Yukiko Kudo
Yukiko Kudo | |
Japanese name: | 工藤 有希子 (Kudō Yukiko) |
---|---|
English name: | Vivian Kudo |
Age: | 37[1] |
Gender: | Female |
Date of birth: | Unknown[1] |
Relatives: | Yusaku Kudo (husband) Shinichi Kudo (son) |
Occupation: | Retired actress |
Nicknames: | The Night Baroness |
Aliases: | Yukiko Fujimine (maiden name) Fumiyo Edogawa (Fanny Edogawa in the Funimation Dub) Fumiyo Akechi |
First appearance: | Manga: File 51 Anime: Episode 43 |
Appearances: | Chapters: 92 Episodes: 55 Movies: 2 Episodes: 1 OVAs: 3 Specials: 1 Openings: 12 Closings: 4 |
Keyhole number: | Volume 14 |
Japanese voice: | Sumi Shimamoto |
English voice: | Laurie Steele |
Yukiko Kudo (工藤 有希子 Kudō Yukiko ) is the mother of Shinichi Kudo and, along with her husband Yusaku, one of few characters who knows he is Conan Edogawa. She was once a famous actress, but retired after marrying Yusaku. She was also close friends with fellow actress, Sharon Vineyard, both being excellent masters of disguise.
Contents
- 1 Background
- 2 Personality
- 3 Plot overview
- 3.1 Conan Edogawa Kidnapping Case (Manga: 049-050 and 051, Anime: 043)
- 3.2 The Cornered Famous Detective! Two Big Murder Cases (Manga: 131-138, Anime: 096)
- 3.3 Desperate Revival: Shinichi's Return and The Promised Place (Manga: 258-260, Anime: 192-193)
- 3.4 The North Star No.3 Express (Manga: 215-218, Anime: 144-145)
- 3.5 Shinichi Kudo's New York Case (Manga: 350 and 351-354, Anime: 286-288)
- 3.6 The Similar Princesses (Manga: 413 and 414-416, Anime: 333-334)
- 3.7 Secret of the Tohto Film Development Studio (Manga: 417-419, Anime: 335-336)
- 3.8 Halloween Party Case (Manga: 429-434; Anime: 345)
- 3.9 Heiji Hattori vs. Shinichi Kudo: Deduction Battle on the Ski Slopes (Manga: 518-521 and 522, Anime: 490)
- 3.10 Shinichi's Childhood Adventure (Manga: 570-573, Anime: 472-473)
- 3.11 Holmes' Revelation (Manga: 743-751, Anime: 616-621)
- 3.12 Bell Train arc (Manga: 818-824, Anime: 701-704)
- 3.13 The Scarlet Return (Manga: 891-893 and 894-898), Anime: 779-783)
- 3.14 Ran GIRL/Shinichi BOY (Manga: 921-924, Anime: 853-854)
- 3.15 The Field Trip to Kyoto (Manga: 1002-1005, Anime: 927-928)
- 3.16 The Missing Maria Higashio Case (Manga: 1008, Anime: TBD)
- 4 Non-Canon Plot Overview
- 5 Plot exposition
- 6 Appellations
- 7 Relationships analysis
- 8 Character popularity
- 9 Name origin
- 10 Different looks
- 11 Quotes
- 12 Trivia
- 13 In other languages
- 14 Gallery
- 15 See also
- 16 References
Background
Yukiko became internationally famous as a talented actress after having played the part of Sakamoto Ryoma's older sister Otome in a historical drama.[2]
Despite her then-tender years as a student at Teitan High, Yukiko had a prospectively prosperous future in the film industry.[3] Thus it came as a major surprise to the world when, practically out of the blue, she married Yusaku Kudo and retired from acting.[4] She still retains good contacts in the acting and film industry, however, and has since become known as the "Night Baroness" (named after one of her husband's characters) after babbling out some clues provided by Yusaku on a live television show which helped solve a criminal case.[5]
During her acting years, Yukiko went to a famous stage magician and disguise artist to learn the finer arts of disguise for a role she was preparing to play. There she met another actress who would become one of her closest friends, Sharon Vineyard. Until Sharon's (supposed) death, the two women stayed in touch, and Yukiko even attended her funeral, but her appearance was overshadowed by a small scandal involving Sharon's 'daughter', Chris Vineyard. Yukiko has since learned from her son about Chris/Sharon's secret life, a revelation which troubles her deeply.[6][7] She has since confronted her former friend with her knowledge, partially to know for sure, but also to save the life of Ai Haibara, who was being threatened by the Black Organization.[8]
Despite a certain rivalry for popularity in their high school years, which had culminated in a Miss Teitan Election, Yukiko is also a close friend of Eri Kisaki, and (unlike Eri) finds her daughter Ran Mouri, a perfect match for her son.[9]
Personality
Despite her adult age, Yukiko still behaves like a teenager. She is bubbly, overconfident and attention-seeking, and prefers to stand in the lime-light (literally) whenever possible. She can be prone to jealousy over Yusaku's occasionally flirtatious behavior, and can demonstrate impulsive tendencies. She is an extremely reckless driver and very sensitive about her age: whenever her son dares to call her "oba-san" in Japanese (in English, the closest equivalent would be "aunt" or "old lady"), she sets up such a furious face that Conan must quickly correct himself by calling her "onee-san" ("older sister" or "young girl").
However, despite her faults, Yukiko is extremely loyal and cares for both her husband and her son (though a heavy streak of mischief causes her to often tease Shinichi). Her loyalty extends to her friends, as she thinks nothing of flying across the Pacific to help a friend from elementary school.[10] She takes pride in being an excellent actress and a mistress of disguise, able to fool even close friends and family with her skills. She is also willing to pressure Shinichi to practice his role, so he won't embarrass her.
Plot overview
Conan Edogawa Kidnapping Case (Manga: 049-050 and 051, Anime: 043)
Yukiko first appearance was disguised as Fumiyo (Fanny in the Funimation Dub) Edogawa, a woman claiming to be Conan's mom. She and Yusaku pulled a con upon their son to convince him that his hunt for the organization is too dangerous and tried to convince him to come with them abroad. But Conan refuses, and they agree to let him deal with this case. Yukiko (as Fumiyo) brings Conan back to the Mouris and give Kogoro a bank book with money to care for Conan with.
The Cornered Famous Detective! Two Big Murder Cases (Manga: 131-138, Anime: 096)
After having a quarrel with her husband, Yukiko secretly returned to Japan. She then meets Ran and Conan in front of her house. She successfully covered for Conan who Ran suspected at that time. In the Manga she gives the explanation that Conan is "the nephew of the grandfather of the cousin of the daughter of the brother of my uncle," which produces a family tree showing that Conan is Yukiko's fictitious uncle once removed.
Desperate Revival: Shinichi's Return and The Promised Place (Manga: 258-260, Anime: 192-193)
The North Star No.3 Express (Manga: 215-218, Anime: 144-145)
Shinichi Kudo's New York Case (Manga: 350 and 351-354, Anime: 286-288)
The Similar Princesses (Manga: 413 and 414-416, Anime: 333-334)
Secret of the Tohto Film Development Studio (Manga: 417-419, Anime: 335-336)
Halloween Party Case (Manga: 429-434; Anime: 345)
Heiji Hattori vs. Shinichi Kudo: Deduction Battle on the Ski Slopes (Manga: 518-521 and 522, Anime: 490)
Shinichi's Childhood Adventure (Manga: 570-573, Anime: 472-473)
Holmes' Revelation (Manga: 743-751, Anime: 616-621)
Knowing that Conan(Kudo Shinichi) is going to take the antidote for apotoxin 4869 that is intended for his return trip, Yukiko Kudo and Yusaku Kudo were asked by Haibara to go to London and bring a spare antidote.
Bell Train arc (Manga: 818-824, Anime: 701-704)
Yukiko turns out to be the lady who had been visiting Subaru Okiya at the Kudo house. On the Bell Tree express, with Conan and Subaru's help, she foiled Bourbon and Vermouth's plans to capture and kill Shiho Miyano respectively while also tricking the Black Organization (except for Vermouth) into thinking Sherry died. Her part of the plan involved removing Haibara from danger when she tried to run away, and then challenging Vermouth in order to draw her attention. Yukiko then kept Vermouth occupied, so that she was unaware that she was being tricked until it was too late. At the same time, Yukiko also extracted a promise from Vermouth that she would truly give up on trying to kill Sherry.
The Scarlet Return (Manga: 891-893 and 894-898), Anime: 779-783)
Yukiko disguised as Yusaku to attend Macademy Awards. After finishing the job, she returned home to meet Shuichi Akai and disguise him as Subaru Okiya once more. Shuichi had learned to how to apply the disguise himself satisfactorily, which makes Yukiko a little disappointed since she has no reason to meet Shuichi anymore. Conan becomes annoyed that Yukiko liked seeing Shuichi a little too much. Yukiko nearly outed Conan's secret identity as Shinichi in front of the three FBI agents.
Ran GIRL/Shinichi BOY (Manga: 921-924, Anime: 853-854)
The Field Trip to Kyoto (Manga: 1002-1005, Anime: 927-928)
The Missing Maria Higashio Case (Manga: 1008, Anime: TBD)
Yukiko and Yusaku have returned to Japan and reveal to Conan that they convinced the blog owner to retract her claim in exchange for their autographs. They decide to remain in the country for the foreseeable future, in light of Yusaku's interpretation of Koji Haneda's dying message, which leads them and Conan to believe that Renya Karasuma is connected to the Organization.
Non-Canon Plot Overview
Home of Beika's Grenier (Anime: 418)
Plot exposition
List of disguises used
Yukiko prefers relatively simple female disguises, with the exceptions being her medusa halloween costume and later taking her husband's place at an awards ceremony. These are the known ones used so far.
With the aid of a voice-changer, Yukiko filled in for Yusaku Kudo at the Macademy Awards.
Appellations
Relationships analysis
Family
Yusaku Kudo
Not much is known about Yusaku and Yukiko's backstory before they get married. The most notable scene was from 20 years ago, when Yusaku and Yukiko met in a high end restaurant. Yusaku observed a murder crime, quickly solved it and suddenly proposed to a startled Yukiko, which she accepted. Yukiko can be really angry with Yusaku if he has flirtatious behavior, but they truly love each other.
Conan Edogawa / Shinichi Kudo
Shinichi is her son. When Shinichi shrunk into Conan, Yukiko staged a fake kidnapping scheme with Yusaku and Professor Agasa to make Shinichi realize the danger of the organization he was trying to investigate. As a mother, she truly cares for his wellbeing (sometimes too much, much to Conan's annoyance) and assists him when it comes to cases. Nevertheless, their relationship is quite dynamic: Yukiko enjoys teasing Shinichi/Conan; in addition, she sometimes disguises to fool him. In return, Conan often makes sarcastic remarks about Yukiko being old (obasa-san) and retired for many years, which earned him death glares and even physical blows from Yukiko.
Friends
Eri Kisaki
20 years ago from the current timeline, she and Eri were rivals in Miss Teitan, a beauty contest that shook the country. Yukiko had a charming beauty that attracted men, while Eri had a more bookish look, relying her advantage on academic talents. The vote was split at 20000 votes for each before the competition was canceled, with Mouri Kogoro having the last uncounted ticket.
In later years, despite their previous intense competition, the two are actually in good terms with each other, supporting the other party emotionally. On relationships of their children, Shinichi and Ran, Yukiko shows her full support, at one point even calls Ran her future daughter in law; however, Eri is more reluctant. Eri doesn't like Yukiko's hand off approach with Shinichi and constantly reminds Ran to be beware of Shinichi, remarking on her rocky marriage as reference.
Ran Mouri
Yukiko treats Ran like her own daughter in law, and often teases her about her romantic relationship with Shinichi. She is also able to read through her thoughts; in Episode 96, when Ran suspected that Conan is Shinichi. Despite that Yukiko covered for Conan telling Ran that Conan is a smart kid who learnt deductive skills from Shinichi, Yukiko found the last smile that Ran made was a bit weird, realising that the girl wasn't convinced about Yukiko's answer; which turned out to be true in the Desperate Revival arc.
Shuichi Akai
Yukiko helped Shuichi Akai go into hiding after he faked his death. She taught him how to disguise himself and cooking. She likes visiting him every week.
Sharon Vineyard
Character popularity
- eBookJapan held a character popularity poll from April 12, 2011 to May 12, 2011 in which readers of Detective Conan (international included) could vote for their favorite character. Yukiko placed 17th in the poll with 37 votes out of the 5,883 that were cast.[20]
- In honor of the release of the 800th manga chapter, Shonen Sunday held a popularity poll/contest containing 91 Detective Conan characters to choose from. Yukiko placed 20th overall with 34 votes.[21]
Name origin
The name Yukiko Fujimine (藤峰) name comes from Lupin III character Fujiko Mine and actress Yukiko Nikaido (the original voice of Fujiko). Her alias, Fumiyo (文代), comes from Fumiyo Akechi, wife of Rampo Edogawa's Kogoro Akechi.
Different looks
Quotes
“ | Hey, you may be looking at my future daughter-in-law. | „ |
— Referring to Ran, Episode 286 |
“ | There's only two reasons for a girl to look at a boy like that: he has something on his face or she likes him. | „ |
— Talking to Conan about Haibara, Episode 335 |
Trivia
- Aoyama has stated in Super Digest Book 10+ that Yusaku and Yukiko met because Yukiko had been chosen to play the main character of a drama based on one of Yusaku's books.
- In Episode 286, it is revealed that Yukiko has (or had) a California Driver's License. Her ID is 471108628. This would seem to be inconsistent with the actual ID number system used by the State of California in issuing driver's licenses, in which only eight digits are used.
In other languages
Gallery
See also
References
- ^ a b Conan Drill page 58
- ^ Manga Chapter 733: Kaitou Kid and Ryoma's Gunbelt
- ^ Manga Chapter 414: Mama's Rival!?
- ^ Manga Chapter 260: The Memorable Place
- ^ Manga Chapter 342: Golden Apple 2
- ^ Manga Chapter 341: Golden Apple 1
- ^ Manga Chapter 433: The Truth Behind The Mask
- ^ Manga Chapter 818-824: Mystery Train
- ^ Manga Chapter 342: Golden Apple 2
- ^ Aoyama, Gosho (1997-03-18). "File 4" (in Japanese). Detective Conan. 14. Tokyo: Shogakukan. ISBN 4-09-125044-0.
- ^ a b Volume 14, File 8
- ^ a b c d e f g Volume 14, File 4
- ^ a b Volume 14, File 7
- ^ Volume 78, File 5
- ^ a b Volume 78, File 6
- ^ a b File 898 (Volume 85)
- ^ File:Postcard2016 18.jpg (Yukiko calls him "Shu-chan")
- ^ a b Volume 14, File 6
- ^ Episode 621
- ^ "『名探偵コナン』 人気投票結果". eBookJapan. 2011-05-12. http://www.ebookjapan.jp/ebj/special/conan/vote_kekka2.asp. Retrieved on 2011-05-15.
- ^ "Shonen magazine detective conan official poll results published [magazine pic"]. eva. 2012-02-28. http://forum.dctp.ws/index.php?topic=8024.msg651566#msg651566. Retrieved on 2012-02-29.