Detective Conan: The Eleventh Striker is a beautifully animated Japanese movie directed by Kobun Shizuno, released in 2012. The plot revolves around a series of bombings that take place in Japan, with the main target being the large football stadium. The culprit sends hints to the police, leading them to believe that the key to stopping the bombing series rests with them. It all starts with the bombing that happens in front of Kogoro’s house.
Kogoro Mouri is at the centre of the plot as the police investigate the devices being used and question if he has any involvement in the case. Conan also helps the police try to find out who the perpetrator is because Ran is among those targeted in subsequent bombings. The suspense continues to build as they try to stop the bombing before more people lose their lives.
The movie’s storyline is full of twists and turns as you try to figure out the identity of the bomber along with the characters. With perfect animation, great voice acting from Kappei Yamaguchi, Minami Takayama, Rikiya Koyama and Wakana Yamazaki, the movie doesn’t disappoint when it comes to keeping you engaged from beginning to end.
Sinopsis
The Detective Boys, Conan, Ai, Kogoro, Prof. Agasa, Ran, and Sonoko all attend a football promotional event, where they meet a variety of people. Among them are the Nichiuri TV sports producer, Shinzou Yamamori, and his cameraman, Kaoru Koda. There are also football players from the teams Big Osaka, Gamba Osaka, and Spirits, including Takahiro Sanada, Yasuhito Endo, and Hideo Akagi. Plus, there is a former player, Ryosuke Sakaki, introduced by Kogoro.
The next day, the Detective Boys, Conan, Ai, Prof. Agasa, and even Kogoro all go to pay the football match at Touto Stadium. At the same time, Kogoro receives a call from the bomber who explodes a car right in front of Kogoro Mouri’s office. Kogoro, thinking it was just a prank, calls the police to alert them. The bomber gives Kogoro a code to a Zebra, a little boy and a few others. Ran immediately calls Shinichi and tells him everything. Conan realizes that the bomb is on the electronic scoreboard at Touto Stadium, where Conan and his friends went to watch the game. He calls Inspector Megure, who evacuates everyone from the scoreboard. Conan tries to defuse the bomb but realizes that there are too many devices in one place. He tries to move the bomb, but it explodes on the roof without injuring anyone.
This terrorist attack takes the police and Kogoro in particular by surprise because the bomber has information that only became available at the J-League promotion event. The police limit the investigation to five suspects. At the same time, the bomber sends a letter to the police, telling them that the next bomb will involve a larger crowd.
Kogoro and Conan are part of the investigation, along with Inspectors Megure, Miwako, Takagi, Chiba, Ran, and many others. They all try to figure out where the bombing will happen next, and they predict that it will be at the Shiodome Arena, where the highest number of people will go to watch the All-Star Soccer team compete. They analyze the letter and start to conduct a search, but the bomber’s request is diabolical. The bomber wants the ten strikers on the pitch to play a silent game and not try to score by kicking the ball above the crossbar. The bomber also wants Kogoro to be the eleventh striker.
The striker manages to hit the crossbar during nine games, and the sensor below the electronic scoreboard in the national stadium appears to be defunct. Through the investigation, the police finally narrow down the suspect list to Keiichirō Motoura, who they believe may have a strong motive behind the bomb threat. Keiichirō reveals that he holds Kogoro and the All-Star Soccer team responsible for his son’s death. However, when Kogoro reveals that he wasn’t involved in the event that caused his son’s death, Keiichirō realizes that he’s been wrong about everything.
Conclusion
Detective Conan: The Eleventh Striker is a must-watch for anyone who loves suspenseful animation movies. The movie takes you through an emotional roller coaster ride, making it hard to figure out the culprit’s identity until the very end. The movie’s voice acting stands out with Kappei Yamaguchi, Minami Takayama, Rikiya Koyama, and Wakana Yamazaki giving their best performances. Overall, it’s a well-crafted movie that showcases the best of Japanese animation.
