Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback (2025)

I didn’t like this so much as last year’s “Million Dollar Pentagram” as the child-sized super sleuth has to get to grips with a mystery set amidst the snowy Yatsugatake mountains. A gunshot, an avalanche and an assault on a member of staff at the local astronomical telescope soon has police inspector “Kansuke” - himself a survivor of that perilous snowfall, only now with just the one functioning eye - at the scene of the crime trying to piece together just what is going on in this desolate and pristine wilderness. All the while, the ever-observant “Conan” is collecting clues, deducing and deliberating from a diminutive position that allows him unfettered access to the scene. As the investigation gathers pace, there seem to be more and more police and government agencies to contend with so a conspiracy is clearly rife! For me, there simply isn’t enough “Conan” in this animation; there are too many characters for us to follow and the story itself is a little too convoluted, especially at an ending that’s excitingly animated by a bit underwhelming. It’s also probably half an hour too long to sustain the pace that I found a bit lacklustre all too often. Next time, maybe less focus on the already super-served thwhack and pow combat elements and more emphasis on the detective elements for our intrepid sleuth facing a strong baddie.