is a Japanese
mystery
Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters
*Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange''
Films
* ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film
* ''Mystery'' ( ...
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
series based on the crime solving adventures of a high school student, Hajime Kindaichi, the supposed grandson of the famous (fictional) private detective
Kosuke Kindaichi
is a fictional Japanese detective created by Seishi Yokomizo, a renowned mystery novelist. His first case, ''The Honjin Murders'', is a novel of locked room murder in an old family, which many people regard as one of the best Japanese detective no ...
. Written by
Yōzaburō Kanari or
Seimaru Amagi
is a Japanese manga storywriter, novelist and screenwriter. Under the name Yuma Ando, he received the 2003 Kodansha Manga Award for '' shōnen'' for writing ''Kunimitsu no Matsuri''. The pen name "Tadashi Agi" (亜樹 直) is shared with his si ...
(depending on series) and illustrated by
Fumiya Satō
is a Japanese manga artist. She is best known for the manga series ''The Kindaichi Case Files'' and ''Detective School Q''. In 1995, she received the Kodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous ye ...
, the ''Kindaichi series'' was serialized in
Kodansha
is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...
's ''
shōnen'' manga magazine ''
Weekly Shōnen Magazine
is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga anthology published on Wednesdays in Japan by Kodansha, first published on March 17, 1959. The magazine is mainly read by an older audience, with a significant portion of its readership falling under the male high ...
'' from October 1992 to October 2017, spanning a total of 76 ''
tankōbon
is the Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...
'' volumes. It is one of the earliest works in the mystery manga genre.
The series has been adapted by
Toei Animation
() is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including ''Sally the Witch,'' ''GeGeGe no Kitarō,'' ''Mazinger Z'', ''Galaxy Express 999'', ''Cutie Honey'', ''Dr. Slump'', ' ...
first as a feature film in 1996 and then a 148-episode
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
television series broadcast from 1997 to 2000, and there has since been a
live-action film, five live-action drama series, three live-action television specials and further animated features for cinema and television. A new anime television series adaptation, titled ''The Kindaichi Case Files R (Returns)'', began airing on April 5, 2014 and concluded on September 27, 2014. A second season began airing on October 3, 2015.
In North America, the series was published in English by
Tokyopop
Tokyopop (styled TOKYOPOP; formerly known as Mixx Entertainment) is an American distributor, licensor and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa and Western manga-style works. The German publishing division produces German translations of licensed J ...
with the title ''The Kindaichi Case Files''. Only the first 17 volumes (the first series) have been released by Tokyopop.
A new series, ''37 Year Old Kindaichi Case Files'', began in Kodansha's
''seinen'' manga magazine ''
Evening'' in January 2018 and is set 20 years later, in which Hajime graduates high school, and becomes a manager of a PR firm, but is swung back into mysteries, despite quitting detective work.
In 1995, the manga won the
Kodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, the event is sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in three categories: '' shōnen'', '' shōjo'', and general. The awards began in 1977, initially w ...
for shōnen. As of June 2019, the manga had over 100 million copies in circulation, making it one of the
best-selling manga series
The following is a list of the best-selling Japanese manga series to date in terms of the number of collected ''tankōbon'' volumes sold. All series in this list have at least 20 million copies in circulation. This list is limited to Japanese ...
.
Overview
''Kindaichi'' mysteries are
whodunnit stories featuring (usually multiple) gruesome murders, often with a supernatural tinge. Frequently features a
locked room mystery
The "locked-room" or "impossible crime" mystery is a type of crime seen in crime and detective fiction. The crime in question, typically murder ("locked-room murder"), is committed in circumstances under which it appeared impossible for the perpetr ...
or other crimes,
such as a murder occurring when all surviving suspects have (apparently) airtight alibis.
A notable distinction of ''The Kindaichi Case Files'' is that the killers are not depicted as
psychopathic murderers and the murders are never committed for financial reasons alone. The identified killers all have deep rooted problems, often involving great emotional trauma through the greed or thoughtlessness of others, as their reasons for committing the murder(s). Thus the killers are often portrayed as sympathetic figures, as opposed to cold, calculating killers in some other mystery series.
In addition to this, after being revealed the criminal usually attempts suicide.
Characters
;
:
:
:17-year-old Fudo High School student Hajime Kindaichi is unmotivated, lazy, and a little lecherous, much to the exasperation of childhood friend Miyuki Nanase. However, only a few people see his great intelligence and deductive prowess by his 180
IQ, possibly inherited from his grandfather, private detective
Kosuke Kindaichi
is a fictional Japanese detective created by Seishi Yokomizo, a renowned mystery novelist. His first case, ''The Honjin Murders'', is a novel of locked room murder in an old family, which many people regard as one of the best Japanese detective no ...
. He is also an accomplished
sleight of hand
Sleight of hand (also known as prestidigitation or ''legerdemain'' ()) refers to fine motor skills when used by performing artists in different art forms to entertain or manipulate. It is closely associated with close-up magic, card magic, card ...
artist. Despite his clumsiness and myriad other flaws, he is a loyal friend and a first-rate detective.
:20 years later, he became a PR firm manager, quitting detective work. But crimes never retire. So he was stuck into a case he solved many years ago.
;
:
:
:The childhood best friend and next door neighbor of Hajime; many question why a model student like Miyuki is friends with a
slacker like him. Deep down inside, Miyuki feels Hajime is not an idiot, and they seem to have a love that neither has yet fully expressed. She possesses remarkable logic and perception, although she is obviously not as gifted as he is. Miyuki is the president of Fudo High's
student council
A student council (also known as a student union, associated student body or student parliament) is an administrative organization of students in different educational institutes ranging from elementary schools to universities and research or ...
.
:20 years later, she became a flight attendant. She connects to Hajime via cellphone.
;
:
:
:A
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
homicide
Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...
police inspector who met Kindaichi on his first case, and was so impressed that he has lent the youngster his unquestioning support ever since. He is often the investigating officer on Kindaichi's cases, and provides the official stamp of approval Kindaichi often needs to pursue his investigations. He believes fully in Kindaichi's ability.
:20 years later, he retired, but had contact with Hajime.
;
:
:
:An extremely intelligent, elite-level police
detective
A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
(superintendent), who is Kenmochi's supervisor. He is an arrogant and snobbish character that becomes a rival to Kindaichi in crime-solving. However, Akechi (indeliberately) not only helped Kindaichi solve the case, but also aided him out of trouble. His relationship to Kindaichi is abrasive at the least, but they have an unspoken mutual respect for each other's abilities. He often compares the crimes in Japan to his experience in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. He is proficient in
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
and
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
.
:20 years later, he became a Police Commissioner.
;
:
:
:He is obsessed with filming through a
V8 camera
The 8mm video format refers informally to three related videocassette formats. These are the original Video8 (analog recording) format and its improved successor Hi8 (analog video and analog audio but with provision for digital audio), as well as ...
. He basically shoots everywhere at any time. His tape helped Kindaichi solve the case. In "The Santa Slayings", his tape recorded a critical piece of evidence and he was killed for this. In "Kindaichi the Killer", his younger brother, Ryuji Saki, who very much resembled his elder brother, approached Kindaichi at a party, telling him his elder brother told him in a dream that Kindaichi would be in trouble. Soon after, Ryuji helped Kindaichi avoid a murder trap. Afterwards, Ryuji claims himself as Kindaichi's assistant and sometimes really helps Kindaichi in solving cases. In the anime series, Ryuta survived the attack in "The Santa Slayings" story arc and Ryuji did not appear later on.
;
:
:Portrayed by: Emiri Nakayama (1995),
Wakana Sakai (2001)
:A famous actress and singer, first appearing in "Death TV", who initially appeared to be arrogant but turned out to be weak and desperate for protection. After this case, Reika has had a crush on Kindaichi and sent her only
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...
gift, a heart-shaped chocolate, to him without revealing her name. Since then, she and Miyuki seem to be rivals over Kindaichi. In "Playing the Fool", Reika's past, that even she lost memory of, was revealed. In "Reika's Kidnapping", it was revealed that Reika's real mother is veteran actress Keiko Mitamura, but throughout the series Reika never knew it, and it was a secret that only Keiko and Kindaichi know.
:20 years later, she retired, married, has a son and is a florist.
;
:
:Kindaichi's cousin. First appeared in "Saint Valentine's Murders" in manga and "The Undying Butterflies" in the anime television series, and later became a regular character appearing in the majority of cases for an extended period. Fumi has good reasoning skills (although not as good as Kindaichi), she even solves a few mysteries on her own. She sometimes pokes fun at Kindaichi when nobody else is around. Inspector Kenmochi nicknames her "Chibikin" (meaning little Kindaichi).
:20 years later, she became a mystery novelist (using cases from Hajime's young days), works at a detective agency and no longer has pigtails.
;
:
:
:Kindaichi's nemesis, also known as . He is known to be extremely intelligent, considers himself to be the evil twin of Kindaichi, and describes their relationship as parallel lines. He is the only son of Reiko Chikamiya, an internationally known magician, who in turn drove Takato to be a magician himself. What he uncovered about the murder of his mother triggered what he is today. A twisted, cold-hearted magician who considers his devilish setups for the perfect crime as masterpieces, and tolerates no mistakes from the people he uses as his puppets.
:20 years later, he called the trio on his cell.
Media
Manga
''The Kindaichi Case Files'' is written by
Yōzaburō Kanari (''File'' and ''Case'' series) and
Seimaru Amagi
is a Japanese manga storywriter, novelist and screenwriter. Under the name Yuma Ando, he received the 2003 Kodansha Manga Award for '' shōnen'' for writing ''Kunimitsu no Matsuri''. The pen name "Tadashi Agi" (亜樹 直) is shared with his si ...
(other series) and illustrated by
Fumiya Satō
is a Japanese manga artist. She is best known for the manga series ''The Kindaichi Case Files'' and ''Detective School Q''. In 1995, she received the Kodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous ye ...
. The series ran for twenty-five years in
Kodansha
is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...
's
''shōnen'' manga magazine ''
Weekly Shōnen Magazine
is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga anthology published on Wednesdays in Japan by Kodansha, first published on March 17, 1959. The magazine is mainly read by an older audience, with a significant portion of its readership falling under the male high ...
'' from October 28, 1992, to October 18, 2017.
Six main series ran in the magazine: (1992–1997), collected in twenty-seven ''
tankōbon
is the Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...
'' volumes; (1997–2000), collected in six ''tankōbon'' volumes; (1998–2001), collected in ten ''tankōbon'' volumes; (2004–2011), collected in fourteen ''tankōbon'' volumes; (2012–2013), collected in five ''tankōbon'' volumes; and (2013–2017),
collected in fourteen ''tankōbon'' volumes.
In North America,
Tokyopop
Tokyopop (styled TOKYOPOP; formerly known as Mixx Entertainment) is an American distributor, licensor and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa and Western manga-style works. The German publishing division produces German translations of licensed J ...
licensed the series in 2003. 17 volumes have been published in North America from October 6, 2003, to May 13, 2008, before Tokyopop ceased the series' publication in July 2008.
Another series, titled , set 20 years later, started in Kodansha's
''seinen'' manga magazine ''
Evening'' on January 23, 2018. The first ''tankōbon'' volume was released on June 15, 2018. As of June 22, 2022, thirteen ''tankōbon'' volumes have been released. In January 2022, it was announced that the series would enter on hiatus.
Another series, titled , began serialization in ''Evening'' on January 11, 2022. The first ''tankōbon'' volume was released on May 23, 2022.
Other series
was published in ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' between 1998 and 2000, and compiled into two ''tankōbon'' volumes. started on ''
Manga Box
is a manga magazine mobile app developed by DeNA. It was launched on December 4, 2013 as free app foiOSanAndroiddevices and as a website platform. The app hosts manga by Kodansha, Shogakukan, and other manga publishers. Mangaka Shin Kibayashi s ...
'' app in 2013 and finished in 2014,
and compiled into one ''tankōbon'' volume published on May 9, 2014.
A spin-off manga titled ''Kindaichi Case Files: The Mini-Vacation'' began serialization on April 23, 2014.
''Kindaichi Case Files Spinoff: Criminal Case Files'', written and illustrated by Shinpei Funatsu, was published from July 2017 to March 2020 and compiled into eight ''tankōbon'' volumes.
A 4-panel comedy spin-off manga titled ''Kinnyaichi Shonen no Jikenbo'' began serialization in ''Evening'' on December 28, 2021.
Light novels
The novels were written by Seimaru Amagi and illustrated by Fumiya Satō. 9 volumes were released in Japan between September 22, 1994 and April 20, 2001.
Anime
Produced by
Toei Animation
() is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including ''Sally the Witch,'' ''GeGeGe no Kitarō,'' ''Mazinger Z'', ''Galaxy Express 999'', ''Cutie Honey'', ''Dr. Slump'', ' ...
and directed by
Daisuke Nishio
is a Japanese animator and director. He joined Toei Doga (now Toei Animation) as animator in 1981. After doing several TV series, he was promoted to assistant director on '' Dr. Slump - Arale-chan'' in 1982. He debuted as director for '' Dragon ...
, the anime adaptation of the original manga aired on
Nippon Television
JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed su ...
between April 7, 1997 and September 11, 2000,
spanning 148 episodes plus one special episode. In addition, two animated films were released on December 14, 1996 and August 21, 1999 respectively. Seven years after the conclusion of the TV anime, two new animated episodes were aired in Japan on November 12, 2007 and November 19, 2007 respectively.
On April 6, 2007, DVD collector's box of ''Kindaichi'' was released by
Warner Home Video
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. (formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the home video distribution division of Warner Bros.
It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video ...
to mark the 10th anniversary of airing of the original TV anime.
The series aired on
Animax Asia as ''The File of Young Kindaichi'' in Japanese with English subtitles.
To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the series, two special episodes based on "The Black Magic Murders" were released on DVDs in November 2012 and February 2013.
A revival of the anime television series, ''The File of Young Kindaichi Returns'' aired from April 5 to 27 September 2014. A second season aired from October 3, 2015 to March 26, 2016. They were streamed on
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...
during their original broadcast, but are no longer available on the website.
Video games
7 ''Kindaichi'' video games were released as of September 17, 2009. All of them were released in Japan only. Many of the game
voice actors differ from those in the anime version.
CD books
Kodansha
is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...
released two CD books in 1996 and 1997 respectively. Both have been made into anime. However, nearly all CD books voice actors are not the same as those in the anime version.
Live action film and series
NTV aired five live action series in 1995, 1996, 2001, 2014, and 2022.
Specials were aired in 2005, 2013, and 2014.
In the first adaptation,
Tsuyoshi Dōmoto
is a Japanese idol, singer, songwriter, actor, and television personality. Along with Koichi Domoto (with whom he has no blood-relation), he is a member of KinKi Kids, which is a Japanese duo under the management of Johnny & Associates and the r ...
of
Kinki Kids
is a Japanese duo consisting of Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto under the talent agency Johnny & Associates. KinKi Kids was formed in 1993 and officially debuted on July 21, 1997. With more than 30 million physical copies sold, they are one of ...
and
Rie Tomosaka
is a Japanese actress and pop star from Mitaka-shi, Tokyo. She works for Itoh Company. From 1996 to 1997, she has also released music under the name .
Profile
Tomosaka's father is a beautician. In 1998, she majored in International Culture a ...
starred as Hajime Kindaichi and Miyuki Nanase for two seasons. They also starred in a live action
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
entitled ''Shanghai Mermaid Legend Murder Case'', directed by
Yukihiko Tsutsumi, released on December 13, 1997 in Japan, adaptated from the ''Kindaichi'' novel of the same title.
In the second adaptation,
Jun Matsumoto of
Arashi
is a Japanese boy band consisting of five members formed under the Johnny & Associates talent agency. The members are Satoshi Ohno, Sho Sakurai, Masaki Aiba, Kazunari Ninomiya, and Jun Matsumoto. Arashi officially formed on September 15, 1999 ...
starred as Hajime Kindaichi, with
Suzuki Anne as Miyuki Nanase.
In the third adaptation in 2005, a special based on "The Legendary Vampire Murders" was aired featuring
Kazuya Kamenashi of
KAT-TUN and
Ueno Juri
is a Japanese actress. She first gained recognition in the 2005 film ''Swing Girls'' where she was a recipient of Newcomer of the Year prize at the Japanese Academy Awards. Ueno achieved mainstream success for playing the titular role in the live ...
as Kindaichi and Miyuki Nanase.
In the fourth adaptation,
Hey! Say! JUMP's
Ryosuke Yamada starred as Hajime Kindaichi, while
Haruna Kawaguchi portrayed Miyuki Nanase. In 2013, a special based on ''Hong Kong Kowloon Treasure Murder Case'' was aired, featuring Yamada and fellow JUMP member
Daiki Arioka
is a Japanese singer, actor, tarento, and model as well as member of Hey! Say! JUMP. He is under the management of Johnny & Associates.
Career
On June 2, 2003, he joined Johnny & Associates as a trainee. As a Johnny's Jr., he was a member of ...
, with
Haruna Kawaguchi,
Vivian Hsu,
Eric Tsang,
Big Bang
The Big Bang event is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models of the Big Bang explain the evolution of the observable universe from the ...
member
Seungri, ''
Rookies'' actor
Kenta Kiritani and Taiwanese actor
Chun Wu
Wu Chun ( zh, t=吳尊; born Goh Kiat Chun, Joseph Wu on 10 October 1979) is a Bruneian actor, singer, and model. He was a member of Fahrenheit, a Taiwanese Mandopop vocal quartet boy band, from its debut in 2005 to June 2011, singing bass. Wu h ...
(Japanese voice dubber was
Daisuke Namikawa, Jellal from ''
Fairy Tail''). In 2014, a special based on ''Gate of Jail Private School Murder Case'' aired, also featuring Yamada. Wu (Japanese voice dubber was
Hiroki Touchi
is a common masculine Japanese given name. It can be written in many ways. In the following lists, the kanji in parentheses are the individual's way of writing the name Hiroki.
Possible writings
Hiroki can be written using different kanji charac ...
) and Kawaguchi, who appeared in the previous special, were also included, as well as
2PM
2PM (; romanized; ''Tupiem'') is a South Korean boy band formed by JYP Entertainment. The group is composed of six members: Jun. K (formerly known as Junsu), Nichkhun, Taecyeon, Wooyoung, Junho and Chansung. Originally a seven-piece group, fo ...
's
Nichkhun.
In the fifth adaptation in 2022,
Shunsuke Michieda
is a Japanese actor and singer who is a member of idol group Naniwa Danshi under Johnny & Associates.
Career
Michieda Shunsuke was born in Osaka, Japan. His mother is a big fan of SMAP, so he grew up listening to songs from SMAP and Hey! Say! ...
of
Naniwa Danshi starred as Hajime Kindaichi, and
Moka Kamishiraishi
is a Japanese actress, singer, and fashion model. As a singer, her stage name is Adieu (stylized in all lowercase). She is the younger sister of actress and singer Mone Kamishiraishi.
Kamishiraishi entered the entertainment industry after winn ...
portrayed Miyuki Nanase.
''Detective Conan & Kindaichi''
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of ''
Weekly Shōnen Sunday
is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga magazine published in Japan by Shogakukan since March 1959. Contrary to its title, ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' issues are released on Wednesdays. ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' has sold over 1.8billion copies since 1986, ...
'' and ''
Weekly Shōnen Magazine
is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga anthology published on Wednesdays in Japan by Kodansha, first published on March 17, 1959. The magazine is mainly read by an older audience, with a significant portion of its readership falling under the male high ...
'', the two magazines collaborated to publish twelve biweekly magazines consisting of chapters from ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday''s ''
Case Closed
''Case Closed'', also known as , is a Japanese detective manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' since January 1994, with its ch ...
'' and ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine''s ''The Kindaichi Case Files''.
The magazine ran between April 10, 2008 and September 25, 2008.
Reception
As of March February 2012, the manga had over 90 million copies in circulation, making it one of the
best-selling manga series
The following is a list of the best-selling Japanese manga series to date in terms of the number of collected ''tankōbon'' volumes sold. All series in this list have at least 20 million copies in circulation. This list is limited to Japanese ...
. As of June 2019, the manga had over 100 million copies in circulation. ''Kindaichi''
tankōbon
is the Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...
were ranked 2nd and 3rd in a Japanese Comic Ranking in October, 2009.
In 1995, the manga won the
Kodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, the event is sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in three categories: '' shōnen'', '' shōjo'', and general. The awards began in 1977, initially w ...
in the ''shōnen'' category.
Allen Divers of
Anime News Network
Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...
said that while ''The Kindaichi Case Files'' "presents some whoppers", the series also has mysteries that are very "familiar", calling it "the Japanese version of the ''
Hardy Boys
The Hardy Boys, brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, are fictional characters who appear in several mystery series for children and teens. The series revolves around teenagers who are amateur sleuths, solving cases that stumped their adult counterpa ...
'' or ''
Nancy Drew
Nancy Drew is a Fictional character, fictional character appearing in several Mystery fiction, mystery book series, movies, and a TV show as a teenage amateur sleuth. The books are ghostwriter, ghostwritten by a number of authors and published ...
''". In ''
Manga: The Complete Guide''
Jason Thompson described the mystery scenarios as "inventive and intricate, offering genuine brain teasers", but criticized the artwork as "bland".
References
External links
Animax Asia websiteToei Animation's Kindaichi websiteYomiuri TV's Kindaichi R website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kindaichi Case Files
The Kindaichi Case Files
is a Japanese mystery manga series based on the crime solving adventures of a high school student, Hajime Kindaichi, the supposed grandson of the famous (fictional) private detective Kosuke Kindaichi. Written by Yōzaburō Kan ...
1992 manga
1994 Japanese novels
1996 anime films
1997 anime television series debuts
1997 films
1999 anime films
2014 anime television series debuts
2015 anime television series debuts
Animated films based on manga
Detective anime and manga
Films directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi
1990s Japanese-language films
Kodansha manga
Light novels
Live-action films based on manga
Manga adapted into films
Mystery anime and manga
Nippon TV dramas
Seinen manga
Shin Kibayashi
Shōnen manga
Toei Animation films
Toei Animation television
Tokyopop titles
Winner of Kodansha Manga Award (Shōnen)
Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation original programming