Conan Movie Opens with 1.05 Billion Yen

A stage greeting was held on April 19th at TOHO Cinemas Hibiya in Tokyo to celebrate the release of Detective Conan: Flashback of the One-Eyed, the 28th film in the beloved Detective Conan anime series. The event featured mainstay voice actors Minami Takayama, Wakana Yamazaki, Rikiya Koyama, Yuji Takada, and Ami Koshimizu, along with guest voice actors Takayuki Yamada and Mizuki Yamashita.

The film focuses on Kogoro Mouri and the one-eyed Inspector Gansuke Yamato of the Nagano Prefectural Police, unraveling a case that connects the past and present in the snowy mountains of Nagano. Released in 522 theaters nationwide on April 18th, the film drew in 690,000 viewers on opening day and earned over 1.05 billion yen—109% more than the franchise’s previous highest-grossing film, Detective Conan: The Million Dollar Five-Point Star (April 12, 2024), which earned 15.88 billion yen in total.

When the opening day numbers were announced, a wave of astonishment rippled through the audience. Minami Takayama, the voice of Conan Edogawa, widened her eyes in surprise and thanked Kogoro, one of the film’s central characters, saying, “That’s amazing. I guess it’s the uncle effect.”

Because the film is set in the mountains, it was decided at a recent fan event that repeat viewings would be dubbed as “climbing Mt. Ichi,” “climbing Mt. Ni,” and so on. Takayama playfully asked the audience, “By the way, have you climbed Mt. Migatake and Mt. Gogatake?” Some fans had already “climbed the Yatsugatake Mountains” — meaning they had watched the film eight times. She responded with gratitude: “I’m really surprised there are fans who’ve already conquered Mt. Yatsugatake. I’m truly thankful. It proves that the film is fun no matter how many times you watch it. It really makes you want to climb it again and again.” At the same time, she showed care for the fans by adding, “But don’t overdo it. Stay safe.”

Guest voice actor Takayuki Yamada, who plays Takashi Otomo, was equally amazed: “This would be impossible in live action. It’s incredible. I’ve never heard of someone watching a film eight times by the second day. Conan’s popularity is unbelievable.”

It’s been 20 years since Kogoro Mouri last took center stage in a Detective Conan movie. Minami Takayama commented, “I realized he’s actually a capable guy. Of course, I always knew it, but when he tries, he really pulls it off. You were amazing, man,” expressing admiration for Kogoro’s heroic moments. When Wakana Yamazaki joked, “You’re exaggerating,” Rikiya Koyama playfully scolded her with a firm “Hey!” — a lighthearted exchange that perfectly echoed the characters’ on-screen dynamics and delighted the audience.

Speaking as Ran, Yamazaki added, “I thought he was cool. I wish my mother could’ve seen this.” Koyama proudly declared, “His skills haven’t deteriorated!” prompting a round of applause from the crowd.

Yuji Takada, who voices Gansuke Yamato of the Nagano Prefectural Police, reflected on his experience: “When I received the script and read through the story, the pressure turned into a kind of thrilling tension.” He continued, “I could feel a lot through this role—like how Gansuke might have gotten injured in that kind of setting. Seeing his uninjured, younger self felt refreshing.” He shared that he had discovered a new layer to Gansuke’s character.

Ami Koshimizu, who plays Yui Uehara from the same police department, smiled wryly as she said, “I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll give it my best,’ but honestly, I’m still nervous. The amount of love and expectation from everyone far exceeds anything I imagined.” She recalled Takada’s reaction when they first learned the Nagano Prefectural Police would be at the center of the story: “He said to me, ‘Ami-chan, did you hear? Next, the Nagano Prefectural Police will be the main focus. There’s going to be lots of dialogue and scenes. What should we do?’” Takada admitted he was panicking at first, but added with a smile, “We said, ‘Let’s do our best together,’ and worked side by side to tackle the challenge.”

Mizuki Yamashita, who voices guest character Madoka Marui, shared a behind-the-scenes story from the preview screening for staff and cast: “Every seat was filled, and you could really feel the energy and excitement from everyone involved.” She added, “I was seated between Yamada-san and (original creator) Gosho Aoyama… it was a wild seat. My hands wouldn’t stop sweating—it was such an incredible experience,” drawing laughter and cheers from the audience.

Wrapping up the event, Minami Takayama expressed heartfelt gratitude to fans: “I’m truly thankful. I’m so happy we got to celebrate another opening day like this, and that I get to meet all of you again.” She added, “I want to carry this joy and passion forward, and continue climbing Mt. Ikkaku with everyone,” which was met with a big round of applause.