by The popularity of Ai Haibara, the sub-heroine of Detective Conan, who is a partner of Conan Edogawa, is gaining momentum. She looks like a child, but inside, she is an adult. She has a dark past where her older sister was killed, and is on the run from a black organization.
She has an excellent and mature image, but recently, she has been happy and sad about her “push,” The gap seems to be gathering hot support regardless of gender. What is the appeal of Ai Haibara, who continues to gain fans with her unique position even after almost 30 years since her manga series started?
The main character, Conan Edogawa, is originally Shinichi Kudo, a second-year high school student who was poisoned by a black organization and turned into an infant when he was in the first grade of elementary school.
The person who developed this poison was Ai Haibara, a talented researcher from the organization. She betrays her organization because her sister was killed, but she is cornered and tries to commit suicide by taking poison. However, like Conan, she also changed into a child.
2023 is the “Ai Haibara Year,” where she will be featured. In January, a special edition of the TV series “Detective Conan Haibara Ai Monogatari ~ Black Iron Mystery Train,” which looks back on her past, was released in theaters. In addition, Ai Haibara is the key person in the new movie “Detective Conan Black Iron Fish Shadow (Submarine),” released on April 14th.
Ai Haibara has a dark past, but she consistently ranks high in character popularity polls held officially and often takes first place, beating the main heroine Ran Mouri.
Speaking of her, Ran Mouri loves Conan (Shinichi Kudo) and has a bright personality everyone loves. She is a classic heroine with strength and kindness, and of course, she is very popular. However, the fans’ feelings for Ai Haibara have a different “weight” than Ran’s.
Ai Haibara also won the Best Supporting Actress award at the “Magademy Award 2022” (sponsored by Book Live), announced in March this year in honor of her cartoon character. Book Live’s bookstore clerk Suzuki said, “Aisu Haibara’s readers are generally very enthusiastic. The voting comments weren’t just ‘like,’ but there were many things that sincerely wished for her happiness and cared for her. It was impressive,” he says.
In her story, she is in the same situation as Conan, so she often acts with him even more than with Ran. She is in a position of being a good partner with Conan, who has a bond that does not involve love. Even so, the woman’s heart that she sometimes shows is painful, and the depth of loneliness she carries is an element that tightens the hearts of fans.
Achievements of Megumi Hayashibara, a voice actress who expresses the humanity conveyed in anime, “warmth and fluctuations of emotions.” Haibara Ai’s first
The appearance was in the original comic volume 18 (released February 1998) and anime episode 129 (January 1999). Broadcasting), and the gap between the mysterious presence with a shadow and the cute appearance as a child attracted fans from the beginning. However, bookstore clerk Suzuki speculates that Megumi Hayashibara, who has acted as a voice actress in anime, has significantly contributed to the phenomenon of Haibara’s sadness, which has become more and more popular in recent years.
“In the early days, she closed her heart to those around her because of her circumstances, and she was expressed in anime with a calm, low-pitched voice. Fluctuations are also appearing. In other words, not only the “tsun element” but also the “dere element” can be glimpsed, and I think that’s why it’s becoming more and more popular.” Speaking of Megumi Hayashibara. , Needless to say, a voice actor who has been active on the front lines for many years. Before her “Conan,” she became a social phenomenon with her role as Rei Ayanami in the TV series “Neon Genesis Evangelion” (1995-1996).
“Rei Ayanami is also a character who carries loneliness and a mission, and the casting of Ai Haibara’s voice actress, Megumi Hayashibara, was very convincing to fans of the original work. As a fan, I can only imagine Mr. Hayashibara’s acting plan. Still, Ai Haibara will be able to interact with the people around him, including the Detective Boys.
Through many years of exchanges and relationships of trust, she gradually became able to show her true self. She is a fantastic voice actress who expresses her environment and emotional changes in her voice.”. He is not talkative; in comics, he often talks in monologues, but in anime, Megumi Hayashibara expresses such inner voices. Also, her devotion to excellent scenes showing tsundere has been increasing in recent years. There is no doubt that the human touch of “Moving Haibara Ai” and “Talking Haibara Ai” that can only be expressed in anime is a factor that has boosted her popularity these days. “I want to watch over a strong-minded woman” Empathy from the same generation. “Detective Conan” has many sub-characters that are enthusiastically recommended. Among them, the popularity of “Toru Amuro” is tremendous, and “Weekly Shonen Sunday S” (Shogakukan), released on May 31, 2018, decorated the cover and recorded the first reprint in the history of the magazine. It caused a phenomenon that stamps with Amuro’s real name, “Furuya,” sold explosively. Haibara Ai is also one of those people, and in response to the promotion, many goods and collaboration cafes are being developed. Especially this year, in commemoration of the release of the movie, a “daily calendar” using the original illustration will appear in the appendix of the May issue of the fashion magazine “CanCam” (Shogakukan). Excerpts from Conan’s lines, such as “I’ll protect you,” which made fans feel tight, are designed to tickle the hearts of young women. “Even though the series has been going on for more than 30 years when I check social media, I see a young woman who wouldn’t have been born when the serialization began. I think it’s because many elements can sympathize with modern women. In modern times, more and more strong-minded women pursue their way of life by thinking that ‘I am myself’ and ‘people are people.’ There are times when I am envious and dazzling. Haibara Ai compares Ran Mouri to a dolphin and herself to a shark, saying, “My partner is a dolphin, a popular person in the sea… A nasty man who escaped from the bottom of the dark and cold sea. The scene where she murmured, “A shark wouldn’t stand a chance.” was very sad.” Haibara Ai’s fans are “basically worried” about her, says bookstore clerk Suzuki. “You can watch the main heroine (= Ran Mouri) with peace of mind, thinking, ‘In the end, the main character will protect you.’ However, the fate of the sub-heroine Ai Haibara is unknown. It makes me want to watch over you. Ai Haibara, who won the Best Supporting Actress award at the “Magademy Awards 2022”, was absent from the award ceremony. She said, “I don’t want to be in the public eye,” but she said, “Thank you… for receiving such a prominent award. I am sending a comment that is her. “Some fans worried, ‘ If you make too much noise, Ai-chan will be in danger.’ You did it.” Because of this worry, fans are relieved when they glimpse the natural face. Recently, he has been obsessed with promoting a soccer player who is a big fan, and in the episode where he behaves strangely in response to reports of his love affair, he is surprised, saying, “Ai-chan’s character collapsed!?” I’m glad I could enjoy myself as an ordinary girl,” said a reassuring voice. Ai Haibara is showing her new charm little by little, even though she has many mysterious elements. She’s also curious about her feelings for Conan, who she occasionally peeks at. I can’t wait to see how their relationship develops from now on.
