Makoto Kyogoku
| Makoto Kyogoku | |
|
| |
| Japanese name: | 京極 真 (Kyougoku Makoto) |
|---|---|
| English name: | Taylor Somerset |
| Age: | 18[1] |
| Gender: | Male |
| Weight: | 79kg |
| Date of birth: | unknown[1] |
| First appearance: | Manga: Chapter 219 Anime: Episode 153 |
| Appearances: | Chapters: 37 Chapters: 2 Episodes: 32 Movies: 2 OVAs: 1 Openings: 8 Closings: 1 |
| Keyhole number: | Volume 25 |
| Japanese voice: | Nobuyuki Hiyama |
| English voice: | Todd Haberkorn |
Makoto Kyogoku (京極 真 Kyougoku Makoto), also known in the Funimation dub as Taylor Somerset, is a character in the manga and anime franchise Detective Conan. Makoto is Sonoko Suzuki's long distance boyfriend.
Contents
Background
Makoto attended Teitan High School, where he was a prominent member, eventually the captain, of his karate team. He noticed Sonoko cheering on her friend Ran during a martial arts tournament, and became interested in her.
Some time later, he worked in his family's summer resort as a waiter, where he encountered Sonoko again, this time in company of Ran and Conan.[2] Soon, however, Sonoko was stalked by a crazed serial killer who suspected her of having taken a picture of him at his latest murder (which she hadn't) and therefore wanted to both silence her as a potential witness and kill her because he hated brown headed girls in general. Motoko saved her just in the nick of time, earning her affection, but his constant participation in martial arts competitions and a studying period overseas prevented them from seeing each other often enough.[2] Sonoko always does her best to maintain contact with him, though, including sending him little trinkets and gifts that she makes herself, and Makoto has stayed loyal to her. He usually gets caught up in one of Sonoko's silly romantic schemes. His fighting skills have proven to be incredibly handy for Conan, having saved Conan, Sonoko, and Ran from being in dangerous peril many times.
Personality
As a master martial artist, Makoto is usually cool and collected, especially in crisis situations, and also a keen observer. The only thing which does throw him off is his affection for Sonoko, for whom he will go great lengths, even forsake an important tournament just to meet her. However, Makoto's bashfulness around her, his dedication to his fighting skills and some competitive impulse keep him jumping from one obligation to the other, so their relationship is rendered a bit difficult.
As a comic relief, Makoto always bears a plaster above his left brow as a mark for his fighting competitiveness. In addition, he seems completely immune to pain, dismissing a knife sticking in his arm as nothing too significant.
Plot overview
Relationships analysis
Sonoko originally met Makoto Kyogoku while vacationing, where he was a waiter at a restaurant and worked at a hotel in his spare time. At first, neither she, Conan, nor Ran recognized him, because he wore glasses to hide his features. After he later protects her from getting killed by a crazed serial killer, Sonoko and Makoto entertain a long distance relationship, which is additionally hampered by the fact that he tends to be a little bashful around her.
Makoto often saves Sonoko from dangerous peril, like in a snow lodge,[3] and in a forest.[4] Sonoko loves to use some kind of concocted scheme to get Makoto to come to her, usually in some romantic way, to create a romantic and dreamy experience for her.[4] This, however, doesn't always end in success, but he sometimes does stumble through her little schemes.[3][4] He often warns her of the way she is dressed, because he believes that guys will try to come after her because of it.[2][3]
Sonoko often wants to show Makoto that her feelings for him are stronger than he thinks, planning simple ideas to make him feel special. However, these often go in awry, as she either cannot make what she had planned to make, like when she promised to make him a home-made sweater, but had to resort to buying one in a mall,[5] or Makoto has no idea what she gave him is, like when he believed that the pottery she sent him was supposed to be for flowers.[6] Sonoko keeps a photo of Makoto in her bag, and uses it as a good luck charm for when she takes exams.[7] She has also made him a chocolate, trying to make him feel jealous by not saying who it was for, thus forcing him to visit her in a snow lodge to ask her what was going on.[3] When he finds out that indeed, she made him the chocolate, he gets very embarrassed himself.[3]
Although long distance relationships can be hard to be in, and despite her constant flirting with any other attractive boy she stumbles upon, Sonoko has generally stayed faithful to Makoto, other than dreaming of meeting up with the Kaitou Kid, though this is mostly to see him up close more than anything else. Makoto also stays faithful to Sonoko.
Name origin
Makoto's last name presumably comes from Natsuhiko Kyogoku [1], the author of mystery novels such as Ubume no Natsu and Mōryō no Hako.
Quotes
In other languages
| Language | Given Name | Family Name |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese |
真 Makoto | 京極 Kyogoku |
 English |
Taylor | Somerset |
 French |
Makoto | Kyogoku |
 German |
Makoto | Kyogoku |
 Vietnamese |
Makoto | Kyogoku |
 Arabic |
ماكاتو Makato | Not given |
Trivia
See also
References
- ^ a b Conan drill page 55 listed 16-18 as the age range
- ^ a b c Episode 153-154: Sonoko's Dangerous Summer Story
- ^ a b c d e Episode 266-268: The Truth Behind Valentine's
- ^ a b c Episode 457-458: Sonoko's Red Handkerchief
- ^ Episode 217-218: Megure's Locked Away Secret
- ^ Episode 228-229: The Murderous Pottery Class
- ^ Episode 304: Trembling Metropolitan Police Headquarters 12 Million Hostages
