THE anime series, Detective Conan, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and presents its 18th film in the series, Dimensional Sniper, which contains lots of action and mystery.
Conan and his friends, including Ran and the Detective Boys, are enjoying the view from the observation deck of Bell Tree Tower (also known as Japan’s Sky Tree Tower) in Tokyo during its opening ceremony.
Suddenly a bullet breaks through a window and kills a visitor, prompting Conan to snap into action despite the chaos that erupts on the deck.
Realising that a sniper is the culprit, Conan and fellow detective Sera attempt to track him down using clues and help provided by the FBI.
Because I am new to the franchise, I had a hard time adjusting to Dimensional Sniper’s non-stop action. Thankfully, viewers are told, at the beginning of the story. how Conan was reduced in size.
Here’s a recap: Teenage detective Shinichi Kudo was forced to ingest a lethal poison which shrinks him to child size. He uses the pseudonym Conan Edogawa and the guise of an elementary school student, to hide from those who had poisoned him as he tracks them down.
Back to the Dimensional Sniper, Conan is determined to solves the crime despite his size disadvantage. He goes after the culprit at dizzying pace. Coupled with the action-packed plot, it can be quite overwhelming for viewers. When the FBI gets involved, there’s information overload.
Viewers (who don’t understand Japanese) must rely on subtitles to grasp the information thrown rapidly at them. The mystery and investigation wrap up just before the film ends.
Conan fans will enjoy the film. more, but for newbies, Dimensional Sniper may be quite hard to digest. Although the film is set in Japan, it has references to the US military’s fight in the Middle East which makes the plot more interesting.
The film keeps you guessing and trying to glue the pieces together, but it can get tiring.
After the first man is killed, the sniper claims more victims and, after every kill, leaves a clue that collectively indicate a countdown of some sort. This places Conan and his team of investigators in a race against time.
The fact that this is an animation allows the Dimensional Sniper director Kobun Shizuno to be adventurous in making his characters attempt crazy stunts. Conan’s customised glasses allow him to track down a target, his sneakers multiply his kicking force and he also has his high-speed solar-powered skateboard. His fellow detective Sera can speed through town recklessly on her motorcycle to chase after the killer.
The visuals stay true to Detective Conan’s animation style and present the action scenes nicely. As this anime caters to the young, it is disturbing to see brutal acts of murder. It is not gory or graphic but scary.
The film doesn’t delve too much into Conan’s relationship with his childhood friend Ran. The question of who poisons Conan is unanswered and fans will have to wait longer for the answers.
Check out the end credits, which show various aerial views of Tokyo, especially those surrounding the tall Sky Tree Tower. Stay on also for the post-credit scene.
Dimensional Sniper is a must-watch for fans of Detective Conan but those who aren’t can still enjoy it as well.
NOW SHOWING
DETECTIVE CONAN: DIMENSIONAL SNIPER
Directed by Kobun Shizuno
Voiced by Minami Takayamaas, Noriko Hidaka, Wakana Yamazaki, Miyuki Ichijou
Duration: 90 minutes
Rating: P13