Andre Camel

Andre Camel
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Profile
Japanese name:	アンドレ・キャメル (Andore Kyameru)
English name:	Andre Camel
Age:	27
Gender:	Male
Occupation:	FBI Agent
Statistics
First appearance:	Manga: File 599 Anime: Episode 497
Appearances:	Chapters: 41 Chapters: 4 Episodes: 30 Episodes: 1 Movies: 4 OVAs: 0 Specials: 0 Openings: 12 Closings: 1
Keyhole number:	Volume 58
Actors
Japanese voice:	Kiyoyuki Yanada

Andre Camel (アンドレ・キャメル ,Andore Kyameru) is a character from the manga and anime franchise Detective Conan. He is an FBI agent.

Background

Andre Camel is a member of the FBI who feels a debt to Shuichi Akai for ruining his infiltration of the Black Organization and the FBI's chances to capture Gin two years ago. Andre Camel is well built and has an ugly mug; Jodie calls him a gorilla at one point. He is an expert technical driver. He isn't married and doesn't have a family.

Personality

Despite his rather hulking appearance, Camel is a nice guy who cares about the feelings of his fellow FBI agents. He can react quickly, as shown by his driving skills and his role in the return Kir plan, but doesn't always make the best choices, evidenced when his concern for an old man wound up ruining Shuichi Akai's cover in the Black Organization. He is also awkward, mostly failing to play the role of Jodie's lover in order to fool the police, and bringing up Akai in front of the still mourning Jodie.

Camel likes working out whenever he gets the chance; Akai calls him a "muscle-training maniac" because of that habit. He also likes to regularly frequent eating establishments where the food and/or drinks have met his approval, and he has developed a strong liking for the Japanese cuisine. As a foreigner with learning only in the standard Japanese language, Camel is unfamiliar with local dialects and idioms common in everyday language.

Plot overview

Organization's Counterattack (Manga: 599-601, Anime: 498-499)

Andre Camel initially appears to be suspicious FBI agent, possibly a Black Organization infiltrator. Jodie calles out to him right before the strategy meeting, and after showing her his badge, he tells her to hold on while he finishes his call to his wife. In reality, he most likely was contacting Shuichi Akai about details for the upcoming plan to return CIA agent Rena Mizunashi to the Black Organization that involves tricking the rest of the FBI as well.

During the strategy meeting, Camel encourages the FBI to consider a plan to move Kir quickly and points out he is an excellent technical driver and would be up for the mission. After the meeting adjourned, Jodie, who felt a bad vibe from Camel, asks Akai if he has seen Camel before. Akai lies, saying he hasn't, but tries to reassure Jodie by saying he would never forget an enemy face.

The following morning, the Black Organization launches their counterattack on the FBI in the hospital. They create several nearby accidents to cause a large rush of people into the hospital and then begin sending patients small bombs hidden inside gifts. Jodie is tasked with getting rid of the bomb that the Black Organization had mailed James Black in a pot of flowers. Camel, who had deserted his nearby post to inform Jodie of the incoming panicked crowd, volunteers to help dispose of the bomb, pointing out all the major roads were clogged with traffic because of the incidents the Black Organization created. Jodie is reluctant, but agrees when Camel claims to have extensive knowledge of the area.

Jodie takes the wheel at first, but Camel steals her driving spot after he tricks Jodie into looking for the source of a non-existent ticking sound in the trunk. Camel then remarks that he will drive off without her because he wants to take a shortcut that only a skilled driver like him could manage in the time before the bomb detonates. To Jodie's dismay, Camel's shortcut turns out to be sidewalks and the wrong the side of the road. He manages to make it to a bridge in time, and telling Jodie to grab the wheel, heaves the bomb into a river where it explodes harmlessly. Jodie calls James to report the success, and Camel smiles at Jodie's praise of his skill.

Camel returns with Jodie to the hospital and they and the rest of the FBI continue collecting bombs that the Black Organization had "gifted" to patients. The Black Organization, in order to lure the FBI agents busy collecting bombs to Rena Mizunashi's room, hack the TV signals in the hospital and broadcast an edited clip of Rena Mizunashi in a hospital gown saying she has recovered from her illness. Jodie rushes towards Mizunashi's room, and on the way sees Camel. Camel says that newcomers aren't told where Mizunashi's room is, and he asks if he should come along. Jodie tells him to keep collecting bombs.

Moving Rena (602-603, Anime: 499-500)

Now that the FBI think the Black Organization has discovered the location of Rena Mizunashi, they hold an emergency meeting to decide on the logistics of fooling the Black Organization with three identical vans. Camel volunteers to drive the van with Rena Mizunashi and Jodie agrees because of his driving skill while disposing of the bomb earlier. Akai warns him not to be scared, "The fear of death is worst than death itself." Camel comments that he has no family to mourn if should he fail, which immediately raises Jodie's suspicions as Camel earlier told her he was calling his wife. As Camel prepares to climb into the van, Jodie confronts him and asks him to give up his driving responsibility to her. Jodie snatches the keys from him, but he knocks her out with a fist to the gut and leaves her propped up against the back of a car. Just before they roll out, James asks Camel if he has seen Jodie, but Camel denies seeing her.

The Black Organization tails the three vans with motorcycles and images the inside of the vans thermally. Camel continues steadily on a course looping back towards the hospital despite Vodka following him. Gin correctly guesses Rena Mizunashi is in the van Vodka is following and soon the three motorcycles and Gin's porsche converge on Camel's van. Camel reports this to James and tells him he will shake them off. At that movement, Kir hits Camel with a bomb she had been holding and the van spins out and skids against a railing to a halt. After Kir bails out, Gin orders Chianti to kill the seemingly unconscious Camel. Before she can do so, there is an explosion in the van. Camel quickly slips out of van on the far side at the same time as the explosion which gives the Black Organization the impression he was killed by it. The singed Camel contacts Akai to tell him the plan was a success, revealing that all his suspicious behavior so far was part of Akai's strategy.

Explaining the plan to the FBI (604-605, Anime: 500)

With Kir safely replanted in the Organization, Akai explains Camel's involvement to the rest of the FBI. Akai had contacted Camel secretly, needing someone to volunteer to drive Kir in one of the three vans, pretend to crash, and then escape the detonating van to trick the Black Organization and the FBI into thinking Kir had been successfully recaptured. Out of the FBI, only Camel was skilled enough as a driver to crash a van precisely and escape an explosion. The original plan was for Camel to ride alone with Kir when the FBI moved her and explain that he wanted her to rejoin the Organization. That wound up being unnecessary because Eisuke had forced Kir to reveal she was awake. While Camel forcibly removed Eisuke from the room, Akai and Conan discussed a new plan with Kir. Camel was told to take out anyone interfering with him being the driver for Rena's van, which is why he knocked out Jodie.

Shiranpuri Case (Manga: 605-609, Anime: 501-504)

A talent agency director was murdered at the New Beika Hotel and the police combed the building looking for foreigners who could speak Japanese. Camel was apprehended while he was jogging down the stairs as an exercise routine. Camel was hoping to hide the fact he was an FBI agent from the police, but when he mentions that he needs to stay fit for work, the Detective Boys and police became curious about his profession. Conan had to call Jodie to come and bail Camel out after the Detective Boys accused him of being a professional killer. Jodie added onto an earlier tale she told the police; she came to Japan after bungling at work and Camel had become worried and followed her to Japan...because he was her lover! Camel was caught off-guard by Jodie's story completely and his lack of believable acting made Detective Takagi sense something was awkward.

The police ask the suspects to move to a different room while they investigate the crime scene. While they are walking, Jodie asks Camel what he had been doing in Japan two years ago. Camel reveals that two years ago, when Akai was still undercover as member of the Black Organization, he was the FBI agent that caused the mission to capture an executive member of the Black Organization to fail. When Akai had received his codename, he was to meet his new boss, Gin, in a warehouse. The FBI planned a trap to capture Gin and staked out the warehouse. Instead of Gin arriving, a old man came in and sat down. Without thinking, Camel came out of hiding and shooed the old man away, telling him it was dangerous here. Gin never showed up and the Black Organization found out Akai was a spy. Because of that, eventually Akemi Miyano, Akai's girlfriend, was murdered by the Black Organization. Camel felt he had a debt to repay to Akai, so when Akai asked if anyone was up for the plan to help return Rena Mizunashi to the Black Organization, Camel volunteered himself even though he was warned that it could cost his life.

Teito Bank (Manga: 677-679, Anime: 563-564)

Jodie, James, and Camel are out shopping for a bottle of alcohol for James' birthday. Camel brings up Akai liked Bourbon whiskey and that if Akai were still around the FBI wouldn't have to worry about the Black Organization operative Bourbon. Jodie snaps at Camel for bringing up Akai and storms out, and James Black chides Camel for forgetting Jodie had feelings for Akai so she is still sensitive about his death.

Scar Akai at the Beika Department Store (Manga: 700-704, Anime: 578-581)

Andre Camel sees Scar Akai.

While Andre Camel is in the bathroom, he sees Scar Akai pass behind him. Camel rushes from the bathroom, but scar Akai is nowhere to be seen. Camel wonders who it was he saw, but unlike Jodie wonders if he might be a trap from the Black Organization. Later he spots Chianti and Gin's Porsche outside the department store, alerting the Jodie and Conan to the sniping plan.

East vs. West rematch (Manga: 778-780, Anime: 651)

Andre Camel goes to a Danny's restaurant to have some of their special curry. While in the restaurant bathroom, Andre overhears a man's phone conversation, which is seemingly about how he regrets killing someone. After leaving his stall, Camel finds the speaker dead from apparent suicide via a poisoned candy. During this case, Camel meets Heiji and Kazuha. Andre is unfamiliar with the Kansai dialect which caused him to misinterpret several things about the dead man's phone conversation. Andre also meets Masumi Sera, who strongly reminds Camel of someone. This feeling prompts him to send her picture to Jodie and James Black to see if they recognize her.

Teacher Assault Case (Manga: 891-893)

Near the end of the case, Bourbon walks up to Camel and asks him about Rikumichi Kusuda, the undercover Black Organization member who killed himself while being chased by Shuichi Akai during the Black Organization and the FBI's standoff in Clash of Red and Black. Camel refuses to disclose any information as it's strictly confidential. Vermouth, disguised as Jodie, then talks to Camel about Rikumichi, and Camel willingly opens up about it. After getting the information that they wanted, Bourbon and Vermouth leave. As the real Jodie approaches him, Camel is horrified to learn that he had made another grave error.

Scarlet Showdown (Manga:894-898)

Jodie starts to piece together the information she has gathered and comes to the conclusion that Shuichi Akai is indeed alive. To confirm her speculation, she and Camel visit Raiha Pass, the site of Akai's apparent death. On their way to the pass, several cars, presumably from the Black Organization, corner Jodie and Camel. Camel surmises that since the Organization has also found out that Akai's alive, they're planning to attack. Camel begins to feel guilty again, due to his mistake probably costing Akai everything he's been planning.

Camel drives towards a rock tactically to jump past the Black Organization cars. After landing, he notices that the steering wheel is starting to rotate to the right and figures that the wheel must have been damaged by the jump stunt. As they're losing their edge in the chase, a voice from the back seat orders Camel to open the roof of the car. To his and Jodie's surprise, it is Shuichi Akai. Akai explains to the two of them that everything that's been going on is part of Conan's plan and that the Black Organization cars chasing them are actually from Japan's Secret Police.

Relationships analysis

Colleagues

Shuichi Akai

Camel feels a debt to Shuichi Akai because his mistake started a chain reaction of events which began with Akai's expulsion from the Black Organization as a spy and ended with Akemi's death. Camel volunteered himself for a life threatening mission to atone for his guilt.

Jodie Starling

Jodie Starling has a tendency to put Camel in sudden awkward situations, most notably by claiming to be his girlfriend in order to explain his and Jodie's continued presence in Japan. Camel doesn't react well, but tries to play along as best he can.

James Black

James Black is Andre's boss.

Name origin

Andre Camel's name comes from Lieutenant Dren, a character from Mobile Suit Gundam. Lieutenant Dren (ドレン ,Doren) is Char Aznable's second in command for part of the series and led the Camel squadron. This matches the pattern for protagonist characters related to Akai Shuuichi to have names derived from antagonists in Mobile Suit Gundam. "Andre" comes from moving the n (ン) in front of the "dore" (ドレ) and adding an 'a'. Camel comes from the same named squadron Dren was in charge of.

Trivia

• Camel likes fruit juice drinks, especially the one they serve at the restaurant on the top of the New Beika Hotel. He also likes the special curry they serve at Danny's. Both of his food likes have accidentally got him involved in murder cases, first as the primary suspect, then as primary witness.

See also

• Characters
• FBI