Among the many works of the Japanese anime industry known as “COOL JAPAN,” one of the titles that often stand out as popular outside of Japan is “Detective Conan.” Not only is the original manga work famous, but the animated show and the series of movies, now counting over 20 films, makes this one title very well known. In our last article we introduced the “Detective Conan - Male Character Popularity Investigation (6825 Total Votes)” and revealed the results of the characters that ranked from 6th to 4th place. This time we will announce who took the ranks from 3rd place to 1st!
6th place to 4th place results can be viewed here.
3rd Place: Phantom Thief Kid (776 Votes)
Not only has this guy become a very regular character in the TV show but he also makes frequent appearances in the movie series as well. That guy is none other than the great Phantom Thief Kid, who also plays the role of Conan’s rival, but in a very different way from that of Heiji. As the famed Phantom Thief, he essentially appears to get in the way of Conan as an enemy, however due to whatever reasons he ultimately ends up cooperating in the investigations and often ends up being an ally to Conan.
This character is unique in that he was originally the main protagonist for a manga titled “Magic Kaito” which was created even before the “Detective Conan” series. At first, he was just showing up as a cameo, but now he’s become such a recognized semi-regular character in the series that he’s most likely known more for his role in the Detective Conan series.
In the 14th Detective Conan movie that debuted in 2010, titled “Detective Conan: The Lost Ship in the Sky,” the Phantom Thief plays a role as one of the main characters and the producers used that opportunity to make plans for pushing and promoting the Phantom Thief even more. The movie even focused in on action scenes in the sky- a signature of the Phantom Thief, and it even had Conan participate in plenty of those scenes, making it a unique work in the series. While Phantom Thief Kid has made plenty of appearances in the movies, this one, in particular, can be considered the turning point for his increased popularity.
2nd Place: Shuichi Akai (1229 Votes)
This man and his signature knitted cap originally showed up shrouded in mystery, but later was revealed to an FBI government agent. That character was Shuichi Akai. However, the moment when it was revealed that he was indeed not an enemy, he was killed off by the hands of the Black Organization... or, so we thought. Turns out that was just a ploy to mislead us. Later it is established that he was laying low and hiding his identity and going by the name of Subaru Okiya.
The truth about Subaru Okiya being Shuichi Akai was actually first revealed through the movies. In the 18th movie, released in 2014 titled “Detective Conan: Dimensional Sniper,” this truth which had not even been shown in the original manga yet was shown as a surprise to the theatrical audience.
Having said that, the first movie appearance of Shuichi Akai as himself rather than his alter ego Subaru Okiya wasn’t until the 20th movie in 2016, “Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare.” In this film, he thoroughly plays his part as his real character. While he keeps cool normally, this movie is packed with his action scenes that you can enjoy.
1st Place: Tooru Amuro (1864 Votes)
Tooru Amuro became a huge topic of conversation, winning the 31st Shogakukan DIME Trend Award for Best Character. He’s a private detective, but also a member of the Black Organization, and even has a third face as a public safety police officer. Being able to skillfully use all of his identities, he has a connection with Shuichi Akai and also is one to actually show some raw emotion at times.
The origins of Tooru Amuro becoming the social phenomenon that he has become is thanks to the Detective Conan movies. In the 22nd movie “Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer” released in 2018, the story had Tooru Amuro as a key character for the plot, and his popularity really brought in the results: the movie had becoming the highest-selling film in the series, greatly breaking the previous sales records. He’s still a character full of mystery, and in this piece, there is a part where Conan asks if Tooru himself has a person of romantic interest or not. The splendid thing about this movie is that the answer to that question is firmly given by Tooru Amuro. How will Conan react to his answer? That is something to keep close in mind as well.
Popularity Ranking Extras
Wondering which other characters ranked with the 6825 votes? Among them include the public safety officer “Yuya Kazami” at 326 votes, “Jinpei Matsuda” at 226 votes, who was of the same police academy class as Tooru Amuro. High school detective who returned from London “Saguru Hakuba” at 129 votes, “Gin” of the Black Organization management at 120 votes and many other characters were voted on.
Original article: Detective Conan Popularity Poll Results! Who Will Take First Place? Announcing the Rankings and Trivia
©2017Gosho Aoyama/Detective Conan Production Committee/©2010 Gosho Aoyama/Detective Conan Production Committee ©2016 Gosho Aoyama/Detective Conan Production Committee/ ©2018 Gosho Aoyama/Detective Conan Production Committee/©2019 Gosho Aoyama/Detective Conan Production Committee
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