22 April 2010: I am more than 500 episodes behind on Detective Conan
Conan. Conan never changes.
I am attempting to watch every episode of Detective Conan A.K.A. Case Closed. At the time of this writing it has 570 episodes plus about two dozen movies and OVAs and it is still ongoing. In comparison, watching 161 episodes of Ranma 1/2 or 136 episodes of Naruto is nothing. Even my attempt to watch every single Pretty Cure episode (about 300 and counting plus a new movie every 40 episodes or so) pales in comparison. Detective Conan is an anime juggernaut.
She hath borne me on her back a thousand times.
From the looks of it, it also doesn't change much. I've avoided spoilers, but I have confirmed some of the gimmicks from the very first episodes remain staples well into the 500s. As far as I know, characters don't age or change grades in school, leaving Detective Conan with the ability to basically run indefinitely. As a genre, mysteries are always popular, and Detective Conan has carved out a simple but effective formula that works well. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Right?
Sonoko is a true friend because she doesn't
get jealous of Ran's awesome hair.
Still, five hundred plus episodes is a little excessive. Considering there is a brutal murder nearly every single episode, you have to wonder if people will start to blame Conan and Ran since bodies seem to pile up wherever they go. Likewise I worry if Mouri will suffer ill effects from being knocked unconscious so often. And why doesn't anyone ever wonder how he talks without moving his lips? Don't get me wrong, it's a fun show; some lighthearted nitpicking just helps balance out the endless series of grisly homicides. But it's clear some thing will never change. Shinichi will never return to his real age, and Ran will never find out. Poor kid. Ran is a real sweetheart, but she's dumb as all Hell.
