Detective Conan: Fist of Blue Sapphire interview starring Kappei Yamaguchi.

Surprise!! Bet you weren't expecting this.....to be fair I really wasn't either (and this isn't what I was talking about in regard to "new things on the blog", but) I figured I had a little free time and in all fairness Conan is a fairly huge part of Shounen Sunday. Not to mention the movie is doing gangbusters at the box office so I'd might as well hop in on this! Note: While I'm an okay-ish translator or so I hope I am by no means an expert so there may be small mistakes. Don't be shy and speak up if you see them, I don't bite, or fight. (Though do try to be kind, I'm sensitive.) The interview itself is here if you want to see it in Japanese. It's fairly interesting stuff and I hope you all enjoy it!

It's totally like it's “Die Hard” now.

---You've seen “Fist of Blue Sapphire” Today for the first time. (This interview was conducted April 2^nd before the on stage greeting.

{Tweet: If the Conan mass media comes then Wakana-chan will come too so it'll be a tale of going to see a movie with Ran~^^}

Kappei (To be known as K): I saw it, and it was awesome! The footage wasn't complete when we did the recording so there wasn't any music or sound effects yet...it was incomplete. So when I got to see the whole thing completed I thought that it was really exciting. Moreover it felt like the scale for this movie had become even bigger. Like...superhuman almost. (Laughs).

--Right? It felt like there were so many surprises in the second half that came one after another. I think I'd need more than one viewing to process it all. (Laughs).

K: I feel the same way. When we were doing the recording It was hard to tell how the artwork would turn out. “Huh? Wait how is this supposed to be? Whoa, that's really how it went down?” Was a lot of the talk between everyone. Though it's because it's a work that went past it's limits that it was so much fun. It's totally like “Die Hard” now. (Laughs).

---Totally. (Laughs) The Action scene have an impact that feel like they exceed the deduction scenes.

K: Of course there are highlights to look out for to solve the mystery, but you really would get that impression from how flashy this movie is. Though since Kid showed up this time I think that the movie being full of flash was a good thing.

--Kaitou Kid last appeared in a movie in 2015 “Detective Conan: Sunflowers of Inferno” --so 4 years ago. How did you feel when it was decided he'd be a main character in this film?

K: I was surprised to see that he was back so soon. Every year at the end of the movie they have a small preview for the next one, --which would have been “Zero's Enforcer” last year. During the recording of that movie it had already been decided that Kid would be the lead for the next one. Which was about a year and a half beforehand. I thought there'd be a little more time before we'd see him again.

--- “Detective Conan” is an anime that has been long loved nationwide, but for six years since 2013 the box office revenues for the movies has only been rising, and it feels like in recent years they've really garnered a lot of attention. So for Kid to be the star of a movie with timing like this...

K: Even with the box office revenues rising, the staff puts all they've got into making the movies, so while it comes off as them working hard for an award it was still a fun atmosphere during recording this time around as always.

---Even looking back at the contents of the movie itself, it seems the recording studio is a fun place.

K: Although “Conan” is the type of series where all kinds of cases happen, the recording sessions themselves proceed with a congenial air. We usually record the lines for the movie in one day, so this year too we were recording from early morning till midnight. We were engrossed in recording the whole time, but the impression after it was all done was just how much fun it was.

“Kyogoku is the complete opposite from Amuro”

--In this movie Makoto Kyogoku is the key person. This is the first movie where Kyogoku has been in this position...

K: Kyogoku sure is cool, right? I don't dislike how awkward he is. I feel like he's the type that as long as he has Sonoko and Karate he really doesn't need anything else. However, since he is fully dedicated to Sonoko, he finds it hard awkward to express his affections. Amuro who was the main character in “Zero's Enforcer” is different –Kyogoku is the complete opposite from Amuro.

---He's pure and just a little bit airheaded –his charm is quite different than Amuro's, huh?

He puts the 'man' in manliness. (laughs). After seeing this movie I feel like the amount of Kyogoku fans will grow a bit. However, I feel like at this point he's no longer human. (laughs). At the climax his aura is incredible –it's almost as if he's a character from another genre completely. I think Kid will personally want to avoid getting involved with him. (laughs).

--Because whenever Sonoko thinks of Kid, she refers to him as “Kid-sama” and her eyes light up, Kyogoku bares his jealousy at Kid and faces him down, right?

K: That's right. It's probably why he wants Sonoko to be quiet a bit (laughs). However, in this movie Kid and Kyogoku have a scene where they fight, but they do a good job of avoiding each others attacks. Maybe Kid's a worthy opponent?

---He would need quite the technique to dodge those attacks, huh?

K: That's right. It's why I think that Kid's actually pretty strong.

“Kid's trust in Conan”.

--This time around Kid and Conan have a scene where they fight on a united front. For the movie “The Lost Ship of the sky” Conan's voice actress Minami Takayama mentioned during recording that “Perhaps Kid and Conan are getting to close –maybe they need to back off a bit”. For this movie, what would you say the distance between Conan and Kid is?

K: I think they've got a good sense of distance. I don't think it's easily defined whether they're really close or far apart...I think they've just got a good sense of mutual trust in each other. I think the foundation for this is the sense of distance maintained between a “phantom thief” and a “detective”. Once I got to see the completed movie, I really thought once again that they have a good sense of distance.

--During the recording did you talk to Ms. Takayama about what she thought of this?

K: In the movie there are a lot of scenes where Conan and Kid are gathering info together. Because of this conversations would come up like “How do we go about explaining this” and so on. Since the characters themselves have so much trust in each other, there are things that go without saying between them. If there are parts of the script where it does feel like Conan and Kid are relying on each other a bit too much, we change the nuance in the lines and the pretext, and if need be discuss changing the wording. She and I would talk about that quite often during recording.

--- Even without relying on Conan, Kid does and thinks his own way.

K: Kid is a pretty sharp guy, so if there comes a time where one would wonder why he wouldn't be able to arrive at the truth on his own, We discuss the nuance of the lines. Conan's specialty is his deductions, so I think that's what Kid relies on and trusts Conan to do.

--There are scenes where Conan and Kid fight on a united front in the series, but this movie is the longest time they've been in each others company.

K: That's right. They're together the whoooole time. It was Kid who brought Conan to Singapore after all. Though he's really cruel bringing him along in a suitcase (laughs.)

--He couldn't have possibly used just the suitcase, (laughs). Though despite things Conan and Kid have a history with each other, and it feels like through their long interactions that their relationship is slowly beginning to change.

K: When Kid first appeared in “Detective Conan” he already occupied the position of being a worthy rival. I think “The lost ship of the sky” more or less confirmed it? I think a bit of Kaito Kuroba that dazzles in the “Detective Conan” series is what has changed a little bit. At the beginning when they first met, Kid said “A phantom thief is an artist who steals dazzling game, while a Detective looks at those traces and overly criticizes them, you know?” Though this time around he says “The magician clenches his fist as if he's hiding something, and it's a Detective's role to guess what's hiding in it before the fist opens, right?” Although it's just one line it shows a whole lot of change. So I think within Kid there is a define amount of trust for Conan.

“Are Kaitou and Shinichi good friends? ….I dunno about that. (laughs)”

--What is Kid like personally? From when we first met him to now, it feels like parts of his visage have changed, right?

K: In this movie, there's not as much talk of Kid in general, really. When Kid and Conan are together, they're in a neutral state so I feel like there's way more contact with the Kaito Kuroba side of himself.

--When Kid first appeared in “Conan” it felt like he had a more enigmatic air about himself.

K: That's right. Lately he doesn't even say “Ladies and Gentleman” anymore. (laughs).

--Ahaha (Laughs). It's true he doesn't say that much anymore.

K: More than before it feels like there's a pronounced showing of the part of him that is Kaito Kuroba. A lot like there was in “The lost ship in the sky”. I feel like it really broke down then...right around the time where he was petting that goat. (laughs).

--On that note, when one looks at Kid, it kind of feels like he and Shinichi might become good friends..

K: Maan....I wonder about that. How would that work? (Laughs) Ultimately I feel like one would pursue and the other would be pursued.

--I see. On that note, in “Detective Conan” you voice Shinichi Kudo and Kaitou Kid to characters who have the same appearance. When you're voice acting what kind of things are you thinking to keep them separate?

K: That's mostly intuitive for me now. It's not really like I do much to distinguish them voice-wise, it's more like “This is the essence of Shinichi Kudo” vs “This is the essence of Kaitou Kid”, and I compartmentalize the little things that way. Because of Kid's appearances I've found that Shinichi isn't actually calm and collected character, but he's actually the hot blooded type. Meanwhile I'd have to say that Kid is those cool and suave parts left over from Shinichi. So when I look at Shinichi as a hotblooded character I think that surprisingly “This works out”.

--It's true that overall Shinichi gives the impression of being is a fairly straightforward guy while Kid is a bit more aloof. I do get that feeling from your performance.

K: And I think that everyone watching picks up on that difference too. When I'm acting for Shinichi I do think of him as having a straightforward gaze as he talks. Meanwhile Kid feels more like he's looking down from above. That's the kind of feeling I go with when I'm voice acting.

“A familiar yet nostalgic new costume for Kid”.

--The other day on the Friday Road Show! The “Last Magician of the Century” was broadcast, and it was a buzz on social media. A lot of fans were talking about “Kid being their first love.”

K: ….Figures back then everyone really loved Kid huh? (Laughs) I was thinking to myself that Kid sure had a lot of fans when he was more pompous.

--It had a lot to do with the mysterious air of pompousness he had. He was to a the childlike mind the hero of a shoujo manga. It was that Kid who captured the hearts of many perhaps.

K: Though jumping from a First grader's veranda and saying “I'm a magician who's grown tired of flying and am resting my wings” is kind of....(laughs). I watched it again and couldn't help chuckling to myself.

--I think Kid is at his coolest when he's like that though. (laughs). This is how he became many young girls' “first love”, and that love stays with them even now. What do you think is the reason for Kid's enduring popularity?

K: It's gotta be the white silk hat, and the tuxedo with the white cape. It's that visage of Kid that's super cool, right? Aoyama-sensei's artwork of Kaito Kuroba from “Magic Kaito” has been the same since it's inception. Kaitou Kid's character design has been set like that for a while now. I think the outfit he created has made him an icon of sorts, through it being a nostalgic design while also feeling new even now. Today when I was watching the movie I was thinking to myself Kid's costume really does shine. I think from even his silhouette that his character exudes charm.

--Kid's existence really captures the eyes. When he appears the whole scene is dazzling.

K: When Japan thinks “famous detectives” Kousuke Kindaichi and Goro Akechi come to mind, but right now if you were to take a man on the street interview and ask people “what do you think a famous detective is” a lot of folk would probably answer “Conan” I think. It does feel like it's become something that huge, but there's an awareness that Kid appearing in “Conan” is a part of it's major success. At the same time if you asked “What do you think a phantom thief is” the amount of folks answering “Kaitou Kid” is on the rise.

“Upon seeing the movie, the most curious thing is...”

--So asking once again, what are the highlights of the movie?

K: There are a whole lot. Since the setting is overseas, the film is overwhelmingly beautiful. All of the finer details are painstakingly drawn and honestly after seeing it I really want to go to Singapore. (laughs). I really think the staff approached drawing this movie with a lot of zeal. Beyond that, there's the story of Kid and Conan spending a lot of time together and fighting a united fight. Though that's one part of the film, another is Kyogoku and Sonoko's story really ting things together. Oh and the villain characters have their charm too, but it's interesting that even with all these different viewpoints the feel of the story itself doesn't change. Actually it's a little surprising how few characters show up in this. I think that is a factor as to why the story is pretty easy to understand. Though the biggest highlight this time around would have to be the action scenes.

--They have a lot of intensity don't they?

K: During the second half I was clenching my sweaty palms. I really enjoyed the heart-stopping action. Especially the ones starring the man who has exceeded humanity itself, Kyogoku (laughs). His mentality was drawn really well too, so take notice of that if you can. One can see his weak side as well, and despite everything you'd think “Oh wow he really is just a high school student, huh” and feel a bit relieved. Though the thing that got me most curious during the preview showing was the ending scene where everyone was returning to Japan...was Conan really in the suitcase that whole time? I'm so curious. (laughs).

--It's true we didn't even get to see Conan in the ending. (Laughs).

K: You asked me about the highlights yet I feel like that's not the answer I should have given. (laughs).