Difference between revisions of "Interviews"

From Detective Conan Wiki
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(Yes, these are manga counts only; up to Volume 93.)
 
(Yes, these are manga counts only; up to Volume 93.)
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</spoiler>
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===Interview with Detective Conan Producer Michihiko Suwa===
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'''Date:''' November 11, 2017<br>
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<spoiler>
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'''Source:''' https://manga.tokyo/interview/interview-with-detective-conan-producer-michihiko-suwa-part-1/<br>
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Michihiko Suwa is the producer of the TV anime and movie series Detective Conan (Meitantei Conan), also known as Case Closed based on the manga by Gosho Aoyama. In part one of MANGA.TOKYO’s interview with Suwa, we learn about the beginnings of the anime as well as how the anime staff are careful not to slip up when adapting Aoyama’s manga.
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'''— Could you tell us how the plan for the anime adaptation of Detective Conan developed?'''
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 +
The first chapter of the original manga Detective Conan series, also known as Case Closed, was published in 1994 in Shonen Sunday. I guess it was a countermeasure against the rival manga magazine which had started a detective manga series The Kindaichi Case Files in 1992. I had a close connection with the editorial staff in Shonen Sunday, so I heard about a new detective manga before its publication. When I read the first chapter, I was instantly captured by its clever tricks. I kept reading it for 10 weeks and made up my mind to make an anime adaptation.
 +
 +
Protagonist Shinichi Kudo was a 17-year-old detective but ends up having the body of a first-grade child because of a drug he was forced to swallow. I thought this setting was ‘a big lie’, and that was why it would nicely fit for anime. While discussing the anime adaptation plan, I convinced the editorial staff that I would respect the original which had an unrealistic setting, but otherwise was serious and a realistic mystery-solving story.
 +
 +
At the time, Yomiuri Telecasting was airing the anime series Magic Knight Rayearth at 7:30 on Monday evening, but I wasn’t sure which TV block Detective Conan would be scheduled into. Although we didn’t know exactly when it would start airing, we began developing the plan aiming to air in January or February 1995.
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 +
We asked TMS Entertainment, then called Tokyo Movie Shinsha, to take care of the anime production, because they had brilliant staff members. They created Magic Knight Rayearth and I appreciated their effort to create such great visuals. We also made an offer to Kenji Kodama for the director’s role. We had worked together on City Hunter before, so I told him it wasn’t an action but a mystery anime. He replied that he actually preferred mystery to action, and rather enjoyed creating mystery episodes more than the action ones while directing the Lupin III series. For the script, we wanted someone who was specialized in live-action dramas, so we invited Kanji Kashiwabara, who had been working on scripts for many detective dramas. He pulled some strings and Kazunari Kouchi, Junichi Miyashita, and Yuichi Higurashi joined us. We also asked script writers for anime to join our production team. For music, we asked Katsuo Ono, who was responsible for the music in a popular detective drama series called Taiyo ni Hoero, because we wanted the music of the anime to be comparable to suspense dramas for adults. Our idea was to create new mystery anime which is different from the others, and could be enjoyed by both children and adults.
 +
 +
'''— What do you pay attention to when creating the anime?'''
 +
 +
We have some rules, like using the word ‘body’ instead of ‘corpse’, and have blood look ‘black’ not ‘red’. That’s because we wanted the anime to be a mystery-solving story from the first place. We avoid showing scenes of a knife stabbing somebody or a bullet hitting victims, as long as they aren’t related to the tricks of a mystery. It airs in the evening in Japan, so there might be viewers who are in the middle of their dinner. We take extra care not to offend anyone, especially people who aren’t anime fans. We used to use ‘murder case’ in its titles quite a lot at the beginning, but stopped using it two or three years later, because we want to show not the crime itself, but how Conan solves a mystery after the crime happens. Our priority lies in showing the genius mystery-solving skills of Shinichi Kudo under the name of Conan Edogawa.
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While I believe Detective Conan is a superb mystery, the manga author Gosho Aoyama thinks of it as a comedy drama that focuses on its characters with an element of romantic comedy between Shinichi and Ran Mouri. I think that’s the strength of Detective Conan. It stands out from many other mystery stories. Furthermore, although we don’t know what type of characters will be popular, as everybody has their own tastes, our viewers can find their favorite among the varieties of characters in the anime. Aoyama creates many characters who have their individual charms, and we put them in the mystery solving stories. That’s why Detective Conan is different from any other mystery anime.
 +
 +
'''— Is there anything you didn’t expect because the series has become such a long-runner?'''
 +
 +
In the anime’s timeline, it has been less than a year since the roller coaster murder case. Many incidents have happened in Beika Town during that time. Only about 250 days have passed in the anime world, but we’ve made about 880 episodes. The town must be in a mess, since, mathematically speaking, there are three to four incidents happening in a day. [laugh] We must welcome the situation because a long-running series means the anime has dedicated fans. Aoyama once said that there has been only one Christmas and one Valentine’s Day in the anime. That demonstrates things in the anime are in safe hands. We’ve seen Conan’s birthday, but not Ran’s yet. I presume he already has his plan for her birthday, so we won’t imply anything about hers in the anime. We don’t want to change anything about its setting.
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 +
At the beginning of the series, we didn’t have smartphones therefore the characters were using flip phones. We didn’t expect such technological advancements at that time. Conan likes new things, so he tries them without hesitation. If he had been in possession of a smartphone 20 years ago, some mysteries might been solved easily with it. Perhaps we are living in a difficult time for mystery stories.
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 +
In the manga, Conan and Ai Haibara make a remark about something which is seemingly unrelated at the end of each case. Later, it turns out to be something really significant in another episode. Aoyama’s use of such foreshadowing is increasing recently, so the current director, Yashuichiro Yamamoto, is careful about not to miss any minor details in the manga.
 +
 +
In short, there is a main storyline in the manga, which is like a big river flowing throughout the story, and the anime original parts we create are like floating leaves on the river. We know we shouldn’t obstruct the flow. Detective Conan has the major plot of Conan pursuing the Black Organization. Only Aoyama can deal with the plot, therefore we take extra care to include every single detail in the anime, as it might be related to the plot. I think we’ve done a good job in this regard so far.
 +
 +
'''— Detective Conan is showing overseas now.'''
 +
 +
We are extremely glad about that. It has been doing well, especially in Asia and South-East Asia where it’s nearing the No.1 place in anime genre. It used to be shown in the US under the title of Case Closed, but it struggled because we are not allowed to show someone getting shot in anime there. They are showing lots of violence in live-action drama, though. We have fans in some parts of Europe.
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 +
I hope people abroad can directly know what Japanese anime want to deliver by watching anime. For that reason, I’m pleased anime can overcome boundaries and rules between countries. I’d love more people to watch this anime.
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'''— Have you heard comments from fans abroad?'''
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I’ve found many comments in English and other languages on Twitter. I’m delighted to know there are people who are watching Detective Conan abroad. Recently, more voice actors have traveled overseas to attend anime events. When Rikiya Koyama, who plays Kogoro Mouri, went to Taiwan, many people gathered to meet him. I like that fans abroad have fun with the characters of the anime. I’m glad that they enjoy the stories of the Detective Boys, love stories in the police force, and the romantic comedy between Heiji Hattori and Kazuha Toyama, despite the fact that they have different cultures. They’ll say things like “I like Heiji”, “I like Kid.” I’d like the fans abroad to enjoy what their favorite characters do, and hope to hear what they think of the anime more in future.
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 +
'''— It’s a pity that Conan can’t go abroad because he doesn’t have his passport.'''
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He can’t use an antidote casually, can he? I’ll follow how Aoyama deals with it. [laugh]
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'''— What is an interesting point about the anime adaptation of Detective Conan'''
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At the end of the 18th theatrical movie Detective Conan: Dimensional Sniper, Subaru Okiya reveals his true identity as Shuichi Akai. Anime can use voice to express identity, but manga can’t. Even Aoyama admitted the power of anime. Readers keep reading the original manga because it’s brilliant, however we create anime with images and sound. I’m proud of what we’ve done to bring 2-dimensional manga to 3-dimensional anime with movement and sound in an effective way. I think the original manga is a first-class sponge cake and what we do is to decorate it with cream and fruit. Just like decoration makes the sponge cake tastier, anime enhances the source material to make it more attractive to a wider audience. Obviously, the original manga has an astonishing amount of circulation, however anime has the power to attract even elderly people who happen to be in front of TV with its sound and visuals. For that sense, I feel the anime series appeals to a much wider audience.
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'''— You said that anime-original stories are like leaves floating on a river. What do you think about their own charms?'''
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Creating anime-original stories (stories that are not based on chapters of the manga) means a declaration of war against Aoyama for me. My goal for creating original stories is to hear him say “I enjoyed watching it.” I begin making a story by imagining what will happen if Conan and Ran travel together, or get involved in an incident while walking around the town with the Detective Boys. Then, I consider how I use characters effectively and build a story.
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I must say that we have partly contributed the 22-year history of the anime series, because, although between 60-75% of the anime series is based on the original manga, the rest is anime-original. I become ecstatic when Aoyama says he enjoyed the anime-original stories.
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'''— Now, could you answer some questions from overseas? I have 6 questions here selected from more than 100 questions we’ve received.
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Karylle Enchinares Famero asks: What are some of your favorite murder tricks that you’ve encountered while producing the series?'''
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First of all, I like the trick from the episode The Sunfish Murder (File 56: Script by Kazunari Kouchi). It was an episode from one of the early seasons and I was thinking so hard with the director to come up with good tricks. Of course I still ponder over new tricks and sometimes they even see the light of day. The Man Who Was Killed Four Times (File 175: Script by Nobuo Ohgizawa) is another favorite of mine. It’s a story about a tough victim who is killed by multiple perpetrators, but each time he comes alive again. Therefore, it’s very difficult for Conan to get to the bottom of the case as the plot is quite complicated. Fortunately, we had a talented script writer who can wrap up the story within twenty-odd minutes. I really like The Entrance to the Maze: The Anger of Colossus (File 208: script by Chiaki Hashiba), especially the trick of the murder that happened during a ropeway ride through a tunnel.
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'''Ruffa Marielle Aquino asks; What are the most memorable things you did for the series and is there any advice you can give to students like me who want to pursue the same path of animation production?'''
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During the opening song ‘Koi wa thrill, shock, suspense’ (File 205 – 230: sang by Rina Aiuchi), Conan performs a ‘Para Para Dance’ which was on-trend at the time. He wasn’t allowed to smile while dancing, as it was a rule of the dance. I was worried how an opening without smiling would be received by viewers, but decided to follow the rule and let him dance the proper way. Masahito Yoshioka , a program director from TMS Entertainment, was doubtful at the beginning, but eventually made up his mind to create a proper dance routine which everyone can enjoy dancing. We asked a choreographer to teach us the moves, and we created Conan’s take on ‘Para Para Dance’.
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The 20th anniversary special episode Conan and Ebizou’s Kabuki Juhachiban Mystery (File 804-805) is another memorable one. Famous Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizou actually provided the voice of Ebizou in the anime. The script was written after his appearance was confirmed. I was impressed by Kashiwabara’s skillful script centering on Ebizou.
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If I may advise students who want to get into the anime industry, make sure that you keep your eyes open, find something that interests you, and learn deeply. I think communication skills are vital for our job, and in order to communicate better, you need knowledge. Read newspapers and magazines regularly to know current affairs. What is important is to make the person who you are talking to understand what you are interested in. You must know what you are talking about. In other words, you must speak with deep-rooted knowledge. It’s like anchoring a ship, so you don’t waver from your assertions.
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You must prepare to be able to explain clearly what sort of anime it is you want to make, what your favorite works in the past are, and why you like them. For me, they are Columbo, the late Osamu Tezuka (a creator known as the ‘God of Manga’ and was a pioneer of anime and manga as we know it), and Oretachi no Tabi (a Japanese coming-of-age drama aired in 1975). They made me what I am.
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I watched Columbo when I was a junior high school student. I remember I felt excited when I watched the episode ‘Any Old Port in a Storm’ which takes place in a winery, even though I had never drunk alcohol at the time. It was as if I were watching adult lives through a window. I want to provide such excitement to viewers. Although that doesn’t actually have anything related to the Conan episodes with tricks related to wine, though. [laugh] I just want to tell you that finding interest in small things in the area you love will lead you to being a mystery fan.
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'''Sana Hayama asks: What made you want to produce the series? Maybe you loved reading books which involved criminal action and mystery and tried to solve them? I’m sure this could be a reason for such an amazing and lively series!'''
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When I watched the movie Murder on the Orient Express in 1974, I hadn’t actually read Agatha Christie’s novel at the time. However, I personally believe I was the one who solved the mystery first in the theater. A movie remake will be released soon, and I can’t wait watching it.
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'''Mark Gabriel Acribal asks: What are some of the challenges or struggles you had to overcome before becoming a producer?'''
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I was an assistant director for a midnight variety show called 11PM for two and a half years, and I struggled to death. It would have been almost classified as ‘power harassment’ (Japanese term describing psychological abuse and bullying at work) if it had happened today. [laugh] However, I learned what it takes during that time. The experience of confronting the difficulties, which was actually not as heroic as it sounds, made me what I am today. I always wanted to create something, but I didn’t know how difficult creating processes were.
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Making a decision on everything about the footage is hard work but fun. The format of Detective Conan is made by the accumulations of my experiences. From the first episode, it has an epilogue, an ending, and a bit of a bonus scene. I’m confident in the format which director Kodama, producer Yoshioka and I devised together. We’ve been using this format for the TV series for all these years, and almost the same one for the movies.
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'''Ieng Wong asks: Were you a big fan of Conan before producing it?'''
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As I said earlier, I knew about the manga before its serialization, and kept my eye on it. When I read the first chapter, I was so impressed by its tricks and depiction of situations. I was surprised how much it can do from the first episode.
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I also liked The Kindaichi Case Files which had started running in a different magazine before Detective Conan. Luckily, I got an offer to produce The Kindaichi Case Files after I started Detective Conan. I feel exceptionally fortunate to be in charge of the two great detective anime series.
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'''Ryan Kun asks: What are your favorite detective movies and who are your favorite male and female characters in Detective Conan?'''
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I still watch many detective movies. Strictly speaking, it’s not a detective movie but I like Around the World in Eighty Days (premiered in 1957). It was based on the novel of the same name written by Jules Verne, and depicts a man who takes a bet to travel around the world in 80 days. He is disappointed in himself as he misses the deadline just one day. However, it turns out he actually won the bet, because he gained one day when he had crossed the International Date Line. I love such dramatic comeback wins. It’s a great bonus for viewers who are amazed by the trick at the last minute. I want to deliver such amazement to our viewers.
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My favorite character is always Kogoro Mouri. When the anime started airing, I was 37, the same age as Kogoro. He had a lovely high schooler daughter at that time, but I didn’t, though. [laugh] Although he has become crazier recently, he’s always lovable and no one can dislike him. I simply admire his personality.
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Among the female characters, I like Sonoko Suzuki. She was only meant to appear once according to the initial plan, but became a regular character because of the superb voice acting of Naoko Matsui who portrays her. She became a fixture of the anime, so much so that the character setting of Momiji Ohoka from the movie Crimson Love Letter was ‘Sonoko in the West’. Sonoko is incredible because she is such a down-to-earth person despite being a daughter of an extremely wealthy family.
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Thank you very much for sending me questions. It is much appreciated. I wish I could understand English more, so I could read all your questions and comments myself.
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'''— What’s your next goal?
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'''
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Detective Conan has become a household name in Japan, and I’m quite satisfied with that. I’d like to crack the world market with Detective Conan. I can’t understand why only anime can’t show murder scenes in English-speaking countries, whereas other forms of mystery can. However, I feel optimistic because there are not so many murder scenes in the anime.
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For successful international market penetration, I must find why Japanese anime has become so popular and acclaimed worldwide. I also have to find a way to make foreign viewers understand the dramaturgy of the anime, otherwise they can’t remember every character.
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My ambition is to sail through the world with Detective Conan and make it a flagship anime on the globe.
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'''— Could you give a comment for the fans?'''
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It has been 24 years since the manga started, and 22 years since the anime’s first airing. One day, Detective Conan will reach its conclusion. We don’t know when and how it ends, however until that day I’ll create the anime with all my heart. I hope you enjoy the anime both based on the original manga and the anime originals, as well as the movies. We’ll keep working our hardest to meet your expectations. Please continue to watch and follow Detective Conan.
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— Thank you very much.
 
</spoiler>
 
</spoiler>
  
Line 5,031: Line 5,146:
  
 
Interviewer: So that’s what you’re into lately, then… Thank you very much!<br>Aoyama: Yes, yes (laughs)
 
Interviewer: So that’s what you’re into lately, then… Thank you very much!<br>Aoyama: Yes, yes (laughs)
</spoiler>
 
 
===Interview with Detective Conan Producer Michihiko Suwa===
 
'''Date:''' November 11, 2017<br>
 
<spoiler>
 
'''Source:''' https://manga.tokyo/interview/interview-with-detective-conan-producer-michihiko-suwa-part-1/<br>
 
Michihiko Suwa is the producer of the TV anime and movie series Detective Conan (Meitantei Conan), also known as Case Closed based on the manga by Gosho Aoyama. In part one of MANGA.TOKYO’s interview with Suwa, we learn about the beginnings of the anime as well as how the anime staff are careful not to slip up when adapting Aoyama’s manga.
 
 
'''— Could you tell us how the plan for the anime adaptation of Detective Conan developed?'''
 
 
The first chapter of the original manga Detective Conan series, also known as Case Closed, was published in 1994 in Shonen Sunday. I guess it was a countermeasure against the rival manga magazine which had started a detective manga series The Kindaichi Case Files in 1992. I had a close connection with the editorial staff in Shonen Sunday, so I heard about a new detective manga before its publication. When I read the first chapter, I was instantly captured by its clever tricks. I kept reading it for 10 weeks and made up my mind to make an anime adaptation.
 
 
Protagonist Shinichi Kudo was a 17-year-old detective but ends up having the body of a first-grade child because of a drug he was forced to swallow. I thought this setting was ‘a big lie’, and that was why it would nicely fit for anime. While discussing the anime adaptation plan, I convinced the editorial staff that I would respect the original which had an unrealistic setting, but otherwise was serious and a realistic mystery-solving story.
 
 
At the time, Yomiuri Telecasting was airing the anime series Magic Knight Rayearth at 7:30 on Monday evening, but I wasn’t sure which TV block Detective Conan would be scheduled into. Although we didn’t know exactly when it would start airing, we began developing the plan aiming to air in January or February 1995.
 
 
We asked TMS Entertainment, then called Tokyo Movie Shinsha, to take care of the anime production, because they had brilliant staff members. They created Magic Knight Rayearth and I appreciated their effort to create such great visuals. We also made an offer to Kenji Kodama for the director’s role. We had worked together on City Hunter before, so I told him it wasn’t an action but a mystery anime. He replied that he actually preferred mystery to action, and rather enjoyed creating mystery episodes more than the action ones while directing the Lupin III series. For the script, we wanted someone who was specialized in live-action dramas, so we invited Kanji Kashiwabara, who had been working on scripts for many detective dramas. He pulled some strings and Kazunari Kouchi, Junichi Miyashita, and Yuichi Higurashi joined us. We also asked script writers for anime to join our production team. For music, we asked Katsuo Ono, who was responsible for the music in a popular detective drama series called Taiyo ni Hoero, because we wanted the music of the anime to be comparable to suspense dramas for adults. Our idea was to create new mystery anime which is different from the others, and could be enjoyed by both children and adults.
 
 
'''— What do you pay attention to when creating the anime?'''
 
 
We have some rules, like using the word ‘body’ instead of ‘corpse’, and have blood look ‘black’ not ‘red’. That’s because we wanted the anime to be a mystery-solving story from the first place. We avoid showing scenes of a knife stabbing somebody or a bullet hitting victims, as long as they aren’t related to the tricks of a mystery. It airs in the evening in Japan, so there might be viewers who are in the middle of their dinner. We take extra care not to offend anyone, especially people who aren’t anime fans. We used to use ‘murder case’ in its titles quite a lot at the beginning, but stopped using it two or three years later, because we want to show not the crime itself, but how Conan solves a mystery after the crime happens. Our priority lies in showing the genius mystery-solving skills of Shinichi Kudo under the name of Conan Edogawa.
 
 
While I believe Detective Conan is a superb mystery, the manga author Gosho Aoyama thinks of it as a comedy drama that focuses on its characters with an element of romantic comedy between Shinichi and Ran Mouri. I think that’s the strength of Detective Conan. It stands out from many other mystery stories. Furthermore, although we don’t know what type of characters will be popular, as everybody has their own tastes, our viewers can find their favorite among the varieties of characters in the anime. Aoyama creates many characters who have their individual charms, and we put them in the mystery solving stories. That’s why Detective Conan is different from any other mystery anime.
 
 
'''— Is there anything you didn’t expect because the series has become such a long-runner?'''
 
 
In the anime’s timeline, it has been less than a year since the roller coaster murder case. Many incidents have happened in Beika Town during that time. Only about 250 days have passed in the anime world, but we’ve made about 880 episodes. The town must be in a mess, since, mathematically speaking, there are three to four incidents happening in a day. [laugh] We must welcome the situation because a long-running series means the anime has dedicated fans. Aoyama once said that there has been only one Christmas and one Valentine’s Day in the anime. That demonstrates things in the anime are in safe hands. We’ve seen Conan’s birthday, but not Ran’s yet. I presume he already has his plan for her birthday, so we won’t imply anything about hers in the anime. We don’t want to change anything about its setting.
 
 
At the beginning of the series, we didn’t have smartphones therefore the characters were using flip phones. We didn’t expect such technological advancements at that time. Conan likes new things, so he tries them without hesitation. If he had been in possession of a smartphone 20 years ago, some mysteries might been solved easily with it. Perhaps we are living in a difficult time for mystery stories.
 
 
In the manga, Conan and Ai Haibara make a remark about something which is seemingly unrelated at the end of each case. Later, it turns out to be something really significant in another episode. Aoyama’s use of such foreshadowing is increasing recently, so the current director, Yashuichiro Yamamoto, is careful about not to miss any minor details in the manga.
 
 
In short, there is a main storyline in the manga, which is like a big river flowing throughout the story, and the anime original parts we create are like floating leaves on the river. We know we shouldn’t obstruct the flow. Detective Conan has the major plot of Conan pursuing the Black Organization. Only Aoyama can deal with the plot, therefore we take extra care to include every single detail in the anime, as it might be related to the plot. I think we’ve done a good job in this regard so far.
 
 
'''— Detective Conan is showing overseas now.'''
 
 
We are extremely glad about that. It has been doing well, especially in Asia and South-East Asia where it’s nearing the No.1 place in anime genre. It used to be shown in the US under the title of Case Closed, but it struggled because we are not allowed to show someone getting shot in anime there. They are showing lots of violence in live-action drama, though. We have fans in some parts of Europe.
 
 
I hope people abroad can directly know what Japanese anime want to deliver by watching anime. For that reason, I’m pleased anime can overcome boundaries and rules between countries. I’d love more people to watch this anime.
 
 
'''— Have you heard comments from fans abroad?'''
 
 
I’ve found many comments in English and other languages on Twitter. I’m delighted to know there are people who are watching Detective Conan abroad. Recently, more voice actors have traveled overseas to attend anime events. When Rikiya Koyama, who plays Kogoro Mouri, went to Taiwan, many people gathered to meet him. I like that fans abroad have fun with the characters of the anime. I’m glad that they enjoy the stories of the Detective Boys, love stories in the police force, and the romantic comedy between Heiji Hattori and Kazuha Toyama, despite the fact that they have different cultures. They’ll say things like “I like Heiji”, “I like Kid.” I’d like the fans abroad to enjoy what their favorite characters do, and hope to hear what they think of the anime more in future.
 
 
'''— It’s a pity that Conan can’t go abroad because he doesn’t have his passport.'''
 
 
He can’t use an antidote casually, can he? I’ll follow how Aoyama deals with it. [laugh]
 
 
'''— What is an interesting point about the anime adaptation of Detective Conan'''
 
 
At the end of the 18th theatrical movie Detective Conan: Dimensional Sniper, Subaru Okiya reveals his true identity as Shuichi Akai. Anime can use voice to express identity, but manga can’t. Even Aoyama admitted the power of anime. Readers keep reading the original manga because it’s brilliant, however we create anime with images and sound. I’m proud of what we’ve done to bring 2-dimensional manga to 3-dimensional anime with movement and sound in an effective way. I think the original manga is a first-class sponge cake and what we do is to decorate it with cream and fruit. Just like decoration makes the sponge cake tastier, anime enhances the source material to make it more attractive to a wider audience. Obviously, the original manga has an astonishing amount of circulation, however anime has the power to attract even elderly people who happen to be in front of TV with its sound and visuals. For that sense, I feel the anime series appeals to a much wider audience.
 
 
'''— You said that anime-original stories are like leaves floating on a river. What do you think about their own charms?'''
 
 
Creating anime-original stories (stories that are not based on chapters of the manga) means a declaration of war against Aoyama for me. My goal for creating original stories is to hear him say “I enjoyed watching it.” I begin making a story by imagining what will happen if Conan and Ran travel together, or get involved in an incident while walking around the town with the Detective Boys. Then, I consider how I use characters effectively and build a story.
 
 
I must say that we have partly contributed the 22-year history of the anime series, because, although between 60-75% of the anime series is based on the original manga, the rest is anime-original. I become ecstatic when Aoyama says he enjoyed the anime-original stories.
 
 
'''— Now, could you answer some questions from overseas? I have 6 questions here selected from more than 100 questions we’ve received.
 
 
Karylle Enchinares Famero asks: What are some of your favorite murder tricks that you’ve encountered while producing the series?'''
 
 
First of all, I like the trick from the episode The Sunfish Murder (File 56: Script by Kazunari Kouchi). It was an episode from one of the early seasons and I was thinking so hard with the director to come up with good tricks. Of course I still ponder over new tricks and sometimes they even see the light of day. The Man Who Was Killed Four Times (File 175: Script by Nobuo Ohgizawa) is another favorite of mine. It’s a story about a tough victim who is killed by multiple perpetrators, but each time he comes alive again. Therefore, it’s very difficult for Conan to get to the bottom of the case as the plot is quite complicated. Fortunately, we had a talented script writer who can wrap up the story within twenty-odd minutes. I really like The Entrance to the Maze: The Anger of Colossus (File 208: script by Chiaki Hashiba), especially the trick of the murder that happened during a ropeway ride through a tunnel.
 
 
'''Ruffa Marielle Aquino asks; What are the most memorable things you did for the series and is there any advice you can give to students like me who want to pursue the same path of animation production?'''
 
 
During the opening song ‘Koi wa thrill, shock, suspense’ (File 205 – 230: sang by Rina Aiuchi), Conan performs a ‘Para Para Dance’ which was on-trend at the time. He wasn’t allowed to smile while dancing, as it was a rule of the dance. I was worried how an opening without smiling would be received by viewers, but decided to follow the rule and let him dance the proper way. Masahito Yoshioka , a program director from TMS Entertainment, was doubtful at the beginning, but eventually made up his mind to create a proper dance routine which everyone can enjoy dancing. We asked a choreographer to teach us the moves, and we created Conan’s take on ‘Para Para Dance’.
 
 
The 20th anniversary special episode Conan and Ebizou’s Kabuki Juhachiban Mystery (File 804-805) is another memorable one. Famous Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizou actually provided the voice of Ebizou in the anime. The script was written after his appearance was confirmed. I was impressed by Kashiwabara’s skillful script centering on Ebizou.
 
 
If I may advise students who want to get into the anime industry, make sure that you keep your eyes open, find something that interests you, and learn deeply. I think communication skills are vital for our job, and in order to communicate better, you need knowledge. Read newspapers and magazines regularly to know current affairs. What is important is to make the person who you are talking to understand what you are interested in. You must know what you are talking about. In other words, you must speak with deep-rooted knowledge. It’s like anchoring a ship, so you don’t waver from your assertions.
 
 
You must prepare to be able to explain clearly what sort of anime it is you want to make, what your favorite works in the past are, and why you like them. For me, they are Columbo, the late Osamu Tezuka (a creator known as the ‘God of Manga’ and was a pioneer of anime and manga as we know it), and Oretachi no Tabi (a Japanese coming-of-age drama aired in 1975). They made me what I am.
 
 
I watched Columbo when I was a junior high school student. I remember I felt excited when I watched the episode ‘Any Old Port in a Storm’ which takes place in a winery, even though I had never drunk alcohol at the time. It was as if I were watching adult lives through a window. I want to provide such excitement to viewers. Although that doesn’t actually have anything related to the Conan episodes with tricks related to wine, though. [laugh] I just want to tell you that finding interest in small things in the area you love will lead you to being a mystery fan.
 
 
'''Sana Hayama asks: What made you want to produce the series? Maybe you loved reading books which involved criminal action and mystery and tried to solve them? I’m sure this could be a reason for such an amazing and lively series!'''
 
 
When I watched the movie Murder on the Orient Express in 1974, I hadn’t actually read Agatha Christie’s novel at the time. However, I personally believe I was the one who solved the mystery first in the theater. A movie remake will be released soon, and I can’t wait watching it.
 
 
'''Mark Gabriel Acribal asks: What are some of the challenges or struggles you had to overcome before becoming a producer?'''
 
 
I was an assistant director for a midnight variety show called 11PM for two and a half years, and I struggled to death. It would have been almost classified as ‘power harassment’ (Japanese term describing psychological abuse and bullying at work) if it had happened today. [laugh] However, I learned what it takes during that time. The experience of confronting the difficulties, which was actually not as heroic as it sounds, made me what I am today. I always wanted to create something, but I didn’t know how difficult creating processes were.
 
 
Making a decision on everything about the footage is hard work but fun. The format of Detective Conan is made by the accumulations of my experiences. From the first episode, it has an epilogue, an ending, and a bit of a bonus scene. I’m confident in the format which director Kodama, producer Yoshioka and I devised together. We’ve been using this format for the TV series for all these years, and almost the same one for the movies.
 
 
'''Ieng Wong asks: Were you a big fan of Conan before producing it?'''
 
 
As I said earlier, I knew about the manga before its serialization, and kept my eye on it. When I read the first chapter, I was so impressed by its tricks and depiction of situations. I was surprised how much it can do from the first episode.
 
 
I also liked The Kindaichi Case Files which had started running in a different magazine before Detective Conan. Luckily, I got an offer to produce The Kindaichi Case Files after I started Detective Conan. I feel exceptionally fortunate to be in charge of the two great detective anime series.
 
 
'''Ryan Kun asks: What are your favorite detective movies and who are your favorite male and female characters in Detective Conan?'''
 
 
I still watch many detective movies. Strictly speaking, it’s not a detective movie but I like Around the World in Eighty Days (premiered in 1957). It was based on the novel of the same name written by Jules Verne, and depicts a man who takes a bet to travel around the world in 80 days. He is disappointed in himself as he misses the deadline just one day. However, it turns out he actually won the bet, because he gained one day when he had crossed the International Date Line. I love such dramatic comeback wins. It’s a great bonus for viewers who are amazed by the trick at the last minute. I want to deliver such amazement to our viewers.
 
 
My favorite character is always Kogoro Mouri. When the anime started airing, I was 37, the same age as Kogoro. He had a lovely high schooler daughter at that time, but I didn’t, though. [laugh] Although he has become crazier recently, he’s always lovable and no one can dislike him. I simply admire his personality.
 
 
Among the female characters, I like Sonoko Suzuki. She was only meant to appear once according to the initial plan, but became a regular character because of the superb voice acting of Naoko Matsui who portrays her. She became a fixture of the anime, so much so that the character setting of Momiji Ohoka from the movie Crimson Love Letter was ‘Sonoko in the West’. Sonoko is incredible because she is such a down-to-earth person despite being a daughter of an extremely wealthy family.
 
 
Thank you very much for sending me questions. It is much appreciated. I wish I could understand English more, so I could read all your questions and comments myself.
 
 
'''— What’s your next goal?
 
'''
 
Detective Conan has become a household name in Japan, and I’m quite satisfied with that. I’d like to crack the world market with Detective Conan. I can’t understand why only anime can’t show murder scenes in English-speaking countries, whereas other forms of mystery can. However, I feel optimistic because there are not so many murder scenes in the anime.
 
 
For successful international market penetration, I must find why Japanese anime has become so popular and acclaimed worldwide. I also have to find a way to make foreign viewers understand the dramaturgy of the anime, otherwise they can’t remember every character.
 
 
My ambition is to sail through the world with Detective Conan and make it a flagship anime on the globe.
 
 
'''— Could you give a comment for the fans?'''
 
 
It has been 24 years since the manga started, and 22 years since the anime’s first airing. One day, Detective Conan will reach its conclusion. We don’t know when and how it ends, however until that day I’ll create the anime with all my heart. I hope you enjoy the anime both based on the original manga and the anime originals, as well as the movies. We’ll keep working our hardest to meet your expectations. Please continue to watch and follow Detective Conan.
 
 
— Thank you very much.
 
 
</spoiler>
 
</spoiler>
  

Revision as of 13:17, 22 October 2021


Contents

Mid 90s

Newtype Interview

Date: ??
Published in:Unknown issue of the magazine "Newtype"


1997

Detective Conan's Mystery Museum Interview

Date: June 10, 1997


Detective Conan's Mystery Academy Interview

Date: September 10, 1997


2003

Complete Color Works Interview Aoyama x Takayama

Date: May 1, 2003

Conan Drill Official Book Interview

Date: May 1, 2003
Published in: Conan Drill Official Book


2004

Love Conan Interview

Date: March 31, 2014

Conan Vs Kaitou Kid Perfect Edition

Date: April 2, 2004
Published in: Detective Conan vs. Kaitou Kid Perfect Edition pg 169


2005

Unknown Fan Gathering

Note: In a later interview (Gosho Aoyama Interview about the Boss 2017), Gosho denied ever saying this and his editor too said that such an interview never happened. This turned out to be a hoax.


2006

Anime 10 Year Anniversary Interview #1

Date: January 6, 2006
Published in: NTV's website

Asahi Newspaper Interview

Date: January 13, 2006
Published in: Asahi Evening Newspaper
Key Plot Point: Boss's name has already appeared.

Comic-Salon Erlangen, Germany Interview

Date: June 17, 2006
Held at: Press conference at Comic-Salon in Erlangen, Germany

Anime 10 Year Anniversary Interview #2

Date: ?? ,2006
Published in: Yomiuri Television (YTV) website

10 Year Cinema Guide interview

Date: ??, 2006
Published in: ??

Mini Documentary: Secret of Creation

Date: December, 2006


2007

Magic Kaito Volume 4 Interview

Date: March 15, 2007
Published in: Magic Kaito Volume 4

Urusei Yatsura Interview

Date: September 18, 2007
Published in: Urusei Yatsura Volume 21

Akigoro Interview

Date: ??, 2007
Published in: ??


2008

Conan and Kindaichi Files Interview #1

Date: April 10, 2008
Published in: Detective Conan & Kindaichi Case files #1

Otona Fami Interview #1

Date: April 21, 2008
Published in: Otona Fami(Adult Family), June issue


2009

Shonen Sunday Interview #1

Date: March 27, 2009
Published in: Weekly Shonen Sunday #17
no script available

Shonen Sunday 50th Anniversary Interview

Date: July 15, 2009
Published in: Shonen Sunday 1983 (A special issue commemorating Sunday's 50 years of publishing.)

Conan and Lupin Interview #1

Date: ??, 2009
Published in: ??


2010

Gundam Ace Interview

Date: January 26, 2010
Published in: Gundam Ace March issue

Otona Fami Interview #2

Date: April 20, 2010
Published in: Otona Fami (Adult Family), June issue

Masters Of Manga Interview

Date: July 6, 2010
Published in: Masters of Manga


2011

Otona Fami Interview #3

Date: April 20, 2011
Published in: Otona Fami (Adult Family), June issue

Mystery Magazine Interview

Date: April 25, 2011
Published in: Mystery Magazine, June issue

Nihon Uiversity College of Art Lecture Interview

Date: 26 June, 2011

Club Sunday Interview

Date: October 28, 2011

Magic Kaitou Treasured Editions: Playback Episode Interviews

Published in: Magic Kaitou Treasured Editions released throughout 2011


2012

Monthly BLT Interview

Date April 24, 2012
Published in: Monthly BLT, June issue

Sankei News Interview

Date: June 23, 2012

Gosho's True Intentions Interview

Date: November, 2012


2013

Movie 17 Interview with Aoyama Gosho and Shibasaki Kou

Date: April, 2013

Otona Fami Interview #4

Date: June 2013

Shonen Sunday Special Booklet

Date: July 17, 2013

Shonen Sunday Lupin Vs Conan Secret Report

Date: November 20, 2013

Lupin the Third VS Detective Conan: Money Punch and Aoyama Gosho Interivew

Date: December 04, 2013

Monkey Punch and Gosho Aoyama Special Talk

Date: ???, 2013
Published in: Official website of "Lupin the Third VS Detective Conan The Movie"


2014

Monthly Conan Newspaper 2014

Date: March, 2014 (Part 1) and April, 2014 (Part 2)
Published in: Monthly Conan Newspaper, March and April edition

AnimeAnime Interview

Date: (before) April 18, 2014

Da Vinci Interviews

Date: May, 2014
Published in: da Vinci magazine, May issue

Detective Conan Character Visual Book Interviews

Date: September, 2014

Otona Fami Interview #5

Date: November 20, 2013
Published in: Otona Fami (Adult Family), January issue of 2014


2016

Gosho Aoyama X Yomuri Giants' Hayato Sakamoto

Date: March 16, 2016
Published in: Shonen Sunday #16

CimemaToday Movie 20 interview

Date: April 14, 2016

Animedia Interview

Date: May 10, 2016
Published in: Animedia, June issue

Asahi Newspaper Interview

Date: July 16, 2016

Gosho Singapore visit Interview

Date: November 12-13, 2016
Held at: Singapore Writers Festival, Singapore

Akai and Amuro Secret Files Voice Actors Interview

Date: November 29, 2016

20th Anniversary DVD collection guidebook interviews

Complete Color Works Interview

20 Year Cinema Guide interviews

Akai and Amuro Secret Files Voice Actors Interview

Date: November 29, 2016


2017

Movie 21 Guidebook Interviews

Date: April 12, 2017
Published in: Movie 21 Guidebook

News Zero Interview

Date: Mid April, 2017

Heiji and Kazuha Secret Archives Interviews

Date: May 9, 2017
Published in:

Gosho NHK Interview

Date: June, 2017
Published in:

Magic Kaito Vol 5 Playback Episode

Date: July 18, 2017
Published in:

Gosho Aoyama 30 Years Anniversary Book

Date: October 16, 2017

Interview with Detective Conan Producer Michihiko Suwa

Date: November 11, 2017

Gosho Aoyama Interview about the Boss

Date: November 30, 2017
Published in: Shonen Sunday Webry



2018

Shinichi and Ran Secret Archives VA interviews

Date: January 16, 2018

Movie 22 Guidebook Interview

Date: March 31, 2018

Interview on News Zero

Date: April 11, 2018

Takarakuzu College Interview

Date: April 15, 2018
Held at: Takarakuza College

"Truth in Zero" Booklet

Date: April 24, 2018

Amuro Toru/Bourbon/Furuya Rei Secret Archives PLUS

Date: May 7, 2018

Special Conan Movie Staff interview

Date: May 23, 2018
Published in: Shonen Sunday Super

Da Vinci Magazine 2018 interview

Date: December 6, 2018
Published in: Da Vinci Magazine, January 2019 issue


2019

Nagasaki Newspaper New Years short interview

Date: January 1, 2019

Haibara Ai Secret Archives VA Interview

Date: January 18, 2019

Kappei Yamaguchi M23 interview

Date: April 2, 2019

Aoyama Gosho x Mitsuru Adachi Interview

The interview was split into 3 parts and published in 3 magazines.
Date: April 3, April 11, April 12, 2019

Da Vinci Magazine Cross Talk and Interviews

Date: April 5, 2019

NTV Interview

Date: Filmed March 13, Aired April 6, 2019

Cinema Guide 2019 Interview

Date: April 10, 2019

CUT Magazine Interviews

Date: April 19, 2019

Gosho Interview on 1周回って知らない話 (Tv Show)

Date: April 24, 2019

Anime Style Magazine Interview

Date: April 30th, 2019

Animedia Movie staff and character Interviews June issue

Date: May 10th, 2019

2020

Da Vinci Magazine 2020 Interview

Date: May 7, 2020
Published in: Da Vinci magazine, June 2020 issue

"This mystery is amazing!" Interview

Date:
Published in:

2021

ZIP Interview

Date: Aired on March 25, 2021

Da Vinci Magazine 2021 Interview

Date: April 6, 2021
Published in: Da Vinci Magazine, May 2021 issue

Kappei Yamaguchi Volume 100 Interview

Date: October 13, 2021
Published in: Weekly Shonen Sunday issue 46/2021

Wakana Yamazaki Volume 100 Interview

Date: October 20, 2021
Published in: Weekly Shonen Sunday issue 47/2021

See Also

References