If you were watching anime in the late nineties, you remember the shift. Animation was moving away from the grainy, hand-painted aesthetic of the early Heisei era and leaning into something sharper. Detective Conan The Last Wizard of the Century arrived right at that pivot point in 1999. It wasn't just another case for Shinichi Kudo in a kid’s body. Honestly, it was the moment the film franchise realized it could be a globetrotting epic rather than just a locked-room mystery stretched to ninety minutes.
Most people remember this one for Kaito Kid. It’s his cinematic debut. But if you look closer, the movie is actually a weirdly dense historical fiction piece about the Romanov dynasty. It blends the Imperial Russian tragedy with a scavenger hunt across Japan. It’s ambitious. Maybe a little too ambitious for a "kids' show," but that’s exactly why we’re still talking about it.
The Romanov Connection and Why It Worked
The plot kicks off with a challenge from the Phantom Thief. He’s after the "Imperial Easter Egg," a fictionalized version of the real Fabergé eggs. Now, if you’re a history buff, you know the actual eggs are priceless. The movie invents a "Memories Egg," and while the egg itself is a fabrication, the historical context isn't. The film heavily references the execution of Tsar Nicholas II and his family.
It’s dark.
For a movie where a guy kicks a soccer ball to knock out snipers, the inclusion of Grigori Rasputin’s supposed descendant—Scorpion—is wild. The villain, Seiran Hoshi, is motivated by a centuries-old bloodline grudge. Most anime movies today play it safe with generic "evil for the sake of evil" villains. The Last Wizard of the Century went the route of historical revenge. It’s a bit melodramatic, sure. But it gives the stakes a weight that a simple jewelry heist lacks.
🔗 Read more: How Old Is Paul Heyman? The Real Story of Wrestling’s Greatest Mind
You’ve got Conan, Heiji, and Kaito Kid all navigating this mess. It’s the first time the "Big Three" of the franchise shared the big screen. The dynamic between Conan and Kid here is foundational. They aren't just enemies; they are rivals who share a very specific, unspoken respect. When Kid discovers Conan’s true identity near the end—disguising himself as Shinichi to save Conan from Ran’s suspicions—it cemented a trope that the series uses to this day.
Breaking Down the "Wizard" Aesthetic
Visually, this was a leap. TMS Entertainment put real money into the lighting. Think about the scene in the burning castle. The oranges and deep shadows were a massive step up from the TV episodes airing at the time.
The pacing is also unique. It starts as a heist film in Osaka. Then it turns into a travelogue. Then a slasher mystery on a boat. Finally, it’s a dungeon crawler in a hidden basement in Yokosuka. It shouldn't work. It’s messy. Yet, the central mystery of the egg—why there are two and how they fit together—provides a logical anchor.
Basically, the "wizard" in the title refers to the architect, but it also feels like a nod to the magic of early CG integration. You can see the experimental digital effects during the light-show climax inside the castle. By today’s standards? It looks like a PlayStation 1 cutscene. In 1999? It was breathtaking.
💡 You might also like: Howie Mandel Cupcake Picture: What Really Happened With That Viral Post
The music deserves a shout-out too. Katsuo Ono’s score for this film is arguably the peak of the franchise. He took the iconic main theme and gave it a brassy, orchestral swell that made the Osaka skyline feel like a battlefield.
What Most Fans Miss About the Mystery
The mystery isn't just "who is the sniper?" That’s the easy part. The real puzzle is the "Memories Egg" itself. The film treats the egg as a metaphor for family. While Scorpion is busy trying to reclaim what she thinks is her "rightful" heritage through violence, the real secret of the egg is a simple photo projection. It’s a tribute to a lost family.
That’s the nuance.
Kaito Kid isn't just stealing it for money. He’s a thief with a code. He returns the egg because he recognizes its sentimental value outweighs its market price. This movie did more to define Kid’s character than his own spin-off series did for years. It showed he has a heart, even if he’s a smug jerk who enjoys messing with the police.
📖 Related: Austin & Ally Maddie Ziegler Episode: What Really Happened in Homework & Hidden Talents
A Few Real-World Touches
- The Fabergé Eggs: The movie mentions there are 50-ish real eggs. This is actually true. Peter Carl Fabergé made 50 "Imperial" eggs for the Tsars.
- The Sniper's M.O.: Scorpion always shoots the right eye. This is a recurring theme in the movie that ties back to Rasputin’s death, though the real Rasputin’s death was... significantly messier and involved way more than just a single gunshot.
- The Castle: The architecture of the castle in the finale is heavily inspired by German Neuschwanstein, which fits the "Western-style" obsession of the late Meiji and Taisho periods in Japan.
Why the Ending Still Hits
The final showdown isn't a fistfight. It’s a battle of wits in a burning room. Conan has to deduce the sniper’s location while dealing with the fact that his glasses—his only real protection—might not stop a high-caliber bullet.
And then there’s the Kaito Kid reveal at the end.
Ran is crying. She’s convinced Conan is Shinichi. The tension is genuinely high. Then, "Shinichi" walks through the door, covered in pigeons. It’s a total deus ex machina, but it works because Kid owes Conan for saving his life (and his bird) earlier in the film. It’s the start of their "mutual aid" pact.
Actionable Takeaways for the Modern Viewer
If you’re going back to watch Detective Conan The Last Wizard of the Century or introducing it to someone, keep these things in mind to get the most out of it:
- Watch the Sub over the Dub (Initially): The original Japanese voice acting from Minami Takayama (Conan) and Kappei Yamaguchi (Kid/Shinichi) carries a specific tonal shift during the identity reveal that some older English dubs struggled to capture.
- Look for the Background Art: This was one of the last films to use significant amounts of hand-painted cels for the backgrounds. The textures in the Yokosuka castle are much richer than the flat digital backgrounds found in modern sequels.
- Contextualize the Tech: Remember, Conan is using a solar-powered kick gadget and a voice changer in an era where cell phones were still "bricks." It adds a layer of retro-futurism that’s actually pretty charming now.
- Fact-check the Romanovs: If you’re a history nerd, Google the "First Imperial Egg." You’ll see just how much detail the designers at TMS put into making the "Memories Egg" look like a legitimate Fabergé piece.
The film isn't perfect. The logic of how a hidden basement remains perfectly functional for 80 years is... questionable at best. But as a piece of late-90s anime cinema, it’s a masterclass in how to scale up a TV brand for the big screen. It’s a ghost story, a history lesson, and a high-stakes heist all rolled into one. If you can ignore the slightly dated CG, the emotional core of the story—the idea that some treasures are meant to be shared, not owned—is timeless.
To truly appreciate the evolution of the franchise, compare this to Movie 27. You’ll see that the DNA of the modern Conan blockbusters—the international locations, the focus on secondary rivals, and the high-tech gadgets—all started right here with a fake egg and a Russian princess.