Ai Haibara and Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya

Mitsuhiko and Haibara hearing the radio.

Relationship analysis

Mitsuhiko develops heavy romantic feelings for Ai, and Ai is aware of this. However, although Ai is kind to him, she does not seem to reciprocate romantic feelings for Mitsuhiko, perhaps because she is really much older and has had very different life experiences. Ai uses his feelings to her advantage when she needs him to do something, but she also admires his courage during critical situations and respects his feelings. She, in some episodes, also shows more confidence with Mitsuhiko than with Ayumi or Genta. A recurring element in Mitsuhiko and Ai's relationship is Conan; he usually secretly observes their "moments" and pokes fun at Ai's interest in Mitsuhiko while she replies with some sarcastic comments.

Moments

Manga/Anime

Episode 212-213: Mushrooms, Bears, and the Detective Boys

• This is the first time that Mitsuhiko starts showing affection for Haibara. He blushes after she explains about the legend regarding apple being the forbidden fruit. When asked by Conan why he made such a strange expression, Mitsuhiko answers that he was just looking at Haibara, as he is amazed by her intelligence, mature personalities, and mysteriousness. However, the boy gets embarrassed and denies that he has feelings for her. Conan then warns him that Haibara is not the right choice for him, since "she'll be too difficult to deal with".

• Later, when the group's spreading out to search for Genta who got lost, Haibara chooses Mitsuhiko as her partner, much to his surprise. Meanwhile, Mitsuhiko is concerned about the way Haibara and Conan usually discuss in private, about things that normal children don't understand, and wonders whether there is some kind of relationship between the two. However, Haibara states with a serious look that her relationship with Conan "is not as romantic as it seems".

Mitsuhiko carrying Haibara.

• When Ai falls to the ground after twisting her ankle, Mitsuhiko immediately runs to her side and aids her by cutting his towel into strips to wrap around her ankle, just like a bandage. She is conspicuously delighted by his natural intelligence and compliments him. Mitsuhiko blushes and answers modestly that he actually learned this technique from Conan. The boy then sadly comments on how smart and knowledgeable Conan is and the fact that he can't compare himself to the young detective. Unexpected to Mitsuhiko, Haibara smiles and tells him:

“	How silly... The most important thing is that you have this knowledge and know how to use it after learning. Right now, you're my most outstanding rescuer. Thank you for your help...	„

• Mitsuhiko shyly blushes because of Haibara's compliments. They stand up and continue walking, with Mitsuhiko gently supports and carries her away while smiling in happiness. It is implied that Haibara's aware of his feelings for her, as she stares at his reddened face silently.

• On the ride home at the end of the case, when Mitsuhiko is no longer looking at Haibara, she turns around and observes him, revealing a gentle smile. Conan notices this and smirks at Haibara, causing her to blush and she awkwardly asks what was he looking at.

Episode 279-280: Hooligan's Labyrinth

The episode begins with the Detective Boys and Professor Agasa having just finished watching a soccer/football game between the Tokyo Spirits and Noir Tokyo. On the train back Mitsuhiko is listening to the sports results of the next game on the radio and Ai puts her head against his to listen. He notices how close she is and blushes, stammering "Ha...Haibara-san." Turning to face him, Ai asks "How is the game?". With a bright red face Mitsuhiko manages to say "Uh, y-yeah." and reports that the game is still zero to zero, saying that they had just got into the first half of the overtime period. Conan takes notice of the two when Haibara asks if number 9 from Big Osaka ((A player by the name of Ryusuke Higo)) is still on the field. With a nervous swallow and the blush still across his face, Mitsuhiko manages to say "Higo is still playing. But the booing makes it harder for people on his side to pass the ball to him." Haibara looks to the ground as he says this, whispering "Oh." Concerned for her, Mitsuhiko stares at Ai sadly and says "Um, Haibara-san?" Before he could speak more, Haibara glances up at him and states "Well, please let me know if anything happens." Excited by her request Mitsuhiko replies "Yes, of course!"

At the end of episode 279, Haibara leaves the group pretending to have to use the restroom. After Conan solves the murder in episode 280, and the police take him away, Genta remarks that Haibara is slow to return. Mitsuhiko and the others don't know where she is until they notice her standing on the platform on the other side of the train tracks like she's going to get on a different train. Conan fears the worst and bolts up the stairs to try to get to her before she leaves. When he's on the other side, she's no where to be found. Conan pauses to catch his breath, and screams her name. Haibara appears behind him and says "Why are you shouting?" Conan tries to save face but she already knows that he thought she had run away. She tells him, with slight irritation, that she was just searching for Mitsuhiko's portable radio that he had lost earlier in the episode.

Episode 289-290: Mitsuhiko's Mystifying Forest

This episode begins as a regular day. They're all doing community exercises outdoors to mark the beginning of summer, while Ayumi explains to Genta about how radio exercising and fireworks are some of the only symbols of summer that haven't disappeared over time. Ai suddenly states "Speaking of disappearing...Tsubaraya-kun isn't here today either.", being the first of the group to note that Mitsuhiko isn't present. It seems he has been gone for a few days already.

Later that day the Detective Boys and Agasa go to Mitsuhiko's house to check on him. His sister says that "Mit-chan" (as she calls him) was going camping after the exercises, and is surprised to hear that he wasn't with the Detective Boys already. She also mentions how excited he seemed to be. The gang begins an investigation into the whereabouts of Mitsuhiko, following his tracks, and leading them into a forest located in the mountains. Ai voices concern then by saying,"What is it that made Tsuburaya-kun, the serious and considerate one...Turn his back on us for the first time and travel this far into the mountains?" The end of episode 289 shows that Mitsuhiko is now lost in the forest.

Episode 290 begins with the Detective Boys desperately looking for Mitsuhiko in the forest, where it is now known a serial killer has escaped. During Haibara's remarks that the serial killer is an ex-Black Organization member, and how she couldn't sense him like she normally could, most likely due to living such a peaceful life now; Conan suddenly remarks with "That's good!" This surprises Ai. Conan goes on to say "That means you're finally being able to live a normal life, doesn't it?" Then he states that they shouldn't waste anymore time, and continue looking for Mitsuhiko. As Conan turns to walk away, he finishes by saying to Haibara, "After all, he's a crazy guy who wants to see you and Ayumi-chan smile." Completely surprised by this, Ai questions him, asking,"Yoshida-san and I?" Before he can reveal why Mitsuhiko was in the forest in the first place, they hear the beeping of a Detective badge in the distance. The serial killer approaches with Mitsuhiko, but lets him go and easily walks off with the police, seemingly content.

In the end it turns out that Mitsuhiko went into the mountains to find fireflies because he overheard Ai and Ayumi talking about how pretty they were, and wanted to surprise them. When he finally caught one, he couldn't answer his detective badge or it would get away. It was a symbol of summer that you couldn't find in the city. One he overheard Ayumi and Ai stating they would like to see. Mitsuhiko ended up risking his life just to impress Ai because there was a dangerous killer roaming the mountains. Ai is astonished when she learns this and says "You did all that for us?" Referring to Ayumi and her. She goes up to Mitsuhiko and quietly says "Thank you." It seems his actions honestly impressed her. The night is suddenly filled with the glowing lights of fireflies, and everyone observes, even the serial killer, who perhaps lied about a buried body in the forest to come see the fireflies one last time.

Towards the end of the episode, Ayumi mentions to Haibara about the TV broadcast sighting of a legendary animal, called Tsuchinoko. Both girls mention how they would like to see it, while Genta and Mitsuhiko listen from behind. The two boys then begin plotting ways to go find this creature to show Ayumi and Ai, leaving Conan to think to himself,"Here we go again."

Episode 312-313: Festival Dolls Dyed in the Setting Sun

Mitsuhiko ask/pulled Ai to go to the top of the stairs with him to be the empress and emperor of the photo.

Episode 374-375: A Code of Stars and Tobacco

The Detective Boys examine the case of a missing amateur astronomer whose skeleton they find. Mitsuhiko wants to maintain a star after itself, Ai and Ayumi name, when they the Detective Boys about stars and her discoverers.

Episode 376: The Time Limit is 15:00!

Conan, Mitsuhiko and Genta try to release an unconscious Ran from a car. As the current gets stronger and stronger, it sends with itself Conan and the two boys. When Mitsuhiko and Genta reach the shore swimming, the current being already very strong, Ai helps Mitsuhiko come out of the water.

Episode 427-428: Super Secret of the Road to School

The Detective Boys are looking for a missing girl who looks a lot like Ai. Ayumi says that the girl is popular among the girls but not among boys in her class. Mitsuhiko, however, blushes and says that boys like her too. When Ai hears this, she turns around to Mitsuhiko, smiles at him and thanks.

Episode 466-467: The Unsmashable Snowman

Mitsuhiko grabs Ai's hand during the snowstorm to make sure she doesn't get lost, but it turns out to be Genta's hand instead and everyone looks embarrassed.

Later Ai shows Genta special attention when he falls in the snow and gets a nosebleed. Ai uses tissue to stop his nose from bleeding and holds his face while telling him to be careful next time. Mitsuhiko watches Ai walk away, blushes and exclaims "I'm so jealous of you, Genta-kun!"

Episode 481-482: Mountain Witch's Cutlery

The professor tells the horror story of a mountain witch to the children the children eats. Mitsuhiko explains as a result that he protected Ai and Ayumi with his life, if this mountain witch really appears. As a result Ai says smiling (and also slightly ironically) that she feels honoured that he can be eaten at her place. In the course of the action Mitsuhiko is very obliging to Ai and Ayumi. Ai responds to Mitsuhiko in this result for the first time with "Mitsuhiko-kun", instead of with "Tsuburaya-kun" what is very confidential in Japan.

Episode 509: Red, White, Yellow, and the Detective Boys

An apartment is burned down and three of the residences are suspected as the arsonists. While Conan tries to figure out who the culprit is, Ai holds onto him freaking out about her "sixth sense" with the members of the Black Organization. She suspects that one of the three is a Black Org. member. To get a better look at them, she asks Mitsuhiko to do her a favor. She puts her hands on is shoulders and says "Stay like that and walk backwards. That's all I need." Mitsuhiko blushes and then says "Walk backwards? Is there something behind me?" as though someone is pulling a joke on him. Ai holds his face in her hands and says "Don't turn around. You need to keep looking at me." He stammers "Y-yes." They walk backwards until Mitsuhiko says "Haibara-san, you're hurting me." because she's grabbing his shoulders too hard. She accidentally pushes him out of surprise and he falls to the concrete and scrapes his elbow. Ai is very much anxiously around Mitsuhiko when it pushes him mistakenly to ground. She bends to him down, and asks him whether he is injured.

This is a big trust proof from Ai, because for the first time it entrusts someone else than Conan, her protection before a member of the black organisation.

Episode 518-519: Meiji Restoration Mystery Tour

A young woman is being kidnapped, along with Mitsuhiko. Ai jumps in the car and tries to pull the ignition key to prevent Mitsuhiko's kidnapping.

Episode 524-525: The Blue Spark of Hate

Ai asks Mitsuhiko to do her one favour. He follows to this request with pleasure.

Episode 622-623: Emergency Situation 252

The children want to play kick-the-can, however, Ai and Conan are still undecided whether they also want to join in. Their friends persuade the both, and Mitsuhiko packs Ai in her shoulders.

Chapters 841-843: Delivery Service

One day when the detective boys are playing football a cat jumps into the game and get in the way of Haibara in the middle of a kick. Ai desperately tries not to kick the animal and instead kicks way off and falls down on the ground. Mitsuhiko offers Ai his hand to get up, but she instead plays with the cat until it runs off.

The cat runs off and hides in a delivery truck for frozen goods. Scared that the cat would freeze to death inside the car, the detective boys follow it and end up locked inside by the unknowing drivers. Ai's new hand knit sweater get caught in some bushes, and as the car drives further away, her sweater starts to unravel. Eventually Ai is left wearing nothing but her underwear and hides away from Conan and the others. When the children find out that Haibara is practically naked in the freezing car, Mitsuhiko goes over to her and offers her his jacket to prevent her from getting cold and to cover her up when they leave the car. Conan tells them they can't leave the van yet, since he had discovered a corpse in one of the boxes. Their phones and badges don't work, so they are trapped inside the freezer.

Ayumi notes that Mitsuhiko has become very quiet and asks Mitsuhiko how he is doing. Mitsuhiko claims he's not cold anymore and isn't even shivering. Conan yells out that this is very bad but before he can explain further, Mitsuhiko looses consciousness. Conan examines and finds symptoms of hypothermia and notes that Mitsuhiko will freeze to death if they don't find some way to warm him up. Genta points out that Since Mitsuhiko gave his jacket to Ai, he's only wearing a t-shirt, this greatly upsets Haibara and Ayumi.

When Mitsuhiko wakes up, he's sharing his jacket with Ai who is embracing him from behind to warm him up. Ai, who is only wearing the jacket and underwear is trying to warm Mitsuhiko up with her body heat and apologizes that he must be cold because he gave her his jacket. Mitsuhiko realizes how close they are and when he remembers that Ai isn't wearing anything but her underwear, he blushes heavily and thanks her for warming him up. Ai tells him not to move too much, and that she will warm him even further. They sit in this position until the case is solved and they make a dash out of the car while in mortal danger.

Movies

Movie 5: Countdown to Heaven

Mitsuhiko confides in Ran that he is in love with both Ayumi and Ai and asks her if that makes him a bad person. Ran reassures him and advises him to stay friends for now and who he should date will be settled in time. Mitsuhiko seems content with her answer.

As the detective boys make their escape in a sports car that they ride off the top of an exploding skyscraper, Ai (who is not wearing a seatbelt) is flung out of the seat and almost falls to her certain death on the concrete below. Mitsuhiko grabs her hand, desperately hanging on as he screams that he will never let her fall. Ai seems heavily moved by this.

Movie 6: The Phantom of Baker Street

Ai says that she is cold. As a result Mitsuhiko takes off his jacket and gives it to her.

Movie 9: Strategy Above the Depths

Haibara makes fun of Mitsuhiko asking him to have a bath with her. He immediately blushes and faints to the floor.

Movie 10: The Private Eyes' Requiem

The Detective Boys are in a fun fair. Genta is hungry, however, the children stand in a queue. Ai offers to keep the place for them. And Mitsuhiko wants to remain immediately with her to wait together with her.

Movie 12: Full Score of Fear

Mitsuhiko looks at Ai while he's singing and blushes heavilly. The chorus coach scolds him and tells him his singing was bad because he was looking at Ai.

OVAs

OVA 9: The Stranger from Ten Years Later

Ai tells them she is on a diet. Mitsuhiko immediately blushes and tells her that it's unnesscary since she already has a perfect body.

OVA 11: A Secret Order From London

Mitsuhiko daydreams about Ai Haibara.

On account of some misunderstandings (also by Conans guilt) Mitsuhiko develops the "conspiracy theory" that Ai the child star Grace Aihara is, and that she was a spy of the MI6 who has spied out mafia, and had to disappear in Japan under false name.

When a black-dressed man and a black-dressed woman Ai and Ayumi obstruct the way, Mitsuhiko intervenes. He holds on the man, and says the girls that they should fast run away. Obvious he is ready to risk his own life to protect Ai, because he holds the man for a member of the mafia.

In the end Mitsuhiko tells Ai about his theory and shows also her the picture of Grace Aihara. As a result shows Ai him compared with so much trust that she confirms to him that in his theory more as a spark of truth is, while Ayumi holds his theory for nonsense.

At last Mitsuhiko dreams of being married one day with Ai.

See also

• Ai Haibara
• Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya