Detective Conan: Fallen Angel Of The Highway (2026)
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Detective Conan, sometimes known in English as Case Closed, is one of the biggest anime and manga in the world. Starting in the pages of Shonen Sunday back in 1994, it was adapted into a hugely popular anime TV series that celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The TV series also spawned annual big-screen spin-off. 2026's Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway is the 29th feature in the franchise.
Released in April in Japan, the film went on to be the most successful Detective Conan movie so far. It achieved the highest opening weekend in the franchise's history, taking in ¥3.5 billion (approx. $22 million USD), earning it not only the Japanese box-office number one, but also the number three at the worldwide box-office for that week.
The movie is directed by Takahiro Hasui (Mob Psycho 100 III), and written by series veteran Takahiro Okura (Detective Conan: The Million Dollar Pentagram)and Gosho Aoyama. Music is composed by Yugo Kanno. It features the voices of Minami Takayama, Wakana Yamazaki, Rikiya Koyama, Megumi Hayashibara, Miyuki Sawashiro and newcomers Ryusei Yokohama (Kokuho) and Mei Hata (Blue Lock).
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Detective Conan follows teenage sleuth Shinichi Kudo, who one day, while on the trail of some never-do-wells, is poisoned and turned back into the primary-school-aged version of himself. In order to protect himself and those he loves, he takes on the identity of Conan Edogawa, named after Arthur Conan Doyle and Japanese mystery writer Edogawa Ranpo. His body may have shrunk but his mind is still sharp as a tack, and he continues to get to the bottom of mysteries that no one else can solve.
In the new feature-length adventure, Conan and his friends head to Kanagawa to attend a motorcycle show. On the way, they encounter a mysterious out-of-control black motorcycle, being pursued by motorcycle cop Chihaya Hagiwara. As the cycle- which is soon named Lucifer- continues to cause chaos on the streets of Kanagawa, can Conan and Chihaya uncover the identity of the mysterious biker and stop them before it's too late?
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You don't get to 29 movies by making the same movie 29 times- at least if you want to prevent it from getting stale. Conan's movies aren't afraid to shake it up. They take a turn for the more cinematic, and mix the whodunnit mysteries that are the franchise's bread and butter with spectacular action set-pieces.
Fallen Angel Of The Highway is a perfect example of this. It feels distinct from the previous movie One-Eyed Flashback , but fans will still see it as recognisably Conan. Although there is still a mystery at the heart of the story, that's not the be-all and end-all of the movie. The film features plenty of high-octane action sequences, car and motorcycle chases that are well choreographed and well animated, with expertly integrated CGI. These chases are exhilarating and exciting and will have you on the edge of your seat. They are a key part of the film's appeal.
Much of the film focuses on the character of Chihaya, to the degree that she is practically co-lead. Not only is she a key part of many of the aforementioned chases (because she's an ace motorcycle rider, naturally) but she proves to be the film's emotional centre, with a story from her past becoming key to the plot. As a result, Conan's role seems a little reduced, but he still gets his moment in the sun. Other regular cast members' appearances can feel like little more than cameos but there's only so much room in the story.
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If the film feels more cinematic thanks to its high-speed chases and action sequences, the visuals have similarly received an upgrade. The characters look as stylised as they do in the series, but the animation is more impressive. The urban setting looks fantastic, with towering skyscrapers and busy roads. Overall, everything looks pretty great.
The film moves along at quite a clip, despite a fairly generous run-time. There's never any time to get bored, as any quieter moment is typically followed by another chase sequence or another revelation
The more action-heavy feel shouldn't put off Conan fans who are here for the mysteries, as they are here too. Similarly, franchise newcomers shouldn't worry that too much prior knowledge is needed to enjoy this. Although it does tie into previous plots and characters, it also functions perfectly well as a standalone movie. And it's as good a place as any to start.
Detective Conan: Fallen Angel Of The Highway is easily one of the better examples of anime TV-spin-offs. And the fact that it can feel this polished and well executed after 29 movies is nothing short of remarkable.
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