Solving crimes is second nature to genius observer Jimmy Kudo, but he may have bitten off more than he can chew this time. In the premier episode of this long-running and much–loved series, Jimmy solves one crime while on a date (but not called a “date”, of course) with longtime sweetheart Rachel Moore, but glimpse what looks like a robbery and dashes off to the rescue of a different damsel. When he gets to the scene of the crime and prepares to ambush the unknown assailant, a second mysterious stranger chloroforms him from behind and forces him to take some experimental poison. Thinking their villainy accomplished, the duo leaves Jimmy to his fate. However, the poison didn’t have quite the final effect these criminals may have hoped for, since Kudo wakes up hale and hearty, though his body has been reverted back to that of his childhood.
Believing that the dastardly duo will return to finish the job is his situation is known, Kudo flees to the house of a neighbor and friend, Dr. Agasa, who advises him to hide his true identity until they can either discover a cure to restore Kudo’s true form, or until they can unmask this secret organization and eliminate the threat against Jimmy’s life. Also, if Kudo’s identity is revealed, the organization might target his friends and family. An unexpected visit from Kudo’s girlfriend (who, of course, would protest the title but not the sentiment) offers an opportunity to remain close to his friends and continue to investigate crimes while searching for any clues to the identity of his attackers: as Junior Detective Conan Edogawa!
At Dr. Agasa’s request, “Conan” will go to live with Rachel Moore and her father, private detective Richard Moore. While staying with them, Conan is armed with a number of handy gadgets invented by Dr. Agasa to help him solve current mysteries (by drugging Richard and imitating his voice, earning Moore success and fame as “The Sleeping Sleuth”) and overcome the physical shortcomings of his childlike body. Occasionally, he’ll also be able to sneak out to make phone calls to Rachel, using the voice changer to imitate his real voice and assure her of his safety and continue the ruse that Jimmy Kudo is still at large.
This series also offers an unusual take on police drama, as Conan (apparently a very young but astute child) is allowed to traipse unsupervised through the crime scenes involved in everything from fraud to cold-blooded murder. It also happens that due to Conan’s keen observation skills, Richard Moore is forced to personally discover and report these crimes, though all parties have so far avoided prosecution. (Though it is worrying how many crimes he stumbles upon and is then allowed to assist with. At what point will it seem obvious that he finds far more than his share of dead people?) Presented in a classically animated style, with recognizable and much-loved themes, this series is easily watchable in a single-episode format, but a familiarity with the series only enhances the enjoyment. Typical characters like the no-really-we’re-just-friends girlfriend, the wacky inventor, the alcoholic and egotistical private eye, and the cadre of overly enthusiastic grade-school pals round out the cast for a series that’s both true to archetypes and refreshingly original.
I will admit that I watch this series mostly in the dubbed format, to allow me to absorb more of the visual aspect of the series. However, I will also mention that the production company seems to believe that my poor English-speaking brain cannot process character names with more than three syllables. Most of the characters that appear in only one episode have had their names altered to be more familiar to people who speak English, and if I’m not mistaken, the series occasionally suggests that it doesn’t take place entirely in Japan, though the reasons for this aren’t explained. Still, if you ignore the slight different in names, and the occasional condensed explanation of circumstances (where the Japanese subtitles go into more detail than the spoken English dialogue), then this series is still top-notch, and one of my personal favorites.
Contains episodes 1-24 on four discs.