Pandora's box.
The boss orders the assassination of Yasuteru Domon, who is a politician hard on crime. The FBI believed the boss was hoping to nip a potential obstacle in the bud because Domon may have a chance of becoming the next Prime Minister. When Gin discovers that the agent Kir has been captured and a tracking device planted on her clothing, he asks the boss for permission to kill the last person to stay at her house: Kogoro Mouri. The boss grants Gin permission to leave Domon and target Kogoro. The assassination fails because of Akai's interference. Akai's appearance made it appear that the FBI planted the tracking device and not Kogoro. Domon coincidentally gives up running for office as well, making assassinating him unnecessary.
Kir's promotion
While searching for Kir, Chianti asks why Kir was promoted.
Kir ordered to kill Shuichi Akai
Bourbon's mission
Known canon information
- The boss uses the first few notes of the song Nanatsu no Ko to encode his/her phone number. The number is #969#6261, which was purposefully made non-functional by Gosho Aoyama to prevent prank calls. The number might have a Tottori area code; but it is uncertain because of the way the number, including the area code, was altered to prevent prank calls. It is worth noting that Ai Haibara reacts to the word Kurayoshi – a city in Tottori province, when she notices Shinichi Kudo had taken an interest.[8]
- The operatives dress in black, which Akemi Miyano says is supposed to resemble crows. This is probably an expression of the boss’s dress code preferences.
- He/She uses alcoholic codenames for agents.
- The boss is very careful. Vermouth says, “The boss is always careful to the extreme. He’s the type to ruin the plan by overthinking it.”[9]
- Vermouth is the boss’ favorite for an unknown reason and he/she allows her some degree of independence.[10]
- The Boss thought Shuichi Akai could become the Black Organization’s silver bullet.[11] In that regard he/she's more like Vermouth than Gin who doesn't believe a single person who can take the syndicate down in one shot exists.
Gosho Aoyama's interviews
Gosho Aoyama has given several interviews concerning the boss.
Primary sources
The following interviews have had their primary sources located and the information has been confirmed.
- Aoyama specified that the name of the boss has appeared somewhere in the manga.[12][13] It was not clarified whether the boss has appeared in person.
Transcript
The following interview accounts come from transcripts from fansites and blogs on the web and have not been independently verified. These are generally considered credible by fans.
- The Black Organization's formal name gives away the boss' name.[14] "The Black Organization" is not the real name of the organization.
- Minami Takayama, Gosho Aoyama's former wife and Conan's voice actor, knows the boss' identity.[15]
- Aoyama revealed that he didn't expect the Detective Conan series to last longer than three months.[16] This indicates that the boss might have been hinted early in Detective Conan.
- The boss chooses the alcoholic codenames for the agents, but does not have one himself/herself.[3]
- The boss is not Professor Agasa.[17]
Speculations
- The organization uses clever codenames, passwords, etc. based on mysteries and history. If the boss is behind the naming scheme then perhaps the boss has an interest in detectives and mysteries.
- If the FBI's assessment of the boss is correct, the boss is a forward thinker. The FBI believed he ordered the assassination of Yasuteru Domon who wasn't even part of the Diet yet because he was hard on crime and had a chance of becoming the next Prime Minister.
Fan speculation has led to many theories concerning "that person's" identity, ranging from Vodka to Yusaku Kudo to even one of the Detective Boys after having taken APTX 4869. In a "Who is That Person" fan poll in Shonen Sunday, Professor Agasa was ranked the most likely suspect, while Gin was voted in a Case Closed FUNimation community poll.
References
- ^ Domon Assassination
- ^ See discussion of Kir's promotion in shadows of the Black Organization
- ^ a b 青山剛昌先生と話そうDAY (Let's talk with Aoyama Gosho-sensei day), held January 3, 2013
A fan asked: All BO members have alcoholic code-names. Does Gosho like alcohols ? Will his most favorite alcohol be The Boss' code-name ?
Gosho said he doesn't really drink, he just picked up the alcoholic names that he thinks are cool. The cool code-names are almost used up now, maybe there's only Whiskey or something... left.
The Boss doesn't need to have a code-name because (he/she) is the "boss", of course the member's code-names are all come up by The Boss. - ^ Jodie Starling hopes to capture Vermouth. Earlier, the FBI aimed to capture Gin by when Shuichi Akai met with him.
- ^ Manga Volume 42, File 10 (434), pg : "Rotten Apple"
- ^ Manga Volume 42, File 9 (433), pg 4: "The truth behind the mask"
- ^ Manga Volume 42, File 10 (434), pg 13: "Rotten Apple"
- ^ Manga Volume 45, File 9: Chapter 466
- ^ Manga Chapter 704. "He" stands for a gender unspecific pronoun with no English equivalent.
- ^ Manga Volume 42, File 5 (429), pg 11: "The full moon and the trap and the banquet"
- ^ Manga Chapter 434
- ^ 2006年朝日新聞夕刊のインタビュー記事より (2006年1月13日（金）)
From 2006 Asahi Evening Newspaper interview article (Friday January 13, 2006)
実はボスの名前は既に原作のどこかにでている。捜してみて下さい。…
In fact, the boss' name already appeared somewhere in the manga. Please see if you can find it. . . .
http://anokata.xxxxxxxx.jp/anokata.html
Translation credit to JustWantAnAccount
The most recent file published prior to the interview is File 551 in Shounen Sunday issue #5-6 of 2006 which was released January 4, 2006 - ^ Scanned document from this post.
- ^ 2005年青山剛昌とコナンファンの集いでの質問コーナーより
From Q&A in a gathering between Gosho Aoyama and Conan fans in 2005
Ｑ．黒の組織について？
Q. On the Black Syndicate/Organization?
Ａ．正式名称はある。言うとボスの名前がバレちゃうので言えません。
A. A formal name exists. If mentioned, the boss' name will be exposed so I can't say.
http://tsukiyotsukiyo.blog66.fc2.com/blog-entry-57.html
Translation credit to JustWantAnAccount - ^ 『名探偵コナン＆金田一少年の事件簿』4号より
From "Detective Conan & Kindaichi Case Files" 4th Issue
Ｑ.これに気付いているor知っているのは自分だけ！！
Q. Only self noticed/knows about this!!
高山みなみ｢｢あのお方｣が誰なのか…。キャストは誰も知らない。｣
Minami Takayama: [I know] who "anokata" is . . . None of the [other] casts know.
Translation credit to JustWantAnAccount - ^ Kindaichi & Conan creators interview
さとう：「金田一」の連載当初は、１年ぐらいだと思ってました。
Sato: At the beginning of Kindaichi's serialization, I thought it would only last about a year.
青山：僕もネタ的に続かないから、３か月ぐらいかなと。
Aoyama: I, too, thought that it [Detective Conan] would only last about three months, since it's difficult to continue material-wise.
Translation credit to JustWantAnAccount - ^ 青山剛昌先生と話そうDAY (Let's talk with Aoyama Gosho-sensei day), held January 3, 2013
A fan asked whether Gosho has already come up with the name and character design/setting for The Boss ?
Gosho gave out an ambiguous statement: The Boss has already been come up with/has already appeared; the name also has already been come up with/has already appeared. But which option is the correct understanding, everyone has their own opinion.
However, Gosho stated that it's not Agasha Hiroshi, to which the audiences clap enthusiastically.
