Wataru Takagi and Miwako Sato

The romantic relationship between Wataru Takagi and Miwako Sato.

Relationship analysis

Takagi and Sato

Wataru Takagi and Miwako Sato are two officers working under Inspector Megure in the first division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, where Sato is currently Takagi's superior. As the story progresses, they start developing strong mutual romantic feelings for one another.

Despite being heavily admired by many male colleagues around her, especially Inspector Shiratori in the beginning, Sato still cares and worries about Takagi deeply, most notably during situations where his safety was put at risk. She also finds in Takagi traits that remind her of her late colleague, Jinpei Matsuda, whom she had become romantically inclined towards in the brief time they've known each other. Takagi, on the other hand, respects Sato as his senior and loves her sincerely as a girlfriend, even to the point of willingly sacrificing his own life just to keep her away from all dangers. After going through numerous difficulties and challenges, in some later cases, their relationship was hinted to have entered a sexual level; however, the true nature of this development has yet to be confirmed.

A running joke in the series is that their relationship never progresses because of interruptions by the rest of the police force or other characters.

Wataru Takagi and Miwako Sato moments

Manga/Anime

Volume 21: Files 208-210/Episode 146-147: Metropolitan Police Detective Love Story

• Takagi tells the Detective Boys he has someone he likes and it's quickly inferred that it's Sato.
• Takagi is told that there is someone Sato likes in the 1st division and he wonders who it is, and worries if it is Ninzaburo Shiratori.
• Shiratori invites Sato out for dinner at a french restaurant after the case is resolved, and is dejected when he gets rejected by Sato.
• Sato instead invites Takagi out, and then also invites Inspector Megure, making Takagi worried that the one Sato likes might be Megure instead of Shiratori.

Volume 23: File 231-233/Episode 156-157: Metropolitan Police Detective Love Story 2

• Takagi asks if Sato likes Inspector Megure (in that way), to which Sato replies yes (she misunderstood). She explains it's because he reminds her of her father, and Takagi realises what she means, that he misunderstood (from before). Sato teases and says he looks like he wants to say something more.

Volume 27: Files 267-269/Episode 205-206: Metropolitan Police Detective Love Story 3

• Sato says she used to think she would grant the wish of the person who solves the mystery and catches Shuushirou, prompting Takagi and Shiratori to fantasise about Sato in a wedding dress. The Detective Boys immediately begin listing the wish they would like granted, and Sato thinks that only they would take it so seriously, but then notices the two men (Takagi and Shiratori) who have both gone quiet and looking like they're thinking hard (about their wishes), and she asks, "What's up with you two?"
• Takagi forgets his handcuffs and says the fortune telling magazine says he is super lucky today. It gives Sato flashbacks of the day her father died, when he left home he had forgotten his handcuffs and also said he had super lucky fortune that day. Sato gives old, rusty handcuffs to Takagi, telling him they are a memento of her father's and that it is sure to bring him luck. Shiratori looks decidedly put out.
• Later, Takagi is handcuffed into a building that has been set on fire, Sato wants to rush into the building but is stopped by Shiratori and Megure. As bits of the building crumbles, Sato yells out that Takagi is a baka, with tears in her eyes, only to hear Takagi answering her from behind them.
• Takagi had gotten out, but was still handcuffed to a metal bar, he collapses from the wound to his head, and Sato notices he has a gun and asks him why he didn't just shoot the handcuffs with his gun. The Detective Boys answer that it must have been because the handcuffs were the memento from Sato's father and he didn't want to damage them. Ai remarks that Takagi is the type to die early.
• Sato holds Takagi's unconscious body, and Shiratori stands to the side with his arms crossed.
• To show her thanks and to keep her promise (because Takagi figured out the mystery), she asks what he wants, and he says he wants to go somewhere sometime with her. He thinks it's a date, but Sato drags him along an undercover mission instead.

Volume 30: Files 296-298/Episode 240-241: The Shinkansen Transport Case

• As Ran is mulling over her failed attempt to ask about Shinichi's feelings for her, Takagi walks by muttering, "Doing it directly is bad..." about his situation with Sato.
• A ticket to a magic show drops out of his jacket, and when asked, Takagi says that Yumi had an extra ticket and invited him, but that he said he wasn't interested. It was a plan Yumi thought up, to see whether Sato's face would change expression when she heard, but Sato instead encourages Takagi to go.
• Later, Takagi gets a phone call from Yumi asking how it went, he hangs up quickly shouting for her to call him at a better time, and Sato is behind him asking him what Yumi wanted.
• At the end of the episode, Yumi and Sato are talking, and Sato asks if Yumi likes Takagi. Yumi exclaims loudly, and thinks that her plan worked.
• Although Sato doesn't seem to care, the others remark that she is in an awfully good mood for someone who just got her pay cut (because a suspect had died in police custody) and "maybe something good happened."

Volume 32: File 328-330/Episode 253-254: Metropolitan Police Detective Love Story 4

• Sato, pressured/forced by her mom to attend an omiai (arranged marriage meeting), randomly picks a photo of a possible suitor (with her toes, no less), and it turns out to be Shiratori.
• Yumi promises to send her a "servant" (Takagi) to save Sato (who had just agreed to a bet with Shiratori that she’d marry him if Takagi didn’t show up within the time the sun sets), and she texts Takagi. However, he is caught up with a case and doesn't read the message until Conan, (who happens to be there eavesdropping with Araide sensei, Ran and Sonoko at the time) calls him using Shinichi's voice and explains the situation. He also helps Takagi with the case.
• Sato, who had just agreed to the wager, thinks that Takagi will definitely come, and then, blushing, she wonders why she thinks that.
• As the sun is about to set, Sato resigns herself to the deal and thinks herself a failure as a police officer for not realizing until just now how important Takagi has become to her.
• Just as Shiratori is about to seal their deal with a kiss, Conan uses Araide-sensei's shadow and his voice-changing bow tie to imitate Takagi's voice, stopping the kiss, and the deal.
• The real Takagi is waiting outside the house, thinking that he failed to stop the bet, when Sato runs out and gets in his car.

Here it is shown that Conan approves of their relationship.

Volume 36: Files 366-368/Episode 301-302: Parade of Malice and Saint

• Sato and Takagi are going on a date to Tropical Marine Land next Sunday, every police officer knows, and it seems lots of them have requested days off and reserved binoculars for that day.
• Takagi puts on a disguise that reminds Sato of her former colleague Matsuda, and Sato slaps him as a result.
• Takagi almost gets blown up and Sato frantically tries to rescue him, not knowing that Takagi is safe, burning her hands in the process. The other infer that she was trying to save both Takagi and Matsuda.
• At the end, Sato apologies for slapping Takagi, and Takagi frets over Sato's hands, resulting in them staring into each other's eyes until they pull away, both blushing.
• Sato says everyone she has ever cared about has died, so it would be better if she and Takagi went back to just being colleagues, and Takagi agrees after a while, losing his nerve to disagree. She walks away sadly, while Takagi stares after her.

Volume 36: File 369-373/Episode 304: The Trembling Police Headquarters

Sato and Takagi were close to kissing before Megure interrupted.

• Takagi thinks he cannot compete against Jinpei Matsuda, and is mocked by the Detective Boys. Takagi says he doesn't want to give up either.
• Sato dreams and sees the grim reaper behind Takagi, and doesn't take him to investigate bomb sites, because she doesn't want anything to happen to him.
• Near the end of the episode, Sato begins to cry on Takagi's shoulder saying that she wants to forget Matsuda, and after Takagi tells her she shouldn't forget, the two nearly kiss. However, they are interrupted by Inspector Megure.
• Sato deletes her precious last mail from Matsuda and says goodbye but that she won't forget him.

TV Original/Episode 321: The Kidnapper's Disappearing Getaway Car

• Sato and Takagi have to pretend to be lovers, and both are embarrassed, Sato makes Takagi sit closer to her and put his arm around her.

Volume 40: Files 404-406/Episode 358-359: Metropolitan Police Detective Love Story 5

• Takagi and Sato are going on their very first date to Tropical Marine Land, where the police officers are following them, led by Shiratori with cameras and binoculars.
• Takagi has bought a ring for Sato but before he can give it to her, he realises his bag has been switched out with that of a drug dealer's.
• Eventually the bag drops into the water and the ring is lost.
• Sato makes Takagi promise that he'll never go away and leave her.
• Conan thinks to himself that though Takagi lost his bag, he gained something much more precious.

Sidebar: this episode is hilarious.

Volume 44: Files 450-452/Episode 390-391: Metropolitan Police Detective Love Story 6

• Sato sternly orders Takagi into her car, so Takagi wonders if he did something wrong. He starts worrying and even thinks she is going to break up with him. However, when he opens the door and a toy snake leaps out, scaring him, Sato starts laughing, commenting that the trick worked perfectly. Takagi is relieved and they flirt cutely. (Chiba and Shiratori are actually watching them the entire time)
• The police department is lead to believe that Takagi will be sent far away on a case for a long time. However, instead of being sad or disappointed, they are ecstatic that Takagi will be leaving (and therefore staying away from Sato). Takagi is, however, disappointed that Sato seems to be indifferent, even asking for twentieth century pears while Yumi burst into tears.
• While investigating the case, Takagi yells, "I'm definitely not going to find another woman! Definitely not!" when he overhears the Detective Boys chatting about Hide (the soccer player) leaving the country and finding a girlfriend as he thought they were talking about him. When he realizes that this is not the case, he is quite embarrassed.
• Takagi is upset that Sato still hasn’t shown any emotion about his leaving Tokyo, but when Sato falls for her own trick with the toy snake, she is silent and appears upset and then suddenly asks Takagi if he won’t forget her even if a super sexy actress becomes the police chief.
• Right after Takagi blurts that he wants to be engaged with Sato before he leaves, Inspector Megure informs them that it is actually Chosuke Takagi who is being sent away not Wataru.
• Sato, who is blushing a lot, asks what Takagi just said, but he quickly changes the subject and says that they should go to karaoke with the kids. Takagi is shown sighing at the karaoke with Conan and Ai watching him.

Volume 47: Files 484-486/Episode 401-402: A Jewel Thief Caught Red-Handed

• Conan and the Detective Boys run into Takagi as he enters into a jewelry shop to buy a brooch for Sato.
• Shiratori heckles him about the jewelry shop visit and the brooch.
• Takagi makes Sato go and look through the coat for the brooch, and it turns out Yumi tricked both Takagi and Shiratori into buying jewelry that Yumi liked. Sato laughs and remarks that she never was one for flashy things.

Volume 50: 511-514/Episode 431-432: Metropolitan Police Detective Love Story 7

• Takagi and Sato have both been invited to a goukon (singles mixer) separately, and both went to even out the numbers, but they didn't tell each other and get jealous when they see each other paying attention to other people.
• In the middle of the case, Sato and Takagi break out into a jealous quarrel.
• Takagi ends up figuring out the case and saving the kidnapper from suicide, getting praise from Inspector Megune.
• Takagi and Sato are driving back, and Takagi says Sato is not a losing lottery ticket, that she is a super win ticket. The two nearly kiss, before being reminded that Kogoro, Ran, and Conan are still in the backseat.

Volume 52: 535-537/Episode 449: Metropolitan Police Detective Love Story - Fake Wedding

• Sato is annoyed that Yumi is sticking too close to Takagi as Yumi and Takagi play stand ins for a couple on their wedding day.
• Later in the case, Sato switches places with Yumi to protect her from the culprit. She tries to arrest him when he attacks her, but then she mistakenly pins Takagi down to the ground since said culprit is a man who looks a lot like Takagi.
• Months later, it turns out that a witness to the 'attack' is a famous photographer and has used a picture he took of Sato pining Takagi down in a commercial ad. Sato and Takagi are embarrassed, and Chiba slyly tells Shiratori that he can't take the ads down.

TV Original/Episode 450-451: Trick vs. Magic

• Scared about the thunder, Takagi strongly hugs Sato at the height of the breasts causing her furiosly embarassed and hit him.

Volume 56: 576-578/Episode 487: Metropolitan Police Detective Love Story 8

• Takagi (and the rest of the police department) is worried about the sudden appearance of a ring on Sato's left hand.
• Ran congratulates Takagi on his engagement to Sato, but is shocked when he learns that the ring is not from him. He says that he feels like he’s on a tightrope with Sato, which helps Conan solve the case.
• Turns out Sato was just wearing it as a charm (because she misunderstood something Yumi said), and Takagi gets her to wear a ring he buys for her, although Sato still thinks it's a charm.

Volume 60: 625-627/Episode 530-531: The Truth Behind the Urban Legend

Sato almost kisses Takagi, Conan is scolded for interrupting

• Takagi and Sato are on a stakeout when Sato says suddenly “give me a hot kiss right now!” and they nearly kiss but they are interrupted by Conan, who points out that they are pretending to be lovers. However, he is scolded by Sonoko because she wanted to see them kiss.
• Later, they both trip as they inspect the bathtub that Conan points out, and end up face to face, staring into each others' eyes while blushing, until Conan coughs and interrupts them again.
• Takagi keeps thinking back to the almost kiss, and gets jealous over the thought that Sato also pulled the "appear as lovers, pretend to kiss" ploy with Chiba on previous stakeouts. (Chiba had just told him that he pretended to be lovers with her and would never forget that “soft feeling”).
• Later, he realizes that Sato had only to held Chiba's hand, and that she asked Takagi to kiss her because it was him.

Volume 64: Files 667-673/Episode 534-535: The Scar that Evokes the Past

• Sato tells Takagi that after the case is solved she’ll go with him to the new hot springs place, and this motivates Takagi to takes up a more active role in the investigation. Sato, however, begins to worry when she hears from Superintendent Matsumoto that this is a very bad signal and that such reckless behavior is likely to trigger Takagi's death in the line of duty. She is even reminded of her father and Jinpei Matsuda.
• Takagi is captured by the killer, and then receives a cellphone call from Sato. The killer deduces that Sato is Takagi's girlfriend and tries to force him reply and stage an even bigger hostage situation. Takagi breaks said cellphone instead, winking and saying, “guess I’ll be your only hostage now.”
• Few minutes later, the still captured Takagi mistakenly believes that Sato is a member of the group that is trying to rescue him and is at the front door. He tries to stop said killer from harming the officers but gets shot for it. In the anime, he even calls out to her before passing out.
• Sato is crushed when she believes Takagi has died, and then is greatly relieved when Shiratori tells her that he's alive. She kisses Takagi when he's hospitalized, after Conan and the Detective Boys ward off Megure and others who were about to enter.

Sato and Takagi kiss

Volume 68: File 708/Episode 585: Timeless Sakura's Love

• After Shiratori shows off the bento Sumiko made for him, Takagi asks Sato for a bento next time, Sato misinterprets Takagi and responds that if he's going to the convenience store, to get her a bento as well, Leaving Takagi feeling dejected and Chiba amused.

Volume 69: File 725-727/Episode 608-609: White Day of Betrayal

• On White Day, Sato overhears Ran and Sonoko discussing return gifts, and turns to Takagi and sticks out her hand expectantly. Takagi points out that he didn't get any Valentines Day presents from Sato, while thinking that he waited and waited, and Sato indignantly retorts that she gave him candy during a stakeout that night. Takagi points out that it was only pocky and Sato had already eaten some beforehand. After Shiratori drives by with a carload of gifts for Sumiko, Sato throws Takagi a sour look.
• Later on, Sato is trying to focus and trying to forget something ominous her friend told her that will happen if her boyfriend doesn't give her return candy.
• After Takagi tricks Sato into opening the glove compartment, Sato is extremely happy, while Takagi remarks that he put his gift in 3 days beforehand.

Volume 76: File 804-808/Episode 681-683: The Life-Threatening Broadcast of Love

Takagi and Sato's second kiss.

• Due to a massive misunderstanding, Takagi is kidnapped and placed in a cruel death trap outside of Tokyo. Sato takes a very active role in his rescue, even attacking the culprit when she finds him.
• At some point in the investigation, Sato lets it slip that she knows Takagi doesn't move too much when he's sleeping, even adding that he looks very cute. She is greatly embarrassed when she realizes the kids are listening.
• Sato saves Takagi barely in time and kisses him, with a camera showing them. The male police officers see that scene and make them angry and jealous.

Volume 82: Files 869-871/Episode 748-749: Metropolitan Police Detective Love Story 9

Takagi imagining being a family with Sato.

• Takagi misunderstands and believes Sato is pregnant with his child, and he says he'll take full responsibility, and envisions them married.

Volume 82: Files 865-868/Episode 751-752: The Case of the Lucky Calico

• Takagi accidentally reveals that he has slept on Sato's bed because he knows that it's "soft and fluffy", both of them blushed awkwardly in response to the Detective Boys' speculation.
• Later in Page 9 of Vol 82 File 867, Takagi whispers to Sato that "what was really soft and warm wasn't, of course, the bedding..." in front of the kids, making her furiously embarrassed. The implication of them having a sexual relationship is so direct that it wasn't included in the anime.

Volume 88: Files 928-930/Episode 828: Ramen So Good, It's to Die For 2

• Sato and Takagi put on disguise to catch the culprit at a ramen shop. It's again stated that they're sexually active, as Sato tells Takagi that she plans to work out *intensely* that night to burn out calories and is mad when he misses the point of her remark.

TV Original/Episode 851-852: The Descent Into Hell Tour of Love

• Takagi pretends he is sick and tells Megure that he’ll be gone on sick leave, but instead he goes on a date with Sato in Yufuin. Sato is unaware of this, as Takagi told her that he had managed to take a day off, until she receives a call from Inspector Megure telling about a case and mentioning that Takagi is on sick leave. Sato then gets furious at Takagi, making him trembling with fear.
• Near the end, Takagi apologizes profusely, but Sato says that she won’t forgive him.

Movies/OVAs

Movie 4: Captured in Her Eyes

Takagi holds Sato in his arms in Movie 4.

• When Sato asks Takagi about her outfit, he begins to blush and replies saying it look amazing on her.
• When Kogoro begins interrogating Takagi, Conan reveals to Kogoro about Takagi's true feelings for Sato. Takagi begins to deeply blush and Kogoro seeing it's true, threatens to reveal the news Sato, but Takagi stops him and reveals some information on the recent case.
• When Conan, Kogoro and Takagi arrive at the scene, Takagi hurries to Sato's side and hold her in his arms.
• When a man pushes a woman out of a train and Takagi catches her he remembers when he was holding Sato, who was shot and undergoing surgery. He goes into shock and gets distracted long enough for the culprit to push Ran onto the rail track.
• At the end of the film when Shiratori reveals that Sato is going to be alright, Takagi is shown to be crying tears of joy upon discovering the news.

Movie 10: The Private Eyes' Requiem

Takagi and Sato on a date at Tropical Land in Movie 10.

Movie 17: Private Eye in the Distant Sea

Sato hugs Takagi upon finding Ran in Movie 17.

Lupin III vs. Detective Conan: The Movie

The wedding poster of Takagi and Sato as Sato's phone cover in Lupin III vs. Detective Conan: The Movie.

Openings

Opening 7: Mysterious Eyes

• Takagi and Sato appear together with a pair of handcuffs in the index finger, a posible reference to a recently case or a future case involving Sato's father.

Opening 10: Winter Bells

• Both appear together during the final scenes, Takagi looking flushed to Sato.
• In the final scene, they appear together again.

Opening 12: Kaze no Lalala

• In the final scene, they two appear together.
• In the final scene, they are watching the camera with the same facial expression.

Opening 13: Kimi to Yakusoku Shita Yasashii Ano Basho Made

• In the ending final, they are shown very close, with Sato teasing Takagi.

Opening 14: START

• In the moment when appear the police detectives, they appear followed almost with Yumi in between.
• In the final shot of the main cast, they also appear very close but with Yumi in between again.

Opening 16: Growing of my heart

• Takagi and Sato appear all the time nearly.

Opening 18: 100 Mono Tobira

• They appear at the same moment at the same level line.

Opening 20: Namida no Yesterday

• In the nearly middle of the opening, Takagi pretend to approach with Sato but Shiratori give him away of her.

Opening 21: Glorious Mind

• They two appear in the whole first opening version, Takagi worried about Sato's ring.

Opening 23: Ichibyōgoto ni Love for you

• In the final shot of the opening, they two appear very close.

Opening 24: Mysterious

• In the opening, the scene when appear many main characters, they appear together.

Opening 25: Revive

• In the opening, they appear together with the other police detectives and Kogoro.
• In the final ending, they appear next to each other.

Opening 26: Everlasting Luv

• In the opening, they appear at the same time, together.

Opening 27: MAGIC

• When they appear in the opening, Sato shows her police badge and Takagi his wallet, reveling a Sato picture in, and blushed.

Opening 28: As the Dew

• Takagi and Sato appear together with many characters.
• Takagi and Sato make a similar pose and smiled to the camera.

Opening 29: SUMMER TIME GONE

• Takagi and Sato appear next to the same police car although not together and looking up into the sky.
• In the end of the opening, they two are standing together and smiling.

Opening 31: Don't Wanna Lie

• Takagi and Sato appear with Chiba running like in Opening 16.

Opening 32: Misty Mystery

• Takagi and Sato appear together with the other police officers, looking at the camera.

Opening 33: Miss Mystery

• Takagi and Sato appear during the scene of the floating screens together with a blue background.

Opening 35: TRY AGAIN

• Takagi and Sato appear very close, smiling, with a pink background.

Opening 37: Butterfly Core

• Takagi and Sato appear together not watching to the camera.

Opening 38: Greed

• In the scene with the police, they appear near.
• In the nearly final shot with the whole group, they appear very close looking above to the camera.

Trivia

• They are one of the rarer non-childhood couples.
• Takagi gets a lot of grief as Sato is so popular in the police department.
• They are the first couple to be introduced of the police group.
• Though Takagi was introduced in Conan's arc, Sato was introduced in Sherry's arc.
  • This is similar to Heiji Hattori and Kazuha Toyama, in which, the boy (Heiji/Takagi) was introduced in Conan's arc and the girl (Kazuha/Sato) was introduced in Sherry's arc.
• They are, along with Gin and Vermouth, the only couple who have any kind of sexual references.

See also

• Wataru Takagi
• Miwako Sato
• Sato family
• Metropolitan Police Detective Love Story (series)
• Ninzaburo Shiratori and Sumiko Kobayashi
• Kazunobu Chiba and Naeko Miike
• Shukichi Haneda and Yumi Miyamoto