Star Detective Precure! Episode 18 Packed With Detective Conan References: Black Silhouette Culprit, Tranquilizer Watch Mishap, and “Sleeping Anna” Take Over Social Media

Episode 18 of Star Detective Precure! aired on May 31 on ABC TV and TV Asahi affiliates. The episode featured an unprecedented collaboration with Detective Conan, filling the broadcast with numerous references to the long-running mystery anime.

Highlights included the appearance of a culprit shown as a black silhouette, Conan Edogawa accidentally firing his wristwatch tranquilizer gun at Anna, the second-year middle school student and protagonist of Star Detective Precure!, and the debut of “Sleeping Anna” after she was put to sleep. The episode generated massive buzz online, with “Precure” reaching the No. 1 trending spot on X.

The collaboration between Star Detective Precure! and Detective Conan brought together two anime series produced by different studios and broadcast on different television networks. The crossover story followed Anna and her friends as they helped prepare an exhibition by glass artist Misako Shindo at the Hosho Museum and teamed up with Conan Edogawa to solve a mysterious case.

In the episode, the exhibition’s centerpiece, “The Forgotten Object at 12 O’Clock,” suddenly disappears. While searching outside the museum for clues, Anna and her friends encounter Conan Edogawa, Ran Mouri, and Kogoro Mouri, who are visiting Makotomirai City. Together, the Star Detective Precure team and Conan work to uncover the truth behind the case and confront the Phantom Thieves' Guild.

The episode was packed with familiar Detective Conan elements. The iconic door transition effect and sound used in Conan appeared both during the episode and before commercial breaks. A culprit was presented as the series’ famous black silhouette, Ran Mouri showcased her karate skills, and Conan accidentally fired his wristwatch tranquilizer gun at Anna while intending to target Kogoro Mouri. After being put to sleep, Anna proceeded to solve the mystery as “Sleeping Anna,” a clear homage to Conan’s famous “Sleeping Kogoro” scenes.

Viewers quickly reacted online, posting comments such as, “The Conan-style direction is hilarious,” “That culprit silhouette is straight out of Conan!,” “The door-opening sound is completely Conan,” and “He finally fired the tranquilizer gun, lol.” On X, terms such as “Ran-neechan,” “Sleeping Kogoro,” and “Conan version” also trended, helping the collaboration dominate social media discussions.

Source : ORICON NEWS