Similar to One Piece and Dragonball, Detective Conan (or Case Closed as it's known in English-language adaptations) is a long-running juggernaut of a franchise. The escapades of a high-school detective who transforms into a young child have been told across over 1000 episodes, 24 games, multiple feature films, and a manga series that has sold over 270 million copies. So it might be surprising to hear that a Detective Conan film has never opened in UK and Irish cinemas. Until now.
Detective Conan: The Million-dollar Pentagram has already set the Japanese box office alight, but it'll be interesting to see if the 27th film in the series has the same effect here. The Million-dollar Pentagram is purely for the fans, with no emotional entry point for newbies looking to see what all the fuss is about. Still, this is a flashy, fun feature film for those curious.
Whilst the core concept of Detective Conan is explained over the title credit sequence, it doesn't do anything to ease non-fans into the myriad of character relationships in this film. The Million-dollar Pentagram is a brand new case for Conan (Minami Takayama) and friends, but it may as well be just another episode as established plotlines play out assuming you know the series and the previous 26 films. The opening is particularly relentless; dropping straight into the fast-paced action of the case and the entire world of Detective Conan.
Regular antagonist Kid the Phantom Thief (Kappei Yamaguchi) has his eyes on a pair of historic swords, prompting Conan to wonder why Kid is after blades rather than jewels. After an exciting rooftop action sequence, Kid gets away with the swords, and the next morning the body of a man is found with a distinctive cross-shaped wound on his chest. It soon becomes apparent that a collection of swords acts as a map to a treasure that could “change the tide of war” back in wartime Japan. Conan, Kid, and an expansive cast all vie for the swords leading to the fabled treasure.
This mystery drives the plot but at the heart of the narrative is a romantic subplot between another high school detective, Heiji (Ryo Horikawa), and childhood friend Kazuha (Yuko Miyamura). To give the filmmakers credit, audiences will be able to understand the broad strokes of their relationship, and other character relations, thanks to genuinely great character work. The little details—Heiji lifting Conan to see a clue, Heiji's reaction to a character flirting with Kazuha—provide laughs but also context for wider audiences.
By simply following the plot unfolding on screen and not worrying about the grander storylines built up throughout previous entries, newcomers can still have a good time. The action sequences are slick and well-choreographed, character interactions provide big laughs, and the real-world historical and geographical references tied to the case make the mystery more interesting.
Still, the frankly absurd amount of adversaries and characters involved make the narrative difficult to keep up with at times, particularly in the third act, and the animation quality dips at certain points. But most crucially, the film emotionally holds newcomers away at arm's length with cameos and character development that won't make much sense. Judging by the cheers, whoops and gasps from fans, however, long-time followers of Detective Conan are in for a treat. If you fall into that category, be sure to stick around for the post-credits scene.
Detective Conan: The Million-dollar Pentagram is out in UK and Irish cinemas on September 27.