The Roller Coaster Murder Case is the first episode that aired on January 8, 1996 in Japan. It is the pilot episode of the series. The story begins right in the middle of a case where a murder has been committed in a private mansion. At this moment, we see both Inspector Megure and Shinichi Kudo for the very first time and are able to witness the impressive deduction skills of Shinichi while he reveals the killer.
Characters introduced
Most of the main characters are introduced throughout the episode. It is interesting to note the presence of Ayumi, Mitsuhiko and Genta who only appear a bit later in the manga (in Volume 2).
The episode starts in a mansion where a party seemed to have been interrupted after a man was found dead with a bullet in his heart. The police, lead by Inspector Megure, is investigating the crime scene. The victim is President Yamazaki of Yatsubishi Bank. That's when Shinichi makes his grand entrance and claims having figured out the case.
Murder
Location:Private Mansion
Victim:Yamazaki
Cause of death:Gunshot wound
Suspects:Owner/Host, and guests
President Yamazaki of Yatsubishi Bank is found dead in a locked room with a bullet through his chest.
Shinichi states that the room Yamazaki was killed in was locked from the inside. The only possible entrance into the room was the window.
The mansion owner claims that there is at least a 10 meter gap between the two windows Shinichi states the killer used. Shinichi points out however that if the killer used the roof to get closer to the other window this gap is shortened to a mere 2 meters and therefore could be easily jumped across.
Shinichi notes that there is an indentation on the balcony where the killer attached a rope with a piece of wood at the end, allowing the killer a way to get back across to the 3rd floor window, as it is impossible for the killer to have successfully landed on the 10 centimeter roof ledge coming back. By using a piece of wood rather than simply tying the rope to the balcony the killer was able to remove evidence of his method of escape while on the other side of the building.
The lack of footprints below the window implies it was an inside job.
Shinichi claims to have spoken with the killer's doctor.
Conclusion
Shinichi concludes that the murderer could only have been someone who knew the mansion very well and eventually points his finger at the owner. The latter, being in a wheelchair, then starts to laugh claiming he's in no position to be able to commit such a crime. Shinichi then grabs a globe and throws it towards the owner who immediately jumps out of his chair to avoid it. The maid and guests are all in shock. Shinichi then says that he's been healed for a while now as reported by his doctor, which Megure confirms.
Motive
Although the episode does not clearly state the mansion owner's motive, it likely had something to do with the "under-the-table" financial dealings the owner had with Yamazaki.
Case 2: Roller Coaster Murder Case
Situation
Ran Mouri meets up with her friend Shinichi Kudo on their way to Teitan High School. After Shinichi explains to Ran why he quit the soccer team and tells her that he wants to become a detective like the fictional Sherlock Holmes, Ran reminds Shinichi of a promise he made with her: if Ran won the regional karate championship, Shinichi would go with her to the amusement park, Tropical Land. Shinichi demonstrates his deductive reasoning to Ran when he correctly deduces that a girl standing in line in front of them for the Mystery Coaster is a gymnast. Shinichi and Ran's date is cut short when a murder occurs while they're riding the roller coaster. Who is responsible for killing Kishida, and how did they do it?
Murder
Location:Tropical Land
Victim:Kishida
Cause of death:Decapitation
Suspects:Aiko, Hitomi, Reiko, and Men in Black
Kishida was beheaded while riding the Mystery Coaster as the coaster came out of a darkened tunnel.
Shinichi examines the tunnel area of the Mystery Coaster and finds a wire with some pearls still strung onto it and a hook at the end of the wire.
The killer left a false piece of evidence, a bloodied knife, inside Aiko's purse with the intention of framing her. Shinichi proves this is a fake piece of evidence claiming it is impossible for a woman to have used enough force to behead someone while on the ride.
Conclusion
Shinichi states the killer used an object like a purse or a backpack to escape the ride restraints and wrap a wire around the victim's head while in the darkness of the Mystery Coaster's tunnel. After tying the wire around the victim's head the killer tossed a hook attached to the other end onto the roller coaster's track, beheading the victim using the coaster's speed and movement.
Shinichi concludes the murderer is Hitomi, as her expertise as a gymnast makes this feat possible. Shinichi proves her guilt through two crucial pieces of evidence:
Hitomi's necklace (the murder weapon) is missing after the end of the ride
Hitomi has a tear-trail on her face that runs horizontally which is impossible unless she was crying during the course of the ride.
Motive
Hitomi's motive for murdering Kishida is because she used to go out with him long before she met Aiko and Reiko in college. Hitomi planned to murder Kishida at the place they had their first date (Tropical Land) using the very necklace he had bought for her. Had Shinichi not proven the truth behind the murder Hitomi was planning to commit suicide via drugs after the visit to Tropical Land.
Shinichi, suspicious of the two men dressed in all black that rode the coaster, decides to follow them on their way to the outskirts of Tropical Land, leaving Ran behind and telling her to head on home without him. Shinichi witnesses one of the men in the middle of an illegal transaction with somebody and doesn't pay attention to his surroundings. The other man dressed in black knocks Shinichi out from behind. The men, recognizing Shinichi as a detective, give Shinichi an un-tested poison in order to kill him and leave him to die. However, rather than killing Shinichi, the poison shrinks him down to the size of a seven year old.
Manga to anime changes
The first episode of the anime includes the Detective Boys who don't appear until many chapters later in the manga.
The mansion owner kills his wife in the manga. In the anime the owner kills his friend, Yamazaki.
In the manga, Reiko points out that Gin and Vodka could have committed the murder as they were behind the victim. Shinichi acknowledges that they look suspicious, but if they pulled off the murder, they would have anticipated the arrival of the police (which they don't as they are in a hurry to pull off their transaction).
Shinichi uses a camera when spying on Vodka, whereas in the anime, he simply just listens to the deal going on.
Remastered version
On April 4, 2009, a remastered version of the case was aired. A few modifications were made in this new version : the victim's head doesn't land next to the Detective Boys and the scene where the viewer could see blood on the roller-coaster was cut.
Yamazaki
