Wataru Takagi
- This article is about the character Wataru Takagi. For the voice actor of the same name, see Wataru Takagi (voice actor).
| Wataru Takagi | |
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| |
| English name: | Harry Wilder |
|---|---|
| Age: | ? |
| Gender: | Male |
| Nicknames: | Takagi-kun (Sato) Takagi-niisan (Ayumi) |
| First appearance: | Manga: Chapter 171 Anime: Episode 21 |
| Appearances: | TV: ? Movies: ? Specials: ? Openings: 17 |
| Keyhole number: | Volume 20 |
| Japanese voice: | Wataru Takagi |
| English voice: | Doug Burks |
Wataru Takagi (高木 渉 Takagi Wataru) is a police sergeant and detective from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police District's Criminal Investigation First Division.
Contents
Background
Wataru Takagi is a relative newcomer to the Tokyo Police force, having been a junior member by the time Shinichi Kudo first established his reputation as an impeccable junior detective.[1] He first met Shinichi's alter ego Conan during the investigation of the murder of actress Isami Nagakura, accompanying Inspector Megure and helping to expose the trick with the identical rooms.[2]
Ever since his joining the force, Takagi (like so many of his other colleagues) has harbored romantic feelings for Miwako Sato. While Sato appeared to have taken a liking to him as well, Takagi was easily discouraged by the way she dealt with other male colleagues, including their superior Inspector Megure (though in that case it was more a daughterly affection to a father figure, since Sato's father had died when she was very young).[3][4] In time, thanks to several severe incidents - and despite the interference of the other officers in the Department, chiefly Ninzaburo Shiratori -, their professional relationship grew more personal,[5][6][7][8] and finally Sato and Takagi shared their first kiss after he had been hospitalized in the course of a difficult case.[9]
Plot overview
Personality
While he is initially self-conscious and bumbling, Takagi is a dedicated member of the Tokyo Police Force and shows promise as a good officer as the series progresses. He is one of the officers who trusts Conan's judgment the most, listening to him at case scenes to find important evidence and sometimes even letting Conan take the lead in their investigation (the case with Miwako handcuffed to the wrong suspect in the bathroom being a good example).[10]
Takagi has a strong intuition and sense of justice, and is very honorable. He has a strong drive to protect others, partially based in his profession as an officer, and partially based on a self-sacrificing trait in his personality. He is always very polite, even when alarmed, and defers to the judgment of his partner Miwako Sato not only because she is his senior, but because he truly respects her.
His hobbies are playing the maracas[11] and following the international wrestling scene, being a fan of wrestlers such as Bruiser Brody and Keiji Mutoh, and recognizing a move that Ran does as the "Shining Wizard," a finishing move of Mutoh's.[12]
Relationship analysis
Miwako Sato
His affection for Sato is a driving force of his character development. While his insecurity and comical outside interference regularly get in the way, he slowly manages to win her heart through his dedication, honesty and sincerity - traits Sato had also admired in her late colleague Jinpei Matsuda. Sato finally kisses Takagi after he has been severely wounded while protecting others.
Conan Edogawa
Takagi has come the closest of any of the Division One members to finding out Conan's true identity. In the Tokyo Tower Bomber Case, while they waited for the elevator bomb's clock to run down to give the final clue to stop the greater crime, Shinichi, as Conan, told Takagi that he would answer Takagi's questions about his real identity "on the other side." Thus far, Takagi is the only character who does not already know Shinichi's secret identity to bluntly ask Conan, "Who are you, really?"
Name origin
Takagi's full name and kanji comes directly from his voice actor Wataru Takagi. Created for the anime, the character was originally an unnamed police detective, but during one recording session Chafurin (Inspector Megure) read the line "You, what's your name?" to the character, and Takagi adlibbed the response "It's Takagi, sir!", and he has been referred to as such ever since.
Trivia
Apart from Yumi and Nakamori, Takagi is the only minor character Tokyo police officer who has not been given a background story
References
- ^ Manga Chapter2 204-207: Shinichi's First Case
- ^ Manga Chapters 171-172: Actor's Appartment Case
- ^ Manga Chapter 233: Countdown
- ^ Manga Chapter 269: Time's Up
- ^ Manga Chapters 267-269: Sato's Father Case
- ^ Manga Chapters 366-368: Parade Bomber Case
- ^ Manga Chapters 369-373: Serial Bomber Case
- ^ Manga Chapters 404-406: Missing Ring Case
- ^ Manga Chapter 673: The Common Pattern
- ^ Manga Chapter 232: Finding Evidence
- ^ Manga Chapter 620: The Vanished Blunt Weapon
- ^ Manga Chapter 388: Wolf's Shadow
