i really think Psych is actually the best depiction of bestfriendism i’ve ever seen. they stumbled into being friends at a young age and were instantly inseparable. one has autism and the other ADHD. they get into slap fights. they have dance offs. one is always making up a new fake name for the other based off a pun. one is a pharmaceutical rep and the other calls into police tip lines for easy cash. they run a psychic consulting business together. it’s called psych. no one is actually psychic.
This week included the third movie, and Kaitou Kid's first appearance on the silver screen! There's a lot of history going on in this movie in addition to all the usual stuff, so let's break that all down.
1) Canonized Info
Kaitou Kid is aware of Conan’s identity.
This is a bit of an odd one, because it’s nothing that’s ever really followed up on in the manga or even demonstrated to be true until later cases. It’s not necessarily contradicted in the manga, either, so it’s a largely safe assumption.
When asked about this issue by fans later, Gosho said Kid likely did some research on his own and came to the same conclusion; this answer has been restated in multiple interviews, and this version of events is what’s followed up on in the Magic Kaito 1412 novels.
So regardless of how or why, Kid knowing about Conan seems to be true. And considering this is followed up on quite a bit in some of the movies we'll be watching, it's also considered canon for the purposes of this read-through.
2) In Parallel
Movie 3 Release: April 17, 1999
Manga Chapter: Black Star (Magic Kaito, Serialized April 14-21, 1999)
The Detective Conan manga happened to be between major arcs during this movie’s release. Whether it be for those reasons or to help celebrate Kid’s movie debut, Gosho instead returned to Magic Kaito for its iteration of Black Star, making it the first new Magic Kaito chapter in four years. More often than not, Kid (or Magic Kaito) features in chapters published during a Kid movie’s release window.
As for the anime, a later manga case was animated first about a month before the movie. This was followed by a bit of a break, a filler, and the adaptation of the Wedding Murder.
3) Behind the Scenes
When Detective Conan was first confirmed for a theatrical release, Gosho was happy, but a part of him also hoped to one day see Kid on the silver screen. When it was finally confirmed, Gosho went to a theater by himself to see the premier of the trailer for the movie.
Kid’s inclusion in this movie, as well has him standing on top of the Tsutenkaku, were both wishes expressed by Gosho. During the “Ladies & Gentlemen!” scene, Gosho originally wanted the camera to pan up from the bottom while spinning, focus on Kid’s hand, and then zoom out. But the production staff told him that wasn’t possible.
Heiji was supposed to have appeared in “The Fourteenth Target,” but his role was cut. Staff wanted to then include Heiji in this movie, which led to it taking place in Osaka in the first part.
Kid was originally meant to go after the “Illusory Blue Rose” (幻の青いバラ), but it was changed to the Imperial Easter Egg after one of Gosho’s staff saw a special on it on TV. This led to a cascade of decisions, like the inclusion of the Russian royal family and a focus on Nicholas II’s lesser known daughter, Maria.
The title was decided by the time the preview screening for “The Fourteenth Target” was happening. Unlike usual precedent, where Gosho decided one half of the title and his at-the-time editor decided the other, Gosho is solely responsible for “The Last Wizard of the Century,” which may be part of why he was so passionate about including Kid.
Related to the above, part of his reasoning was that Kid’s surprise inclusion in the Magic Lover’s Murder earlier that year (serialized January 1998, a few months before M2’s release) apparently went over quite well with fans.
Takayama complained at the time that the full Japanese title, 世紀末の魔術師 (seikimatsu no majutsushi) was too difficult to say.
Producer Michihiko Suwa refers to the film as a “tale of male friendship.”
Seiran’s last line before shooting Conan became a bit of a joke during record sessions. If someone made an assumption - like maybe thinking a recording session would end early - someone would always retort back with Seiran's "foolish boy."
4) Homage
There are two main sources that are worth pointing out
Magic Kaito: Red Tear (1995)
This chapter has not been included in our list of recommended Magic Kaito chapters, but I have mentioned it a couple times so far.
The plot of Red Tear is that a woman has become disillusioned with magic after the death of her parents in an accident. Her grandfather was a famous magician as well as friend and mentor of Toichi’s, so Kaito eventually steps in to help protect the gem from the shady organization and return it to her.
Putting a flame against the gem reveals it to actually be a projector of sorts; her grandfather put it together in hopes of reminding her of the joys of magic.
Lupin the 3rd: From Russia With Love
There are a number of plot points shared between the two movies, like a woman being a descendant of one of Nicholas II’s daughters (Maria in M3, Anastasia in Lupin), a Romanov treasure being hidden outside of Russia (Japan in M3, Texas in Lupin), and Rasputin’s descendants going after said treasure.
There are also some scenes that also seem to be direct homages, like a hidden entrance on the floor or the utilization of bullet-proof lenses.
5) History
Speaking of the Romanovs, their history forms the backbone of this film. It's a complicated topic, so we can't exactly get into the weeds, but knowing a little bit more about them might make things more interesting!
The Romanov Family
The Romanovs were the last imperial dynasty of Russia, and they ruled from 1613 to 1917. The Russian Revolution put an end to their rule, and Czar Nicholas II and his entire family were later executed by the Bolshevik revolutionaries.
Nicholas II himself didn’t have much political experience before ascending the throne, and his poor handling of things like the Russo-Japanese War, Bloody Sunday, and WWI did not do him any favors.
His wife, the German-born Alexandra, was not exactly well-liked either. She was brusque, hated Russian culture, and swore by the abilities of Grigori Rasputin to heal their ailing son and heir to the throne. It was this last part especially that drew ire from just about everybody. Russian nobles eventually had Rasputin murdered at the end of 1916.
A few months later, after dealing with years of a corrupt government and a battered economy, moderates and radical Bolsheviks petitioned Nicholas II to abdicate. He did, but Lenin put the family under house arrest when he formed his new government in late 1917. By July 1918, the fighting between factions came to a head, and to prevent the family’s rescue, they were sentenced to death.
Outside of their only son, Alexei, their most famous child is likely Anastasia, who was the center of rumors not long after their death. Multiple people came forward claiming they were the one and only Grand Duchess Anastasia, and the idea was so romantic that it inspired a number of fictional works about her. It was a surprisingly easy claim to make, since the family burial site wasn't found until 1991, and even the veracity of Anastasia's death wasn't fully confirmed until the two missing bodies from the site were found years later, in 2007.
Rasputin
Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, mystic and faith healer, may be one of history’s most infamous figures, both due to the sheer influence he obtained in life and because of the incredible circumstances surrounding his death.
Born a peasant, Rasputin underwent a religious conversion as a teenager and eventually found a measure of influence in St. Petersberg after captivating a number of religious leaders. It was through this he met Nicholas II in late 1905, and eventually won his and Alexandra’s favor by being able to stop the bleeding of their hemophiliac son, Alexei. The family’s belief in his abilities bought him influence, but his reputation was sordid: religious heresy, bribes, sexual favors and rape, and even a rumored affair with Alexandra.
A group of nobles led by Prince Felix (husband of Nicholas II's niece) eventually plotted to kill him in December 1916, but it was a whole ordeal. The only certain fact is that there were three gunshot wounds, one of which was a near point-blank shot to the head. According to the prince’s account, however, after Rasputin showed no adverse effects to food laced with cyanide, the prince shot him in the chest; this didn’t seem enough to keep Rasputin down, however, as he momentarily freed himself before being shot again by a co-conspirator. After he finally collapsed, Rasputin was wrapped in cloth and thrown in a frozen river.
Imperial Easter Eggs
The Imperial Easter Eggs are a tradition that began with Czar Alexander III as Easter gifts to his Danish wife Maria to remind her of home. He commissioned Peter Faberge, an already renowned jeweler, and Maria was so taken with the egg and the surprise inside that the Czar would commission Faberge for a new egg each Easter. The design was entirely left up to Faberge, with the only real requirements being that each egg is unique, and that each egg contains some kind of surprise inside.
This tradition eventually extended to Czar Nicholas II as well, and after his father’s passing he would prepare eggs both for his wife and his mother. There are 52 known Imperial Easter Eggs in various states of discovery; for some, only the interior surprise remains intact. The last of these eggs, Constellation, was never finished or delivered due to the 1917 revolution.
Lenin’s government stored the collection in the Kremlin, but as the economy began to take a nosedive in the 1920s and 1930s, they sold the eggs to international buyers. Many are now on display in museums and collections worldwide, but a handful of them are still unaccounted for.
6) Culture
Two smaller topics this time around.
Osaka Landmarks
We've got Heiji around, so you know what that means...!
Since the early scenes in the movie take place in Osaka, there are a number of short references to various landmarks.
Tsutenkaku (通天閣): This is the second tower to stand in the site, after the first was destroyed in a 1943 fire. After the war, citizens lobbied for it to be rebuilt. The fifth floor observation deck has a shrine to Billiken the god of “how things should be,” while the tower is topped with a weather beacon that uses color combinations to convey the next day’s forecast.
Osaka Castle (大阪城): One of Japan’s three most famous castles, and a major player during unification at the end of the Sengoku period. It’s open to the public, and is a popular spot during cherry blossom season.
Doutonbori (道頓堀): A popular tourist destination and nightlife district in Osaka, known for its vibrant billboards. The name comes from an administrator at the time, Nariyasu Douton. He died in the siege of Osaka, and the new lord named it after him (plus the kanji for “canal”). The bridge crossing the canal is was once famous as a pick-up spot (and thus called “pick-up bridge”).
Nanba Hotei Shrine (難波布袋神社): This is actually not a real place! Nanba is an alternate pronunciation of Naniwa, the old name for Osaka. Hotei is the Japanese name for Budai, a Chinese monk associated with abundance or fortune. But the very real Imamiyaebisu Shrine (今宮戎神社) serves as the model for this location. A number of big-name kami are enshrined here, like Amaterasu and Susanoo-no-Mikoto. Their omikuji style is also very similar to what’s seen in the movie.
Omikuji Fortunes
First, a brief overview of the standard fortunes you can receive at shrines. Some have fewer categories, while a few have categories unique to that specific shrine, but these are the ones you'll find most often.
A lot of Japanese shrines have omikuji available for drawing. The general flow involves you first purifying yourself at the shrine entrance using the available spring, and then offering a prayer.
Smaller or less busy shrines let you shake a cylindrical container, from which will come a stick with a number. You use that number to pull out the appropriate fortune.
Bigger or busier shrines will streamline the process, potentially having a bucket or box filled with the fortunes themselves. Regardless of the process, each requires a donation of some kind first.
People who pull lucky fortunes may choose to take them home, but if you pull an unlucky fortune, the tradition is to tie them up at the shrine. It could be to a tree itself, or to specially built scaffolding to facilitate this tradition. The wood used is often pine, since the Japanese term (松, matsu) is a homophone with “to wait” (待つ), so the bad fortune will wait around the shrine instead of following you home.
7) Japanese Language Bonus
We get a brief glance at Conan's fortune, but the scene only focuses on a certain aspect of it. Japanese script like this can sometimes be a little hard to make out, since some kanji can look wildly different. From what I can make out, though, I'm fairly confident that the fortunes read the following:
Poem:
The approaching storm may destroy my home, but my body will remain unscathed.
Fortunes
Health: Caution is the greatest protection.
Travel: Your secret will come to light. Avoid traveling.
Business: Moderation is key.
Test: Do all you can and await the verdict of fate.
8) Short & Sweet References
Let's start with the easiest ones.
Conan’s room on the ship is A-221, a nod to the famous address of Sherlock Holmes, 221B.
Neuschwanstein Castle, mentioned by Shiratori, was the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle and Cinderella Castle. It’s an incredibly popular tourist attraction (with guided tours!) and was labeled a World Heritage Site in July 2025. BUT you can also find a replica of the castle in Taiyo Park in Himeji, Japan!
While exploring the cavern under the castle, the Detective Boys begin singing Nazo, the third opening for the TV series.
Next, we have Kid's list of buildings while standing atop Tsutenkaku. Each of them reference something, but what they're referencing is a mixed bag.
Hoenzaka Mikado Hospital: Hoenzaka is a town in Chuo Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture.
Dojima Century Hotel: Dojima Hotel was once a hotel in Osaka City. It was rebuilt in 2021 as Aloft Osaka Dojima.
Tenma Emergency Medical Center: Tenma is a region and town name in the Kita Ward of Osaka City.
Channel Ten Hotel: Channel 10 was the analogue TV channel assigned to Yomiuri TV, the broadcaster that airs Detective Conan in the Kansai region.
Naniwa TMS Hospital: TMS is the animation studio.
Kansai World Hotel: Hotel Kansai is a hotel in the Kita Ward of Osaka City.
9) Gosho Frames
Here's a sampling of some of the frames Gosho had a hand in drawing for the movie!
And with that, we end the Case Notes for movie 3! It was a bit of a long one this time, so if you managed to read all the way through to the end, thank you!
if you truly want aspd, that means youll have to accept the symptoms.. one of those being the emotional flatness.
yes.. you may not feel sadness as deeply.. a benefit, if you must. but this also means you dont feel happiness as deeply, either. you wont enjoy things.
i hate going to concerts, even if its an artist whos music i like to some degree. i could sit front row and not feel even a smidge of excitement.. or happiness.
i have ditched many hobbies because i stopped enjoying them. even the ones i liked a bit more at first.
i got into my dream school and had to watch the people around me celebrate while i was struck with indifference the entire time.
i have never kept a job past a year. i get so bored that i start problems out of nothing. i burn bridges everywhere i go.... and after.. still just indifferent.
i dont have friends in my real life. if i do, they are around because they can be useful to me. but sometimes, if my goal is taking too long, i will ditch them anyways. i get bored too easily.
even regular conversations are mundane. the indifference makes it difficult to put effort into them... unless i am masking and see a benefit.
i watched movies when i was younger in an attempt to learn how to mask better. i almost never get through anything now. i dont hate movies. i simply cant enjoy them. the only times i will watch them now is if its with another person. or if i must for any other reason other than my own autonomy. indifference. bored. even if characters die or things blow up.
there are so many more examples i could name. but the point is, this is one of the realities of aspd. so please, if you want the diagnosis so bad, if you want this so bad, be ready to never be able to enjoy anything. its a mundane life you will be set to live.
Anatomy of a Scoliosis Pattern — a Real Life Story
Client in today had a hip and low back problem that showed up when running up uneven stairs. This is probably not a new problem as she has a Scoliosis pattern. (Many people do who’ve never been ‘diagnosed’.)
Her right hip has been painful and tight; her right pelvis is ‘hiked’; her right lumbar is ‘flat’; the right QL is short.
When prone, turning bent legs left against resistance is weak at T/L junction and L5/S1 junction. Since the body is 3-dimensional this means her lumbar likes to turn left at T12/L1 AND L5/S1.
But on the left side of the lumbar, the TOP of the QL at T12/L1 is thick and tight. Scoliosis often has this pattern. Side bending using QL on the Left side she is strong at T12/L1 and weak at the insertion of QL onto the Iliac crest. So, TOP of the QL on the left is Strong for Side Bending and Weak for Rotation. On the right the insertion of QL on the Ilium is VERY tight and strong and inhibiting the lateral hip stabilization of Glut Med/Min. BOTH Erector Spinae up and down the spine are weak. The right hip therefore is ‘gripped’, externally rotated to brace for the weak back and Glut muscles. The right Iliacus is very tight also creating the perfect picture for compression of the hip joint: External Rotators co-contracted with Iliacus. This co-contraction flattens the lumbar spine. Erector Spinae is not functional/active/responsive and the Psoas on the right side is not supporting the upper end of the lumbar lordosis from the front. It tests weak.
The right rib cage is narrower than the left at the bottom. When my client inhales using the diaphragm, the right side does not expand as well as the left. This too, is a common pattern of some cases of Scoliosis. Are you confused? How does all this fit together? What can be done about it?
I’m just glad that NMR does not try to understand the whole pattern at once... These compensations were built on top of one another over many years of coping. You would never know this client has Scoliosis if you saw her in line in front of you. NMR tackles the most strategic imbalances first. The T/L junction is #1. Remaining functions of the ‘waist’ are next; then the way in which the pelvis deviated to accommodate the shorter muscles.
When I look at these ‘types’ of Scoliosis there is no way to understand from a 2-dimensional drawing the dynamics of what is going on in Scoliosis patterns. The ’shape’ of things is less important than What’s working vs. What’s not working.
These muscle patterns can be re-programmed. If you are curious, consider studying NMR. We’ll be doing an Advanced NMR for Scoliosis class in Dallas the first weekend in August.
PRIMARY COLOUR: Blue (Specifically Navy Blue or Ice Blue).
COLOUR OF THE SKY: Pale blue-grey.
MAGICAL POWER: Healing of illnesses and injury by touch.
SHOE: Dr. Scholls Headstart Combat Boots (Womens)- Black, size 10.
HOUSEPLANT: Rosemary.
BLADE WEAPON: Rapier.
SCHOOL SUBJECT: History.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram.
MAKEUP PRODUCT: Chapstick.
CANDY: Twizzlers- Cherry.
TANGIBLE FEAR: Thanatophobia (fear of losing someone you love).
ICE CUBE SHAPE: Sphere.
METHOD OF LONG-DISTANCE TRAVEL: Flying (by plane or quintjet).
ART STYLE: Art Nouveau.
HISTORICAL PERIOD: 1940′s/early-2010′s.
MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE: Tutelary.
PIECE OF STATIONARY: Leather-bound journals and pens.
THREE EMOJIS: 😰😤💙
CELESTIAL BODY: Constellation- Scutum.
Stolen from: @born-to-be-mischievous.
Tagging: @mcltitcdes for Marc and Mika (YES! I SAID BOTH!); @quiveringdeer for your favorite slasher; @adventurepunks for Zatanna; @blizzardmuses for Barbara; @spinxeret; @leschanceux for Dick; @bokketo for Nat; @ablackwidowsbite for Wanda; @fasterthanmydemons; @thedemonconstantine for Timmy; @infinitelycomplexpuzzles for Kara; @agentjjkelly; @agentsterling; and @wetheresilientfew for Cillian.
