Detective Conan: The Counterfeit Crime Case of Ultra 30 Anime TV Special Review

If you've ever been curious about the history or production process of Japanese currency, then boy, do I have a special for you! Detective Conan: The Counterfeit Crime Case of Ultra 30 runs about an hour and a half, and almost a third of the special is dedicated to breaking down how Japan makes money. The overall setup, like most Detective Conan episodes and movies, is incredibly convenient, with much of this information coming back for the final murder reveal later in the special. However, I like that this starts distinctly differently from other cases. Tying a murder mystery to a money-counterfeit conspiracy that could have ripple effects throughout Japan is very interesting. The special also includes meticulous detail about the money-printing process, both in how it's explained to the audience and how it's shown visually. I even distinctly remember joking while watching the episode that the Japanese treasury department may have sponsored this special.

However, despite that strong, unique opening, the more the special goes on, the more things become typical, and unfortunately, I mean that in a negative way. Like past specials, this one tries hard to expand the cast by introducing key or fan-favorite characters throughout the franchise. This doesn't immediately feel out of place considering the case is tied to a larger police investigation, so it makes sense that certain characters would be brought in. Even Heiji's inclusion in this special makes sense, since one of the money-printing bureaus is located in Osaka. However, by the end of the special, it fails to justify everyone's presence.

Not only is the case absurdly simple, but no one really contributes anything to the investigation meaningfully outside of Conan. Heiji doesn't help or provide any unique insight that helps Conan solve the case, and he's just here because the series doesn't want him to confess to his childhood friend off-screen. Most of the police officers maybe get one line of dialogue but ultimately do absolutely nothing except aura farm. The special hopes it builds toward something that uses all these pieces and players, but they either barely contribute to the climax or, in the worst cases, get completely forgotten.

It's not that the case itself doesn't make sense. The problem is that the final reveal is almost laughably straightforward, with no real twists. This makes everyone's inclusion pointless because no one's help was necessary, and by the halfway point, the special doesn't even try to pretend it was. It's as if the writing gave up halfway through, and I was left waiting for the obvious breakdown to happen. By the time the credits roll, a significant part of this special could've been cut to tighten it up, even if the murder mystery wasn't as interesting as the hype made it out to be.

It really says a lot when the most visually and narratively interesting part of the entire special was the beginning, which focused on the breakdown of developing the currency. The special looks very good overall, and the soundtrack has always been strong for the series. But that sense of importance backfired because the payoff didn't even come close to feeling satisfying. Not every episode of Detective Conan is a masterpiece, but I always felt the specials and movies had a certain level of quality. Unfortunately, this special is no different from some of the worst episodes of the series and definitely doesn't befit the series' 30th anniversary.