The "2025 Osaka World Expo" officially kicked off last Sunday (April 13th), launching a six-month run that's drawing massive crowds. And of course, the Expo's official mascot, Myak-Myak, has been a merchandising sensation, sparking a buying frenzy.
However, when the Expo's main venue, the "Grand Ring" structure, was recently unveiled, it unexpectedly ignited a wave of "Detective Conan movie déjà vu" among Japanese netizens. Many started conjuring up plotlines, jokingly claiming that just adding "Original Story by Gosho Aoyama" would be enough to kick off an explosion.
This meme-fueled discussion began with a tweet from Yurai ( @yurai7_golf ), who posted: "If the Osaka Expo appeared in a Conan movie, it feels like it would immediately explode lol." The tweet included an image of the architectural scene.
Soon after, other netizens jumped in, creating Conan-style animated photos complete with the bold text "Original Story by Gosho Aoyama." This instantly made everyone feel like this World Expo was in for some serious trouble, lol.
This imaginative leap instantly resonated with countless Conan fans, sparking a creative chain reaction. Everyone began earnestly "brainstorming" an entire, non-existent movie plot.
From "Hattori Heiji must be a featured character" and "Kaito Kid will steal the Moonstone" to "Amuro Tooru directing Kazami from behind the scenes," some netizens even meticulously outlined the prologue, mid-section, and climax of the story. Conjuring up the plot was effortless.
Netizens imagined the opening scene: Sonoko of the Suzuki Corporation declares, "My dad's hosting the Expo, Ran, why don't you all come?" The Detective Boys inexplicably tag along, Professor Agasa tells a terrible riddle, and Genta probably shouts "Amazing!" at some building, immediately setting up another explosion flag.
Mid-plot, Conan discovers the Yumesaki Tunnel and Yumemai Bridge have been bombed, turning Yumeshima into an isolated island. The crime officially begins, and a tense, terrifying atmosphere spreads across the Expo grounds.
Towards the climax, the culprit confesses that a family member was harmed during a previous Expo, leading to their motive. They've hidden a bomb somewhere in the Grand Ring, and the explosion will cause a chain collapse. Conan, skateboarding, prepares to toss the bomb into the water, but then, the *real* bomb is revealed to be hidden at the evacuation site where everyone is fleeing... and then Conan screams: "Ran~~~~!" Heiji races on his motorcycle around the ring. The entire plot is practically predictable, lol.
Netizens also joked that simply placing a bird's-eye view of a giant building with the words "Original Story by Gosho Aoyama" is enough to imagine it getting blown to smithereens. It's an unbeatable flag.
No wonder Gosho Aoyama himself once said during an NHK interview, "I really want to witness a real murder scene" (殺人 目撃できねえかな). Well, isn't this his chance (kidding)!
This online discussion, while a bit nonsensical, unexpectedly showcased the deep-rooted cultural influence of "Detective Conan" in Japan. A large architectural scene and a single "Ran~~~~~" were enough to trigger a collective fantasy, conjuring up an entire, fully-fledged animated movie plot. It's truly a miracle of shared understanding among Conan fans.
It seems netizens' creative brainstorming has cooked up so much drama, it could almost be the blueprint for the next movie! XD
( Follow-up extended report: Netizens even created visual art and logos... )
via： togetter