#detco out of context

[marivanilla05]

Out of context dub scenes I found buried in my files

[haylessa]

[yankaphobic]

Hi, it's been a while :)

I miss drawing detco so much waaah. These past few months i don't have any motivation to draw at all and it sucks. Currently in a middle of a school break and wanted to start drawing again.

I only have messy doodles for today qwq, hoping to try making a colored art piece tomorrow (these doodles are out of context lmao, I don't know what possessed me to draw the last one)

[brain-wyrm]

Cursed or out-of-context detco

Part 1 | Part 3

[the-sprog]

I think a Batman/DetCo crossover would be perfect especially in the context of how fucking insane Shinichi's parents are.

I was thinking and I realized they're a mix of the Drakes (neglectful in the "never being home" kinda way, rich but it doesn't seem like their child sees a lot of that money) and Bruce ("how'd you learn how to shoot a gun" "my father spent a summer with me in Hawaii to teach me" what an insane scene that was. Not to mention the "yeah. It's a good idea to traumatize our child via fake kidnapping to teach him a lesson about stranger danger :)" and "Shinichi, dear, I know you're 6yo but come investigate this suicide with me sweetie") but they're also above worse (willing to falsify police and government documents for son).

Would Bruce love the Kudos or hate them? On one hand, Yusako definitely has them figured out. He's kinda like Alfred that way.

The Kudos get invited to an event, something like an award ceremony or some kind of cinema festival. They decide to bring Conan as a decoy for Shinichi related questions (usually they'd just use school as an examination why he wasn't there but they've been saying Shinichi is traveling for a case nowadays and it wouldn't do well to contradict that).

Bruce is the one that organized whatever event this is. I wanted the Drakes alive but I also want Damien to meet Conan. So. Sorry Janet and Jack. I'm going full Batfam for this.

Clark Kent is there, though he's technically a plus one. Cat is doing a piece for the event, specifically she wants to interview the Kudos, which is a feat as of late, and needed a last minute plus one (the Kudos are volatile and no one knew if they'd actually show up. When they did, Cat had to rush to get to Gotham before they decide they got bored and fucked off).

Of course, Cat immediately latches onto Conan's existence and assumes that he is why the Kudos have been out of the public eye. But not in the actual real way. She starts by asking general questions about them, their careers, and the event they're at at the moment.

And then she hits them with: "so. I see you've expanded the family. How does Shinichi feel about having a little brother?"

Which breaks just about everyone involved in the conversation.

Immediately Yukiko goes into actress gear. "Oh no he's- this is Conan, Conan Edogawa. He's our nephew. He's been staying with a friend of ours in Japan, but we thought he'd like coming back to the States for a bit!" All while smiling. Meanwhile Conan goes through all the stages of grief and is already building up the script for when he's gonna have to kiss ass to Ai for ending up in the Daily Planet.

Yusako senses this and tries to mitigate the situation a bit. "I'd appreciate if you didn't put him in your article. He's just a kid. And the focus is supposed to be on the event and our achievements, not a gossip piece about our private life"

But then Clark speaks up. Unfortunately he's been listening to the conversation and keeping track of everyone's reactions to everything. And he has a good memory. He has also listened to enough rants from Batman about the KID Thief to know more details than the average person.

"Aren't you the KID killer?" Everyone blanches. "I mean, that child from the KID Thief heists?"

"Uhm..." Conan is stumped. He's really bad at this. Of all the things his parents did, they never left him to deal with the vultures alone. But that also means that in his entire High School Detective career he had more of a "avoid at all costs" kinda mentality when it came to talking to the press directly. Sure they've made articles about him, but he's never met anyone interview him directly.

But again, Yukiko to the rescue. "I think that's enough. I hope you can respect our wishes." She puts her hands on Conan's shoulders as she redirects him away from them.

Clark is a little worried, a little suspicious. But he stops Cat from following them by reiterating that he's a kid and the Planet is not a tabloid newspaper.

Of course pt2, things go as things go when Conan is around a respectable amount of people and someone dies. Immediately Conan is on high alert, but so is Bruce who's worried about how someone could've managed to successfully commit a murder under his nose.

So, the investigation begins. On technically 4 sides. Yusako is doing his own detective work, but he's staying on the sidelines and letting the others be at the center of it all. Conan's special interest has been activated so he's in full inspection mode and putting himself in everyone's business. Bruce immediately contacts Commissioner Gordon, and starts distracting the people at the event while sussing out anyone who might have had a motive and/or opportunity. Clark has engaged his investigative journalism side and is already gathering evidence.

Meanwhile Damien is trying to convince Bruce to let him threaten people with unimaginable violence to make them comply and confess. But then he gets distracted by Conan and starts trying to babysit him but in a "I'm better than you tsk you're so immature" kinda way. Keeping him out of the way by yelling at him and dragging him away physically. Conan is not deterred.

All in all, it's a regular day for Conan, a particularly interesting day for the Kudos, a surprisingly weird day for Bruce, and a very annoying day for Damien.

[clownakai]

Do you think Akai will find out that Conan was the last one that got to see akemi?

Ooo good question... Let's see.

On the one hand, my heart says that it should happen. Drawing from my own experiences, I feel like a lot of people would rather know what their loved ones' last moments were like, and while Akemi's were definitely not peaceful nor devoid of pain, I think knowing that she didn't die alone would be somewhat cathartic to know for Akai: he wasn't there when he needed to be, but, as horrifying as it was for a teenager to experience, there was someone by Akemi's side when she died— someone Akai knows for a fact would have cared and done all he could to prevent her death.

He did fail her, he did leave, but that didn't mean she was completely alone. And for someone like Akai, who I think is the kind of person who believes they can make a lot of difference with their actions/skills/etc. (in Akai's case, this is true as far as helping take down the organization goes; the problem emerges when this line of thinking— "I am important, I am a focal piece of this puzzle"— bleeds into contexts where it doesn't apply that well, and I believe this is true as far as Akemi's life choices after Akai was extracted go too. The matter of responsibility re: Akemi's decision to try to leave the organization with Shiho is something to be discussed elsewhere though, or I'll never get to the point here fjsjfjsk), it would actually be beneficial to know that what he probably considers to be one of his greatest regrets— accepting to leave without Akemi as he didn't have the means to bring Shiho along as well—, which could have been internalized as "I left her alone and in a bad position within the organization, therefore she died alone", didn't actually reflect reality. Not all the way, at least: the takeaway here is that Akai isn't the be-all, end-all of things.

Crudely said, the world doesn't revolve around him and his actions. That could be basis for one more step towards properly processing Akemi's death instead of solely using his mostly repressed grief to fuel everything he does.

(I hope I explained myself decently fjdjgjd, I personally tended to focus a lot on conjecture re: how Akai could have subconsciously internalized events rather than going for narrative significance because I'm a sucker for things visibly and concretely impacting characters when they happen.

DetCo doesn't do a lot of that in-depth, though, which is why I specified that this is what my heart says.)

Now, on the other hand, my head says.... Ehhhhhhh. It might happen just like it might not. From a solely plot-focused perspective, the additional information wouldn't really serve a purpose if it was Conan telling Akai this. The latter is plenty motivated already, and the nature of what would be shared wouldn't really add to that unless we count the confirmation that it was indeed Gin who killed Akemi (I looked around, but as far as I've seen it was never specified whether Akai actually knows she was shot by Gin. He's sure she was executed for trying to leave the organization, but anyone could have been dispatched to do it): in that case, I can see Akai being adamant in wanting to be the one to apprehend Gin, but seeing as his approach is fundamentally different from, say, Furuya's, there wouldn't be any significant enough changes in what he'd do story-wise, I think.

For that reason, I don't really see this reveal happening anytime soon, and if it does happen, I think it'd make more sense for Shiho to be the one telling Akai about it. She herself found out through Conan's recollection of the events, and we got to witness her externalizing her grief in that one incredibly visceral scene (my beloved).

There could be a tie-in to that, even: "someone as smart and skilled as you... how come you couldn't save her?" is what Shiho asks Conan, and it's easy to apply that to Akai as well (that's what Furuya wonders re: Scotch's death too, funnily enough. Akai really b out there collecting failures like Pokémon /silly). Someone like Akai, so skilled and with the FBI's resources at hand, somehow still left Akemi behind and didn't foresee a scenario that could result in her death; he is certainly less justified than Conan in this failure.

Now, I don't think that particular question was ever answered at all (understandable, as what the hell do you even say to that when the one asking is actively having an emotional breakdown?), but as far as we've seen, Shiho seems to have concluded that Conan didn't fail to prevent her sister's death for lack of trying. When someone shows again and again how much they value human life (to the point of endangering themself in order to preserve it, and showing genuine distress when they fail) you're less inclined to believe they actively decided not to help your sister specifically for some obscure reason.

What I'm trying to say is that Shiho would thematically be the more appropriate pick if Gosho wants Akai to know what truly happened to Akemi, and depending on where he wants to take it, he could even use it as a sort of starting point from where Shiho and Akai can begin to find common ground and bond with each other (either before a hypothetical final showdown™ or after everything is said and done and the bad guys have been defeated), as they're probably the only two living people who knew Akemi well enough to mourn her so strongly.

Still, this option hinges on whether or not Gosho intends to actually develop (or even simply hint at) any interpersonal relationships between Shiho and what family she has left: something like that would be incredibly complicated to portray properly in a story where this kind of thing isn't the focus though, so it might just never happen.

(sidenote: I've been actively ignoring the cousins thing until now bc I have genuinely no clue how either of them would react to that knowledge. From what little I know, marriage between cousins is legally allowed in Japan, although the incidence is very very low nowadays. So on that front it's mostly a matter of culture I guess? I don't think Gosho is going to actively address it anyway fjdjgkd)

TLDR: I have serious doubts on whether it'll happen at all due to the nature of DetCo and what it tends to focus on, but if it did there could be a way or two to give the moment some narrative significance.

[nanoko857]

Shiho's Portrayal in DetCo Theme Songs (Part 1)

Sissy Sky

With the release of ending 72, I wanted to take a deeper look and share my interpretation of theme songs that focus on Shiho. I see Ending 60, Sissy Sky by Airi Miyakawa, as the start of the "story" throughout the themes because it is when Ai is first shown wearing this white dress, and continues to wear the same one in the rest of the theme songs.

*Lyric translations pulled from the Detective Conan World Wiki

We start off with a flash of iconic scenes from the show. The first scene is when Agasa found her out in the rain, faint from exhaustion after just escaping the Organization. We then see scenes of her new life as Ai Haibara, which are much more bright and colorful.

The theme song kicks off with Ai alone watching the rainfall through the window. From the safety of Agasa's house, she's waiting patiently from the rain to stop. I see this rainfall as representing the threat of the Organization.

After the rain stops though, she continues to stay inside. The camera pans to her laying in bed as the lyrics play:

"Why would anyone desire A pretend love and an empty heart?"

This is likely relating to how she had trouble forming relationships and making connections with people, as we can see with her initial interactions with Ran and the Detective Boys.

There is heavy imagery of black, white and blue in this theme song, but there is one moment where Ai's eyes turn to red. It is when she is laying in bed, looking deep in thought.

The color red comes up with her character a few times.

*Episode #s are included in the image descriptions.

The first notable time is during her first encounter with Gin after escaping. He notes how beautiful he finds the color of her blood against the white snow.

The next notable moment is when Ai wears her red jacket during the bus jacking. Even Jodie points it out, referring her as "little red hiding hood." This is an important episode for her character, as it is when Conan saves her from attempting to end her life.

And lastly, another scene to note is when she looks off to the sunset with the following quote:

"The sunset. It smears the world in blood. The death throes of the sun. I wonder how many times I'll get to see this sad color."

The color red in this context can be seen as representing bloodshed.

Her eyes turn to red to show her thoughts. We get a glimpse of her feelings of grief and loss. This fear of more bloodshed is leading to her desire to stay inside, to stay away from the dark cold rain.

Ai gets something to drink (maybe to calm her nerves?) and looks off at the sunlight. It then cuts to scenes of her and Conan. There is a glow around him, showing how she looks up to him as a bright light of goodness. He is the the opposite of a cloudy, rainy day. He is the opposite of the Organization.

The scene then cuts to her outside. It's raining again, but the rain is no longer real. It is animated drops surrounding her. The sun is bright, but the rain is still there in here eyes. Of course, the Organization is a very real threat to consider, but it shows how they impact on her even if they are not really there. I think this fake rain represents how they have a hold on her mentally wherever she is.

An interesting part of this scene is that she is wearing a black dress and is holding a white umbrella. Black of course, is heavily associated with the Organization. She is using a white umbrella as a shield to protect herself from the rain. Her persona, Ai Haibara, is like this white umbrella, using the innocent and pure image of a child to remain hidden. However, she still dons a black dress. She still sees herself as one of them. Underneath Ai is Sherry.

As she walks under this "rain", the lyrics go:

"Tainted and polluted by passionless pain and kindness The world has become one of monologues"

The use of the words "tainted" and "polluted" show how she views herself in this moment. It is similar to when she compared herself to a shark, stating:

"The mean sharks that fled from the dark, cold bottom of the sea, they are no match for dolphins."

Eventually, Ai grows frustrated and throws her umbrella towards the sun, shattering into a million black specks. Behind every fake raindrop is revealed to be a beautiful bright sky. After the umbrella disappears, her shadow grows and reveals herself as Sherry.

Now, her whole world is shrouded in black. Shiho is lined in a white glow. Her and Ai are surrounded by the shadow of "Sherry."

Right before she falls, Shiho sings along to the lyrics:

"Please, I beg of you, teach me about true feelings"

All of these things are so new to her. Having friends, going on adventures, and feeling the warmth and kindness of others. As someone who has been controlled by the Organization her whole life, she didn't get the same social development as her peers. It can be useful at times to be so guarded and cold to those with ulterior motives, but when she's met with sincerity it can be hard to reciprocate outwardly even if she wants to.

Ai disappears, and Shiho falls suddenly with bubbles forming. It looks like she is about to drown underwater.

However, she's not drowning underwater, she's floating in the sky! Shiho turns back to Ai and delicately floats down. There is only one drop of water left, a tear that flows down her cheek as the lyrics play:

"Dissolving into the ultramarine, everything is in the timeline already What then, about the real world? Nobody can see The transparent fallen tears"

The "real world" referring to society outside of the Organization. No one can see how much pain she is in deep down. Not just to strangers who see her as a child, but sometimes even Agasa and Conan, like when they didn't understand her comment about sharks.

As she floats down, we see Ai's silhouette in a transparent purple color. It feels reminiscent of Sailor Moon's transformation sequence, turning from an ordinary schoolgirl into a brave warrior. Perhaps Ai is going through a transformation as well?

Ai has landed safely on the ground, and her dress has changed from black to white. The sky is now very bright and warm. This is the scenery that was hiding behind the fake raindrops, showing how her fear of the Organization has shattered.

I think the reason her dress has transformed into white is to indicate how she now feels like "Shiho" rather than "Sherry." She is becoming more true to herself and able to stand on her own without the shield of an umbrella. She can have bright days as well.

Ai lets out a scream, releasing all of her frustrations and pain. She suddenly looks up in surprise, and returns back to reality.

She's back in her regular clothes, sitting in Agasa's car. She looks over, surrounded by the children as the lyrics sing:

"Behind the words, I clung my knees and searched for the voice That would say, "look, I'm coming to you right away"

The words "I'm coming to you right away" feel really special when it comes to Ai. The only one who would speak those gentle words to her before was likely Akemi. But now, she has people that she has developed a deep love and connection for. Not just as her persona of Ai Haibara, but as her real self, as Shiho.

What's interesting to me here is that Conan is not shown in the car with them. He's usually with them all as a group, so this feels deliberate.

I think this is because, as shown in the previous scene, she sees Conan as a source of warmth and light. Ai smiles as Agasa's car drives off towards the sunlight. She is finding her own light, her own source of peace and courage.

Her internal struggles are not linear though. I'll get into how the feeling of being pulled back by her past trauma is portrayed in the next part - ...And Rescue Me.

*I'll link it here when it's posted.

[akai-anna]

finished the movie some time ago and... the ending song is stuck in my head... and how it's so romantic sounding... the lyrics holy baby jesus and god. what is up with that? that is crazy

i'm currently watching the Conan VS KID movie while doing chores, and only got to the introduction and i'M fckin dyING, YAMAGUCHI KAPPEI-SAN IS UNREAL, HOW IS HE SO GOOD FCK

[mestos]

CoAi moments in the old DetCo Games (part 1)

idk if anyone else knows this but detco does have a bunch of games ranging from Gameboy colour all the way up to nintendo switch era. around 3~4 years ago a friend at the time and i went through and watched some playthroughs and i vividly remember thinking that the DB focused games were so CA heavy ...

The gameboy advance games were especially impressive, they had full voice acting and animations plus the cutest pixel sprites

(The Greatest Partner - The Old Magician and the Playing Cards Mystery) (GameBoy Advance)

first, context. the plot of this case is that while the DB were visiting a theme park (it's sort of a weird fusion of a zoo and an amusement park...) a magician that they went to see gets a phonecall where his grankid gets held hostage. the magician gets a heartattack from the shock and is sent to hospital, leaving the DB to figure out what it is that the kidnappers want from him.

when they're splitting up, haibara says she's going to sit this one out, but conan asks her to go with him

(conan's voice is very gentle throughout this whole game, actually. he's very sweet to the kids, which is twice as effective bc he asks her to come with him so gently.)

(and she didn't mind at all ;) )

(haibara's voice here is very gently nudging.)

(ai says this. she's very calm. the music has a romantic, relaxing vibe lowkey but i might just be delusional)

its worth noting that they spend this moment at the park going back and forth about the case.

case in point:

i already mentioned this, but depending on the director on the anime conan's aggression or snarkiness changes per episode as well as his parental instinct towards the kids. but he spends this game acting very sweet towards the detective boys and haibara.

since this is a coai moment list i wont include it, but there's a scene where he comforts ayumi while she cries and its very worth watching if u need a reminder that conan/shinichi canonically can be very kind towards the children and cares for them despite everything

anyway, next scene is SUPER CUTE, but the kids stick their nose in danger after fooling conan, leaving him to save them and they all take turns saying they believed in him—especially, because haibara told them to.

(should note—he says the first line in a soft, relieved way, and haibara has a very teasing tone while he fondly says her name. it drives me crazy.)

haibara actually leaves the group at this point in the game to go meet with agasa, so there arent any more moments for this case. the other two cases in the game are The Masked Knight Murder Case (with Conan, Ran & Sonoko) and The Greatest Partner (with Kogoro and Ran, no Conan). not really interested in those so that's all for this

the next game that has a DB focused case is in The Great Deduction of Three People—where you can play as Ai, Heiji and Conan. i'll cover that in a diff post since this is already so long

[lupizora]

So...

The DetCo Episode One OVA...

I don't know where to start from to talk about it. Honestly, I really really liked it!

Like, even though I haven't read the first manga chapter, I'm pretty sure I figured out which scenes were additional material for kicks and giggles to give context to an audience that might be seeing the series for the first time, but also a nod or even fanservise for the long-time fans. Although, some of these cameos were a bit on the nose for me since I knew who the characters were and what role they play in the overall franchise.

I admit, I kinda teared up from hearing the very first opening in the beginning (and having scenes from that same opening during the ending was such a ridiculous nostalgia trip) and I have been going through the series only for a whole year now.

I mean, it was another OVA with almost a movie budget and animation quality like The Two Worst Days in History one. Ran's karate tournament fight was seriously INTENSE! The animators had a lot of fun with it, by the looks of it lol.

But man, I didn't wanna get depressed again over Ran's and Shinichi's relationship. This OVA hammered in the definition of tragic irony, considering I, the audience, knew what was coming after this date. It hurt seeing them pining for each other and being all cute together, only for the plot to happen 😭 I have to say though, it was a bit funny how Shinichi was the one who had the delusional fantasies this time around. They are such dorks *screams into a pillow*

Another thing I found interesting was how Shinichi's voice changed into Conan's voice in his thoughts after the police had taken him to the health center but before he truly saw his reflection in the mirror. Like yeah, the actors probably had to switch anyways, and the fact the original English dub had kept Shinichi's VA narrating Conan's thoughts is the one thing I find cool about that localized dub. But it's fascinating to consider that, in-universe, Shinichi had been hearing his childlike voice as Conan for several hours at least. Maybe that made his inner voice change as he got used to the idea he had shrunk, like some sort of subconscious acceptance of the situation. (another case of me focusing on the most random things it seems) 🤔

At this point, I still don't know how to feel about the BO scenes. Like you have them being all threatening, obviously dangerous and bloodthirsty and then there is that part with Korn and Chianti about the ferry's wheel lmao. Shiho was beautiful as always though, no contest 😊

[marivanilla05]

I saw a screenshot of this episode, and I was reminded that I rewatched it (and recorded some scenes) last month. Anyway, just thought some of you might want to see it.

(edit: added the tag "out of context detco dub" to all the related videos on my blog for easier searching)

[bastionbibi]

Who’s the worst person; Manabu Sawai or Toshihiko Takasugi?

Oh Manabu for SURE.

For context, Takasugi manipulated and poisoned his bride out of pure hatred, this is a vengeance 20 years in the making, an anger he carried since he was a child, losing his mother who could’ve been saved because the police didn’t pay enough attention. He wanted the police to feel the same pain as he did, losing a family he loves. It didn’t make it right, but I get it, an eye for an eye, blood for blood.

But Manabu tried to kill Asami just because his ego was bruised. His whole motive was that he only wanted her to like him. I mean, he didn’t know that the fire would spread that quickly but so many things could’ve gone wrong, she could’ve died in so many ways only because he wanted her, the girl who just wasn’t into him, to LIKE him. 

Look, I symphatize with a lot of DetCo villains because im not a morally stunted bastard but this is just extremely different. While I know Takasugi is an asshole, at least I understand why he did it, he was trying to avenge his DEAD MOTHER while Manabu just wants to have a gf like cmon now. 

[marivanilla05]

Totally agree with this!

As someone who's grown up watching the early series repeatedly (mainly due to lack of dubbed episodes) that era of the show is really special to me! At the time, the plot and roles of the characters seemed simpler, so there was a bit more freedom in terms of their actions.

I just want to say: I love when characters have hobbies/personality outside of their usual traits! Usually, in DetCo, it happens just to fill in plot gaps, especially in anime-only content. Not to say that it doesn't happen in the manga as well, of course!

As a child watching the show, Ran stood out to me the most. She was strong, caring, kind, patient, and had a strong sense of justice. She was my childhood role model. Unlike Conan/Shinichi (who I did admire for other reasons), I felt like I understood Ran better.

Like you mentioned above, Ran was a perfect "stand-in(?)" for the parts Gosho needed her to play before we had this huge ensemble of characters, and I think that's what made her so involved in the storyline other than being a love-interest.

I think the reason why it doesn't feel like she's getting in on any action (lately) is that Gosho seems to favor portraying her emotional side in a romantic context. Which is not a bad thing, per se, as it is part of her character, but people seem to forget Ran's other qualities and reduce her to just one aspect of who she is, when she is so much more.

(P.S. gotta say, Ran's theme is definitely the best out of the og soundtrack, with this one from movie 5 being my personal second favorite)

Hi Mirror! I hope your week is starting off on a good note. I have a question for you: what's your favourite thing about Ran and/or Ran's interactions with the other characters? ~ Santa

Short long answer: This.

Long short answer: Beneath the cut.

So here's something I once dropped the esteemed - and infinitely-more talented - @scratchface in a DM, which is probably the closest anyone's ever come to making her respect Ran.

"Ran has enough parts in her for a good character. She probably has enough parts for three or four good characters. When a series, however banal, runs for a thousand installments, it can come up with those purely by accident."

This may sound backhanded to you and a lot of others, but it's genuinely, unironically why Ran appeals to me so much. Having grown up on AmeComi and Batman specifically, I'm used to stitching all my favorite characterizations out of dozens of different stories that at-best pay only lip service to each other's continuity and at-worst go out of their way to contradict and overwrite each other. What's really fun (and/or "fun") about Conan is that it somehow manages the same despite having only one author, one publication format, and one almost painfully-faithful adaptation.*

And Ran - especially early manga Ran - is the absolute pinnacle of this. Where Shinichi/Conan and Kogoro had their roles pounded out in cast-iron from the getgo, Ran's a Jack (Jill?) of All Trades who can play almost any other part the ensemble needs. Sympathizing civilian? She can "How awful!" with the best of 'em. Butt-kicking cavalry? Watch those fists fly. Distressed Damsel? She can give even that creaky old trope a level of agency I'd never thought possible - just witness Golden Apple, or the wharf showdown, or:

Better still, the fact that she has to be the plot-hook for roughly one-third of the filler cases gives her a correspondingly wide range of interests and hobbies, for those willing to squint at the margins. You know she's a black-belt; you probably know she goes "Rhosts, Rhaggy?!" at the slightest mention of the supernatural; but did you know her for a Three Kingdoms reader?

A gambling prodigy?

A Yoko Okino fan, just like her pop?

Scraps these may be - but it's usually from scraps that you get the richest fruit in any Transformative work. And so it goes with her presence on AO3: a shadow of Shinichi's or Kaito's in raw numbers, nevertheless capable of unparalleled tear-jerking and side-splitting from any author that puts in the work. Hell, I don't even mind the straight-up bashfics that turn her flighty or abusive; canon's planted enough seeds to make that sort of characterization juuust this side of plausible, and plenty entertaining besides.**

(Predictable self-plug: I've spent years working on a longfic to stitch all the above (and a dozen other traits!) into a single, coherent narrative tentatively titled Hey, What If We Didn't Lie To And Manipulate Our Female Lead For 1050+ Chapters?. There are authors who've pulled off similar projects for Shinichi, Kaito, and Shiho, but I think as far as Ran goes it's still fairly uncharted territory - and will probably remain so even if I finish it in 2030 or thereabouts.)

Of course, if I told you that my Purely Story-Minded Doylist Eye was the only thing at work, you'd call me a liar, and you'd be right. Ran's no less flexible in terms of lowdown wish-fulfillment, whether you want a straightforward action-girlfriend, an overbearing Onee-chan, a too-pure Ingenue/explanation magnet, or - my personal favorite - an old childhood buddy who can needle you in ways nobody else would ever have the nerve and the right to. She's got the range. She's got the style. One day, she might even get a story - a canon story - that deserves her again...

(Detractors, consciously or otherwise, usually point to the fact that Ran's irrelevant to most of the Big Organization Cases, and indeed is meant to remain irrelevant to them for as long as they keep happening. Just three or four years ago I might've shuffled my feet and mumbled an objection along the lines of "She has relevance, and she can get more!", but at this point I've long given up on any impression that the Big Organization Cases are meant to hold any weight at all. Far as I'm concerned they're just an extra-dull flavor of filler; the series' real heart is in the slice-of-life romcom fluff, and very possibly always has been.)

* "But what about the live-act-" What about the live-action?

** In controlled doses, anyway.

[marshmallowgoop]

[xay2jang]

sometimes to avoid running into a murder hattori decides to book a place thats already had murders. 30/70 chance of actually working

[littlechibs]

Telling my friend that "yes Conan has licked stuff off the floor once but it wasnt blood it was cocaine" after they send me the AINI screenshots fo Mizuki referencing DetCo feels like throwing a live grenade into a room