LayarHijau – Detective Conan fans have a new reason to wonder how the long-running manga will eventually wrap up. Gosho Aoyama, the creator of Detective Conan (名探偵コナン), has revealed that he has already prepared the storyboards for the manga’s final chapter, even though the series is still ongoing.
Aoyama shared the revelation during an interview for a special program leading up to Japan’s 24 Hour Television 49. Singer CHANMINA and actor Taiga Kyomoto visited Aoyama’s studio for the interview.
Support Layar Hijau
Layar Hijau is an independent media outlet dedicated to sharing news and stories about the Asian dramas you love. If you enjoy our content, your support helps us keep going and bring more stories to fellow drama fans.
Every bit of support means a lot to us. Thank you for reading, following, and being part of Layar Hijau's journey.
For supporters in Indonesia
For international supporters
For more information, click here.
Both are longtime Detective Conan fans. CHANMINA said she first discovered the series when she was in her teens and has remained a devoted fan ever since, even joking that Detective Conan is practically part of her DNA.
Kyomoto is also a serious fan. He holds Level 1 of the Detective Conan Kentei, a challenging certification test that measures knowledge of the franchise.
During the interview, CHANMINA asked Aoyama whether he ever expected Detective Conan to become such a long-running and beloved series when he first started working on it.
Aoyama admitted that he had no idea it would last this long.
“No, not at all. Back then, I thought it would probably end pretty quickly,” he said.
The Detective Conan manga began serialization in 1994, while the anime adaptation premiered in 1996. What started as a mystery manga has since grown into one of Japan’s most enduring manga and anime franchises, with the story still continuing today.
Aoyama said he first truly realized just how popular Detective Conan had become when the franchise received its first theatrical movie.
He also joked about just how long the series has been running.
“Now it airs every week,” Aoyama said with a laugh.
Aoyama also revealed that he has talked with Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, about their unusual experiences as manga creators. The two reportedly joked about how their weekly manga chapters are continually turned into anime episodes.
“We both thought, maybe we’re the only ones who draw manga every week and then see it become anime,” Aoyama recalled.
But the most intriguing moment came when CHANMINA began talking about how she tends to think about the ending of things first.
She said she even thinks about what she might do after retiring, before asking whether Aoyama has similarly planned how Detective Conan will eventually come to an end.
His answer caught her completely off guard.
“I’ve already drawn the storyboards for the final chapter. Do you want to see them?” Aoyama said with a laugh.
Aoyama’s comment confirms that he has already worked out the ending of the Detective Conan manga, at least in storyboard form, even though readers are nowhere near the end of the published story.
Importantly, Aoyama did not say that Detective Conan will be ending soon. He also gave no indication of when the final chapter he has prepared might actually be published.
In other words, having the ending planned does not necessarily mean the manga is approaching its conclusion. It simply means Aoyama already knows where the long-running story is ultimately headed.
CHANMINA immediately became excited and asked whether she could actually see the storyboards.
Kyomoto could not resist commenting on the exchange.
“Most people wouldn’t actually go along with a conversation like this,” he joked.
Aoyama only responded with a mischievous smile.
“It’s interesting,” he replied.
The exchange has inevitably sparked fresh curiosity among Detective Conan fans, particularly over the biggest unanswered question surrounding the series: how will the story of Conan Edogawa, Shinichi Kudo, Ran Mouri and the Black Organization ultimately end?
For now, Aoyama is keeping that answer to himself. What fans do know is that the creator has already prepared the final chapter of the manga long before readers reach that point.
So, when will Detective Conan actually end? Aoyama still isn’t saying.
