Glass Heart

Well, I don't like him but I don't hate him either. I just don't care. It's like Billy Crawford or Robert Pattinson, they are famous with teenagers during a time but I don't think it'll last a decade (everyone has forgotten Crawford nowadays).

The second and third entries of the production diary. The second is not really interesting, but the third shows us a lot about the characters (old and new). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc6TVoYeKJU&feature=player_embedded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t47TXEi0No0&feature=player_embedded The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will hit theaters at December 14th 2012, and The Hobbit: There and Back Again at December 13th 2013.

Well, I understand what you mean, but I don't think Andrew Garfield is "just" a good-looking actor like we could say of Robert Pattinson from the Twilight saga. I've seen some extract from The Social Network and the guy is incredibly talented. But this teaser shows Peter Parker as someone really reserved, almost depressive, as he is at the beginning of the movie, not really as the man he becomes after his transformation into Spider-man. But I like the idea of a guy who finds the hero within after he tries to uncover the secret surrounding his parents' disappearance.

Why ? They are wealthy and have powerful relations. Shiro Suzuki seems to be an happy-living man, but Tomoko seems much more intelligent and manipulative (her scheme to protect the black jewel). Tomoko herself is caught between black and white, her first name being related to black (as Conan points out) while her surname (suzuki) is related to white.

I just read Kaito Kid's first appearance in Detective Conan. I think Tomoko Suzuki would be a perfect candidate for the boss.

Teaser of The Amazing Spider-man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqwaxJw6JP8&feature=player_embedded

He rises ! He rises ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duTKmoxfkZQ

I love Akira Kamiya in several of his roles (Kogoro Mouri, Ryo Saeba, Kenshiro, Shutaro Mendo, Tadashi Daiba...) but I think Rikiya Koyama also does a pretty good job (even though he plays the character very differently). Other than that, who do you like to see as Masumi Sera's voice actress ? I have some ideas of actresses who could play an androgyne character: -Megumi Ogata (voice of Shinji Ikari in Evangelion and Yukito in Card Captor Sakura) -Maaya Sakamoto (voice of Hitomi Kanzaki in Escaflowne, Mari Illustrious Makinami in Evangelion and Aerith in the Final Fantasy VII saga) -Aya Hisakawa (Kero in Card Captor Sakura, Sailor Mercury in Sailor Moon and Storm in X-Men)

Most of the mobiles are serious. In the case of the Holmes Freaks Case, which is an hommage to Sherlock Holmes with a satirical tone, the mobile is a joke by the author. It's not a parody but there is a lot of derision in that episode, and I didn't find it out of place that the mobile was kinda stupid (even funny).

I think you have pointed out a key element of the series: the victims are far from being clean and many people (the suspects) each have a reason good enough to kill. And that's what illustrates the conflict between good and evil: the "victim" has create around herself a climate which is favourable to murder by committing immoral deeds. Often, every suspects have a reason far enough to kill. There is also something interesting in Detective Conan: the question which determine the culprit is "Who would have been able to perform this murder ?" with the trick naturally pointing out at the only person who could have performed it. But there is also another question that is not often raised: "Who would have been able to kill ?". The fact that this question isn't raised points out the fact that every suspect could have been the murderer. One of them has become "the monster" but all of them, normal people, could have become it because of the "climate" the victim created by her immoral deeds. It's not rare that some suspects are delighted by the victim's death, although it's also true that sometimes some characters are just unable to kill no matter what. I think that illustrates pretty much the "good versus evil" conflict inside each person in a merciless society of unscrupulous people. Even good people could be corrupted, for no other reason that it is the only way to survive in this kind of society, as you said. But there is still an element which I find not realistic at all in the series: the fact that every random murderer is like a mastermind criminal able to confuse professional investigators. Even when the murders weren't premeditated and when the culprits are amateurs, it's like the police force are just a bunch of incompetents confronted to a criminal genius mind. But that's part of the series's charm where a little child is the only one who can't be deceived by the evil forces and their tricks. The organization is essentially evil. Now some members have indeed more ambiguities. Akemi wanted to left the organization because Akai shows her another path and because she realized she no longer wanted to work for the organization. Her intentions were clear, she just wanted to live a normal life with the persons she loved. For Haibara, it's more ambiguous. She created the apotoxine and, whether she was happy with it or not, she didn't do anything to prevent its use, only coming along with the fact she created a weapon (maybe she was too afraid, or maybe she didn't even care). She only strongly rebels after her sister was killed, no longer wanting to be a puppet in the hand of an organization who eliminates those who are no longer useful to them. Haibara's intentions themselves are contradictory: she wants to take revenge of the organization, to see it destroyed. But at the same time, she wants Conan to leave his investigations and leave peacefully. Maybe she's just afraid and running from the true battle. And, for Vermouth, the day we will know what her true intentions are... But, as you said, it's good to see that, even in the enemies' side, there are some conflicts. That brings more surprising developpements into the main story.

Most of the time, the motives which drive normal people (and, in fact, victims) to become murderer are infidelity and greed. They are often abused in some way and it's more about revenge than pure evil. Conan even points that out during the case of the bandage man (in volume 5) with his final monologue, very dark and pessimistic. But pure evilness is the Black Organization. That's also why they are the main enemies of the series. Like you, I like those "romantic" heroes who face the crualty of society in their everyday lives, such as Conan Edogawa, Ryo Saeba (City Hunter, Angel Heart) and Subaru Sumeragi (Tokyo Babylon, X). Because they stand for something of true significance, even though this is a hard way to live and that it often brings them sadness.

But, if you like the series, it's at least that you like the concept and the way the author tells his story. That's why you find it addictive, no ?

A little topic to tell why we all love Detective Conan (Case Closed) and what is SO great about this series. Personally, when I first discovered Detective Conan, it was by curiosity. I had finished watching another anime called City Hunter, which is great, and I wanted to find another series which was as thrilling as it. I knew Detective Conan by its reputation, but I thought it was the story of a little boy who outsmarts professional detective. How wrong I was ! I was litteraly captivated by the story and the strong characters of the series. The first investigations were a little too easy, but it became much more interesting and complex quickly. I love the idea of a detective story where the truth comes from a child's mouth, and the fact that tricks that deceived adults aren't able to fool "the little eyes of justice". Conan is much more than a character, he is a metaphore about guilt and judgement. In fact, the whole series is a metaphore of the fight between good and evil inside the society and inside each of us. Much of the murderers of the series aren't really bad people, they are much more victims of the merciless society who turns people into vultures and the innocents into killers. Their reasons to kill are understandable and we often feel sympathy toward them. They are just good people who take a wrong turn in life because of this crual world. In the way this world work, Conan represents the true justice, impartial and sometimes harsh. He has the most difficult role in each murder story because he is the one who can't sympathize with the culprits. He must confront them to their crime, no matter what their reasons are, and sometimes we can see clearly that he doesn't always like to do so, harboring some sympathy towards some criminals even though he can't close his eyes or substitute himself for justice. And, while most of the culprits don't regret what they did and think their actions by the "an eye for an eye" moto (while forgetting the "makes the whole world blind" part), when they are confronted by the look of a "pure" child, they truly realize what they have just commit and they express some remorse, ashamed to be seen as killers in the eyes of this child. So, while Conan is a kind of fighter of true justice, I also see him as a kind of angel guardian. While he comes to late to prevent the souls to be dirty, he is still able to make them redeem themselves, even though it might be already too late. He makes them realize that, even though bad things happened to them, they had still what was the most important: their souls. And that they lost it by themselves and can't take it back once lost. Regardless of their reasons, they are just the wrong kind of people. And I think this is an important part of Shinichi's evolution: it shows him another side of the culprits that the high-school detective couldn't have seen. Maybe that's why he feels some kind of sympathy for some of the culprits: because he starts to understand them, even though he can't forgive them for what they did. And, at the same time, in his role as a young seeker of the truth, he realizes that the true battle comes from the society itself that corrupt the human mind. But this is a fight no one can win and I think this is one of the most depressing aspects of the series. But I wonder if the war between Conan and the Black Organization couldn't be some kind of a metaphore of this fight for the society's soul. The Black Organization is pure evilness and the ultimate enemy of Conan. While his reasons to fight them are kinda selfish at first (he wants his real body back), they became more genuine after the death of Akemi Miyano, the moment when Conan decides to destroy the organization even after he has his body back. And the role of Ran is also important because, as Vermouth say, she is an "angel". As Kaori Makimura in City Hunter, she is some kind of guardian angel who brings love to those who have known and who gives them the determination to accomplish their goals. She is a pure woman, one who is able to touch the hearts of the wrong kind of people and who must absolutely be protected from the evilness of this world. No matter what, Conan cannot afford to lose her, she is the light that guides him and protects him, she is too precious. And I also find that reminiscent of Ryo Saeba, the City Hunter vigilante who didn’t have a true childhood, a former war orphan, and who discovers true love at the side of that woman who is both a mother and a lover for him (though he won’t admit it). A mother and a love, that’s also pretty much the role Ran also plays toward Shinichi/Conan, waiting for him while he can’t reveal his true feelings for her. Not yet… So, while it's a very cliché idea, Detective Conan (pretty much like City Hunter) is a story about how love can save a city from it's own decadence. I find the same kind of spirit between these two series, just different, and I think that's why I fell so much in love with Detective Conan. Because, while it’s not a love story, romance is pretty much at the core of the whole dynamic of the series. Conan is indeed a true knight who would put his life at stake to protect what is most important in the world: the love of a woman, a love which is for one but also for all. I also like pretty much the dynamic between Conan and the culprit. There is something of a mise en scène on both side: the mise en scène of the culprit that Conan must see through (well, it's a little strange, but the random killers in Detective Conan are all criminal masterminds. But, if they weren't, the storylines wouldn't be so thrilling), and Conan's own mise en scène to unmask the culprit and the trick used while protecting his true identity. Both tricks are based on deception and, in a way, there is a metaphore of the child who sees a magic trick and who tries to see through. And once he does, there is no longer magic at all and the "magician" himself becomes no more than nothing. Especially when Conan acts himself as a magician with his own mise en scène and, so far, only Heiji Hattori has seen through the "trick" of a detective mind inside a child body. For all those reasons, for me, reading Detective Conan is like watching Peter Pan. There is this magic and this wonderful story of beautiful and genuine feelings which is very reminiscent of childhood (while it's not really a story for children. It's like a universe caught between two ages, like the main character) and, at the same time, the story itself and its themes are universal. And Shinichi has still to uncover the greatest mystery of all: what is lying deep within the loved woman's heart ? As good a detective as he is, will he still be able to see through Ran's tricks to protect her hidden feelings ?

That's why I thought of Eri Kisaki, but I begin to wonder if he's not really Yusaku Kudo after all. There are some elements which are strange around that character. Also, in his first appearance, he appeared as a Black Organization operative (even though it appears to be a joke, but THAT could be the joke). No, the boss is Taiki Kudo, Shinichi's hidden twin brother ! PS: In case some people don't understand the joke, Taiki Kudo is Minami Takayama's character in Digimon.

My manga collection (I underlined those who are my top priority to complete right now):

Thanks to Heiwa !

As the last chapter of the visual-novel doesn't reveal who is the "true" culprit, and since that Ryukushi still insists that readers can solve the mystery by themselves, I will try to deduce some of the tricks used by the murderer, but I've only see the anime and some spoilers about the four remaining chapters, so I don't know if it's still accurate...

1) Ryo Saeba (City Hunter, Angel Heart). Voice: Akira Kamiya. 2) Rei Ayanami (Neon Genesis Evangelion). Voice: Megumi Hayashibara. 3) Ai Haibara (Detective Conan). Voice: Megumi Hayashibara. 4) Kaori Makimura (City Hunter, Angel Heart). Voice: Kazue Ikura. 5) Golden Witch Beatrice (Umineko No Naku Koro Ni). Voice: Sayaka Ohara. 6) Kamui Shiro (Clamp's X). Voices: Tomazaku Seki and Kenichi Suzumura. 7) Franklin Harlock Jr. (Space Pirate Captain Harlock). Voices: Makio Inoue, Koichi Yamadera and Eiji Takemoto. 8) Cobra (Space Adventure Cobra). Voices: Nachi Nozawa and Shigeru Matsuzaki. 9) Xiang Ying Saeba (Angel Heart). Voice: Mao Kawasaki. 10) Misato Katsuragi (Neon Genesis Evangelion). Voice: Kotono Mitsuishi.

Don't worry ! It's just that the spelling is different between english and french, so it's a little hard for me to understand the words with the phonetics. Apart from that, the english subtitles for "File 1" are finally released. I don't know which team has done it but they did a good job. If they read me, thanks !

This couple is strange because it appears at first to be the very competent woman lawyer and the incompetent man detective, while in fact Kogoro is far from being a bad detective. Kogoro is not as intelligent as Shinichi, Heiji or Masumi but, when he acts seriously, his reasonings are clearly superior to those of the police. He's able to make reasonings that even the police (especially Megure) aren't able to follow, even though he needs Conan's help to dodge the "tricks" of the culprits. And, even though he makes mistakes in his reasonings, he's still one of the most determined investigators of the series: he always investigates thoroughly a case until he honestly thinks he has solved it and he's more interested to see the culprit being exposed than he is to be paid (he never turned down money when he's offered but, when a crime happens randomly nearby, he never asks for it and investigates for free). When we consider it, it's a quality that few characters of the series possess in fact (mainly the high-school detectives). I think, if Kogoro was more often serious, their couple would have been the most dangerous of the whole series, the perfect combination of the investigation and the law.

I'm watching the City Hunter drama series (14 episodes available on the 20. One episode is an hour-long). And it is EXCELLENT ! While not as funny as the manga and the anime (which are masterpieces) and while the universe is reinvented, it stays true to the spirit of the manga and at the same time the tone is more realistic, like in the sequel Angel Heart. After the spoof movie with Jackie Chan (very funny, but pretty stupid), it's great to finally see a goddamn good City Hunter live adaptation. For those who may know the original manga (not the anime), the story is based on the Shin Kaibara story-arc and the dark past of Ryo Saeba. A lot of the series revolves around the conflict between the father, a man who was driven mad by the war and who wants to take his revenge against the powerful and corrupted, and the son, the outlaw vigilante known as the City Hunter who becomes a symbol of hope for the society.

Ah, ok ! Thanks ! I understand now.

Sorry, but the english is not my main language, so if you write in SMS language, I will have some difficulty to understand. What is "2 noe" ?

The series is called "Detective Conan: Challenge Letter to Shinichi Kudo" (Meitantei Conan: Kudo Shinichi e no chousenjou), like the first and the third TV Special. In the main story, Shinichi, Ran and Kogoro awake in an unknown place. They are defied by a mysterious opponent who sends them a letter asking Shinichi to remember various cases he solved in the past (the "cases of the week"). If Shinichi can remember a specific element linked to that case and write it into a console, he opens the door of the room they are currently in and they can proceed further into the next room where a similar challenge awaits him. The concept of the series is kinda weird, but the various cases seem interesting enough.