Detective Conan: The 14th Target Complete Guide | Complete Explanation of Plot, Culprit, and Trivia
Overview
“Detective Conan: The 14th Target” is the second theatrical film in the Detective Conan series, released on April 18, 1998. Produced following the success of the previous film “The Time-Bombed Skyscraper,” this work recorded box office earnings of 1.85 billion yen, establishing the popularity of the series firmly.
The greatest feature of this film is the human drama centered on Mouri Kogoro and the original plot of consecutive assault incidents with playing card numbers as the motif. Despite its compact runtime of 99 minutes, the intricate suspense and touching story depicting family bonds have been highly praised.
Director Keiichi Kodama continued from the previous film, with the screenplay written by Kazushige Furuuchi. The music was composed by Katsuo Ohno, and the theme song featured “Returning to My Girlhood” by Kyoko Anko.
Story Details
Introduction: The Beginning of Consecutive Assaults
The story begins with Police Superintendent Juzou Megure being attacked by someone. Subsequently, incidents occur targeting Ran Mouri’s mother, attorney Eri Kisaki, who is separated from her husband, and Professor Agasa, all of whom are threatened one after another.
Conan focuses on the playing cards left at the crime scenes. A Spade King was found at Megure’s scene, a Spade Queen at Kisaki’s scene, and a Spade Jack at Professor Agasa’s scene. Furthermore, he realizes that all victims have deep connections with Kogoro Mouri.
The Pattern of Numbers
Conan discovers a common point in the victims’ names. Megure “thirteen,” Kisaki “Eri” (Eri→A→1), and Agasa “Hiroshi” (Hiroshi→4, 6) all contain numbers in their names. It becomes clear that the culprit is targeting Kogoro’s acquaintances by decreasing numbers sequentially from 13.
The next potential targets emerge as Shiratori, a former colleague of Kogoro, Reiko Kujo, a food critic, and Kyosuke Kazoe, an ophthalmologist. Conan and Kogoro deduce that an incident involving Kogoro during his detective days ten years ago is connected to these consecutive assaults.
Climax at the Underwater Restaurant
The incident reaches its climax at the underwater restaurant “Aqua Crystal,” where Kogoro’s acquaintances gather. The culprit attempts to execute his final plan at this location. The restaurant is bombed, seawater floods in, and Conan and Ran struggle desperately to escape.
The culprit’s true identity, revealed here, is Kyosuke Kazoe, an ophthalmologist. He was involved in an incident ten years ago when Kogoro, while a detective, accidentally shot Eri Kisaki during a gunfight. Kazoe was injured in the eye when caught as a hostage during the incident and lost most of his vision.
The Truth and Touching Conclusion
Actually, ten years ago, when Kogoro’s wife Eri was taken hostage, Kogoro deliberately shot her foot—not the culprit—to rescue her. This action demonstrated Kogoro’s marksmanship skills and his deep love for his wife. However, this incident became a trauma, preventing Kogoro from handling guns. He resigned from the detective force and became a private detective.
In the scene where Ran nearly drowns at the underwater restaurant, Conan (Shinichi Kudo) desperately attempts to save her. This scene becomes an important moment for Ran to reconfirm her feelings toward Shinichi.
Ultimately, everyone is rescued and Kazoe is arrested. Through the incident, signs of reconciliation appear between Kogoro and Eri, but they continue their separation.
Characters and Cast
Main Characters
Shinichi Kudo / Conan Edogawa (Voice: Minami Takayama / Kappei Yamaguchi)
The protagonist of this film. He notices the pattern in the playing card numbers and approaches the truth of the incident. In the underwater restaurant rescue scene, Shinichi’s feelings are strongly depicted.
Ran Mouri (Voice: Wakana Yamazaki)
The heroine of this film. Upon learning about her parents’ past, she faces complicated emotions. She plays an important role in reaffirming her feelings toward Conan (Shinichi) in a critical underwater situation.
Kogoro Mouri (Voice: Akira Kamiya)
The central figure of this film. He holds the key to both the incident from ten years ago and the current consecutive assaults. His suffering during his detective days and his love for his family are carefully depicted.
Eri Kisaki (Voice: Masara Takashima)
Ran’s mother and makes her theatrical film debut as an accomplished attorney. Though separated from Kogoro, the revelation of the truth behind the incident ten years ago brings changes to their relationship.
Professor Agasa (Voice: Kenichi Ogata)
A scientist who provides inventions to Conan. In this film, he becomes a target of assault and serves as one of the important victims in the incident.
Incident-Related Characters
Kyosuke Kazoe (Voice: Shuuichi Furuya)
The culprit of this film. He appears as an ophthalmologist but plots revenge against Kogoro after losing his vision in the incident from ten years ago.
Kohei Sawaki (Voice: Akio Otsuka)
Owner of the underwater restaurant “Aqua Crystal” and a former colleague of Kogoro. His name “Kohei” corresponds to the number 9.
Reiko Kujo (Voice: Megumi Shinohara)
A renowned food critic. Her name contains “nine,” making her a target.
Tasuo Shiratori, Police Inspector (Voice: Kanetoshi Shiozawa)
Appears as a regular character. His name “Sanzaburo” contains “three,” making him one of the targets.
Katsuyoshi Asahi (Voice: Michido Nishimura)
A professional golfer. His name “Asahi” (Morning sun→1) suggests him as the final target.
Tamaki Jino (Voice: Ai Orikami)
A model. Her name “Jino” contains “two,” making her a target.
Midori Kuriyama (Voice: Asako Momiji)
Secretary to Eri Kisaki and makes her theatrical film debut. Her name “Midori” (Green→3, 4, 5) contains numbers.
Juzou Megure, Police Superintendent (Voice: Gakuen Chafurin)
Police Inspector of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Investigation Division. His name contains “thirteen,” making him the first target.
Staff and Production Team
Director and Main Staff
Director: Keiichi Kodama
He continued as director from the previous film “The Time-Bombed Skyscraper.” Director Kodama is known for establishing the foundation of the theatrical Detective Conan series, and in this film, he successfully balances suspense and human drama.
Screenplay: Kazushige Furuuchi
A screenwriter who has handled many episodes in the television anime series. He constructed a complex plot integrating the original motif of playing card numbers with Kogoro’s past.
Character Design and Animation Director: Masahiro Sudo
While faithfully reproducing the original author Gosho Aoyama’s art style, he adds the glamour of a theatrical film.
Music: Katsuo Ohno
Consistently composing music for Conan from the television series. In this film, he composed a diverse range of music from suspenseful thriller pieces to emotional background music for touching scenes.
Art Director: Yukihiro Shibuya
Supporting the world of this film visually through the fantastical art of the underwater restaurant and the tense depiction of crime scenes.
Animation Production
Production: Toms Entertainment (formerly Tokyo Movie)
The animation studio consistently producing the Detective Conan series. In this film, particular effort was put into the animation expression of underwater scenes, using advanced techniques for the time.
Production Background and Concept
At the planning stage of this film, the concept of “a work the entire family can enjoy” was established following the previous film’s success. Therefore, elements targeting family audiences, such as the marital relationship between Kogoro and Eri and Ran’s feelings toward her family, were strengthened.
The idea of using playing cards as a motif was proposed by screenwriter Kazushige Furuuchi. The clear rule of number patterns provides viewers with easy understanding and offers the pleasure of deduction.
Music and Theme Song
Theme Song “Returning to My Girlhood”
Artist: Kyoko Anko
Lyricist: Kyoko Anko
Composer: Kyoko Anko
Arranger: Takeshi Hayama
The theme song sung by singer-songwriter Kyoko Anko describes an adult woman recalling the pure feelings of her girlhood, which resonates with the emotions of Eri Kisaki and Ran Mouri. Anko’s transparent voice beautifully colors the film’s ending with emotion.
This song is particularly highly regarded among Detective Conan theatrical film theme songs, and is supported by many fans for perfectly matching the film’s world.
Film Background Music
The background music composed by Katsuo Ohno consists of diverse pieces ranging from tense suspense scenes to touching scenes depicting Kogoro and Eri’s past. In particular, the music during the escape scene at the underwater restaurant effectively heightens the audience’s tension.
The soundtrack CD was released by Toshiba EMI and continues to be loved long after the film’s release.
Box Office Performance and Evaluation
Box Office Revenue
“The 14th Target” was released on April 18, 1998, and recorded final box office earnings of 1.85 billion yen. This figure significantly exceeded the previous film’s “The Time-Bombed Skyscraper” at 1.1 billion yen, demonstrating that the theatrical Detective Conan series’ popularity was definitely expanding.
Distributing revenue exceeded 1 billion yen, and it ranked among the top positions in Japan’s 1998 domestic film box office rankings.
Audience Numbers
From the opening week, it attracted many audiences centered on families, and maintained strong box office performance during the Golden Week period. The final estimated audience attendance was approximately 1.6 million people.
Critical Evaluation
It received high praise from professional film critics. In particular, the following points were evaluated:
- Intricate Plot Construction: A comprehensible motif with playing card numbers and complex construction intertwining the incident from ten years ago
- Depth of Human Drama: Detailed depiction of character inner worlds such as the marital relationship between Kogoro and Eri and Ran’s feelings toward her family
- Perfection of 99 Minutes: A screenplay achieving both suspense and drama without waste
- Impact of Action Scenes: Visual appeal such as the escape from the underwater restaurant
Fan Response
Original fans particularly praised the deep exploration of the relationship between Kogoro and Eri. Additionally, the theatrical film debuts of Eri Kisaki and Kuriyama Midori became major topics of discussion among fans.
Reviews on internet review sites contain mostly high evaluations, with numerous comments such as “Particularly high completion quality among Detective Conan theatrical films” and “Deeply moved by family bonds.”
Television Broadcast History
Terrestrial Broadcast Premiere
“The 14th Target” had its terrestrial broadcast premiere on April 12, 1999, on Nippon Television’s “Friday Roadshow.” The viewership rating recorded 19.8%, demonstrating its popularity.
Subsequent Broadcast Record
Subsequently, it has been regularly broadcast on “Friday Road SHOW!” (renamed in 2012), and is frequently rebroadcast as one of the past works before new theatrical film releases.
Major broadcast records:
- April 12, 1999: Premiere broadcast (19.8% viewership)
- April 9, 2004: Rebroadcast (18.5% viewership)
- March 13, 2009: Rebroadcast (16.2% viewership)
- April 4, 2014: Rebroadcast (14.7% viewership)
- March 29, 2019: Rebroadcast (12.3% viewership)
In television broadcasts, some scenes may be cut due to time constraints, but the basic story is maintained.
Video Release
VHS and DVD
VHS
Released November 27, 1998 by Shogakukan. When VHS was still the mainstream format, it was viewed in many homes.
DVD
Initial DVD release on February 23, 2001 by Being. Subsequently, a budget version was released in 2007, making it more accessible to more fans.
Blu-ray
Blu-ray First Edition
Released September 30, 2011. The high-definition format allows the art of the underwater restaurant and the impact of underwater scenes to be enjoyed with greater clarity.
Blu-ray Budget Version
Budget versions have been regularly released from 2014 onward, with pricing that makes it easier for new fans to purchase.
Digital Distribution
Currently available for digital distribution on the following platforms:
- Hulu: Nippon Television’s distribution service, allowing comprehensive viewing of the theatrical Detective Conan series
- Amazon Prime Video: Available for both rental and purchase
- dTV: Avex-affiliated distribution service
- U-NEXT: Sometimes included in the all-you-can-watch plan
Digital distribution has created an environment for viewing anytime and anywhere.
Related Publications and Comics
Theatrical Comic
“Theatrical Edition Detective Conan: The 14th Target”
Original: Gosho Aoyama, Manga: Yutaka Abe and Jiro Marusen
Publisher: Shogakukan
Release Date: April 1998
ISBN: 978-4091203007
A manga adaptation of the film released under the “Shonen Sunday Comics Special” label. It contains detailed psychological depictions and additional episodes not fully depicted in the film, allowing for a different way of enjoying the movie.
Novel Version
“Novel Detective Conan: The 14th Target”
Author: Shima Mizuki (Novel), Gosho Aoyama (Original)
Publisher: Shogakukan
Release Date: April 1998
A novelization of the film with more detailed depictions of characters’ inner worlds. Particularly the psychology of Kogoro and detailed explanation of the incident ten years ago are carefully described in prose, supplementing the film.
Roman Album
“Roman Album Detective Conan: The 14th Target”
Publisher: Tokuma Shoten
Release Date: May 1998
An official mook book containing story explanation, setting materials, and staff interviews. It is a must-see for fans, containing behind-the-scenes production details and initial character design concepts.
Guide Book
“Detective Conan Theatrical Edition Official Guide Book”
A comprehensive guide book for the entire theatrical edition series also includes detailed explanations of this film. You can check the positioning within the historical theatrical editions and changes in box office performance.
Trivia and Production Anecdotes
Origin of the Title
The title “The 14th Target” actually refers to 13 victims. The 14th target refers to Kogoro Mouri himself, hinting that the culprit’s true target is Kogoro.
The Playing Card Motif
The idea of face cards (King, Queen, Jack) being left at crime scenes was conceived by screenwriter Kazushige Furuuchi. The number pattern is easy for viewers to understand, intended to provide the pleasure of deduction.
Kogoro’s Shooting Scene
The scene in the flashback ten years ago where Kogoro shoots Eri’s foot is one of the most important scenes in this film. This animation received particular attention, with detailed drawing applied so Kogoro’s agony and determination could be read from his expression.
Model for the Underwater Restaurant
The underwater restaurant “Aqua Crystal” appearing in the film is said to be modeled after real underwater restaurants. The art staff conducted actual research at aquariums and underwater facilities to create realistic background art.
Voice Actor Ad-lib
Akira Kamiya (voice of Kogoro Mouri) includes ad-libs in this film as well, enriching Kogoro’s character. Particularly in comedy scenes, unrehearsed exchanges were recorded.
Theme Song Selection
Kyoko Anko’s “Returning to My Girlhood” was selected from multiple candidate songs. It was adopted because it matched the film’s themes of “family bonds” and “nostalgia for the past.”
Unexpected Box Office Facts
The film’s box office earnings of 1.85 billion yen vastly exceeded the previous film but actually surpassed pre-release expectations. The distribution company anticipated approximately 1.5 billion yen, but word-of-mouth spread, resulting in a long-run theatrical release.
Highlights of This Work
Family Bonds and Human Drama
The greatest attraction of “The 14th Target” lies not only in deduction and action but in human drama depicting family bonds. The revelation of the reason for Kogoro and Eri’s separation and the truth behind the incident ten years ago brings their deep love into sharp focus.
Ran learns of her parents’ past and harbors complicated feelings, yet continues to believe in family bonds. Ran’s attitude prompts audience empathy and amplifies the emotional impact of the final scene.
Playing Card Number Trick
The consecutive assault setting based on playing card numbers provides clear rules that allow viewers to deduce along with the characters. The pattern of being targeted sequentially from 13 to 1 is easy to understand, with the pleasure of predicting the next target.
Simultaneously, the trick of names containing numbers is a skillful Japanese wordplay element, adding linguistic enjoyment.
Underwater Restaurant Action
The escape from the underwater restaurant at the climax is the highlight of this film. The tense situation of escaping a sealed room filling with water tests the bond between Conan and Ran.
In particular, the scene where Ran nearly drowns and Conan desperately attempts to save her is a memorable scene symbolizing Shinichi and Ran’s relationship, remaining in many fans’ memories.
Kogoro’s Past and Growth
While typically depicted comically, Kogoro is portrayed with his detective days’ suffering and deep love for his family in this film. His gun-handling trauma, separation from his wife, and feelings toward his daughter are organically connected, giving depth to Kogoro as a character.
Eri Kisaki’s Debut
Making her theatrical film debut, Eri Kisaki is depicted with both her dignified aspect as an accomplished attorney and her gentle expression as wife and mother. Her appearance makes the Mouri family relationships more three-dimensional.
Conclusion: A Masterpiece of Theatrical Detective Conan
“Detective Conan: The 14th Target” is a particularly high-completion work in the theatrical Detective Conan series, with excellent balance of deduction, action, and human drama.
Despite its compact 99-minute runtime, the originality of the playing card number motif, the marital relationship between Kogoro and Eri, the truth of the incident ten years ago, and the climax at the underwater restaurant are all concentrated with points of interest.
The figure of 1.85 billion yen in box office earnings speaks to both the quality of this work and audience support. More than 25 years after its release, it continues to be repeatedly viewed through television broadcasts and distribution services, becoming a timeless masterpiece loved across generations.
We heartily recommend this masterpiece not only to Detective Conan fans, but also to those who enjoy mystery and suspense, and those seeking works depicting family bonds. The playing card number trick, the truth of Kogoro’s marksmanship, and the touching climax at the underwater restaurant will all be deeply etched in the hearts of viewers.
