The 2013 Crossover Returns, Uncut
Japan's BS12 Twelbi, a free nationwide satellite channel, is dedicating two July Sundays to Detective Conan crossover broadcasts on its Sunday Anime Theater programming block.
First up on July 12 at 7:30 PM JST is the complete, uncut version of Lupin III vs Detective Conan THE MOVIE. Originally released in theaters in 2013, the film brings together anime's two biggest crime franchises for a feature-length showdown. The story kicks off with what looks like a Kaito Kid jewel heist, but Conan quickly figures out that the real culprit is Lupin III. Lupin's true target is the "Cherry Sapphire," a hidden treasure held by a Japanese elder, and the chase pulls in Inspector Zenigata, Jigen, and the full ensemble cast of both series.
Both franchises are produced by TMS Entertainment (Detective Conan, Lupin III), and the shared studio keeps every character on model and in voice.
Kaito Kid's Origin Takes the Spotlight
Two weeks later on July 26 at 7:00 PM JST, the block airs the TV Series Special Edition of Detective Conan vs. Kaito Kid. This 2024 compilation reedits classic Detective Conan TV episodes with newly produced footage, tracing Kaito Kid's origin story and his first showdown with Conan. It originally screened in theaters as a companion piece ahead of the 2024 film Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram.
The special follows Kaito Kuroba, a high school sophomore who discovers that his late father, world-famous magician Toichi Kuroba, was secretly the original Kaito Kid. After learning his father was killed by a mysterious organization, Kaito takes up the costume as the second-generation Kid and begins hunting for the "legendary Big Jewel" his father had been tracking.
The compilation builds to Kid's attempted heist of the aquamarine known as "Blue Wonder," a trap set by Suzuki conglomerate advisor Jirokichi Suzuki using the gem as bait. Conan steps in to dismantle Kid's tricks, setting up the rivalry that runs through the entire franchise.
Looking Ahead
Both broadcasts on Sunday Anime Theater are completely free, requiring no paid subscription. BS12 Twelbi is a Japanese satellite channel, though, with no international simulcast arrangement. For viewers outside Japan, the 2013 Lupin III vs Detective Conan THE MOVIE has had home video releases in some markets, but current international streaming availability varies by region.
Crunchyroll carries the main Detective Conan TV series for international audiences. No word yet on global distribution for the 2024 Kaito Kid compilation special.
Detective Conan is based on Gosho Aoyama's manga, serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday since 1994. Lupin III was created by the late Monkey Punch, whose work has been an anime fixture since 1971.