Meitantei Conan Episode 1129 Discussion

Wow, so the true culprit turned out to be the stepmother, and her goal wasn't the money, but to kill the stepson. And not just for a superficial reason like inheritance, but a more personal one of an impending divorce and likely loss of child custody. I'm guessing she intended to have Kazuo killed, so the only heir/son left would be her own biological child, Sakae, the younger half-brother. That way, it was more likely the divorce would be called off, trying to keep what remains of the family together. Really adds another layer of depth to her motivations as the culprit, whereas most of the time the usual murderer-of-the-week tends to be quite shallow and predictable, or a crime of passion, or a crime of opportunity.

I like how they even nailed the Not-Uniqlo fashion with their disguises.

I did not expect so many twists and turns, starting with the "culprits" also being the victims in the first half, then Conan having to deceive Megure by posing as the kidnapper himself to delay their operation as he rescues Tetsuya in the apartment, or when Kazuo being sent back right into the viper's den just when you thought he got home safe. Felt like a rollercoaster. It's been a long time since I've had this much suspense. This 2-part episode arc was by far the best-written episodes I've seen come from Detective Conan. That would also be a pretty fresh idea to spin into a movie: have Conan be the culprit, say in a grander scheme to achieve a greater good goal, like seeking justice against the Gin in the Black Organization for killing Haibara's sister...all the while Conan is a more competent criminal than anyone you've seen with his higher intelligence and detective experiences solving countless cases. That would be pretty fun to watch unfold.

What surprised me most, was finding out that this is a TV original, not adapted from the manga! They absolutely should have saved this premise for a movie version and fleshed it out more, making it bigger with a larger budget, as the featured parents were quite likable despite being ordinary civilians that would give a satisfying resolution. Whoever they got to write this, they should have them write a lot more episodes of this level of work rather than the usual fillers.

Side note: Interesting how the car Naho was driving was a Western car, likely an import given where the driver's seat was. It highlighted that she's richer than most people...Whereas Tetsuya's parents, or at least the dad who brings home the bacon, struggled for a moment when he saw what the bill came up to at the Not-Uniqlo clothing store (and the housewife swiping his card without hesitation, lol) showing that they really are just ordinary people trying to make ends meet, living day-to-day. These subtle points were a masterclass in "Show. Don't tell." storytelling.