Wanpaku Detectives: The appeal and reviews of a mystery anime for children

Naughty Detectives - Wanpaku Tanteidan -

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

novel

■ Broadcast period

February 1, 1968 - September 26, 1968

■Broadcasting station

Fuji Television

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 35

■Original Story

Edogawa Ranpo

■ Director

Shigeyuki Hayashi

■ Production

Mushi Production

■Works

©Edogawa Ranpo/Mushi Production

■ Story

The Naughty Detectives are a group of boys organized under the command of the great detective Kogoro Akechi. The group is made up of six members, led by Kobayashi, Akechi's right-hand man. The Phantom Thief Twenty Faces always issues a warning before he commits a crime, and steals valuable art treasures with daring methods. The Naughty Detectives face him with their usual vitality.

■Explanation

This anime is based on Edogawa Ranpo's children's detective novel series, "The Boy Detectives Club," and incorporates various elements to make it familiar to children of the 1970s. In the original work, the Boy Detectives Club is a large group of 10 to 25 members, but in this work there are only six, and each member's role is clearly defined. This is the first time that Mushi Production has animated a work other than that of Tezuka Osamu.

■Cast

・Yoshio Kobayashi/Naoyuki Kanno/Kogoro Akechi/Hideaki Esumi/The Phantom Thief Twenty Faces/Genzo Wakayama/Otoko/Noriko Hagiwara/Chibichin/Ayako Hori/Steyan/Kei Toyama

■ Main staff

・Original story: Ranpo Edogawa, serialized in the magazine "Bokura" ・Director: Shigeyuki Hayashi ・Producer: Masaki Mori ・Technical Director: Eiji Yamaura ・Editor: Masashi Furukawa ・Music: Takeo Yamashita ・Sound Director: Atsumi Tashiro ・Sound Effects: Mitsuru Kashiwabara ・Sound Recording: Tokyo Studio Center, Fumio Taneda ・Producer: Mushi Production

■ Main Characters

・Yoshio Kobayashi
He is Kogoro Akechi's assistant and the leader of the Naughty Detectives. A boy with a strong sense of justice.

・Kogoro Akechi
A great detective with sharp deductive skills and insight, he leads the Naughty Detectives.

・The Phantom Thief Twenty Faces
A master thief who excels at disguise and is a rival of Kogoro Akechi.

・The only female in the Otoko Wanpaku Detective Group and the leader.

・Chibichin Otoko's younger brother. A member of the Naughty Detectives.

A member of the Steyan Naughty Detectives. He is good at driving.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: The Appearance of Twenty FacesEpisode 2: The Living Grim ReaperEpisode 3: The Luminous MonsterEpisode 4: The Revenge of Twenty FacesEpisode 5: The Secret of Devil IslandEpisode 6: The Phantom Castle of the Demon MaskEpisode 7: The Bronze DemonEpisode 8: The Phantom Ghost TempleEpisode 9: The Emperor's MedalEpisode 10: The Demon GongEpisode 11: Professor Black CatEpisode 12: The Fearsome Poison SpiderEpisode 13: The Challenge of Twenty FacesEpisode 14: The Bat BaronEpisode 15: The Cursed Hell MaskEpisode 16: The Demon Pirate ShipEpisode 17: The Demon of the SkyEpisode 18: The Wax Man's TrapEpisode 19: The Black Demon Dog (Part 1)
・Episode 20/Black Demon Dog (later)
Episode 21: The Monster Doctor Episode 22: The Secret of Demon Mask Castle Episode 23: The Gray Giant Episode 24: The Tiger's Fangs Episode 25: The House of Terror Episode 26: Escape from Hell's Valley Episode 27: The Mysterious Ghost Cape Episode 28: The White-Haired Demon (Part 1)
・Episode 29: White-Haired Demon (Part 2)
・Episode 30 / Black Lizard Assassination Squad ・Episode 31 / Undersea Blockade Operation ・Episode 32 / Unmasking Twenty Faces ・Episode 33 / Gold Transport Operation ・Episode 34 / The End of Twenty Faces (Part 1)
・Episode 35: The End of Twenty Faces (Part 2)

■ Theme songs and music

・Theme song・Opening theme
・Song of the Wanpaku Detectives・Lyrics by Fumio Danjo・Music by Harunobu Shiraki・Arrangement by Takeo Yamashita・Song by Vocal Shop, Kamitakada Boys Choir

・ED1
・Song of the Wanpaku Detectives・Lyrics by Fumio Danjo・Music by Harunobu Shiraki・Arrangement by Takeo Yamashita・Song by Vocal Shop, Kamitakada Boys Choir

・ED2
・The Phantom Thief Sings ・Lyrics by Noh Kahei ・Music by Yamashita Takeo ・Singer by Sera Yoshiaki

Wanpaku Detectives - Detailed Review and Recommendation

■ Background and history of the work

"Wanpaku Tanteidan" is an anime series based on Edogawa Ranpo's masterpiece "The Boy Detectives Club," which was broadcast in 1968. This work was created to convey the appeal of detective novels to children of the time, and was loved by many viewers. The original "The Boy Detectives Club" is a series published from 1936 to 1955 and is one of Edogawa Ranpo's masterpieces. For the anime adaptation, the essence of the original work was preserved while some arrangements were made to make it enjoyable for children.

■ The appeal of the story

The story of "Wanpaku Detectives" revolves around the great detective Kogoro Akechi and his assistant Yoshio Kobayashi. Kogoro Akechi solves many difficult cases with his sharp deductive powers and insight, and confronts a master thief called the Phantom Thief Twenty Faces. The Phantom Thief Twenty Faces is a master of disguise, and is a character who carries out daring crimes after giving advance notice. The showdown between these two is at the heart of the story, and the members of the Wanpaku Detectives are shown working together to solve the cases.

Each episode revolves around a new criminal plan by the Phantom Thief Twenty Faces, and the Naughty Detectives' team's efforts to counter it. Particularly memorable episodes include "The Appearance of Twenty Faces" in episode 1, and "The End of Twenty Faces" in episodes 34 and 35. These episodes delved deeper into the character of the Phantom Thief Twenty Faces, leaving a strong impression on viewers.

■Charm of the characters

The characters in "Wanpaku Detectives" are all unique and charming. In particular, the relationship between Kogoro Akechi and Yoshio Kobayashi, which is a teacher-student relationship but also one that feels like a friendship, deeply moves viewers. The Phantom Thief Twenty Faces is a villain, but his wisdom and boldness are appealing and draw viewers in. The members of the Wanpaku Detectives also have different skills, and it is moving to see them solve cases by working as a team.

Otoko is the only female member of the Wanpaku Detectives and has the leadership skills to bring the members together. Chibichin is Otoko's younger brother, but he also shows courage and is a character beloved by viewers. Steyan is good at driving and plays an important role in helping to solve cases. The drama woven by these characters adds to the appeal of "Wanpaku Detectives."

■Animation and Music

The animation for "Wanpaku Detectives" was produced by Mushi Production. Mushi Production is the studio that produced many of Tezuka Osamu's works, and is highly regarded for its technical ability and expressiveness. In particular, the scenes in which the Phantom Thief Twenty Faces disguises himself and the scenes in which the Wanpaku Detectives are in action are visually very appealing. The music was also produced by Yamashita Takeo, and the theme song and inserted songs add to the atmosphere of the story. In particular, the opening and ending theme songs, "Wanpaku Detectives' Song," left a strong impression on viewers and were loved by many people.

■ Social impact and evaluation

"Wanpaku Detectives" has been loved by many children since it was first broadcast in 1968, and has played a role in spreading the appeal of detective novels. This work was the first attempt to adapt an original story by Edogawa Ranpo into an anime, and its success had a major impact on the development of detective anime that followed. In addition, the character of the Phantom Thief Twenty Faces, despite being a villain, was praised for his wisdom and boldness, and became a memorable figure for many viewers.

This show taught children the importance of a sense of justice and friendship, while also nurturing their reasoning and insight. In particular, the way the members of the Wanpaku Detectives worked together to solve cases conveyed to viewers the importance of teamwork. These elements were appreciated, and "Wanpaku Detectives" is still loved by many fans today.

■ Recommendations and how to watch

I highly recommend "Wanpaku Tanteidan" to anyone who likes detective novels and anime. It is especially a must-see for those who enjoy Edogawa Ranpo's original work and those who are interested in the character of the Phantom Thief Twenty Faces. It is also recommended for parents who want to teach their children the importance of justice and friendship.

This work can now be viewed on DVD and Blu-ray. Some episodes are also available online, making it easy to enjoy. Please watch this wonderful work and enjoy the exploits of the Naughty Detectives.

■ Summary

"The Boy Detectives" is an anime series based on Edogawa Ranpo's masterpiece "The Boy Detectives" and was broadcast in 1968. This work was created to convey the appeal of detective novels to children at the time, and was loved by many viewers. It is a work that is highly acclaimed in all aspects, including the appeal of the story, the appeal of the characters, the quality of the animation and music, and the social impact and evaluation. Please watch this wonderful work and enjoy the adventures of the Boy Detectives.