Fan Arrested After Stealing 80+ Manga Volumes

Anime and manga fans are some of the most dedicated fans out there, and they are more aware than anyone that it could be a pretty expensive passion. It can be particularly expensive when buying large amounts of manga at once, so one fan thought it be a good idea to just forgo the actual “buying” part of this and was subsequently arrested for stealing over 80 volumes of the Detective Conan manga.

According to a report from Tokai TV’s One News (via Anime News Network), a 26 year old unemployed man was arrested in Suzuka city for allegedly shoplifting over 80 manga volumes from a bookstore in a three day period.

As local police describe the situation, the individual in question was spotted making “suspicious movements” in the store. After a store clerk reviewed the security cameras, the footage revealed the individual putting 10-20 books in his bag before leaving the store. The 26 year old allegedly told police that he liked the Detective Conan manga, and was hoping to resell the stolen volumes for money.

In total, the 26 year old allegedly shoplifted upwards of 80 Detective Conan volumes between April 10th and 13th, and value of the stolen goods is estimated at 37,000 yen (about $334 USD). Detective Conan is an interesting choice to shoplift as it’s currently one of the largest franchises in Japan. The latest film in the franchise even managed to topple Avengers: Endgame in the box office.

It’s also a bit ironic considering Detective Conan often solves similar crimes in the series as well. It’s like it came to life. Detective Conan (also known as Case Closed in the United States) was originally created by Gosho Aoyama in 1994 for Shogakukan’s Weekly Shonen Sunday. The story follows high schooler detective Jimmy Fudo who works with the police to solve cases. When investigating a crime syndicate known as the Black Organization, he was poisoned. But instead of killing him, the poison reverts him to a child. Using his new childhood alias Conan and keeping his true identity a secret, he vows to solve more cases and eventually put a stop to the crimes of the Black Organization.

The manga has sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and has been adapted into anime series, films, OVAs, video games, and even had a crossover with another famous series, Lupin III. The anime was licensed as Case Closed in the United States due to copyright issues, and Funimation first launched the anime adaptation on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming block with Westernized names but ended its run due to low ratings. The series is currently available on streaming platforms Crunchyroll and FunimationNOW.

via Anime News Network