“We must stop former American soldiers from committing any more murders in a foreign soil.”
– Admiral Spencer
Christmas came really early for me! Detective Conan: The Dimensional Sniper (Movie 18) is another great gift for all the avid fans of this long-running animated series. This is probably the ninth Detective Conan film I have watched and so far, every offering is just as exciting as the other…perhaps even more exciting!
With the addition of new characters- the FBI team namely James Black, Andre Camel, Jodie Starling and Akai Shuichi; Masumi Sera, a highschool student who’s also into detective works just like Shinichi Kudou; and Subaru Okiya, a post-graduate student living in Kudou’s empty house- this film got a lot more interesting. I particularly like the addition of the FBI team because it makes the film more action-packed and Subaru Okiya because he added the element of mystery in the story.
The film opened with a murder incident, a bullet striking through the window of the 365-meter tall Bell Tree Tower killing Hiroaki Fujinami, a property sales agent. After attending the opening ceremony sponsored by Sonoko’s family, Conan together with Ran, Sonoko, Kogouro, Dr. Agasa and the Detective Boys moved to the observation deck to enjoy the view of the city – this is where they witnessed the murder incident. The Dimensional Sniper is about a series of sniping incidents targeting former Marine officials, specifically those who are connected to Timothy Hunter- a former marine who was stripped off of his Silver Star because of this so-called violation of rules of engagement.
Since the culprit is suspected to be a SEALs sniper, catching him wouldn’t be that easy. With the big advantage that he has in terms of location, he can just run away right after killing his target. Agent Camel from the FBI also said that the sea is a garden for the SEALs, that’s why the culprit still survived even after being forced into the sea.
As someone who has been watching this kind of anime for years and has been reading Sherlock Holmes’ adventures as well, I do have the tendency to suspect every other character as the culprit in this movie. It was a hard call really. I even thought that Subaru was the suspect when I saw him studying the same map of Tokyo and pointing out possible targets. Fortunately, it turned out he wasn’t and was even a factor in catching the real murderer.
What I like most about this film is the fact that Conan never fails to show how much he cares for Ran and his friends. Towards the end of the film, when Ran was stuck in the tower with the real murderer and Conan was in another building, he thought of everything he could do to at least help Ran and his beloved friends. Thanks to Dr Agasa’s improved ‘soccer ball belt’, Conan was able to provide just enough light for Subaru to aim and take his shot, his skateboard which always comes in handy, the super elastic suspenders, the detective glasses, badge and the ‘power up’ shoes as well (I hope I have these gadgets in real life).
It wasn’t confirmed in the movie, but I’m pretty sure Subaru Okiya is the former FBI agent with the moniker Silver Bullet, that they were referring to. I also think he is the brother of Masumi Sera that’s why when the latter was hospitalized, he secretly bought her flowers (even though it was mentioned that Sera’s late brother died long ago- we can’t really be sure about that though).
Of course, with Conan and company, we can only expect great endings. The murderer, Kevin Yoshino, a former Navy SEALs who was indebted to Hunter, was arrested after that heart-stopping action sequence and another ex-marine official by the name Jack Waltz was also detained shortly. The last 15 minutes of the film was gold! I thought Subaru Okiya-san was really cool being able to stay calm despite the chaotic scenes in front of him. Well, we can only expect that from a trained and skilled officer right? Thanks a lot to him!
It was unfortunate that the credibility of US Navy Seals has been deeply tainted because of this incident, but that’s just the way it is. Admiral Spencer tried to conceal the crimes made by former Navy officials in Japan but it was all in vain. As what Conan always say, “There’s only one truth,”– and the truth did come out in the end.
Let’s not forget my favorite moment of Rans’- that part where she literally knocked down the culprit to his knees courtesy of her karate moves! That’s one girl power right there! Kudou’s very lucky to have a ‘special’ friend who’s fearless and sweet at the same time.
The Detective Boys also had their precious moments in the epilogue – they obliged Conan to finish all the painting job for their school project and made sure he wouldn’t get away with it this time. Of course, he wouldn’t try to sneak out with Haibara-san around.
Yet again, I can say that the story is just perfect and the transitions are all spot on. I guess I will never be disappointed watching this film over and over again. 🙂
(Photos not mine, credits to their rightful owners)
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Reblogged this on loveyoublue and commented:
Waoow~ subaru
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