Challenge Letter to Shinichi Kudo

Challenge Letter to Shinichi Kudo (工藤新一への挑戦状 ,Kudō Shin'ichi e no Chōsenjō) is a live-action drama series starring Junpei Mizobata as Shinichi Kudo that takes place before the events that begin the story of Detective Conan. The series began airing every Thursday at 23.58 JST - 0.38 JST the following day, from July 7, 2011 to September 29, 2011. Prior to the series three live-action specials were produced, with a fourth special produced afterwards.

Main cast

The following is a listing of the main cast of the drama series according to the Chart section of the official series website.

Character		Actors
Picture	Name	Picture	Name	Notes
	Conan Edogawa		Minami Takayama	Minami Takayama only provides the voice for Conan, since she already voices him in the main series.
		60px	Nao Fujisaki
	Shinichi Kudo	60px	Shun Oguri
			Junpei Mizobata	Mizobata is the 2nd actor to portray Shinichi in live-action following Shun Oguri.
			Kappei Yamaguchi	Yamaguchi voices Shinichi in the post credits' narration in A Challenge Letter to Shinichi Kudo ~Prologue Until Goodbye~.
	Ran Mouri	60px	Tomoka Kurokawa
			Shiori Kutsuna	Kutsuna is the 2nd actress to portray Ran in live-action following Tomoka Kurokawa.
	Kogoro Mouri		Takanori Jinnai	Jinnai has portrayed Kogoro in all live-action adaptations.
	Sonoko Suzuki	60px	Mayuko Iwasa
			Sayaka Akimoto	Akimoto is the 2nd actress to portray Sonoko in live-action following Mayuko Iwasa. She was also a member of the AKB48 idol group.
	Eri Kisaki		Nene Otsuka
	Miwako Sato		Natsuhi Ueno
	Wataru Takagi		Yuichi Tsuchiya
60px	Hajime Hirata	60px	Hironobu Nomura	Hironobu Nomura voices Hajime Hirata, the main villain in the 13-episode series.

Other notable cast

Character		Actors
Picture	Name	Picture	Name	Notes
	Ai Haibara		Megumi Hayashibara	Hayashibara does the voiceover for Haibara, just likes Takayama does for Conan.
		60px	Kyoka Shibata
	Heiji Hattori		Tori Matsuzaka
	Kazuha Toyama		Rei Okamoto
	Hiroshi Agasa	60px	Ryosei Tayama
	Gin	60px	Kuranosuke Sasaki
	Vodka	60px	Taro Okada
	Shiho Miyano	60px	Yu Kashii
	Juzo Megure	60px	Masahiko Nishimura
			Masato Ibu
	Yusaku Kudo	60px	[[|]]
	Yoko Okino	60px	Becky

Episodes

#	Title	Original airdate	English airdate	Plot
1	File. 1 - The High School Detective Before Becoming Conan, Uncovering the Murder Affair Mystery!	July 7, 2011	-
Yuuhei Tsubouchi, a professional cameraman, strangles Momoko Aida after thinking she was going to leave him for another guy & covers up his murderous act by ransacking her apartment to look like a robbery. Will Shinichi be able to prove Tsubouchi's guilt? First appearance of Shinichi Kudo, Ran Mouri, Kogoro Mouri, Miwako Sato, & Wataru Takagi. Ran comments that she longs to have wedding photos like the one's from Tsubouchi's wedding & Shinichi agrees. Meanwhile, Sato comments she'd rather not have any, surprising Takagi & causing him to stumble over his next few words to her.
2	File. 2 - The Live Broadcast Locked Room Murder! Expose the Secret of the Psychic's Curse	July 14, 2011	-
Shinichi is a guest on a live TV program called "The Showdown" where he tests his deductive abilities against the psychic abilities of Jiro Washimi. The TV program goes horribly wrong however when Washimi seems to kill the show's host, Takayuki Harada, using his psychic powers. Are psychic powers really to blame or was it simply a trick by the real murderer? When Shinichi explains how the shape-memory alloy in Harada's bandana works & is the same as the shape-memory alloy found in the materials of Ran's brassiere, Shinichi gets closer towards Ran & comments that the materials are "Excellent, aren't they?". Ran in embarrassment asks how Shinichi could possibly know something like that. Kogoro freaks out and asks if Shinichi & Ran are really in that kind of relationship. Ran then hits him in embarrassment. Later on when the group makes it to the 3rd white room, Ran is startled by the gunshot sounds so Shinichi grabs her hand to help calm her down.
3	File. 3 - The Court Murder Case Behind Closed Doors! Expose the Hostess' Murder Trick	July 21, 2011	-
Shinichi, Ran, & Kogoro attend a trial at which Eri is a witness for the defendant Reika Saito's alibi. Things get out of hand though when Reika begins insulting Eri & Eri threatens to kill her, pointing at Reika with her hand in the shape of a gun. Much to everyone's surprise, a gunshot is heard when Eri Kisaki says "bang" & Reika drops to the floor dead. Can Shinichi prove Eri's innocence? First appearance of Eri Kisaki. When Shinichi is looking at flowers on his phone to possibly give Ran as a gift, Eri catches him & suggests buying underwear instead, saying it's a popular present in foreign countries for lovers. Eri then continues to give Shinichi romance advice.
4	File. 4 - Perfect Crime! The Notice of a Murder at a Wedding, Reveal the Mystery of the Locked Room Poisoning Trick!	July 28, 2011	-
Shinichi loses a game against Ran & Sonoko during lunch so now he must play a penalty game: he must accept every request for a favor for the rest of the day. Before Ran can ask for Shinichi to take her out to a restaurant, Kogoro calls Shinichi & asks for him to assist with the wedding party of Kensuke Motoki and Kanon Shimabara. Later on, one of the guests, Nana Matsumoto, drops dead from what seems to be poison. Kensuke asks for Shinichi to prove his innocence, but is this 1 favor Shinichi can't complete? First appearance of Sonoko Suzuki. Ran's reason for getting Shinichi to do the penalty game in the first place was a roundabout method of getting him to go on a date to a restaurant with her. Ran is relieved when she discovers that Shinichi hasn't had his first kiss yet. While leaving the 4th white room, Ran wants to keep the dress. Shinichi asks if it wouldn't just be better to get a new 1, confusing Ran & causing Kogoro to tell Ran she's not a bride yet.
5	File. 5 - The Amnesiac Actress's Magnificent Murder Trick - The Perfect Crime at the Summer Villa	August 4, 2011	-
Shinichi, Ran, & Sonoko are at movie director Akihiro Nagata's villa where Shinichi is practicing for a possible role in 1 of Nagata's films. Nagata's wife & famous actress Chisato becomes jealous & enraged when she catches Nagata "demonstrating" a kiss on rising actress Saori Kisaragi & even threatens her with a knife. Nagata calms Chisato down as villa manager Kana Ishihara prepares tea for the group. Suddenly, Nagata collapses from poison in his tea and Chisato suffers a shock so great that she loses her memory! It's up to Shinichi to reveal the truth, find Nagata's murderer, & prove whether or not Chisato has truly lost her memory. Ran is clearly jealous of Saori when she discovers Shinichi is supposed to do a kissing scene with her. Nagata, catching on to Shinichi & Ran's actions around each other, suggests that Shinichi & Ran should do the love scene instead, embarrassing both of them.
6	File. 6 - The Twenty Ladies' Magnificent Killing Kiss! The Killing Intent Hidden in the Murder Equation!	August 11, 2011	-
Shinichi & Ran in disguise, accompanied by Takagi, spy on Kogoro flirting with the hostesses at the Cristiano cabaret club. Kogoro & variety show educator Masato Mine are invited to participate in 1 of the club's games in which the men receive kisses on the cheek from 19 of the hostesses while a decanter of wine is filled & the grand prize is a kiss from lead hostess Kumi Amagi. Mine wins the game, so Kumi drinks his decanter of wine & prepares to kiss him, only to collapse to the floor dead instead. How did the murderer ensure Kumi would end up with the poison? Was the game truly luck, or can Shinichi reveal the secret behind winning the game & catch the murderer? When Kazuyo asks Ran if she loves Shinichi, Ran Mouri gets very embarrassed & claims Shinichi is just a mystery geek. After the murderer's motive is revealed, Ran asks Shinichi if he would ever kill somebody for the sake of someone he loved. Shinichi replies that no matter what a murder is still a murder. However, when Shinichi gives Ran the antidote in present day he adds on that although he wouldn't kill somebody for Ran, he would never let the one he loves die.
7	File. 7 - The Blood Smeared Kin's Inheritance Murder! Reveal the Mystery Behind the Kidnapping Trick!	August 18, 2011	-
After attending the funeral of a famous ramen chain owner, Sonoko gets kidnapped along with Yuri Noguchi! Miki, Yuri's sister, receives a phone call from the kidnapper demanding a large amount of money in diamonds. Shinichi & Ran manage to get to Sonoko & Yuri safely, only to find Miki was murdered when she was separated from them! Who killed Miki and why?
8	File. 8 - A Girl's Willpower, Revenge on the Molester! The Surveillance Camera's Hidden Murder Trick	August 25, 2011	-
Shinichi & Ran are riding a bus in Beika when Ran is suddenly touched on her butt by molester Osamu Sawada. After chasing the molester, Shinichi & Ran come across a case at the Beika Residence apartments where Katsuyo Miyano's respirator ceased working & she lies between life & death. Is Makoto Yamashita responsible for the respirator trouble through neglect or is there more to this case, & what does Sawada's obsession with Yukari Miyano's black underwear have to do with anything? After capturing the molester on the bridge, Shinichi comments that he's the only one allowed to touch Ran. Ran however isn't amused & threatens Shinichi with a kick.
9	File. 9 - Heiji Hattori and the Locked Room Unseen Weapon Murder Mystery! The East-West Detective Reasoning Battle	September 1, 2011	-
Osakan high school detective Heiji & his best friend Kazuha are on their way to visit Teitan High School when they witness a thief steal a purse. Heiji chases after the thief only to run past Shinichi & Ran on their way back from school. They capture the thief only to suddenly hear a woman scream in a nearby house. When owner Yoshino Fujimaru gets home & lets them in, the three are surprised to find Hideko Nakajima dead on a couch with a shard of glass protruding from her neck. First appearance of Heiji Hattori & Kazuha Toyama. Shinichi & Kazuha both notice Ran seeming to watch Heiji very closely. Shinichi comments on it making Ran ask if he's jealous. Shinichi quickly claims he's not, but then Kazuha asks to talk to Ran privately. A jealous Kazuha confronts Ran forcing Ran to explain herself. Ran was watching Heiji because he reminded her so much of the guy she thinks about. Kazuha explains the story to Ran about how she & Heiji were accidentally handcuffed to 1 another when they were little & shows Ran the piece of the chain she keeps as a lucky charm. Ran asks if she & Heiji are dating but Kazuha, embarrassed, remarks that she thinks of herself as more of an older sister to Heiji Hattori. Kazuha in turn asks if Ran is dating the "mystery-loving-nut" she was commenting on earlier & as Ran explains she isn't quite sure what their relationship is, Shinichi overhears the girls' conversation.
10	File. 10 - Mystery of the Corpse That Teleported 200 Kilometers! Reveal the Wicked Woman's Perfect Crime Plan	September 8, 2011	-
Ran video-chats with Yukino Mizutani, Kogoro's client who apparently is under domestic abuse & being stalked by her lover, Kensuke Kubo. In the middle of the conversation, Yukino seems to be attacked by Kubo & screams for help. Ran calls Shinichi to Beika Mansion where Yukino lives; rushing there, she bumps into Kubo & later deduces that he is the culprit. However, Yukino is nowhere to be found – her corpse is discovered 6 hours later at a weekly mansion in Saitama, which is 200 km far from Beika Mansion; therefore, it's impossible for Kubo to be the culprit..
11	File. 11 - A Kiss is the Reason for Killing, a 20-year-old Revenge Murder! The Mystery of the Perfect Alibi	September 15, 2011	-
Shinichi invites Ran to have dinner in the restaurant on the 38th floor of the Beika Center Building for a reason. Meanwhile, a murder occurs: the victim is Taiji Tatsumi, the president of the Games company. Shinichi suspects the director of Games, Satoru Oba, but he has been with the president's daughter, Sakurako Tatsumi, all the time. Can Shinichi solve the case & go back to confess his intention to the waiting Ran on time? Shinichi attempts to confess his feelings for Ran in the same location his father, Yusaku Kudo, proposed to his mother. Unfortunately the lights in the restaurant go out just before he manages to say anything, so he doesn't end up confessing.
12	File. 12 - I'm the Killer! Three Independent Murderers? Reveal the Mystery of the Disguised Murder!	September 22, 2011	-
Machiko Sonoda, Ran's computer school teacher & Kogoro's drinking buddy, is found lying still – presumably dead – behind the closed shutter of Beika City Bank's safe-deposit box floor. There is a warning – the moment the shutter is open or the police make a move, the bank will be exploded. When asked for the murder culprit, all three suspects – Yuzo Nimura, Yoko Sakai & Ryosuke Hasegawa – raise their hands. Can Shinichi find the true culprit & prevent the 'explosion'?
13	File. 13 - Ran Dies! Expose the Mystery of the Final White Room Challenge from the True Culprit to the Genius Detective	September 29, 2011	-
Right after Ran admits being the criminal behind everything, she & Shinichi are separated & put to sleep. Hearing Takagi's voice, Shinichi wakes up, finding himself at Beika Marina & Ran lying still nearby. However, Ran is declared dead by a Medical Examiner named Hajime Hirata, & will be dissected to find out the cause of death; Shinichi can't do anything, being taken to the police station as an important witness. He & Kogoro later deduce Ran is only in an "apparent death" condition & may be revived. Will Shinichi be able to locate the true culprit of the white room? More important, can he save Ran? Shocked & desperate to hear that Ran is dead and going to be dissected, Shinichi does all it takes to rush to Ran & has to be stopped by both Sato & Takagi. Much later, after having suspended the criminal, Shinichi finds Ran in the morgue & try to wake her up – to no avail. Overwhelmed by agony, Shinichi cries, stating that he hasn't been in time to save her. When Ran comes to finally, both of them apologize to each other, & Shinichi says he is glad that Ran is safe. While piggy-backing Ran to the hospital, Shinichi offers to take Ran to an amusement park after she recovers & wins the city Karate Tournament. Several months later, Shinichi takes Ran to Tropical Land and gives her another phone strap as a present.

Specials

Special	Title	Original airdate	English airdate	Plot
1	A Challenge Letter to Shinichi Kudo ~Prologue Until Goodbye~	October 2, 2006	-
The story takes place when Shinichi was still a high school student. A letter of challenge is sent to Shinichi, a high school detective who continues to successfully solve difficult cases! "I'm going to do a kidnapping during the Teitan High School field trip." The match with the life at stake between Shinichi & the culprit who bravely gave a warning before committing his crime begins!
2	Shinichi Kudo Returns! Confrontation with the Black Organization	December 17, 2007	-
Conan, Ran, Kogoro, Sonoko, Ai, & Agasa attends a party for the "Miss Japanesque" awards, where the strongest candidate to win gets a threatening letter!! Conan & Ai who came to the judging location temporarily transforms back to their original bodies after eating a cake!! While there, a murder takes place, & Shinichi must solve the case. Then, the Black Organization that was targeting the two jumped into action!! This life-threatening drama with the hotel as the stage has begun.
3	A Challenge Letter to Shinichi Kudo ~The Mystery of the Legendary Bird~	April 15, 2011	-
What is the legend of a mysterious bird that has been passed down from generation to generation in a remote village? Shinichi, Ran, Sonoko, Eri, & Kogoro are invited to a village by a leading fast food restaurant company owner. However, an impossible kill was successively happening before them!! Were the victims really sacrifices for the mysterious bird god!? Then, what is the meaning of the mirror shards left at each scene?
4	Shinichi Kudo and the Kyoto Shinsengumi Murder Case	April 12, 2012	-
Shinichi & Ran are invited to the set of a jidaigeki in Kyoto. On their airplane ride to Kyoto, a murder mystery arises. As well, when they finally reach the set in Kyoto, they become involved in another murder mystery, where the high school detectives of the East & West Shinichi & Heiji Hattori compete to solve a murder at the Kyoto film studio. Will Shinichi be able to solve the mystery?

Music

Theme songs

#	Episodes	Song name	Artist	Release date	Oricon chart peak
1	Special 3	To You...	Dream	April 13, 2011	-
2	TV series	Kimi to Zutto...	yu-yu	August 24, 2011	-
3	Special 4	Sakura Uta	yu-yu	April 4, 2012	-

Gallery

Correlation chart for Special 2

Correlation chart for Special 3

See also

• Official Japanese site