Detective Conan holds a special place in my heart.
In my past life I was a big fan of detective stories, like Sherlock, Murdock Mysteries, Cold Case, etc etc. I grew up watching mystery live action series on TV, especially with my nan whenever I stayed at her place. Because of this, my initial dream growing up was to be a detective, but my mom would constantly tell me that no such job exists. It was only years later that I realised it does exist because Inspector Lestrade was a fucking Detective Inspector. But by then it was too late, i didn't have the grades and my life was consumed by fiction and art instead.
As such, coming across Detective Conan when I was a preteen it ticked all the requirements to become my favourite anime.
A anime about a Ace Highschool Detective turned kid, solving cases left and right with the goal to take down a global organisation.
As a kid, seeing the bloody rollercoaster decapitation scene blew my mind. I was a fan of gore and seeing a seemingly cartooney looking anime showcasing gruesome cases with ingenious deduction made me love the anime. And when Kudo Shininchi got turned into a kid and went by the name Conan Edogawa, I was officially hooked and wanted to continue to watch him overcome his obstacles, solve cases, save people and to finally get his body back.
1000+ episodes and chapters later and yet he still hasn't taken down the Black Organisation but it was still a gem.
With its initial art style during the early volumes of Detective Conan, it is both simple and easy to recreate. And with my background love of detectives, my father being a police officer, my dream of being a detective myself one day and the knowledge of L existing in this world. How could I not choose this manga as my first series to publish?
A part of me wonders if, by successfully making the series popular, I'd be able to sway the people's thoughts.
In Death Note, when Kira was killing criminals left and right he gained a lot of supporters, each believing that criminals deserve to die.
But in Detective Conan, Conan tries very hard to save people, whether they were a criminal or not. As a lot of the criminals he catches are victims themselves. For instance, the Moonlight Sonota case.
The one person Conan was unable to save affected him greatly, that he vows to prevent it from ever happening again.
If I'm able to make people feel sympathy for criminals, to see past their actions and to see their reasoning, their past that led them to that moment. Would they be able to show compassion and give them a second chance?
Would it reduce the amount of people supporting Kira? Would they oppose Kira?
It is some of the many questions that spin around my mind.
I sat at my desk in my room as I pondered.
Despite my high consistent grades my parents continue to supply me studying materials but I finish them too fast, faster than they can supply me. Which leaves me with a lot of free time.
Usually I'd just read manga, watch anime or play a video game but I don't feel like doing that.
I want to draw.
But I needed materials.
I did have a notebook full of drawings and doodles I draw during my free time or while I'm studying. It was a way to separate my wandering mind from important works.
But I can't use a notebook to draw manga.
Getting up from my seat, I gathered up my finished study books and my drawing notebook. Before taking them downstairs to confront my parents who were sitting in the living room. Which was rare with dad's work, keeping him late most times.
Yagami Sachico, my mom, was the first to notice me coming down with stacks of books. She was both surprised and curious.
"Light-kun? What are you up to?"
Yagami Soichiro, my dad, looked in the direction mom was looking at and quizzically wondered as well.
"Is everything alright?"
I walked past the couch they sat on and plopped the books onto the coffee table before standinf up straight to address my parents.
"Everything's okay dad. I just have a request."
My mom tilted her head in wonder, placing her hand on her cheek.
"A request? Was there something wrong with the study books?"
I shook my head.
"Nothing's wrong, I just finished them all. See?" I handed them both two of my most recent study books.
My dad flipped through the one I gave him and his eyebrows slowly raised up.
"Light, isn't this the high school level study book we got you just yesterday?"
I nod.
"It was very informative, i enjoyed the challenge solving it."
Dad peered over the book to look me in the eyes.
"Then is your request to ask for more study books?"
I could tell from the look of his eyes that he was calculating the cost of higher level study books.
Not to mention the worried look mom was giving him.
With the speed that I'm finishing them, it was costing more and more as time goes on.
The only saving grace for them was that I used sticky notes to solve the questions and jot down notes, so they would be reusable for Sayu to use. Saving them money.
I shake my head again.
"No need, I'd like to ask for a break from studying."
"What!" Mom cried in shock, eyes wide looking at me as though I was playing a prank. She was always proud of me and loved to show off me off to her friends, but as of late it was starting to lean towards her valuing my grades more than myself, much like her manga/anime counterpart. That's something I'd like to avoid.
Dad's eyes narrowed.
"Explain."
I happily obliged.
"I'm aware of how costly these books have been for you to supply and as it will be a good 3 years till I even start High School, I don't find it beneficial in learning the material until I'm at he point where it will matters. It would save me a world of boredom too, what's fun about going to school for material you already know. It would save money, keep me engaged in school and saves me more time to do other things."
Dad thought it over, and so did mom. While she was still seemingly conflicted, she was weighing the pros and cons of it and the pros seem to be winning.
Dad looked back at me after his eyes wondered for a bit.
"What do you plan to do instead then?"
I smiled and branded out my notebook, showing drawings of Conan Edogawa with notes of a few case synopsis and layout.
"I want to write a manga."
"..."
"..."
Mom looks like she was close to fainting.
Sayu who was hiding behind the couch, listening in after noticing me, her brother, talking to our parents with a bunch of books, wondering what was going, suddenly bursts out into the open with stars in her eyes.
"Manga?! You're going to write a manga niichan?!"
She was jumping around my feet, her bright eyes gazing up at me in excitement.
I smile back.
"If mom and dad will allow it."
Dad, after momentarily stumped, thought deeply. He reached out his hand in a silent request for my notebook, to which I happily gave to him.
Dad absentmindedly flipped through my notebook, taking note of the character profile pages, showcases the character's designs, backstory and chatacter traits. As well as a few of the first few cases, reading the notes littered about about how the crime was done and how the main character would solve it.
He did, momentarily pause at the decapitated head scene, wondering where in the world I got the idea from. To which I can say from a previous trip to the amusement park, coupled with reading his case files and watching detective shows.
After a long time of silence, minus Sayu still raving about the idea of her big brother writing a manga and telling her friends when she goes to school, dad gave me back my notebook and looked me in the eye.
"You sure about this Light?"
"Dear?!" Mom cried in shock, surprised by what her husband was implying.
"More than anything."
Seeing my resolve, dad nod in approval.
"As long as you keep your grades up, you can do as you please. I'll provide you materials when I get my bonus and I'll help you find a publisher when you need it."
I smiled brightly at my dad and gave him a big hug, to which he returned.
"No problem. However when you enter Junior High School, join a physical extracurricular club. It will help you in the long run and keep you active out of drawing all day."
I smile.
"Deal, to be fair it was either this or hacking the NPA to solve unsolved cases for fun."
I feel my dad flinch for a bit, realising the high possibility of that happening before relaxing with a sigh of defeat.
"What am I going to do with you Light?"
I look up at him, my eyes going crescent shaped.
"What you can."