Image: Gosho Aoyama/Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, TMS 1996
AMBot | 08/22/2026 | Reading Time: 3 Min.
To mark the 30th TV anniversary of "Detective Conan," Yomiuri TV is continuing its series of major collaborations: After the crossover with "Meitantei Purikyua!" in June and the J. League episode in July, the summer highlight "Birdman Contest" is now on the horizon. In the two-part collaboration episode "The Bomb Attack at the Birdman Contest," Shinichi Hatori, who has been a commentator for the real competition show for years, takes on the role of the live reporter in the anime. Accompanying the announcement, a joint promotional video was released in which Conan and Hatori alternately invoke the shared attitude of both formats: "No matter how difficult the mystery, no matter how merciless the sky – we won't give up."
The first part of the episode will air on August 29 at 5:30 p.m., and the second part on September 5 at 6 p.m. on Japanese television. Content-wise, there's a reunion with Kogoro's alma mater: Beika University is competing again after ten years in the Birdman Contest at Lake Biwa, where teams cover as much distance as possible with self-built, muscle-powered flying machines. Conan, Ran, and Kogoro meet Heiji and Kazuha at the venue. When the designer of the university's flying machine, Yuma Masaki, disappears without a trace, Conan and Heiji uncover a kidnapping case – and the machine itself also falls into danger.
Hatori, who has been a commentator for the contest for 15 consecutive editions, was enthusiastic after the dubbing sessions: "I felt like I was really commentating on the Birdman Contest when Lake Biwa appeared on the screen. To avoid getting nervous, I tried not to think about Conan during the recording." At the same time, he admitted that he had hardly known the anime series until recently, but now counts himself among its fans. He described the Birdman Contest as a "documentary full of drama," where no scene can be told without tears, and hopes that both fan groups will come together through the collaboration.
The collaboration also accompanies the real event: The "Iwatani Special Birdman Contest 2026" in its 48th edition took place at the end of July at the Matsubara shore of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, where Conan was present as a special navigator. The broadcast airs on September 2 from 7 p.m. to 9:54 p.m. and has been extended to three hours this year. Additionally, a specially drawn key visual was created under the motto "Don't give up. Until it's done."
"Detective Conan" is based on the manga by Gosho Aoyama, which has been published in Shogakukan's "Weekly Shonen Sunday" since 1994 and has sold over 270 million copies. The anime series has been airing on Japanese television since January 1996; the latest episodes are available via Hulu, Prime Video, and TVer, among others.
The first part of the episode will air on August 29 at 5:30 p.m., and the second part on September 5 at 6 p.m. on Japanese television. Content-wise, there's a reunion with Kogoro's alma mater: Beika University is competing again after ten years in the Birdman Contest at Lake Biwa, where teams cover as much distance as possible with self-built, muscle-powered flying machines. Conan, Ran, and Kogoro meet Heiji and Kazuha at the venue. When the designer of the university's flying machine, Yuma Masaki, disappears without a trace, Conan and Heiji uncover a kidnapping case – and the machine itself also falls into danger.
Hatori, who has been a commentator for the contest for 15 consecutive editions, was enthusiastic after the dubbing sessions: "I felt like I was really commentating on the Birdman Contest when Lake Biwa appeared on the screen. To avoid getting nervous, I tried not to think about Conan during the recording." At the same time, he admitted that he had hardly known the anime series until recently, but now counts himself among its fans. He described the Birdman Contest as a "documentary full of drama," where no scene can be told without tears, and hopes that both fan groups will come together through the collaboration.
The collaboration also accompanies the real event: The "Iwatani Special Birdman Contest 2026" in its 48th edition took place at the end of July at the Matsubara shore of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, where Conan was present as a special navigator. The broadcast airs on September 2 from 7 p.m. to 9:54 p.m. and has been extended to three hours this year. Additionally, a specially drawn key visual was created under the motto "Don't give up. Until it's done."
"Detective Conan" is based on the manga by Gosho Aoyama, which has been published in Shogakukan's "Weekly Shonen Sunday" since 1994 and has sold over 270 million copies. The anime series has been airing on Japanese television since January 1996; the latest episodes are available via Hulu, Prime Video, and TVer, among others.
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This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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