Suspicious characters! Discussion about Hyoue Kuroda, Wakasa Rumi, and others.

[APTX-1412 1]

5 hours ago, DCUniverseAficionado said:

 

Why would she have that condition? You tell me.

I said she would be, if she was the bodyguard she wouldn't escape in the middle of fight, then she was propably forced to take a drug by RUM, instead of the APTX in its first version that killed Kouji, she took SB or an other drug the same that Vermouth took, RUM is number 2 in the organisation, it wouldn't be difficult for him to have it, the organisation didn't find her corpse and that's the meaning of the mess which Gin was talking about.

Although, I can't dismiss the probabilty that Mary was the bodyguad in disguise as Asaka and she was shrunk because of APTX, thus when she knew that Asaka is a woman in soul detective she had a cold reaction and that explains how the PUT ON MASCARA mirror that resembles Akemi/Elena ended with Kouji.

[MeiTanteixX 184]

On 8/17/2016 at 0:24 AM, DCUniverseAficionado said:

 

No, Post-Coma Hyoue could still be Rum and still be connected to Sakurako like Jimmy suggested. As for Mr. Akai... that's... more complicated, I think, but I wouldn't dismiss it.

 

What Jimmy was suggesting was whether Kuroda came to pick up is daughter(if it's Sakurako)... Sakurako's connection to Rum+accident was your idea...

 

On 8/17/2016 at 0:24 AM, DCUniverseAficionado said:

 

But doesn't that become "too obvious," as well? Gosho has given equal time and weight to Rumi's name, and the fact that Elena had a mirror like Koji's dying message one, as I see it. Gosho just told us these things in a single panel, and left it at that.

 

Mary would have to be in disguise to be Amanda's bodyguard—Rumi? Nope. 

 

And what of the hint? What does "Asaka Rum" mean, if Mary was Asaka?

 

Not really. The way that information was delivered, it was as if it was supposed to be passed off as nothing but exposition for Haibara to explain how she knew the original words "Put on Mascara". Rumi's name however is screaming for attention. Adding to the fact that her age was deliberately pointed out(by Rumi herself), indirectly saying that she's old enough to be "Asaka", and physical skills being shown off later on, makes it even more suspicious, hence "too obvious"(she's literally "jodie" of the Rum arc).

 

Being in disguise shouldn't be a problem for someone who's probably an MI6 agent(she would only need a wig anyway in order to look like the photo).

 

Since the hand-mirror ended up with Kouji, after most likely being with Asaka, it could be indicating that an interaction between them happened(since shuukichi admired him since he was at max 11 yrs, maybe Kouji and Mary knew each other). Meaning that maybe he got some intel of her and Amanda's situation and was trying to warn "Asaca" that "Rum" is after her. the hint in the hand-mirror could mean anything at this point, depending on the future developments...

 

Gosho could still be going with the more simpler route that the mirror really is saying that Rum is indeed "Asaka" and that we are going through the stage where we are getting Rum/Asaka suspects who are connected in one way or another to the Kouji case/Rum. Or, Gosho is going with a more "twisty" route where the mirror is hinting to something else, where "Asaka" and Rum are different people. In this case, Mary's involvement in the Kouji case fits the most if she was "Asaka". Gosho knows what kind of indications he's giving out through his story telling, so if he's trying to lure people with the impression that "Asaka"=Rum, no one would suspect that the Akai mother(Mary) is Asaka(even if Conan points out that possibility) since that would imply that she is Rum.

[Aries Bless 18]

The mirror used to Kohji Haneda's dying message might have been 'Asaka's'. (remember in the Soul Detective Case, Asaka had been seen with a mirror). And Haibara said that Akemi inherited a mirror like that from their mother Elena. So it could be possible that 'Asaka' and Elena got their mirrors from the same place.

[Chekhov MacGuffin 1089]

The mirror Asaka was seen with could be Kohji's dying message mirror. I think he stole it from the crime scene because he realized it was a dying message. The mystery photographer was able to take pictures before Asaka returned to retrieve it. I believe Asaka may have been temporarily forced to retreat because Kohji stabbed his eye in their struggle, thus Rum's missing eye.

[MeiTanteixX 184]

3 hours ago, Chekhov MacGuffin said:

The mirror Asaka was seen with could be Kohji's dying message mirror. I think he stole it from the crime scene because he realized it was a dying message. The mystery photographer was able to take pictures before Asaka returned to retrieve it. I believe Asaka may have been temporarily forced to retreat because Kohji stabbed his eye in their struggle, thus Rum's missing eye.

that's assuming he lost it at that time...

Where does Kuroda's accident fit in in the Rum arc? As a Rum suspect, he should be connected to Rum in some shape or form(like how FBI was to Vermouth, how Eisuke was to Kir or How Subaru and Sera was to Bourbon)...

I think Rum's accident might be linked with Kuroda's(which is how Kuroda comes into play in this arc)...

 

[DCUniverseAficionado 252]

On August 17, 2016 at 0:34 AM, APTX-1412 said:

I said she would be, if she was the bodyguard she wouldn't escape in the middle of fight, then she was propably forced to take a drug by RUM, instead of the APTX in its first version that killed Kouji, she took SB or an other drug the same that Vermouth took, RUM is number 2 in the organisation, it wouldn't be difficult for him to have it, the organisation didn't find her corpse and that's the meaning of the mess which Gin was talking about.

Although, I can't dismiss the probabilty that Mary was the bodyguad in disguise as Asaka and she was shrunk because of APTX, thus when she knew that Asaka is a woman in soul detective she had a cold reaction and that explains how the PUT ON MASCARA mirror that resembles Akemi/Elena ended with Kouji.

 

Ultimately, for me, she just doesn't have the presence that Tomoaki had or even the presence Sakurako had—that's why I doubt that she's Asaka. She appears to be a one-case character that people took notice of, and theorized about, because she's a bartender at Konosuke Jii's bar from Magic Kaito, and I guess because Shinichi/Conan got the hints to solve that case from her (even though plenty of times he gets hints, it's clear that the character he gets the hint from gave it to him by accident—and characters that may potentially be hinting him appear more than once, after their debut). 

 

Mary couldn't have been shrunk 17 years ago—in 969, she's clearly an adult. More likely, she was shrunk just before Masumi appeared in 768–770/646–647 (and her shrinking is the reason Masumi came to Japan in the first place).

 

16 hours ago, MeiTanteixX said:

What Jimmy was suggesting was whether Kuroda came to pick up is daughter(if it's Sakurako)... Sakurako's connection to Rum+accident was your idea...

 

You misunderstand.

 

If Post-Coma Hyoue is Rum, he'd be posing as Hyoue. Thus, if Jimmy's right, and Hyoue is Sakurako's uncle or father, then Rum would be playing that role and doing his best not to blow his cover... thus, Sakurako would be (unknowingly) connected to Rum... perhaps, she remembers the accident, back when she was 12, that put Hyoue in a coma... and, maybe, the accident that cost Rum his eye.

 

16 hours ago, MeiTanteixX said:

Not really. The way that information was delivered, it was as if it was supposed to be passed off as nothing but exposition for Haibara to explain how she knew the original words "Put on Mascara". Rumi's name however is screaming for attention. Adding to the fact that her age was deliberately pointed out(by Rumi herself), indirectly saying that she's old enough to be "Asaka", and physical skills being shown off later on, makes it even more suspicious, hence "too obvious"(she's literally "jodie" of the Rum arc).

 

Until Shinichi/Conan starts thinking about this, and questioning his assumption that Asaka is Rum, I'm going to go with Rumi being Amanda's bodyguard, and, probably, Koji's lover or some other close relation, Koji's dying message being her name (minus the W and I), and that Shinichi/Conan and Shuichi/Subaru misread the message.

 

So Shuichi/Subaru and Shinichi/Conan reading Koji's dying message as "Asaka Rum" is not "too obvious," either? As with Shinichi's/Conan's theory that Mary is Rum, it could be an initial theory made at a point where information was lacking (think Shinichi's/Conan's initial thoughts on Hidemi's/Rena's/Kir's identity—before learning about Eisuke's leukemia, he thought she was a BO agent who had plastic surgery to look like Ethan's daughter). Theories made by Shinichi/Conan that early on are suspect, and should be constantly looked at, as the story progresses (also think of how Tomoaki never really came up in Shinichi's/Conan's thoughts during the Vermouth arc, when he thought about Vermouth—like how he wondered if Jodie's face was actually hers—who knows when and if he'll think about Rumi's name?). 

 

16 hours ago, MeiTanteixX said:

Being in disguise shouldn't be a problem for someone who's probably an MI6 agent(she would only need a wig anyway in order to look like the photo).

 

Since the hand-mirror ended up with Kouji, after most likely being with Asaka, it could be indicating that an interaction between them happened(since shuukichi admired him since he was at max 11 yrs, maybe Kouji and Mary knew each other). Meaning that maybe he got some intel of her and Amanda's situation and was trying to warn "Asaca" that "Rum" is after her. the hint in the hand-mirror could mean anything at this point, depending on the future developments...

 

Gosho could still be going with the more simpler route that the mirror really is saying that Rum is indeed "Asaka" and that we are going through the stage where we are getting Rum/Asaka suspects who are connected in one way or another to the Kouji case/Rum. Or, Gosho is going with a more "twisty" route where the mirror is hinting to something else, where "Asaka" and Rum are different people. In this case, Mary's involvement in the Kouji case fits the most if she was "Asaka". Gosho knows what kind of indications he's giving out through his story telling, so if he's trying to lure people with the impression that "Asaka"=Rum, no one would suspect that the Akai mother(Mary) is Asaka(even if Conan points out that possibility) since that would imply that she is Rum.

 

If Mary was Asaka (and why that name, anyway?... how convenient that the fake name she chose features letters that can be used to create a dying message with the mirror), then why did she fail to protect Amanda, and Koji (yes, it's true that the same can be asked if Rumi was Amanda's bodyguard)?

 

Ultimately, I'm just not sure about Mary being there. At this point, she's either heavily pregnant with—or has just given birth to—Masumi, and she already has a 13-16 year old son and an 11 year old son. Who knows if she still was in MI6 at this point—she could've easily retired because of Mr. Akai, and the family they started, and resigned herself to the private sector, or a life that had much financial support, given Shukichi being described as "a mooching stay-at-home freeloader," and living in a Condo. I just don't see, right now, her (willingly or not) becoming Amanda's bodyguard, going to America, failing to protect Amanda from a less-experienced (and likely lower-ranked) Rum, somehow having and leaving this mirror where Koji could make a dying message with it, and then not being found until 17 years later. Instead, it could easily be the case that her husband got involved, was killed, and this was what led to the surname changing, the moving, and, eventually, Mary being shrunk. If Mary was Asaka, Rum would have to remember her to a point that, 17 years later, he could recognize her without her disguise, overpower her, and force APTX 4869 down her throat—and this is assuming that Rum is responsible for her now being a 12-15 year old.

 

One last thing—we still don't know how Mr. Akai got involved in the double murder of Koji Haneda and Amanda Hughes, so we don't know if he got involved on his own, or because he knew his wife was involved—I'm waiting eagerly for that revelation... it should answer a few questions, including questions about how Mary was involved in all this.

 

7 hours ago, Chekhov MacGuffin said:

The mirror Asaka was seen with could be Kohji's dying message mirror. I think he stole it from the crime scene because he realized it was a dying message. The mystery photographer was able to take pictures before Asaka returned to retrieve it. I believe Asaka may have been temporarily forced to retreat because Kohji stabbed his eye in their struggle, thus Rum's missing eye.

 

So you believe Asaka is Rum, not that Asaka is Mary or Rumi (in Rumi's case, she'd actually be Akasa)?

[MeiTanteixX 184]

12 hours ago, DCUniverseAficionado said:

 

You misunderstand.

 

If Post-Coma Hyoue is Rum, he'd be posing as Hyoue. Thus, if Jimmy's right, and Hyoue is Sakurako's uncle or father, then Rum would be playing that role and doing his best not to blow his cover... thus, Sakurako would be (unknowingly) connected to Rum... perhaps, she remembers the accident, back when she was 12, that put Hyoue in a coma... and, maybe, the accident that cost Rum his eye.

 

Ok, I get what you mean now...

I would welcome any future developments with Sakurako as plot character, I just have a hard time seeing it at the moment. At least in Araide's case, we got so much info of his family, his views/values and future plans and he showed the potential to become a recurring character, since he worked in Teitan...

 

12 hours ago, DCUniverseAficionado said:

 

Until Shinichi/Conan starts thinking about this, and questioning his assumption that Asaka is Rum, I'm going to go with Rumi being Amanda's bodyguard, and, probably, Koji's lover or some other close relation, Koji's dying message being her name (minus the W and I), and that Shinichi/Conan and Shuichi/Subaru misread the message.

 

So Shuichi/Subaru and Shinichi/Conan reading Koji's dying message as "Asaka Rum" is not "too obvious," either? As with Shinichi's/Conan's theory that Mary is Rum, it could be an initial theory made at a point where information was lacking (think Shinichi's/Conan's initial thoughts on Hidemi's/Rena's/Kir's identity—before learning about Eisuke's leukemia, he thought she was a BO agent who had plastic surgery to look like Ethan's daughter). Theories made by Shinichi/Conan that early on are suspect, and should be constantly looked at, as the story progresses (also think of how Tomoaki never really came up in Shinichi's/Conan's thoughts during the Vermouth arc, when he thought about Vermouth—like how he wondered if Jodie's face was actually hers—who knows when and if he'll think about Rumi's name?). 

 

Does that mean that, at the moment, you're assuming that Rum was never involved and Kouji was just talking about "Wakasa Rumi"? Or that Rum was still involved and Kouji's message just happened to have the culprit's code-name in it when it wasn't intended?

I'm guess the latter, because the moment their cause of death was said to be unknown(going even further back to the APTX list with Kouji's name), it was already confirmed that the BO was involved. in which case, it's a bit too absurd that "Rum" was "accidentally" read in the dying message.

 

Yes, at least the interpretation of it "Asaca=Rum" seems too much like a red-herring that is supposed to stir up Conan's investigation(Akai might have something else in mind though)...As for the code "Asaca Rum" in general...that's why the "Carasuma" theory got resurrected to begin with...(I don't see why Kouji would attempt to write "Wakasa Rumi" without a "W" and "I" anyway)...

That's what anyone would think at this moment, considering it was revealed in the same chapter that Mary is Sera and Akai's "mama"(which doesn't fit like a possible Rum candidate), and obviously, Conan's theory is only half true, since he's assuming that "Asaka" is Rum(Which is what Gosho wants the fans to think)...

In the Vermouth arc, Conan did consider a third suspicious person(Araide) besides Jodie and Akai, during the same scene when Conan and Heiji were talking about Jodie's face...

Gosho is definitely gonna make Conan notice her, since she's already apparent as a "Asaca"/Rum suspect to the fans(Which I'm 100% Gosho intended that), and she would become more suspicious if Conan didn't address her and her name.

 

12 hours ago, DCUniverseAficionado said:

 

If Mary was Asaka (and why that name, anyway?... how convenient that the fake name she chose features letters that can be used to create a dying message with the mirror), then why did she fail to protect Amanda, and Koji (yes, it's true that the same can be asked if Rumi was Amanda's bodyguard)?

 

Ultimately, I'm just not sure about Mary being there. At this point, she's either heavily pregnant with—or has just given birth to—Masumi, and she already has a 13-16 year old son and an 11 year old son. Who knows if she still was in MI6 at this point—she could've easily retired because of Mr. Akai, and the family they started, and resigned herself to the private sector, or a life that had much financial support, given Shukichi being described as "a mooching stay-at-home freeloader," and living in a Condo. I just don't see, right now, her (willingly or not) becoming Amanda's bodyguard, going to America, failing to protect Amanda from a less-experienced (and likely lower-ranked) Rum, somehow having and leaving this mirror where Koji could make a dying message with it, and then not being found until 17 years later. Instead, it could easily be the case that her husband got involved, was killed, and this was what led to the surname changing, the moving, and, eventually, Mary being shrunk. If Mary was Asaka, Rum would have to remember her to a point that, 17 years later, he could recognize her without her disguise, overpower her, and force APTX 4869 down her throat—and this is assuming that Rum is responsible for her now being a 12-15 year old.

 

One last thing—we still don't know how Mr. Akai got involved in the double murder of Koji Haneda and Amanda Hughes, so we don't know if he got involved on his own, or because he knew his wife was involved—I'm waiting eagerly for that revelation... it should answer a few questions, including questions about how Mary was involved in all this.

 

Maybe the father's involvement became a distraction...? or maybe Rum poisoned Amanda through her tea, contrary to Kouji, without coming into contact with Asaka, and realized that a bodyguard(witness) had fled the scene afterwards...? Who knows.... we will have to wait see where the plot is heading before we ask about these details...

 

Even Mothers(depending on the circumstance) can do some spy/protection-work, and considering that Elena might've still been alive at that point(although death "a year" after Shiho's birth sounds too long for something that was said to be "not long after her birth"), Helping her sister could have been her drive to working(even after giving birth to masumi). Is it even confirmed that they lived in Japan 17 yrs ago? maybe the Kouji incident(which probably lead to the father's death) made them move to Japan.

I think Shuukichi's financial status comes from his shogi career or/and from his adoptive family(since Kouji should've been rich too), rather than from his own family(besides, Yumi has only seen him since college).

Maybe he Rum used other clues to figure her Asaka identity(like the hand-mirror)... all of these details can be easily explained if Gosho already has a full picture in mind. Right now, it's still a bit too early in the story to answer anything completely... 

 

Same here,... for now, let's start with focusing on the upcoming flashback case(if it's coming at all)...

[DCUniverseAficionado 252]

10 hours ago, MeiTanteixX said:

I would welcome any future developments with Sakurako as plot character, I just have a hard time seeing it at the moment. At least in Araide's case, we got so much info of his family, his views/values and future plans and he showed the potential to become a recurring character, since he worked in Teitan...

 

Yes, that's true—however, Gosho put the brakes on the plot, after the Vermouth arc arc, and then pulled the emergency brake with the Bourbon arc. It's no surprise to me that Sakurako's backstory, besides her childhood friendship with Naeko and Kazunobu, still hasn't been looked into. Neither she nor Hyoue have appeared in a while... I'm going to be looking at a bunch of stuff (especially the observations of others on this site and DCTP) when either one of them or both of them appear, next.

 

10 hours ago, MeiTanteixX said:

Does that mean that, at the moment, you're assuming that Rum was never involved and Kouji was just talking about "Wakasa Rumi"? Or that Rum was still involved and Kouji's message just happened to have the culprit's code-name in it when it wasn't intended?

I'm guessing the latter...

 

That is correct.

 

10 hours ago, MeiTanteixX said:

in which case, it's a bit too absurd that "Rum" was "accidentally" read in the dying message.

 

When Gosho decided to have that mirror read, "Put on Mascara," he must've done it because "Rum" could be read off it. After that, he picked a name that could also be read off it, which was "Asaka," and named Amanda's bodyguard that. Rumi's name (minus the W and I, of course) was tailored by Gosho for this... as was the name Asaka (or, really Akasa, if Rumi was Amanda's bodyguard).

 

10 hours ago, MeiTanteixX said:

Yes, at least the interpretation of it "Asaca=Rum" seems too much like a red-herring that is supposed to stir up Conan's investigation(Akai might have something else in mind though)...As for the code "Asaca Rum" in general...that's why the "Carasuma" theory got resurrected to begin with...(I don't see why Kouji would attempt to write "Wakasa Rumi" without a "W" and "I" anyway)...

That's what anyone would think at this moment, considering it was revealed in the same chapter that Mary is Sera and Akai's "mama"(which doesn't fit like a possible Rum candidate), and obviously, Conan's theory is only half true, since he's assuming that "Asaka" is Rum(Which is what Gosho wants the fans to think)...

In the Vermouth arc, Conan did consider a third suspicious person(Araide) besides Jodie and Akai, during the same scene when Conan and Heiji were talking about Jodie's face...

Gosho is definitely gonna make Conan notice her, since she's already apparent as a "Asaca"/Rum suspect to the fans(Which I'm 100% Gosho intended that), and she would become more suspicious if Conan didn't address her and her name.

 

We also don't know what Shuichi knows about the case. Would he know about his mother being "Asaka" (if she was)? Would he know who the bodyguard was (if his mother wasn't Asaka)? What will he do when he meets Rumi (if he does meet her)?

 

Because he couldn't—no "W" and "I" in "Put on Mascara." I know there's probably a counter-argument against him referring to Rumi since he made his dying message with the letters in the mirror, and thus, couldn't put her full name in, and because he's not referring to kanji or something that would point people to her... but I'd like to hear it, rather than—perhaps—characterize the counter argument incorrectly.

 

I completely agree that Mary isn't Rum and that it's a patented Gosho mislead/misdirect.

 

But the third person he was referring to never appeared in Shinichi's/Conan's mind (by that, I mean appeared in the backdrop of the panel). Remember—James was introduced within the past 20 files (325) of this scene (in 343). Back then, I'm sure people thought that the "third person" Shinichi/Conan was referring to, in that scene, was James Black. After all, at the time, Gosho was misleading/misdirecting us, wanting us to think that Jodie, Shuichi and James were all BO.

 

It's just a question of when.

 

10 hours ago, MeiTanteixX said:

Even Mothers(depending on the circumstance) can do some spy/protection-work, and considering that Elena might've still been alive at that point(although death "a year" after Shiho's birth sounds too long for something that was said to be "not long after her birth"), Helping her sister could have been her drive to working(even after giving birth to masumi). Is it even confirmed that they lived in Japan 17 yrs ago? maybe the Kouji incident(which probably lead to the father's death) made them move to Japan.

 

I think Shuukichi's financial status comes from his shogi career or/and from his adoptive family(since Kouji should've been rich too), rather than from his own family(besides, Yumi has only seen him since college).

Maybe he Rum used other clues to figure her Asaka identity(like the hand-mirror)... all of these details can be easily explained if Gosho already has a full picture in mind. Right now, it's still a bit too early in the story to answer anything completely... 

 

We don't know where they lived, but given that Masumi was wandering around in Japan, at age 13, that Shukichi's seemed to have lived there his whole life, and that both Mary and Masumi moved to America, 2-3 years before current events, the implication seems to be that Mary and all her children lived in Japan (until Shuichi went to join the FBI, and then when Mary and Masumi left Japan), and, perhaps, a beach in Japan is where they met Shinichi and Ran.

 

Yeah, if Mary retired from MI6, I'd get it if she got back into that field because of Elena (if they are, indeed, sisters). But I think she's more likely to be involved in the "accident" that killed Elena and Atsushi, as Chekhov has suggested, rather than in the double murder of Amanda and Koji—I think the former scenario if what ultimately led to the (apparent) death of Mr. Akai, caused the surname changes for Masumi and Shukichi, led later on, to Masumi and Mary moving to the U.S., and, finally, led to Mary being shrunk, which is why Masumi (who knows if Mary came with her or was already there) came to Japan.

 

Or James.

 

When we get to the point of explanation (in terms of who Asaka is), I'm sure I'll be fine with the explanation if Mary turns out to be Asaka... it's just that, right now, I can't see it.

[MeiTanteixX 184]

1 hour ago, DCUniverseAficionado said:

 

When Gosho decided to have that mirror read, "Put on Mascara," he must've done it because "Rum" could be read off it. After that, he picked a name that could also be read off it, which was "Asaka," and named Amanda's bodyguard that. Rumi's name (minus the W and I, of course) was tailored by Gosho for this... as was the name Asaka (or, really Akasa, if Rumi was Amanda's bodyguard).

What I meant was...it's too coincidental, even for DC standards, that Conan and Shuu would read out "Rum" from a dying message that never intended for it to be "Rum", and yet Rum was in the end truly the murderer...

 

1 hour ago, DCUniverseAficionado said:

 

Because he couldn't—no "W" and "I" in "Put on Mascara." I know there's probably a counter-argument against him referring to Rumi since he made his dying message with the letters in the mirror, and thus, couldn't put her full name in, and because he's not referring to kanji or something that would point people to her... but I'd like to hear it, rather than—perhaps—characterize...

...

But the third person he was referring to never appeared in Shinichi's/Conan's mind (by that, I mean appeared in the backdrop of the panel). Remember—James was introduced within the past 20 files (325) of this scene (in 343). Back then, I'm sure people thought that the "third person" Shinichi/Conan was referring to, in that scene, was James Black. After all, at the time, Gosho was misleading/misdirecting us, wanting us to think that Jodie, Shuichi and James were all BO.

 

Then what was the purpose of code? To blame Rumi?

If so, why didn't he just leave out "Asaca"?(since that would be Rumi's alias if she was the bodyguard)?

And why would he blaming her in the first place when she's not Rum?

If not, why was it so important for him leave her name in the message, instead of the culprit's?

 

 

Conan was already getting suspicious over Araide ever since his wink at the Sato Omiai case. Combining it with Haibara's behavior in the bus and the later reveal of the stolen casefiles, it was most likely what triggered the suspicion that maybe there's an Impostor among them and that it's Chris from Haido city Hotel(who he knew could disguise herself, which he heard from Sharon) . Conan was never bothered by James.

[DCUniverseAficionado 252]

7 hours ago, MeiTanteixX said:

What I meant was...it's too coincidental, even for DC standards, that Conan and Shuu would read out "Rum" from a dying message that never intended for it to be "Rum", and yet Rum was in the end truly the murderer...

 

If Rumi was going by "Asaka," and Koji heard "Rum," somehow, before he died, then perhaps it was a double message—again, Gosho really tailored stuff, here, with the words on the mirror—Rumi's name (minus the W and I), and, her alias and the name of the killer.

 

7 hours ago, MeiTanteixX said:

Then what was the purpose of code? To blame Rumi?

If so, why didn't he just leave out "Asaca"?(since that would be Rumi's alias if she was the bodyguard)?

And why would he blaming her in the first place when she's not Rum?

If not, why was it so important for him leave her name in the message, instead of the culprit's?

 

If the code is a double message, then he'd want the reader to know the name of the killer (Rum), the alias of the witness (Asaka), and the real name of the witness (Rumi Wakasa). For one reason or another (maybe she fled the scene because she thought she'd be implicated, arrested and convicted), Rumi didn't tell the police about what she'd seen (else it'd be in the news, she wouldn't be the prime suspect, and there'd be no need to try and get someone to solve it, if she's the one uploading the case details), but I'd say she knows more than a little about Rum. Evidently, though, she needs someone who'd know more about underworld things (about the BO). She likely saw that Kogoro Mouri had become involved in the investigation (at least, he was going to be), and, for some reason, decided to become a teacher at Teitan Elementary. This would be because she, likely, looked at all of Kogoro's cases, found out about Shinichi/Conan, and went to investigate him, to see if he really was the true Sleeping Kogoro and if he could help her track down Rum. The skills she displayed in 968 were why she was hired as Amanda's bodyguard, to begin with—considering Amanda was a big fan of Koji, this would've been ideal, if Rumi was Koji's girlfriend, hence the personal investment in tracking down Rum. The ponytail would just be how she did her hair in her 20s.

 

At this point, there are three theories about Asaka's identity:

 

1) Asaka is Rum.

Shinichi/Conan read Koji's dying message correctly; Rum became Amanda Hughes' bodyguard in order to kill her; Koji walked in during the murder, heard "Rum" (either some time before or just before), and tried to intervene (or was seen before he could get the police); Koji is killed by APTX 4869; perhaps, Rum's eye is gouged by Koji with the scissors found gripped in his hand, hence why pictures were taken of the mirror (the struggle between Rum and Koji could've led to the police being called by someone else); after the pictures are taken of the mirror, Rum returns and takes it, and is seen by a witness, leaving, with the mirror in his hand.

 

2) Asaka is Rumi.

Shinichi/Conan read the first part of Koji's dying message incorrectly, mainly because he hasn't realized the second part; Rumi, perhaps Koji's girlfriend, was hired by Amanda Hughes as a bodyguard; Rumi was overpowered by Rum, but not killed, and Amanda was then killed; Koji walks in during the murder, hears "Rum" (either some time before or just before), and tries to intervene (or is seen before he can get the police); Koji is killed by APTX 4869; perhaps, Rum's eye is gouged by Koji with the scissors found gripped in his hand, hence why pictures were taken of the mirror (the struggle between Rum and Koji could've led to the police being called by someone else); after the pictures are taken of the mirror, Rumi (perhaps awakening from unconsciousness), grabs the mirror and flees, fearing she'll be suspected, arrested, and convicted, and is seen by a witness, leaving, with the mirror in her hand; Rumi goes into hiding and lays low for years (perhaps she's running from the BO as well as the authorities); Rumi sporadically uploads details of the case, hoping someone will solve it; Eventually, she learns of Kogoro Mouri's involvement, investigates, and discovers Conan Edogawa; Rumi applies to become a teacher at Teitan High, and is hired; Rumi, on her first day, tests Shinichi's/Conan's intelligence in order to see if he's the true Sleeping Kogoro, so she can then approach him about the case, and see if he can lead her to Rum, and get revenge for what he did to her.

 

3) Asaka is neither Rum nor Rumi, but someone else.

Shinichi/Conan read Koji's dying message incorrectly (in terms of Asaka not being Rum); either a BO agent (not Rum) became Amanda's bodyguard to make it easier for Rum to kill her, or someone like Mary was brought in as Amanda's bodyguard; either Koji walked in during the murder, heard "Rum" (either some time before or just before, likely from Asaka), and tried to intervene (or was seen before he could get the police), or Mary (or whoever was brought in as the bodyguard) was overpowered by Rum, but not killed, and Amanda was then killed; either Koji is killed by APTX 4869 administered to him by Rum, or Koji is killed by APTX 4869 administered to him by Rum or by Asaka; perhaps, Rum's eye is gouged by Koji with the scissors found gripped in his hand, hence why pictures were taken of the mirror (the struggle between Rum and Koji could've led to the police being called by someone else)—in this case, if Asaka is a BO agent, they'd be the one to administer APTX to Koji; either Rum flees the scene (especially if his eye is gouged), and after the pictures are taken of the mirror, Asaka and takes it, and is seen by a witness, leaving, with the mirror in his hand, or after the pictures are taken of the mirror, Mary (or whoever the bodyguard brought in is, perhaps awakening from unconsciousness), grabs the mirror and flees, and is seen by a witness, leaving, with the mirror in their hand (in either scenario, Rumi could still have been Koji's girlfriend, and still could be one uploading the case's details).

 

8 hours ago, MeiTanteixX said:

Conan was already getting suspicious over Araide ever since his wink at the Sato Omiai case. Combining it with Haibara's behavior in the bus and the later reveal of the stolen casefiles, it was most likely what triggered the suspicion that maybe there's an Impostor among them and that it's Chris from Haido city Hotel(who he knew could disguise herself, which he heard from Sharon).

 

For that instant, we see the "........." on Page 17 of File 330—he never thinks about it, after that moment (at least, we're not shown him thinking about it... or about the behavioral inconsistencies (355–357/274–275)). 

 

Vermouth could've been Jodie, as Gosho wanted us to think, at the time. Only those who noted certain hints (File 340, Page 18/File 343, Page 18) and recalled Gosho's tendencies to make the least suspicious/harmless character the culprit realized that Vermouth was Tomoaki.

 

8 hours ago, MeiTanteixX said:

Conan was never bothered by James.

 

http://bato.to/reader#1a9d982780e85db0_16

http://bato.to/reader#1a9d982780e85db0_17

 

Plus, if Shinichi/Conan thought that Shuichi's presence during that case was due to James, he'd associate James with Shuichi, who he, for some time, thought was a BO agent.

 

He wasn't bothered by Shinichi/Conan to the degree of Shuichi, Jodie and Tomoaki/Vermouth, yes, but that was because after his intro case (325–327/258–259), he didn't appear until the Vermouth arc was over. Gosho could've had him appear even more suspicious.

[MeiTanteixX 184]

48 minutes ago, DCUniverseAficionado said:

 

At this point, there are three theories about Asaka's identity:

 

1) Asaka is Rum.

Shinichi/Conan read Koji's dying message correctly; Rum became Amanda Hughes' bodyguard in order to kill her; Koji walked in during the murder, heard "Rum" (either some time before or just before), and tried to intervene (or was seen before he could get the police); Koji is killed by APTX 4869; perhaps, Rum's eye is gouged by Koji with the scissors found gripped in his hand, hence why pictures were taken of the mirror (the struggle between Rum and Koji could've led to the police being called by someone else); after the pictures are taken of the mirror, Rum returns and takes it, and is seen by a witness, leaving, with the mirror in his hand.

 

2) Asaka is Rumi.

Shinichi/Conan read the first part of Koji's dying message incorrectly, mainly because he hasn't realized the second part; Rumi, perhaps Koji's girlfriend, was hired by Amanda Hughes as a bodyguard; Rumi was overpowered by Rum, but not killed, and Amanda was then killed; Koji walks in during the murder, hears "Rum" (either some time before or just before), and tries to intervene (or is seen before he can get the police); Koji is killed by APTX 4869; perhaps, Rum's eye is gouged by Koji with the scissors found gripped in his hand, hence why pictures were taken of the mirror (the struggle between Rum and Koji could've led to the police being called by someone else); after the pictures are taken of the mirror, Rumi (perhaps awakening from unconsciousness), grabs the mirror and flees, fearing she'll be suspected, arrested, and convicted, and is seen by a witness, leaving, with the mirror in her hand; Rumi goes into hiding and lays low for years (perhaps she's running from the BO as well as the authorities); Rumi sporadically uploads details of the case, hoping someone will solve it; Eventually, she learns of Kogoro Mouri's involvement, investigates, and discovers Conan Edogawa; Rumi applies to become a teacher at Teitan High, and is hired; Rumi, on her first day, tests Shinichi's/Conan's intelligence in order to see if he's the true Sleeping Kogoro, so she can then approach him about the case, and see if he can lead her to Rum, and get revenge for what he did to her.

 

3) Asaka is neither Rum nor Rumi, but someone else.

Shinichi/Conan read Koji's dying message incorrectly (in terms of Asaka not being Rum); either a BO agent (not Rum) became Amanda's bodyguard to make it easier for Rum to kill her, or someone like Mary was brought in as Amanda's bodyguard; either Koji walked in during the murder, heard "Rum" (either some time before or just before, likely from Asaka), and tried to intervene (or was seen before he could get the police), or Mary (or whoever was brought in as the bodyguard) was overpowered by Rum, but not killed, and Amanda was then killed; either Koji is killed by APTX 4869 administered to him by Rum, or Koji is killed by APTX 4869 administered to him by Rum or by Asaka; perhaps, Rum's eye is gouged by Koji with the scissors found gripped in his hand, hence why pictures were taken of the mirror (the struggle between Rum and Koji could've led to the police being called by someone else)—in this case, if Asaka is a BO agent, they'd be the one to administer APTX to Koji; either Rum flees the scene (especially if his eye is gouged), and after the pictures are taken of the mirror, Asaka and takes it, and is seen by a witness, leaving, with the mirror in his hand, or after the pictures are taken of the mirror, Mary (or whoever the bodyguard brought in is, perhaps awakening from unconsciousness), grabs the mirror and flees, and is seen by a witness, leaving, with the mirror in their hand (in either scenario, Rumi could still have been Koji's girlfriend, and still could be one uploading the case's details).

 

 

For that instant, we see the "........." on Page 17 of File 330—he never thinks about it, after that moment (at least, we're not shown him thinking about it... or about the behavioral inconsistencies (355–357/274–275)). 

 

Vermouth could've been Jodie, as Gosho wanted us to think, at the time. Only those who noted certain hints (File 340, Page 18/File 343, Page 18) and recalled Gosho's tendencies to make the least suspicious/harmless character the culprit realized that Vermouth was Tomoaki.

 

 

http://bato.to/reader#1a9d982780e85db0_16

http://bato.to/reader#1a9d982780e85db0_17

 

Plus, if Shinichi/Conan thought that Shuichi's presence during that case was due to James, he'd associate James with Shuichi, who he, for some time, thought was a BO agent.

 

He wasn't bothered by Shinichi/Conan to the degree of Shuichi, Jodie and Tomoaki/Vermouth, yes, but that was because after his intro case (325–327/258–259), he didn't appear until the Vermouth arc was over. Gosho could've had him appear even more suspicious.

1. They never mentioned that blood traces was found on the scissors...

 

3. Although I'm not completely on board with the details(since it could've gone multiple of ways at this point), I think Mary's latest behavior and knowledge makes sense with her being Asaka. Sera doesn't look to be well informed of the details regarding that case though...

 

 

I know that, and I wasn't trying to pass it off as 100% confirmed fact, but rather more of an analysis of the implications and hints that where given in those instances.

 

did those even exist? x)

(I would like to know what long term fans that followed through the Vermouth arc thought at those moments)

 

Except...he didn't, since he never looked back at James, up until the Kir arc...

That whole "james Moriarty" scene was just a redherring(Conan himself played that idea off), and Conan was too distracted by Akai before he could even consider James to be suspicious...

 

You probably meant "James black"...

Yeah, but that's just if Gosho intended for james to become more than just a BO suspect, along with Akai...

The biggest clue that there was a second Vermouth suspect(Araide) started from that scene in file 343...

[DCUniverseAficionado 252]

2 minutes ago, MeiTanteixX said:

1. They never mentioned that blood traces was found on the scissors...

 

If Rum's eye was gouged by Koji, the blood was probably wiped off (by Rum, or by BO agent Asaka, if Asaka was a BO agent who wasn't Rum).

 

4 minutes ago, MeiTanteixX said:

3. Although I'm not completely on board with the details(since it could've gone multiple of ways at this point), I think Mary's latest behavior and knowledge makes sense with her being Asaka. Sera doesn't look to be well informed of the details regarding that case though...

 

Sorry, I just don't see it. Until further notice, that's that.

 

6 minutes ago, MeiTanteixX said:

I know that, and I wasn't trying to pass it off as 100% confirmed fact, but rather more of an analysis of the implications and hints that where given in those instances.

 

Yeah, kinda figured that—I'm probably, eventually, gonna get that response for always mentioning the file numbers/episode numbers of cases, all the time, too. 

 

9 minutes ago, MeiTanteixX said:

did those even exist? x)

(I would like to know what long term fans that followed through the Vermouth arc thought at those moments)

 

Well, you've stated your curiosity—if they'd like to fill you (and me) in, here's their opportunity.

 

11 minutes ago, MeiTanteixX said:

Except...he didn't, since he never looked back at James, up until the Kir arc...

That whole "james Moriarty" scene was just a redherring(Conan himself played that idea off), and Conan was too distracted by Akai before he could even consider James to be suspicious...

 

You probably meant "James black"...

Yeah, but that's just if Gosho intended for james to become more than just BO suspect, along with Akai...

The biggest clue that there's a second Vermouth suspect(Araide) started from that scene in file 343...

 

Hence why I wrote:

 

1 hour ago, DCUniverseAficionado said:

He wasn't bothered by Shinichi/Conan to the degree of Shuichi, Jodie and Tomoaki/Vermouth, yes, but that was because after his intro case (325–327/258–259), he didn't appear until the Vermouth arc was over. Gosho could've had him appear even more suspicious.

 

About that File 343/Episode 278 scene—before Heiji leaves, he says, "If any other suspicious people appear, let me know!" Shinichi/Conan then thinks, "Jodie isn't the only one... there are others... two others." Sorry, I just can't help but think of James—even after knowing how the Vermouth arc ends, when I first read/saw this scene, I thought he meant that Shuichi and James were the two others (Jodie's 1st appearance: File 277/Episode 227; Shuichi's 1st appearance: File 287/Episode 231; James' 1st appearance: File 325/Episode 258... Tomoaki's 1st appearance: File 234/Episode 170). I know Gosho, in all probability, meant Tomoaki/Vermouth, but that wasn't my initial thought.

 

Like you doubt Sakurako will have any bearing on the plot, there were those who must've doubted that Tomoaki would have any bearing on the plot, back then.

 

 

[MeiTanteixX 184]

20 minutes ago, DCUniverseAficionado said:

Like you doubt Sakurako will have any bearing on the plot, there were those who must've doubted that Tomoaki would have any bearing on the plot, back then.

 

It's not so much that I doubt Sakurako completely, just that beyond the little notice of Conan's behavior, she hasn't shown any signs of becoming a potential plot character(I'll have to look back on her appearances to be sure though). I'd say Araide would've been a more convincing "plot-poential character" if I read File 330, or even the bus hijack case, for the first time...

 

[DCUniverseAficionado 252]

46 minutes ago, MeiTanteixX said:

 

It's not so much that I doubt Sakurako completely, just that beyond the little notice of Conan's behavior, she hasn't shown any signs of becoming a potential plot character(I'll have to look back on her appearances to be sure though). I'd say Araide would've been a more convincing "plot-poential character" if I read File 330, or even the bus hijack case, for the first time...

 

 

Except, again, it's not just that Gosho's put the brakes on the plot since those days—he's pulled the emergency break, with the past 9 years.

[MeiTanteixX 184]

14 hours ago, DCUniverseAficionado said:

 

Except, again, it's not just that Gosho's put the brakes on the plot since those days—he's pulled the emergency break, with the past 9 years.

Either way, it's an exciting debate!

Let's see who "Asaka" ends up being....

....Mary VS Rumi...!

[Jimmy-kud0-tv2 34]

My copy of Volume 90 just showed up, have a higher quality thing

 

 

[DCUniverseAficionado 252]

1 hour ago, Jimmy-kud0-tv2 said:

My copy of Volume 90 just showed up, have a higher quality thing

 

 

 

Any changes made in the volume versions of the files, as compared to the raw versions?

 

3 hours ago, MeiTanteixX said:

Either way, it's an exciting debate!

Let's see who "Asaka" ends up being....

....Mary VS Rumi...!

 

Either way, it seems we both think that Asaka's more likely to be a woman than a man (maybe Gaito Hotta was right about Asaka's gender, just for the wrong reason).

[Chekhov MacGuffin 1089]

20 hours ago, DCUniverseAficionado said:

1) Asaka is Rum.

Shinichi/Conan read Koji's dying message correctly; Rum became Amanda Hughes' bodyguard in order to kill her; Koji walked in during the murder, heard "Rum" (either some time before or just before), and tried to intervene (or was seen before he could get the police); Koji is killed by APTX 4869; perhaps, Rum's eye is gouged by Koji with the scissors found gripped in his hand, hence why pictures were taken of the mirror (the struggle between Rum and Koji could've led to the police being called by someone else); after the pictures are taken of the mirror, Rum returns and takes it, and is seen by a witness, leaving, with the mirror in his hand.

 

2) Asaka is Rumi.

Shinichi/Conan read the first part of Koji's dying message incorrectly, mainly because he hasn't realized the second part; Rumi, perhaps Koji's girlfriend, was hired by Amanda Hughes as a bodyguard; Rumi was overpowered by Rum, but not killed, and Amanda was then killed; Koji walks in during the murder, hears "Rum" (either some time before or just before), and tries to intervene (or is seen before he can get the police); Koji is killed by APTX 4869; perhaps, Rum's eye is gouged by Koji with the scissors found gripped in his hand, hence why pictures were taken of the mirror (the struggle between Rum and Koji could've led to the police being called by someone else); after the pictures are taken of the mirror, Rumi (perhaps awakening from unconsciousness), grabs the mirror and flees, fearing she'll be suspected, arrested, and convicted, and is seen by a witness, leaving, with the mirror in her hand; Rumi goes into hiding and lays low for years (perhaps she's running from the BO as well as the authorities); Rumi sporadically uploads details of the case, hoping someone will solve it; Eventually, she learns of Kogoro Mouri's involvement, investigates, and discovers Conan Edogawa; Rumi applies to become a teacher at Teitan High, and is hired; Rumi, on her first day, tests Shinichi's/Conan's intelligence in order to see if he's the true Sleeping Kogoro, so she can then approach him about the case, and see if he can lead her to Rum, and get revenge for what he did to her.

 

3) Asaka is neither Rum nor Rumi, but someone else.

Shinichi/Conan read Koji's dying message incorrectly (in terms of Asaka not being Rum); either a BO agent (not Rum) became Amanda's bodyguard to make it easier for Rum to kill her, or someone like Mary was brought in as Amanda's bodyguard; either Koji walked in during the murder, heard "Rum" (either some time before or just before, likely from Asaka), and tried to intervene (or was seen before he could get the police), or Mary (or whoever was brought in as the bodyguard) was overpowered by Rum, but not killed, and Amanda was then killed; either Koji is killed by APTX 4869 administered to him by Rum, or Koji is killed by APTX 4869 administered to him by Rum or by Asaka; perhaps, Rum's eye is gouged by Koji with the scissors found gripped in his hand, hence why pictures were taken of the mirror (the struggle between Rum and Koji could've led to the police being called by someone else)—in this case, if Asaka is a BO agent, they'd be the one to administer APTX to Koji; either Rum flees the scene (especially if his eye is gouged), and after the pictures are taken of the mirror, Asaka and takes it, and is seen by a witness, leaving, with the mirror in his hand, or after the pictures are taken of the mirror, Mary (or whoever the bodyguard brought in is, perhaps awakening from unconsciousness), grabs the mirror and flees, and is seen by a witness, leaving, with the mirror in their hand (in either scenario, Rumi could still have been Koji's girlfriend, and still could be one uploading the case's details).

Good summary of these ideas and how they would work!

 

On 8/17/2016 at 9:32 PM, MeiTanteixX said:

that's assuming he lost it at that time...

Where does Kuroda's accident fit in in the Rum arc? As a Rum suspect, he should be connected to Rum in some shape or form(like how FBI was to Vermouth, how Eisuke was to Kir or How Subaru and Sera was to Bourbon)...

I think Rum's accident might be linked with Kuroda's(which is how Kuroda comes into play in this arc)...

 

Too early to tell.

 

On 8/18/2016 at 1:28 AM, DCUniverseAficionado said:

So you believe Asaka is Rum, not that Asaka is Mary or Rumi (in Rumi's case, she'd actually be Akasa)?

Yes, for now. I think Asaka is Kohji's and Amanda Hughes' killer per Conan's suspicions and because it's the simplest theory to cover the facts we have available now. I also think he stole the dying message from the crime scene as a last minute clean up, thus causing his gender to be mistaken. That sort of trick would be very in line with the methods used in the several past "conflicting witness testimony" cases (there are at least 3 of them), and explains the reason Gosho made the unusual move of waiting to append that detail to the end of the case. It's possible for something more complicated to come up (like the Wakasa = Akasa theory above), but I'm not going there until there is a reason to.

 

On 8/18/2016 at 5:54 AM, MeiTanteixX said:

Yes, at least the interpretation of it "Asaca=Rum" seems too much like a red-herring that is supposed to stir up Conan's investigation(Akai might have something else in mind though)...As for the code "Asaca Rum" in general...that's why the "Carasuma" theory got resurrected to begin with...(I don't see why Kouji would attempt to write "Wakasa Rumi" without a "W" and "I" anyway)...

I think the presence of the Black Organization at the songwriter murder case as well as Vermouth specifically asking a suspect why the song was spelt with a "Ca" rather than a "Ka" show that the Black Organization sees Asaca Rum as the correct decoding (and their motivation for investigating). It is possible the Black Organization is incorrect and the message is truly something else. If Kohji was trying to write Wakasa Rumi, I would have left the M behind turned upsidedown as a W by the mirror.

There are also more elements of the dying message scene that Conan may not have considered. There is "Juke Hot(el)" and the half a heart that looks like a cursive c.

For now though, I don't see a reason why the message is wrong. We have a pretty convincing answer (the BO's opinion!) that covers all the known info from the Kohji case so far, with no known contradictions that can't be explained. Same goes with Asaka=Rum. (We know Rum screwed up in the Kohji case because Gin bitched about it. Asaka killing Kohji and failing to clean up his dying message before pictures appeared seems like an appropriately large botch.) Leaping to alternate solutions just because something seems too simple or obvious can be even more perilous than taking something suspicious at face value. Oftentimes with Gosho, the simplest thing that explains all the events is the right answer.

 

19 hours ago, MeiTanteixX said:

I think Mary's latest behavior and knowledge makes sense with her being Asaka.

Asaka does not have enough boobage to be Mary. Asaka's hand blocking picture is low quality, but not so bad that you would miss a pair of grapefruits as displayed in the flashback.

 

19 hours ago, MeiTanteixX said:

did those even exist? x)

(I would like to know what long term fans that followed through the Vermouth arc thought at those moments)

Copy from here: http://forums.dctp.ws/viewtopic.php?t=7259&start=105#p617343

 

I went through the Vermouth arc after it was written solo with no internet discussion or spoilers, but I got the right answer in the end because primarily because Vermouth went to school to be close to Conan and Ai, and Jodie went to the high school because she was following Araide. I missed the pictures of pictures clue and the not-aging. The NY case helped me make the major breakthroughs in figuring out Vermouth's identity and motives. That case explained the motive (loyalty shinichi and ran), and clarified her skills. I think there was a period where I thought Chris and Sharon were separate but it was Chris that appeared in NY as Sharon for reasons, but that changed sometime before the flashback to Jodie's past probably because only Sharon could be familiar enough with Yukiko -- I can't remember exactly why right now. The flashback to Jodie's past set in stone all my suspicions. I'm not sure why I never figured out the aging discrepancy, I probably overlooked it because I wanted to see if I was right on the other things and rushed. I lost my brainstorming and notes sheet doc in a comp failure years ago.

 

18 hours ago, MeiTanteixX said:

19 hours ago, DCUniverseAficionado said:

Like you doubt Sakurako will have any bearing on the plot, there were those who must've doubted that Tomoaki would have any bearing on the plot, back then.

It's not so much that I doubt Sakurako completely, just that beyond the little notice of Conan's behavior, she hasn't shown any signs of becoming a potential plot character

This is the main difference between Tomaki and Sakurako. In terms of current plot relevant chars, Sakurako has only appeared with Shuukichi, but nothing has happened to indicate we should be suspecting her of being related to anything. Tomoaki appeared with Jodie and Haibara and Shinichi in Desperate Revival, then Akai and Jodie and Haibara in the busjack. Busjack was when Haibara's senses went nuts and told every sensible reader that Vermi was Jodie, Akai, or Tomoaki. We don't have the equivalent of a "Vermouth on a bus. Three suspects. Which one?" moment right now. We have a dozen+ recent recurring chars, a vague description of Rum, and some unconnected backstories. Sometimes background fluff characters get introduced like Azusa Enomoto, Yoko Okino, Hideo Akagi, Ryusuke Higo, or pre-Shiratori Sumiko Kobayashi. Sakurako isn't a theory priority until a Sakurako-sized gap in the plot appears or she starts hanging out with more plot chars.
 

[Black Demon 466]

Since blocking the camera seems to be an instinctual reaction, is it safe to conclude that Asaka's right-handed?

 

Also, isn't it odd that whoever wrote this article knew of the exact Kanji for Asaka's name? Since it's most likely just an alias, the name shouldn't appear on any record; not to mention Asaka was Amanda's bodyguard in the US, where people don't use Kanji.

 

5 minutes ago, Chekhov MacGuffin said:

Asaka does not have enough boobage to be Mary. Asaka's hand blocking picture is low quality, but not so bad that you would miss a pair of grapefruits as displayed in the flashback.

 

It's hard to tell, especially if disguises are to be considered. Though his/her chest does look a little curvy for a man, so maybe Asaka's a woman after all? But in-universe wise, Conan couldn't come to any conclusion regarding Asaka's gender though, so... 

[Chekhov MacGuffin 1089]

6 minutes ago, Black Demon said:

Since blocking the camera seems to be an instinctual reaction, is it safe to conclude that Asaka's right-handed?

 

Also, isn't it odd that whoever wrote this article knew of the exact Kanji for Asaka's name? Since it's most likely just an alias, the name shouldn't appear on any record; not to mention Asaka was Amanda's bodyguard in the US, where people don't use Kanji.

 

My past handedness analysis suggests that miscellaneous hand actions like this are pretty indicative of handedness, but it's more of an 85% rather than a 100% thing.

 

Maybe Asaka signed into the hotel book? (Or Gosho thinks American hotels do that Japanese thing.)

 

6 minutes ago, Black Demon said:

It's hard to tell, especially if disguises are to be considered.

That is true.

[Black Demon 466]

Btw I just realized something funny. If one really wants to force Rumi into the dying message then there's the first half of the wing pattern missing. So what is the first half of "WING"? It's "W-I" of course! And piecing it together with the rest of the missing letters we get "WAKASA RUMI"! 

 

[Jimmy-kud0-tv2 34]

5 minutes ago, Black Demon said:

Btw I just realized something funny. If one really wants to force Rumi into the dying message then there's the first half of the wing pattern missing. So what is the first half of "WING"? It's "W-I" of course! And piecing it together with the rest of the missing letters we get "WAKASA RUMI"! 

 

The " e l " of Juke Hotel is also missing.

[Black Demon 466]

6 minutes ago, Jimmy-kud0-tv2 said:

The " e l " of Juke Hotel is also missing.

 

Yeah but I doubt you can use the same glass-cutting trick on porcelain cups  (you can still vaguely see the "e" by the way). Just food for thought of course, I don't actually think those mean anything.

[Chekhov MacGuffin 1089]

18 minutes ago, Black Demon said:

Btw I just realized something funny. If one really wants to force Rumi into the dying message then there's the first half of the wing pattern missing. So what is the first half of "WING"? It's "W-I" of course! And piecing it together with the rest of the missing letters we get "WAKASA RUMI"! 

The unexplained "NG" is NG.

[Jimmy-kud0-tv2 34]

2 hours ago, DCUniverseAficionado said:

 

Any changes made in the volume versions of the files, as compared to the raw versions?