Everything about Detective Conan:

Part 4

All right! We just finished what some consider the climax of the Shinichi and Ran relationship in the series until Shinichi can get his body back. Of course we still get cute moments but we all are fully aware, by now, that Shinichi will not say he loves Ran until he can say it in his real voice.

“Come Spring” begins with a picture of Conan with his hand outstretched saying “Give it to me.” The next frame is a picture of Ai asking, “What?” Conan, still smiling, says, “Why the antidote! You still have some don’t you?” Ai replies with a firm “No!” and states the reason is because he is such a deducing maniac he’ll recklessly solve cases. Conan says he’ll try to control himself. Ai says because it was only a trial antidote he could die next time.

“Just be patient, at least your identity is still a secret.”

Conan starts cursing himself as to why he didn’t tell Ran earlier (whether before Tropical Land or during the dinner I’m not sure. Either one works.)

The professor then picks up the kids and Ai to take them to the pool. Conan declines and heads home. Ai is in a very good mood as they head to the pool.

Conan looks depressed at the Mouri Detective agency. As he heads up the stairs he hears music. It is coming from a music box a client brought in. Ran, Kogoro and the client sign as they hear the notes the music box skips. Conan comes in and they introduce him to the client. Ran turns to her father and says, “Should we tell Conan? He might be able to find clues to help Miss Chuncai find him.”

(Ran has now gone into the stage of behavior to Conan when she thinks he is a very smart little boy and there is no way in heck that she can associate him with the young man who took her to dinner.)

The case goes on and beyond that there isn’t anything really important except Ran singing “Come Spring” which is a song that think has to do with love, cause it’s well about the spring… so she’s hoping that Shinichi will come back soon.

The next case is called “The Suspect is Kogoro.” It starts with Kogoro wearing swim trunks and a Hawaiian shirt, sitting out by the pool of a hotel listening to music through ear phones. He gets the feeling of foreboding and really shouldn’t have been so surprised when Ran turned up the volume to blow out his ears. She takes away her Mini-disc player and yells at her Dad for telling them not to bring swimsuits when he brought one. Kogoro argues he’s had a lot of hard cases and wanted rest. At that remark Conan thinks, “Don’t I always let you sleep?”

Then Ran asks her father if he ever feels guilty when he thinks about Mom (Eri). Kogoro replies, “Who know what she’s doing right now… probably out with some young… man…” he trails off as the three of them stop and see Eri, inside of a men’s clothing shop, with a young man in his 20’s named Houji, putting a tie up to his shirt.

“Mom!” calls out Ran. (This encounter was not one Ran set up.) Turns out Eri is on a trip with her lawyer friends. Lucky Conan gets to ignore the tense atmosphere. All of Eri’s friends start talking and Eri and Kogoro are bickering back and forth that they hate each other until Houji (who isn’t bad looking ^^) tells them, or at least Eri, to stop acting because she’s always keeping cut outs of cases Kogoro solved. Ran then says that Kogoro reads the articles about Eri at night when he thinks no one is looking. It becomes decided for them to all go out and drink which spells trouble if you have Kogoro there. So he gets drunk and starts flirting with one of the lawyers, Ritsuko, and Eri gets up to leave. Ran follows and tries to make excuses for Kogoro’s behavior. Eri looks at the tie she bought. Turns out tomorrow is their anniversary and she was going to give him the tie and forgive him… but now. Ran grabs it from Eri and says she’ll give it to Kogoro and tell him. But Eri says that she’ll give it to him herself. Ran and Eri go back to the bar and Conan tells them Kogoro went back to his room to sleep. When they go and check he’s not there so they start asking if he’s in the others rooms.

Ritsuko’s is the last room they check and then Ran and Eri decide to go outside. Truth is that he is in Ritsuko’s room very much asleep. Ritsuko wants to make Eri think Kogoro slept with her so she won’t be able to concentrate on cases… and then she will be the top lawyer (the queen of the court room.) Just then the doorbell for her room rings and she is taken by surprise (usual black figure who is the murderer stands in front of her.)

It’s two in the morning and they still have not found Kogoro. They have searched everywhere but Ritsuko’s room. Ran says that Ritsuko said he wasn’t there. There is now a do not disturb sign on the door. One of Eri’s friends begins to fear the worst but Eri stays silent and dials Kogoro’s cell phone number. They hear it ringing inside and Eri sends Hiroshi, another lawyer, to go and get the spare key. Eri finds that the chain lock is on but can see Ritsuko laying on the floor, her eyes wide open. Conan asks that the bellboy who brought the key bring something to break the chain lock, but Houji steps forward and while saying there is no time for that breaks the lock. They step in and see that Ritsuko is dead. Just as one of the lawyers asks who did this Kogoro sits up on the bed just waking up. Eri is shocked and asks, more to herself really, “Why are you here?”

So the case is underway with Kogoro as the suspect because the room is a closed room murder. Kogoro goes to with the police to give his statement and one of the lawyers asks Eri if she’ll defend Kogoro. She replies, “I don’t want to defend someone who is obviously guilty! I have a record of no losses to up hold.” Ran is freaking out as her parents bicker, but Houji reassures Ran that he’ll get Kogoro off and goes with Kogoro to the police station.

As they leave Eri turns to Officer Yamamura, they’re in the Gunma district, and asks to borrow his gloves. Ran asks what is she going to do. Eri says, “There are three suspicious facts”: the phone is in it’s proper place, Kogoro’s phone was by the door purposely so they could hear it, and finally Kogoro’s hands that have no marks of pulling on any kind of cord.

Eri starts investigating and Conan helps her. One funny moment during that part was when Officer Yamamura recognized Conan and says aloud that he was at that one case with Yukiko, and in that case Conan was introduced as Yukiko’s second son, a fact Yamamura was about to mention to Eri when she asked about Yukiko but was stopped when Conan turned his attention to something else (^^ Go Conan!)

Soon both Eri and Conan know who the murderer is but are both lacking evidence. That is until Ran catches Conan standing on a chair and scolds him after picking him up (Ran holding Conan, he’s sure gotten used to it ^^) saying, “You act like an adult sometimes but you still act like a kid.”

“But I’m so hungry!”

“I guess I’ll have to call room service then…”

And with that Eri realizes what happened, how to get her evidence and create a trap to capture the culprit.

As you can tell Kogoro is let off and that morning has to listen Yamamura saying how great Eri is and how wonderful it is to be a police man to see such people in action. Kogoro asks him where Eri is and he points her out. She is sitting by herself at a table outside reading a newspaper. Conan and Ran comes out of the hotel just as Kogoro is walking over. Conan was about to rush forward so he could get breakfast but Ran holds him back telling him to wait. Conan is quick to catch on.

This atmosphere… maybe they’ll…!!!

Kogoro stands behind Eri and starts talking.

“Sorry Eri. I knew you could prove me innocent…. Oh yeah, I’m tired of Ran’s cooking… I miss that special flavor of your cooking… so… Isn’t it about time you came back? We’ll start over… And today is the anniversary of our wedding so it’s the perfect day!”

She doesn’t respond.

“Hey are you listening?!” he asks as he realizes she was wearing earphones to the MD player/recorder.

He pulls at her shoulder and she turns a soft look on her face which she covers up by saying what. Ran and Conan come over, and from there Kogoro and Eri start bickering. She leaves, taking the md disk with her telling Ran she really likes the song.

Then we get a scene of Eri listening to what Kogoro said over again; she recorded it on the MD disk ^^. She thinks “I still can’t forgive you,” and it ends with a square of Kogoro sneezing. (Japan: sneezing means someone’s talking/thinking about you sometimes in a mean way….)

The next case is called “Lost Officer Sato and Takagi.” It starts with an arsonist doing what an arsonist does in an alley. He comes out and Ayumi sees him, but he doesn’t notice her, as she’s getting something from a machine on the sidewalk. (Looks like one of those prizes in egg-like capsules.) Her mother comes by and they go home. We turn to a shot of a newspaper saying, “Still no clue. Fifth crime by arsonist!” Sato is asking Ayumi for a description of the arsonist, the rest are there, as she is trying to draw it, the person who usually does the profiles is out sick, and it’s a very pathetic drawing (^^). Shiratori and Takagi come up to the group and say they can’t post up this picture for people. Sato then asks them if they want to try drawing it. They don’t. Shiratori then says that they can’t be sure if the person Ayumi saw is the arsonist. The kids immediately get defensive and Conan explains that considering how the person was dressed and acted after coming out of the alley that led to the scene of the fire it’s harder to explain how he could not be the arsonist. “Isn’t that right Ayumi?” “Right!” (You know you have to respect Conan for at least always treating the kids like equals even if they are younger than he is.)

Anyway Sato plans to go to the place that Ayumi saw him. Shiratori and Takagi ask to come along, and she says she has somewhere to stop at first, but they say it’s fine. She tells them that today is a special day. Shiratori asks if it’s her birthday and Sato replies by saying, “No… the opposite.”

Skip scene to Sato leaving a flower in a can on the sidewalk and praying. 18 years ago that day, her father died after being hit by a truck chasing a criminal. Sato then joins them and they talk about the now expired case and says when she was younger she thought that she would do anything for the person who could solve that case. Shiratori and Takagi immediately think of Sato dressed as a bride as the kids bombard Sato with their wants.

“A 1000 bowls of grilled ells and rice?” asks Genta.

“I want to live in the castle of Tropical Land!” (When I was little I wanted to live in Sleeping Beauty’s castle in Disneyland ^^.)

“A ticket to the international space station!” says Mitsuhiko.

“Yes of course!”

Ai says, “I want Prada’s newest handbag model.”

“Can I have tickets to the world cup?” (notice he asks for a plural amount, take Ran with you!)

“Yeah…” says Sato as she thinks to herself, “These two are freaking me out…”

Some friends of Sato’s late father comes by and they talk for a bit and after they leave Megure comes over the radio saying the arsonist is nearby, to leave the kids to Sato and to go. Takagi checks that he has everything but then realizes he forgot his handcuffs. He tells Sato not to worry, that they have Shiratori’s…

“And according to the magazine’s fortune telling, I’m supposed to be really lucky today. So I don’t need my handcuffs.”

Sato then remembers the last day she saw her father, him saying he’s supposed to be lucky today. Sato finding the handcuffs her father left behind by mistake, the phone call, and her father’s final words.

Takagi shakes her, his hands at her arms asking her if she’s all right because she zoned out there. Sato then gives Takagi her father’s old handcuffs. As Takagi leaves Conan turns to Sato asking why the homicide unit is after the arsonist. Turns out by the fourth fire a body was found. The culprit must have been seen and the guy tried to stop him but failed and was killed. She tells the kids very sternly not to leave her side. (More to Conan than anyone as he’s always running off. ^^)

They catch the man at Shinigawa station, but it is not the arsonist just a robber. As Takagi is sitting catching his breath he looks up at the sign and figures out the identity of the man Sato’s father died chasing. He was about to call Sato when Shiratori asked him what he was doing. Takagi goes to the restroom and then calls Sato… but just as he was about to tell Sato which of her father’s friends it was, he is hit from behind with a rock to the head.

Sato then calls Shiratori to tell him that Takagi was attacked and they go to the diner the friends were going to go to. Conan and Sato go inside to find that they are already gone. Meanwhile the kids in the car and Ai figure out the pattern the arsonist is following and see him go by, of course they wouldn’t try of going after him… right? Wrong. The next is at the warehouse street of Shinigawa 6^th Ave. Conan tells them to stay put and that Shiratori will go and pick them up. Before Shiratori leaves Conan asks if Takagi did anything odd before he left. Shiratori tells him that Takagi was looking at the sign for the Shinigawa platform – then Conan figures it out and who it is that killed Sato’s father.

The kids see the fire growing but can’t see that inside is Officer Takagi hung by the handcuffs that were on him.

Skip to Sato driving to meet the culprit of 18 years ago, while thinking of what Conan told her.

Skip to the kids seeing the fire grow bigger and being seen by the arsonist who unsheathes a knife.

Skip to Takagi kinda waking up.

Skip to the restaurant where Sato is talking to Mr. Kano or rather Kan-o. The clue Sato’s father left behind was Kan-o which was actually relatively easy to solve said Conan. (I think it has to do with the way it’s written. You know how Shinichi can be said Shi-ni-chi but is actually Shin-ichi. Written and pronounced differently in Japanese.)

Skip to Takagi remembering what happened realizing the fire is growing and that he needs to get the handcuffs off. Takagi realizes his gun wasn’t stolen and is about to break the handcuffs when he stops thinking he can’t do it.

Sato then explains to Mr. Kano that the statute of limitations isn’t over yet. The law says when a culprit is in a foreign country the time is stopped and then starts again when they return. There are eight minutes left.

Skip to the kids running from the arsonist. He grabs Ayumi but drops her as a trash can is kicked and hits his face. Shiratori arrests him.

Skip to Takagi trying to break the bars that the handcuffs are attached to realizing time is running out.

Skip to Sato. Time has run out. Mr. Kano confesses. Turns out there was a day because of the time difference between Japan and Italy. He tells her where he locked up Takagi. She realizes it’s where the arsonist lit the fire. She rushes to the scene but the place is already covered in flames. They won’t let her through to try to save Takagi.

“Out of my way I need to save him!”

“No Miss Sato!”

“Takagi! You idiot!”

“Did you call me? Sorry…”

Sato turns around and there it Takagi, covered in soot, and bloody. (But still looking nice ^^)

“I used all my strength to pull out the metal frame. Then I climbed out the window. After I got out I saw a lot of people…” his breathing becomes heavy and he bends over trying to catch it.

“How did you? Looks like bad injuries. Quickly call and ambulance!” She’s now holding him and realizes he still had his gun. “Why didn’t you used it?!” she asks him.

He’s already out but Conan answers, “He didn’t want to ruin the handcuffs.”

Ayumi: That’s your Dad’s momento.

Genta: There’s a memorial value.

Mitsuhiko: Look how great he is.

Ai: I’ll say that he thinks life’s too long.

Sato can’t help but smile at Takagi.

In the end he asks her to go out with him for a day. “Isn’t that like a date?” “Ah… Ah…” However Sato does take the opportunity to observe a criminal using Takagi as cover. ^^ Poor Takagi, could have asked for something better…

The case after that one is called “Jodie’s First Appearance” and it’s a great case and it starts with Ran and Sonoko, who have already picked up Conan from school, talking about the popular teachers at Teitan High. Of course Araide is always getting letters and it popular with the girls, especially now that Shinichi left again, but then Ran brings up the new English teacher. Sonoko starts complaining that Jodie-sensei is only popular with guys because she’s an American and is so “womanly” (curvy ^^) and goes even further to say that Jodie is too serious for an American. Suddenly, they hear excited cheers in English coming from an arcade. Then we get a page of Jodie playing a shooting game doing all these cool moves. (She has short blond hair, round glasses and in the scene wears a short dress with a jacket over that is the same length as the dress). So throughout this story of the manga Ran and Sonoko really get to know Miss Jodie Saintemillion. As the case goes by there are two important things that go on: Jodie watching Conan solve the case, and then at the ending scene. Sonoko “solved” the murder this time and Jodie is gushing over her saying she’s like Kate Martini (an American police woman). Then Ran says that Sonoko was as good as Shinichi. Jodie asks her if she means the guy at the play. Ran nods and Jodie says “He is so cool!” They exchange good-byes but to Conan she says, in English, “Bye Bye Cool Guy!” Conan looks back at her surprised. Then we get a scene of Jodie talking on the phone with someone saying “Japan is not as boring as I thought… I already know where one of our targets is… Yeah! They changed their appearance and is going to school! Isn’t it funny?... The name of the target… Umm…. Lets call him our ‘Rotten Apple.’ ”

The case after that one is “Camping Trip” and is one with the kids… nothing too important happens except for a few things. First is Ai’s explanation of what an apple stands for based on the Eden story, being able to analyze good and evil. The next one is Conan noticing that Mitsuhiko is in love with Haibara, Conan tells him that she is not suitable for him. Besides that the rest is just Haibara and Mitsuhiko stuck together, and Haibara not being so cold anymore.

The next file is called “The Person that Lies.” It starts with Kogoro talking to a client that wants him to find someone. He keeps on saying no but then Ran gives him a look (she’s cleaning) and then Kogoro agrees to meet her. He thinks it’s an older lady, that is until she comes in. A woman of Eri’s age comes in wearing the formal kimono. Even Conan thinks she’s pretty (and he hasn’t thought that since he saw Ran’s mom ^^). And we get a recreation of that one scene in “Beware of Idols” when Kogoro does that amazing clean up for Yoko, well he does it here and immediately starts flattering her. The case is really great and I think I’ll leave this one for a surprise. A hint as to who she is by what she does: she is excellent at kendo and is married and almost says “cold coffee” in Japanese but that would have revealed she is from a certain place. Good luck guessing.

The next file after that is “Heiji and Kazuha: Cliff” or can be called “The Island of the Mermaids.” It begins with Kogoro, Ran, Conan, Heiji and Kazuha heading to help someone who claims they’ll be killed by a mermaid. (Detective’s must have a lot of free time ^^). And though Heiji got the letter inside it said “To Kudo Shinichi” and it was from a Miss Saori who is no longer answering her calls. They get to the island and find she has disappeared from the island but to find out about her they can go the shrine where Kimie lives, a childhood friend of Saori. There they discover that Saori left for a dentists appointment four days ago, and had before that lost the dugong arrow she won and was afraid of being cursed. They also learn about the 130 year old granny and more about the stories surrounding the youth giving powers of mermaid charms (It is said eating Mermaid Flesh will grant immortality and youth.) like the prize for several ladies at the festival that day, the dugong arrow.

Kazuha is one of the people that wins in the raffle and when the group is going to the mermaid’s waterfall to pray they find one of the winners already there, hung to the waterfall, dead. They begin to investigate her death and they learn about the secret “Mermaid’s grave” that is in the forest. (Besides the flesh of the mermaid granting it’s powers, the bones are also considered charms for life.) They investigate as the police can’t come and the next night hold the ceremony for the late Miss Sumi. However they then find one of the other winners of the raffle, Miss Naoko, dead, hung in a net, her arrow gone. After some more investigating we get a shot of Kazuha scared for her safety. She looks up as Heiji says her name. With his back turned to her he tells her, “Stay with me.”

The case is really interesting so I’ll break it off here with a few details of important things. While searching through past guest lists, Conan sees the name Miyano Shiho. The second is the death of Miss Kimie, which one of the young men of the island does not react well to. The third one is when Heiji turns to Kazuha and asks her why she’s there where he is investigating. She reminds him of what he said and he goes, “Oh… yeah,” and then Kazuha tells him that she’s got her protective arrow so she’ll protect him. “Whatever…” Kazuha looks at him a little sadly and thinks, “I’m talking for real… Heiji…” As the case goes on Conan tells Heiji what he thinks has happened but Heiji doesn’t believe him until he sees the mermaid’s grave – a stick of incense lighted next to it. As the stone marking it falls over Heiji reaches over to grab it, only to realize too late there is no where to step – it’s a cliff. Kazuha rushes forward and uses her momentum to push him back only to start falling herself. Heiji runs off the cliff toward Kazuha. He catches her by the arm and with his left arm hold on to a branch growing out of the cliff.

“Kazuha hang on! I’ll pull you up now.”

Kazuha looks up at the branch he is holding on to knowing it would break if he tried. Kazuha pulls out her arrow

Sorry Heiji, I give my long life to you…

And she stabs his hand with it.

It breaks his grip for only a moment but he is able to keep her there.

Heiji’s face is twisted with pain but he is determined, “Kazuha, don’t move… Even if I die I won’t let you go.”

And that’s all I’m gonna say on that case. But the ending is a real surprise ^^!

The next one is called the “Platform Murders.” It starts with Ran and Sonoko shopping and talking about their significant others. Sonoko’s been telling Makoto that she is sending a hand-knitted sweater to the person she likes. Of course that doesn’t tell Makoto she likes him. Ran asks her why she doesn’t just ask him straight out, but then Ran asks her if she knows what Shinichi feels about her. Conan who is hearing all of this, cuts his losses and runs off to join Kogoro. Mainly the following case reveals a lot about Megure and I don’t really want to spoil it here cause it’s really nice ^^.

And that’s it for part four. I’m tired, I worked all day and it was hot so jaa ne.

Till next time… Maybe I’ll have something for tomorrow. Mind you it’s going to start a giant arc of the series so be patient with the longer summaries. ^^

Next time: The Bus Bomb Case to “The Meaning of X” and maybe a little farther ^^.