Roller Coaster Murder Case

Chronology
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Episode 1 (Int. Episode {{{int-episode}}})
Information
Title:	The Roller Coaster Murder Case
Japanese title:	JETTO KOOSUTAA satsujin jiken (ジェットコースター殺人事件)
Original airdate:	January 8, 1996
Season:	1
Manga source:	Volume 1: File 1
English version
English title:	The Big Shrink
Dubbed episode:	Episode 1
English airdate:	May 24, 2004
Case
Cast:	Shinichi Kudo Ran Mouri Kogoro Mouri Inspector Megure Gin Vodka Ayumi Yoshida Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya Genta Kojima Dr. Agasa
Cases solved by:	Shinichi Kudo (x2)
Next Conan's Hint:	Skyscraper
Staff
Voice Cast: Minami Takayama as Conan Edogawa Kappei Yamaguchi as Shinichi Kudo Wakana Yamazaki as Ran Mouri Akira Kamiya as Kogoro Mouri Kenichi Ogata as Hiroshi Agasa Chafurin as Inspector Megure Wataru Takagi as Genta Kojima, Cop, Security Guard B, Next Conan's Hint Ikue Otani as Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya Yukiko Iwai as Ayumi Yoshida Takeshi Watabe as Mansion Owner Yukitoshi Hori as Man in Black A Fumihiko Tachiki as Man in Black B Shinpachi Tsuji as CEO Yumi Hikita as Hitomi Mari Maruta as Aiko Naomi Nagasawa as Reiko Isshin Chiba as Kishida
Music
Opening song:	Mune ga Doki-Doki
Closing song:	Step by Step

Episode 1 first aired on January 8, 1996 in Japan. It is the pilot episode of the series. The story begins right in the middle of a case where a murder has been committed in a private mansion. At this moment, we see both Inspector Megure and Shinichi Kudo for the very first time and are able to witness the impressive deduction skills of Shinichi while he reveals the killer.

Characters introduced

Most of the main characters are introduced throughout the episode. It is interesting to notice the presence of Ayumi, Mitsuhiko and Genta who appear a bit later in the manga (in Volume 2).

Shinichi Kudo
	17 years old Student Detective

Ran Mouri
	17 years old Student Karate champion

Kogoro Mouri
	Ran's father Detective

Inspector Megure
	Tokyo Metropolitan Inspector

Gin
	Black Organization

Vodka
	Black Organization

Ayumi Yoshida
	7 years old Mitsuhiko's and Genta's classmate

Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya
	7 years old Ayumi's and Genta's classmate

Genta Kojima
	7 years old Ayumi's and Mitsuhiko's classmate

Hiroshi Agasa
	Engineer / Inventor Shinichi's old family friend

Case 1: Crime at the Private Mansion

The episode starts in a mansion where a party seemed to have been interrupted after a man was found dead with a bullet in his heart. The police, lead by Inspector Megure, is investigating the crime scene. The victim is President Yamazaki of Yatsubishi Bank. That's when Shinichi makes his grand entrance and claims having figured out the case.

Situation

Murder
	Location: Private Mansion Victim: Yamazaki Cause of death: Gunshot Wound Suspects: Owner/Host, Guests President Yamazaki of Yatsubishi Bank is found dead in a locked room with a bullet through his chest.

People

Mansion's Owner
	In a wheelchair due to injured leg

Yamazaki
	Victim (gunshot) President of Yatsubishi Bank

Resolution

  Show spoilers »

• Evidence

Shinichi states that the room Yamazaki was killed in was locked from the inside. The only possible entrance into the room was the window.

The mansion owner claims that there is at least a 10 meter gap between the two windows Shinichi states the killer used. Shinichi points out however that if the killer used the roof to get closer to the other window this gap is shortened to a mere 2 meters.

Shinichi notes that there is an indentation on the balcony where the killer attached a rope with a piece of wood at the end, allowing the killer access to the 3rd floor room and a way to get back across. By using a piece of wood rather than simply tying the rope to the balcony the killer was able to remove evidence of his method of entry while on the other side of the building.

The lack of footprints below the window implies it was an inside job.

Shinichi claims to have spoken with the killer's doctor.

• Conclusion

Shinichi concludes that the murderer could only have been someone who knew the mansion very well and eventually points his finger at the owner. The latter, being in a wheelchair, then starts to laugh claiming he's in no position to be able to commit such a crime. Shinichi then grabs a globe and throws it towards the owner who immediately jumps out of his chair to avoid it. The maid and guests are all in shock. Shinichi then says that he's been healed for a while now as reported by his doctor, which Megure confirms.

• Motive

Although the episode does not clearly state the mansion owner's motive, it likely had something to do with the "under-the-table" financial dealings the owner had with Yamazaki.

Case 2: Roller Coaster Murder Case

While Shinichi and Ran were riding the Mystery Coaster in Tropical Land, someone was beheaded.

Situation

Murder
	Location: Tropical Land Victim: Kishida Cause of death: Decapitation Suspects: Aiko, Hitomi, Reiko, Men in Black Kishida was beheaded while riding the Mystery Coaster.

People

Hitomi
	Gymnast

Aiko
	Kishida's girlfriend

Kishida
	Victim (decapitation) Aiko's boyfriend

Reiko
100px	Hitomi's friend

Resolution

  Show spoilers »

• Evidence

Shinichi examines the tunnel area of the Mystery Coaster and finds a wire with some pearls still strung onto it and a hook at the end of the wire.

The killer left a false piece of evidence, a bloodied knife, inside Aiko's purse with the intention of framing her. Shinichi proves this is a fake piece of evidence claiming it is impossible for a woman to have used enough force to behead someone while on the ride.

• Conclusion

Shinichi states the killer used an object like a purse or a backpack to escape the ride restraints and wrap a wire around the victim's head while in the darkness of the Mystery Coaster's tunnel. After tying the wire around the victim's head the killer tossed a hook attached to the other end onto the roller coaster's track, beheading the victim using the coaster's speed and movement.

Shinichi concludes the murderer is Hitomi, as her expertise as a gymnast makes this feat possible. Shinichi proves her guilt through two crucial pieces of evidence:

• 1) Hitomi's necklace (the murder weapon) is missing after the end of the ride
• 2) Hitomi has a tear-trail on her face that runs horizontally which is impossible unless she was crying during the course of the ride.

Hitomi's motive for murdering Kishida is because she used to go out with him long before she met Aiko and Reiko in college. Hitomi planned to murder Kishida at the place they had their first date (Tropical Land) using the very necklace he had bought for her. Had Shinichi not proven the truth behind the murder Hitomi was planning to commit suicide via drugs after the visit to Tropical Land.

Differences from the manga

• The first episode of the anime already includes the Detective Boys who only appear many chapters later in the manga.
• The mansion owner kills a friend instead of his wife in the manga.

See also

• Season 1