I’d almost forgotten how much I love this series. The carefully simple art style, the fantastic scripting and voice acting, the blasé way that seasoned detectives and police officers will let a very young child poke, prod, and search a newly dead corpse. Fun times all over. One of my favorite characteristics of this series is also the explicit presentation of clues, which would allow me, if I had the inclination, to solve each case myself, but I truly prefer to smile dumbly at the screen and let Jimmy/Conan do all the thinking for me. Also a bonus, I can spend quite some time arguing with other viewers about the identity of the killer and their motive before Jimmy/Conan can wrap the case up nicely at the end.
The interplay between the main characters is also fascinating. Jimmy is forced to live incognito as Conan Edogawa with his girlfriend Rachel, and her dad, the famous detective Richard Moore, who solves crimes while in a meditative state/pose thanks to Conan, his sleeping darts, and voice modulator. Watching as Richard’s ego and reputation grow throughout the series, while his suspicion of Conan is only mediated by his desire for fame is intriguing. After all, he was a detective before Conan came to live with them, so I have my own bets placed on when he’ll wise up that something isn’t right with the kid.
Another incentive to collecting and visually devouring this DVD set is the brief but electrifying continuation of the main storyline. It’s been two seasons since Jimmy Kudo was transformed into this Chibi-state as a result of a botched assassination attempt, and in this set you not only get a clue or two about the organization behind the plot, but one of Jimmy’s high-school friends begins to suspect Conan of being Jimmy and tentatively sets out to force Conan to expose himself as such. Exciting times, my friends! I was personally on the edge of my seat, debating whether or not it would be better for Conan to have another ally in the mystery, or if knowing would put his friend and current living situation at risk.
Any fan of mysteries will enjoy this series, and the art style is simplistic enough that I feel even kids over 10 could safely watch and enjoy the mysteries behind the parade of stabbed, poisoned, shot, and hung bodies. Anyone old enough to enjoy Sherlock Holmes is well beyond the age of rabidly viewing Conan in one 27-episode marathon. Be sure to bring plenty of snacks, as this deceptively simple series will keep you firmly in its grip until the end credits roll. Bring on season four!