TOKYO - Actor Yo Oizumi has been announced as a guest voice actor for the upcoming movie "Detective Conan: The Five-Starred Millionaire," where he will lend his voice to the original character, a detective from the Hokkaido Police First Investigation Division named Yoshihisa Kawazoe.
The 27th film in the series, "The Five-Starred Millionaire," is set in Hakodate, Hokkaido. A threatening letter from the "Magician Under the Moonlight," the notorious thief Kaito Kid, has been sent to a certain conglomerate's vault, targeting a Japanese sword related to the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi, Toshizo Hijikata. As Kid, who usually chases after jewels, inexplicably aims for the sword, Conan and Heiji Hattori, the detective from the west, are in Hakodate for a kendo tournament and close in on him, only to encounter the shadow of a mysterious swordsman who is after Kid's life.
Oizumi's character, Kawazoe, appears to be a lovable but clumsy detective at first glance. However, he is also an informant who is well-versed in the legends of treasures related to Hakodate and the background of the suspects targeting them. Speaking about his role, Oizumi said, "It's a bit clumsy and unreliable, as you would expect from me, but it also has its cool moments. It's a character that's hard to tell whether he's capable or not... I think it's close to me." He added with anticipation, "I can't wait for everyone to see how much I contribute! I'm going to arrest everyone, from Conan to Kaito Kid (laughs)! Please look forward to it!"
Oizumi also expressed his mixed feelings about the offer, jokingly saying, "Whenever 'Detective Conan' is released, it achieves amazing box office results, and 'Conan' is always at the top of the rankings, no matter how much time passes. It's been a bit frustrating because my movies can't quite make it to the top when released at the same time... (laughs), but now that I'm in it, I think there's no movie more reassuring than this one." He also shared his joy as a Hokkaido native: "As someone who always wants to promote Hokkaido, I was very happy that Conan is set in Hakodate, Hokkaido. If it's a movie set in Hokkaido, I basically want to be in all of them (laughs)."
"Detective Conan: The Five-Starred Millionaire" will be released nationwide on April 12th. The film is directed by Tomoka Nagaoka, who directed "The Fist of Blue Sapphire" and "The Scarlet Bullet," with the screenplay by Takeharu Sakurai, who worked on "The Crimson Love Letter," "The Fist of Blue Sapphire," and "The Bride of Halloween."
Producers Kondo Hidemine, Shioguchi Takeshi, and Okada Yuhei commented on casting Oizumi: "The setting is Hokkaido. A seemingly clumsy but endearing detective who holds crucial information. We felt we had to ask Mr. Oizumi. We are delighted to have Mr. Oizumi, recognized as 'Hokkaido's star' not only by the people of Hokkaido but also by people across the country, join this film. We hope to excite not only movie theaters but also Hokkaido and the whole of Japan with 'Detective Conan x Yo Oizumi'!"
Source: AnimeAnime
