Sumiko Kobayashi

Sumiko Kobayashi
Profile
Japanese name:	小林 澄子 (Kobayashi Sumiko)
English name:	Liz Faulkner
Age:	26
Gender:	Female
Occupation:	Teitan Elementary School teacher
Nicknames:	Kobayashi-sensei (formerly) Oni-baba ("old demon hag") That Ranpo-maniac
Statistics
First appearance:	Manga: File 154 Anime: Episode 112
Appearances:	Chapters: 62 Chapters: 1 Episodes: 46 Movies: 1 OVAs: 3 Openings: 7 Openings: 1
Keyhole number:	Volume 50
Actors
Japanese voice:	Yuko Kobayashi (Episode 112) Yuko Kato
English voice:	Stephanie Young

Sumiko Kobayashi (小林 澄子 ,Kobayashi Sumiko), also known as Liz Faulkner in the Funimation dub, is a character in the manga and anime franchise Detective Conan. She is the homeroom teacher of Conan Edogawa and the girlfriend of Ninzaburo Shiratori. She is also the self-appointed (and somewhat unwelcome) "manager" of the Detective Boys.

Background

Sumiko Kobayashi attended Teitan Elementary and was in the 18th graduating class, two classes above Detective Chiba. She became the new class teacher of Conan and the Detective Boys after their previous teacher had married and retired. Her harsh behavior towards her charges had earned her the nickname "oni-baba" (hag) amongst her students.

One night, the Detective Boys came into the school to investigate strange occurrences involving busts from art class and an anatomy model from the sick room, which had been mysteriously moved around, and the mysterious absence of the vice principal. The busts and the model had actually been used by Sumiko for a rehearsal for the next parent-teacher conference. Sumiko is in fact very fond of children, but her kindness had caused her to have very little control over her class at her previous school, resulting in a disastrous parent-teacher conference. To fix this, she had forced herself to be strict and harsh when she transferred to Teitan Elementary, but after the Detective Boys discovered her nicer side, she decided to be herself again and has become very popular with her students ever since.

On one occasion, she accompanied Conan and the Detective Boys to an interview which became a murder investigation as they found the reporter slain. After witnessing Conan in action, she announced her desire to join the Detective Boys and become their manager - a decision which was immediately vetoed and is commonly neglected in the field.

As it turned out later, when Sumiko was still a small child, she had confronted two no-good juveniles attempting to steal mangas from a bookshop. When the culprits contemptuously shoved her aside, a young boy intervened on her behalf, cooly citing a paragraph from Japanese law concerning theft. As a sign of gratitude, Sumiko bought her rescuer a drink ornamented with a circle of sakura flowers made from the straw wrapper, as a symbol of goodness and justice (referring to the sakura shaped Japanese police badges). It would not be until many years later that she would encounter him again as a member of the police force, under the name of Ninzaburo Shiratori.

Because Shiratori first wanted to win Sumiko affection and then tell her about what he viewed as the hand of fate, he kept silent about their first encounter - a scheme that backfired when she found out that she had a dead lookalike in the police department whom Shiratori had once pursued romantically. Thinking that he considered her a mere replacement for Sato, Sumiko was understandably hurt and started distancing herself from him, even after Shiratori personally confessed their common past to her - a move which came at a bad time, because she had become an unwitting (and the sole) witness to a murder and the murderer would therefore try everything to silence her. When the culprit was apprehended, Sumiko did indeed remember Shiratori as her childhood savior, and the relationship was reaffirmed.

Personality

Sumiko is very kind and fond of children, considering them the most wonderful thing in the world. Sumiko is also quite timid and sensitive, not to mention that she suffers from serious stagefright. Even though she has appointed herself the manager of the Detective Boys, the kids often leave her out of case or ignore her warnings. She was also quite hurt when she believed Inspector Shiratori was only interested in her because of her resemblance to Miwako Sato - a resemblance so striking it even fooled Sato's close associates Chiba and Yumi. In contrast of Sumiko's physical resemblance to Sato, however, the two women have almost entirely different personality traits: While Sato is reckless, outspoken, daring, and impulsive, Sumiko is more gentle, softspoken, cautious, and careful in any given situation.

Sumiko loves mystery novels, particularly the works of Edogawa Rampo. Because of this, Ai Haibara suggests that she and Shiratori would work well together because Sumiko would enjoy hearing about cases from him.

Plot overview

A Harsh Teacher

In her first appearance, Sumiko was known by the students of Class 1-B, including, Conan and the Detective Boys, as a strict,mean teacher, who was always disciplining her class, never showing any kindness. Her initial personality, led to her students nicknaming her,"Old Demon Hag".Then, one night, the Detective Boys, decided to figure out why many dolls were missing one after another. Conan deduces the one behind the "kidnappings", was Sumiko herself, which relieved the children. Sumiko finally revealed the reason behind her "dictator-like" teaching, was that, in the past, two of her students fought at a parent-teacher conference, because of her lack in disciple.She would come at Teitan Elementary at night to practice for the next parent-teacher conference, so there be no more fights.However, with some suggestions from the Detective Boys, she changed her teaching style, and became more well liked.

Later on, she would introduce Ai Haibara, as the new student of Class1-B, who would also become an official member of the Detective Boys.

A Manager is Born

Sumiko agrees to give the Detective Boys a ride to a writer, who wanted to do a report on them for their involvement in complicated cases. However, the gang didn't expect a dead writer. When Inspector Megure and Wataru Takagi arrive at the scene, both believe that Sumiko is Sato because without her glasses, she bears a scary resemblance to the officer. Soon Conan tries to prove the Detective Boy's skills in catching the criminal, however, he also had to conceal his vast intelligence, so his secret wouldn't be questioned by Sumiko. Conan and his friends manage to drop hints on who the real culprit is which leads to his arrestment.

After the case, Sumiko dubbed herself the "manager" of the group, wanting to solve and capture "bad guys" along with them. Sumiko has been with the group on many cases, despite their disapproval or has been the Detective Boys' reference to call her, if they're involved in a case. Once, she devised a riddle for the students to deduce without the aid of Conan, so some new students would feel more welcome. Sumiko, along with Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, Haibara, and Genta, listen to Conan's story of how Shinichi (himself) and Ran as children had their first "coded mystery". Her main reason for becoming the "manager" seems to stem from her intense interests in mystery novels and her respect for the police.

A Lost Love, Finally Rekindled

During another one of the kids' cases, Sumiko is called to pick up the children by Megure. However, Shiratori offered that she should take them home in his car, while holding her hand in a romantic style. Over the next few days, he has made constant visits to where she works, warning her of any and all danger in the vicinity, which sparks a crush by Sumiko to him, unaware of their actual history.

Later, Shiratori again warns Sumiko of a vicious, serial purse thief, who might be a woman, who's still at large. During the conversation, the latter asks why Shiratori kept calling her, and he simply replied, "Because I worry about you". The Detective Boys soon arrive and ask her if they want to come to a festival with her and she agrees. Soon, she loses sight of the children and becomes a witness of a murder. She was able to see the culprit's silhouette. The next day, Sumiko goes to the police station, with the kids to testify what she saw. She meets Yumi Miyamoto and Detective Chiba, who confuse her with Sato until Shiratori clears up the misunderstanding and escorts Sumiko to a conference so they can discuss the case in more detail. While on her way back from the restroom, she learns of Shiratori's former interest with Sato and her striking appearance to her. This leads her to suspect that Shiratori only liked her because of her physical traits to the female officer.

She begins to treat Shiratori harshly and after seeing that the three main suspects weren't the criminal, she coldly tells Shiratori not to bother her anymore and leaves. At school, he tells her the real reason why he liked her, but she dismisses it, as she believes he's only lying. However, while working late at night, she was almost killed by the criminal in order to silence her, but is saved by Shiratori, the Detective Boys and Sato. Sumiko then finally remembers him, after he says some familiars words. Shiratori then confesses he was always in love with her and Sumiko blushes and replies, "Yes.". Later, she makes a special bento for Shiratori, signifying that the two are now a couple.

Relationships analysis

Family & Friends

Ninzaburo Shiratori

As a child, Sumiko instantly became Shiratori's true love, and was the very reason why he entered the police force. At the end of a case that revealed parts of Shiratori's past, he realized Sato wasn't his true love. Depressed and exhausted, since his love was the culprit Shiratori sank down. However, Ayumi cheered him up by saying the exact same lines that the girl from his past said and by making the same wristband she gave him. Shiratori desperately asked who taught her that and Ayumi told him it was her school teacher Sumiko. Then, at that exact moment, Sumiko came to pick up the Detective Boys who were involved, when Shiratori layed eyes on her, recognizing Sumiko as his true "woman of destiny", their relationship began to spark. He would always warn her of any dangers nearby where she worked or lived, which caused Sumiko to develope romantic feelings. In fact, his concern over her, constant visits, and kindness towards her, often causes her to blush deeply.

When she became a star witness in a murder investigation, she learned of her resemblance to Detective Sato and after hearing about his former crush on her from other policemen, she thought that the only reason he was so interested in her was because of her striking resemblance to Miwako Sato and was not only shocked, but hurt, thinking Shiratori didn't have feelings for her. Not knowing the real reason, Sumiko began to act coldly and harshly towards him. Even when he confessed his true feelings to her, she brushed it off, thinking Shiratori confused her with Detective Sato. However, it was all cleared up by the end of the case, when he not only saved her from the culprit, but also cooly recited a law the same way he did as a child, which finally reminded her of their first meeting. Shiratori romantically confessed to her, which made her blush. She replied with a fast "Yes.". Afterwards, the two began dating and every morning Sumiko gives Shiratori bentos for his "energy demanding" work.

Sumiko would often make bentos for him every morning when he went to work, after they became an official couple. On White Day, Shiratori was seen with many presents inside his car for her. Later on, she was shown with all the delicious sweets from Shiratori's car at her house or apartment, happily not knowing where to begin.

Name origin

Kobayashi-sensei is named after a friend of Gosho Aoyama's and a junior detective character created by Edogawa Rampo.

Different looks

Sumiko's "Before" Appearance (Episode 112)

Sumiko's "After" Appearance (Episode 624)

Quotes

“	Because the sakura is the symbol of police officers! Determined, kind, and dignified. It's a flower of justice!	„
— Child Kobayashi tells a young Shiratori why she gave him a sakura petal straw wrapper after he helped her stand up to some shoplifters.

In other languages

Language	Given Name	Family Name
Japanese	澄子 Sumiko	小林 Kobayashi
English	Liz	Faulkner
Catalan	Sumiko	Kobayashi
French	Sumiko	Kobayashi
German	Sumiko	Kobayashi
Vietnamese	Sumiko	Kobayashi
Arabic	Not given	كوبا Koba
Finnish	Sumiko	Kobayashi
Korean	은주 Eun Joo	김 Kim
Thai	ซึมึโกะ	โคบายาชิ

Trivia

• In her first appearance, Kobayashi was seen as a brunette, but now is seen with blue hair.

• Despite huge differences in personalities, Kobayashi and Miwako Sato, have some similarities:

1. Their boyfriends are policemen.
2. They have strikingly similar appearances and similar haircuts.
3. Both are friends with the Detective Boys.
4. Both have become acquainted with Kogoro Mouri in a murder case.
5. They were both love interests of Shiratori; however, Kobayashi was his real love.
6. Both have helped solve a case with hints.
7. They have had difficult starts to their relationships. Sato had to overcome Matsuda's death, Kobayashi doubted Shiratori's feelings after finding out about Sato.
8. Both are fond of children.

• Her first name, Sumiko, means "lovely child", while her surname, Kobayashi, means "small grove ".

See also

• Characters
• Ninzaburo Shiratori
• Detective Boys