Rating: PG13
Director: Chika Nagaoka
Writer: Takeharu Sakurai
Cast: Minami Takayama (Conan Edogawa), Wakana Yamazaki (Ran Mouri), Rikiya Koyama (Kogorou Mouri), Kappei Yamaguchi (Shinichi Kudou), Kenichi Ogata (Hiroshi Agasa), Megumi Hayashibara (Ai Haibara)
Score: 3.1/5
It’s been a while since we got a Detective Conan movie, after the spectacular Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire (which was set in Singapore). This film was supposed to have premiered a year ago in April 2020, but thanks to the pandemic, it was delayed. It’s a good thing too – the film centres around the World Sports Games (a clear reference to the Olympics, which was also delayed to 2021 because of COVID-19). It would be odd to have the film debut a year before the Olympics, since the timeliness would be misaligned. So with a new year comes new hope and a new Detective Conan film.
Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet is a a mystery anime that is the twenty-fourth film entry in the Detective Conan franchise. As the first film in the Reiwa era, it revolves around two things that bring pride to the Japanese – their railway system (the Hyperlinear train system is a cutting edge railway system in the film) and the World Sports Games, which takes place in Japan. A series of murders leads our heroes to uncover a plot that dates back 15 years, even as they discover that there are far more players in this case than it seems.
As you might expect from a film that features the fastest bullet train in the world, there’s an intense sequence aboard the Hyperlinear for a good portion of the film. It makes no effort to hide this massive set piece – why would it? – as it teases you from the beginning with details about the train, the route it will take, and a huge Chekhov’s gun that is paid off at the end. As a result, you spend most of the movie looking forward to the train sequence, which doesn’t disappoint. As might be expected, there’s conflict, action, and plenty of collateral damage.
Since the premise of the film is that the World Sports Games is taking place in Japan, the story’s scope is rather international in nature. In fact, the movie opens in Boston, as it shows events that took place 15 years ago, which affect the plot of the movie. With representatives from all over the globe at the World Sports Games (and subsequently endangered by the antagonist), this Detective Conan movie feels truly epic in nature. If Conan doesn’t rise to the occasion, then an international incident is bound to happen.
While a good portion of the film takes place on the train, it also means that two separate conflicts are resolved (which, as you might expect, means that there is more than one antagonist at work in the movie) in the course of the train ride. You get a double climax because of this, which unfortunately weakens the impact of each conflict. The first “climax” seems like the right place for the film to end on, but then the story continues to unfold and you realise that there’s more to it. Since you’ve already experienced some sort of resolution because of the first “climax”, the true ending of the film doesn’t feel as strong as it should have been. The final action sequence is rather impressive, though.
Since the story is fairly convoluted and there’s a sprawling cast of characters, the movie is quite talky in the beginning to set up and introduce all of these characters. It also takes a while to let each regular cast member have their time in the spotlight, but this ultimately adds up to an exposition laden opening. In addition, you know there’s a train sequence coming up, so you’re spending most of that time waiting for everyone to get on the Hyperlinear.
The FBI plotline is a big portion of the film, but it feels like an unconnected side story that really should have gotten its own spin-off movie. Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet tries its best to connect their story to Conan, but it felt like it would have worked better as an OVA or a TV special. Nevertheless, it was good to see them showing up again.
Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet gives us a bullet train adventure for Conan, which is an ambitious undertaking that is well executed. The global stakes also make the movie feel that much more epic. While it could have been split into two separate movies, it still works well as it is. If you’re aching to travel to Japan, watching this film is the next best thing you can do.
Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet opens in cinemas:
– 22 April, 2021 (Singapore)
– 22 April, 2021 (Malaysia)
You may also want to read:
- [Movie Review] ‘Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire’ is the closest we’ll ever come to a Singapore anime
- [Movie Review] ‘Detective Conan: The Crimson Love Letter’ is incredibly talky
- [Movie Review] ‘Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare’ is a good mix of thrilling action and strong characterisation
This is an original article on marcusgohmarcusgoh.com.
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I’m an independent scriptwriter who’s written for popular shows like Lion Mums, Crimewatch, Police & Thief, and Incredible Tales. I’m also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find me on social media as Optimarcus and on my site.
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