Case Closed: The Time Bombed Skyscraper

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Case Closed: The Time Bombed Skyscraper

Case Closed: The Time Bombed Skyscraper is a 1997 Japanese animated feature film based on Gosho Aoyama’s Case Closed (Detective Conan) manga. It’s directed by Kenji Kodama and released in North America by Funimation.

What it’s about
Two mysteries unfold in Beika City. First, a wealthy doctor is murdered in his home, leaving a dying blood message. Conan Edogawa helps uncover the killer: Mortimer Cornhouser’s housekeeper, Manami Goodsbe, who hides a dramatic motive tied to a past crime. Soon after, Conan becomes involved in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with a citywide bombing plot. A genius architect, Leo Joel, uses C-4 bombs placed near his buildings to destroy rival structures and punish what he sees as a money-driven architectural world. Conan and Jimmy Kudo (Shinichi Kudo) work to stop the bombs, uncover Joel’s disguise, and unravel the clues linking the sabotage to Joel’s projects. In the end, Joel is arrested after a tense final scene in which a bomb is disarmed just in time.

Main characters (English and Japanese voices)
- Conan Edogawa: Alison Retzloff (English) / Minami Takayama (Japanese)
- Jimmy Kudo: Jerry Jewell (English) / Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese)
- Rachel Moore: Colleen Clinkenbeard (English) / Wakana Yamazaki (Japanese)
- Richard Moore (Kogoro): R. Bruce Elliott (English) / Akira Kamiya (Japanese)
- Inspector Megure: Mark Stoddard (English) / Chafurin (Japanese)
- Dr. Agasa: Bill Flynn (English) / Kenichi Ogata (Japanese)
- Amy Yeager: Monica Rial (English) / Yukiko Iwai (Japanese)
- Mits Tsuburaya: Cynthia Cranz (English) / Ikue Ōtani (Japanese)
- George Kaminski: Dameon Clarke (English) / Wataru Takagi (Japanese)
- Nicholas Santos: Eric Vale (English) / Kaneto Shiozawa (Japanese)
- Serena Sebastian: Laura Bailey (English) / Naoko Matsui (Japanese)
- Leo Joel: Kent Williams (English) / Tarō Ishida (Japanese)

Production notes
- The film features a scene that the creator Gosho Aoyama wanted to include in the manga, which he even drew himself for the film’s ending.

Release and reception
- Release: April 19, 1997, in Japan (13 theaters); opening weekend earned about ¥8.6 million, with total domestic gross around ¥1.1 billion.
- North America: Funimation released an English-dubbed version on bilingual DVD in 2006.

Home media
- VHS: October 19, 1997.
- Region 1 DVD: October 3, 2006 (English dub; original Japanese audio retained with English opening title).
- Region 2 DVD: March 28, 2001; re-released with trailer in 2011.
- Blu-ray: August 26, 2011 (includes the same content as the DVD plus a BD-live feature).

Summary
Case Closed: The Time Bombed Skyscraper blends two intertwined mysteries: a murder with a cryptic dying message and a citywide bombing plot tied to a power-hungry architect. Conan uses sharp deduction to uncover the truth, stop the bombs, and bring the criminals to justice, all while delivering a suspenseful, action-packed mystery set in Beika City.