Subaru Okiya
| Subaru Okiya | |
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| |
| Japanese name: | 沖矢 昴 (Okiya Subaru) |
|---|---|
| Age: | 27 |
| Gender: | Male |
| First appearance: | Manga: Chapter 622 Anime: Episode 509 |
| Appearances: | Subaru Okiya appearances |
| Keyhole number: | Volume 60 |
| Japanese voice: | Ryotaro Okiayu |
Subaru Okiya (沖矢 昴 Okiya Subaru) is an engineering student who currently resides in Shinichi Kudo's house next to Professor Agasa. It is strongly hinted that he is the Black Organization member Bourbon although another popular theory is that Okiya is Akai Shuuichi disguised after faking his death with Hondou Hidemi's help.
Contents
Background
Okiya is a graduate student attending Tokyo University to earn a doctorate degree in engineering. He originally lived at a boarding house, where the landlord's son nicknamed him "Red Man", after a firetruck, because he frequently saw him watering the plants. After the boarding house burned down in the Red, White, and Yellow Arson Case, Conan suggested he move into Shinichi's house, explaining to Agasa and Haibara that someone living in the house would help to hide his (Shinichi's) disappearance. When Haibara protested, Conan cheerfully responded that someone who loves Sherlock Holmes cannot be a bad person - much to Haibara's consternation.[1]
Okiya is left-handed and greatly admires the deductive power of Sherlock Holmes. He is also an excellent detective as he was able to solve several mysteries including the paper airplane case[2], the Ikkaku Rock case [3], and the 13 red shirts mystery.[4] He is also shown to be calm in crisis situations and quite skilled at hand to hand combat, capable of knocking a knife out of someone's hand [5] and easily KOing kidnapper without so much as ruffling is clothing.[6]
Plot overview
Identity
Okiya's allegiances, goals, and true identity -if he has one- have not been officially revealed.
Bourbon
As mentioned above, it is frequently hinted that he may be Black Organization member Bourbon. Okiya is intelligent and observant, much like Hidemi Hondou describes Bourbon. In both the Paper Airplane Case and the Department Store Bomber case he is shown to be exactly on par with Conan.[7][8] Okiya is also shown to be drinking Maker's Mark brand bourbon after the Paper Plane Case.[9]
During the Department Store Bomber Case, Okiya notices Scar Akai, but when Scar Akai turns to look in his direction, he has suddenly moved out of sight to the back of the crowd, hiding his face and smiling.[8] He also smiles when he sees Chianti in the building across the street, aiming at the store entrance.[10]
Ai has told Conan that Okiya definitely gives her the dreaded feeling she gets from the Black Organization,[11] and she became certain he was with them during the Ikkaku Rock Case, where he gave a speech to the culprit about how impossible it is to ever truly escape anything, a speech she felt was intended for her[5] When Ai asks why Conan would allow someone as suspicious as him live in the Kudo house, he jokingly answers "No one who likes Holmes can be bad",[1] but his real reason appears to be to observe him for suspicious activity.[12]
Ran also feels uneasy around him and thinks he looks familiar.[13] At Shinichi's request, Ran goes out of her way to refrain from talking to Okiya about him during the Paper Airplane Case, although Okiya seems to realize anyway who the mystery loving classmate Ran is talking about is Shinichi.[13]
Akai
Besides Bourbon, another popular theory is that Okiya is Shuichi Akai who had faked his death with Mizunashi Rena's help. Except for the hair and the glasses, Okiya and Akai look very similar and have similar builds. The glasses Okiya is wearing may be an incorrect prescription, forcing him to squint on purpose similar to what happened with Genta’s dad.[14] Okiya is also left-handed like Akai Shuichi.
Conan appears to instantly trust Okiya Subaru, uncharacteristically ignoring Haibara's bad reaction to him. He also doesn't mind that Okiya is around Haibara, letting him stay at Shinichi's house next door and even suggesting to her to call him when Agasa's beetle broke down. The reason "A Holmes fan can't be a bad person!"[15] Conan gives Haibara as to why he trusts Okiya makes no sense, since the Holmes Freak Murder case[16] involved only Sherlock fans and the password to the APTX data was Sherringford, an indication someone in the Black Organization may be also be a Holmes fan.
Conan also seemed to know about Okiya’s address before ever meeting him.[17] Ran also feels she recognizes Okiya from somewhere.[18] Ran has met Akai three times prior to meeting Okiya.[19][20][21]. Finally, Okiya Subaru is a pun on "Char Aznable", which is also the source of "Akai Shuichi" and his alias "Moroboshi Dai" as well.
The theory that Okiya is Akai requires that the Akai with the scar to be a different character in disguise because both Subaru and scar Akai both appear in the same crowd at the same time.[22]
Personality
Okiya is generally shown to be quiet and reserved, often seeming unfazed by normally stressful situations, such as when Ran attacked him while he was brushing his teeth, believing he had broken into Shinichi's house.[23] He often tends to behave in a friendly and modest manner, smiling and rubbing the back of his head whenever someone compliments him or says anything about him.
Name origin
Okiya's name comes from Casval (sounds like Kyasubaru in Japanese) Rem Deikun, the real name of Mobile Suit Gundam character Char Aznable, whom Shuichi Akai is also named after.
Speculation
Okiya is likely to be Akai as in Volume 67: Chapter 704: Page 9, it is shown that when Agent Jodie was chasing Scar Akai, Okiya bumped into her making her lose sight of Scar Akai, delaying her and just stand there afterward as if he is concerned about her. Also in a few pages times when Vermouth comes along to talk to Gin, about Bourbon, they seem to have been advised not to shoot Scar Akai.
Another thing is on page 16, when Okiya is talking to Ran and Kogoro, Okiya said something about a pack of wolves losing their prey. This can be speculated to him, Okiya, that the Black Organisation is talking about. Akai himself used the same wolf metaphor, give or take a few details, to describe the Black Organisation in the Clash of Red and Black arc, backing the "Okiya is Akai" theory.
Diving further, given the fact that there are details from both of the popular theories that seem to discredit the other, some amount of fans have also been making third party theories; theories in which Subaru is neither Akai nor Bourbon, but someone else entirely. These theories include, but are not limited to, Okiya being: Interpol, CIA, or one of Akai's unknown connections (the same connections that allowed Akai to verify that Ethan Hondou was a CIA agent).
Trivia
References
- ^ a b Manga Volume 60 File 5: The New Neighbor
- ^ Manga Volume 61 File 8-10: Paper Airplane
- ^ Manga Volume 64 File 2-4: Ikkaku rock
- ^ Manga Volume 67 File 5-8: 13 Red Shirts case
- ^ a b Manga Volume 64 File 3: Thirst for Blood
- ^ Manga file 755: "Communications Code"
- ^ Manga Volume 61 Files 8-10 (Paper Airplane Case)
- ^ a b Manga Chapter 702: The Bomber's Aim
- ^ Manga Volume 61 File 10: Rescue
- ^ Manga Chapter 703: The Truth Within the Snow Storm
- ^ Manga Volume 64 File 1: Ikkaku Rock
- ^ Manga Volume 65 File 6: A Dangerous Couple
- ^ a b Manga Volume 61 File 9: Message
- ^ Manga Chapters 658-660: Boar Scroll Case
- ^ Manga Chapter 624: A New Neighbor
- ^ Manga Chapters 117-120: Holmes Freak Murder Case
- ^ Manga Chapter 622: Red, White and Yellow
- ^ Manga Chapter 638: Paper Airplane
- ^ Manga Chapter 329: Sato's Odds
- ^ Manga Chapters 353-354: Golden Apple Case 4 & 5
- ^ Manga Chapters 379-380: Footsteps of Darkness
- ^ Manga Chapters 700-704: Department Store Bomber Case
- ^ Manga Volume 61 File 8: Paper Airplane
