Chapter 4 : Detective Conan Audience and Dark Filters
Not long ago, in the Detective Conan world.
After finishing the cross-dimensional phone call with Jiang Lai at the airport, Matsuda Jinpei drives home alone.
When getting out of the car, he looks at the strawberry cream puffs placed in the passenger seat, pauses, and reaches out to take them: "These were originally for Jiang Lai, but he can't eat them now. Well, I'll just take them back home."
Speaking of which, he still doesn't know how to explain Jiang Lai's situation to Morofushi, Akira and the others...
Matsuda Jinpei thinks while getting out of the car.
After parking, he doesn't rush home but first walks toward the nearby bakery. Although he didn't successfully pick up Jiang Lai, he still needs to collect the other pastries he pre-ordered.
The winter night wind carries cold air whistling past. In comparison, inside the bakery is much warmer.
The shop owner sees Matsuda Jinpei's reservation information and apologetically says politely: "Yes sir, please wait about ten minutes, the last dessert is still being made. Otherwise, would you like to sit first?"
This bakery's shop area is larger than typical stores. Inside there are not only breads but also various small desserts and milk teas and milkshakes, so there are also tables and chairs for customers to dine.
Matsuda Jinpei doesn't mind waiting. He nods and walks a few steps to sit by the window.
The warm indoor air takes away the cold air remaining on his clothes. Matsuda Jinpei looks down at his phone, still feeling today's events are very surreal.
Although he's long known that unscientific things happen around Jiang Lai, witnessing it firsthand this time is still...
He rubs his temples, closing his eyes to think about how to explain to others later and how to help Jiang Lai across dimensions.
At another set of tables and chairs not far from Matsuda Jinpei, two female high school students are huddled together, quietly discussing the manga pilot handbook in their hands.
"This new Jujutsu series is actually full-color, and there's a new character appearing on the last page!" The twin-tailed female high school student tries hard to keep her voice low, excitedly sharing with her companion, "The new character's looks really appeal to me, wonder what kind of person he is."
Twin-tailed female high school student Komura Rina is a loyal fan of "Jujutsu Kaisen," enthusiastic about collecting various small merchandise of Fushiguro Megumi, Geto Suguru, Okkotsu Yuta and others.
She states: "I just really like black-haired handsome guys, collecting all as a universal love party!!"
Therefore, this newly appearing character immediately catches her attention. As a Jujutsu black-haired handsome guy stamp collector, she can't wait to add another person.
"Do you think this new character will have much screen time later?" she asks her best friend.
Beside her, her best friend Kadoya Akiko appears much calmer, lightly sipping her milkshake and calmly saying: "This time the background difficulty is quite large, there should be quite a few new characters. Although this one appears early, his later screen time is hard to say."
Although Kadoya Akiko also accompanies her friend in watching Jujutsu, she doesn't currently have a character to solo-stan, mainly focusing her interest on the plot.
"Please please, more screen time, let a few merchandise items come out so I can complete my stamp collecting enterprise." Komura Rina leans back against the chair, opening her phone to look for more news on the official website.
Kadoya Akiko puts down her milkshake cup, and before she can pick up her dessert fork, her leaning best friend suddenly sits up straight: "Oh my god, the official website manga updated, updated!"
"This fast?" Kadoya Akiko is somewhat surprised but doesn't put down the small fork in her hand, continuing to eat her dessert, "You look first."
Komura Rina excitedly browses the first chapter released on the official website.
The first half of the first chapter is the same as the content released in the pilot handbook. She clicks several times to flip backward, skipping the background introduction and coming to the airport panels.
In the manga, the black-haired, brown-eyed person looks ahead, half-lowering his eyelids while on the phone, occupying the center of the frame.
Looking again, it's still very appealing. Komura Rina appreciates it once more, clicking to continue flipping, thinking: Next should reveal who this new character is talking to on the phone, right?
The moment of walking out of the airport coincides with street lights turning on. The manga depicts extreme black and white light and shadow. The appearing new character slightly pauses, standing outside the tall airport exit.
The surrounding bustling crowds are colored in exaggerated, blurred hues, while he standing in place is colored simply and clearly.
Silently separated from the people beside him by a distinct line.
The tips of his mid-top Martin boots tilt to one side, the black-haired person stands steady, the flying edges of his coat sharp, shadows cast on the ground eerie and twisted.
This moment's combination, accompanied by scattered lights, makes the frame stand out with some strange visual effects.
"..." Komura Rina is stunned for a second, inexplicably feeling a bit tense from this atmospheric rendering.
She unconsciously shifts her body, picking up her milkshake cup to take a sip before flipping to the next page.
The frame finally zooms in close to the new character. This scene is depicted very meticulously. The cold winter night wind blows up the black hair by his ears, his expression indifferent, gazing into the distance, distant scenery reflected in those deep, quiet eyes.
The black-haired person still holds the phone with one hand, his posture somewhat casual. Whether hearing something or thinking of something, his eyebrows and eyes lift slightly, his expression tinged with some unclear smile.
He looks quite good when smiling... but there's an inexplicable sense of danger. This thought surfaces in Komura Rina's mind. She stares at the new character in the frame, and he seems to be right before her eyes.
She notices the slightly parted lips of the new character in the manga.
...Is he about to speak? What will he say? Will he reveal the identity of the person on the other end of the phone, or state his own position?
Komura Rina's heart pounds, the immersive frame presentation giving her the thrilling feeling of personally witnessing secrets.
Emotions of curiosity and tension course through her chest. She takes a deep breath and clicks to flip to the next page.
The next page has only a simple sentence, black text on white background.
But seeing this sentence makes Komura Rina suddenly shiver!
"Gojo Lai!!?" she can't help but exclaim.
The shout escapes her lips, and only then does she notice the gazes from everyone in the bakery drawn by her!
Komura Rina's cheeks explode red in the next second. She hurriedly waves her hands, apologizing repeatedly: "Sorry sorry... sorry for the disturbance, really sorry..."
Beside her, Kadoya Akiko is startled by her best friend while also becoming somewhat interested. She puts down her dessert fork and asks: "What's wrong, so excited?"
Komura Rina's face is still red, half from the embarrassed shame of not suppressing her shout just now, half from the excited elation of seeing the just-updated content.
She calms her breathing, trying hard to suppress her voice: "...The new character's surname is Gojo, Gojo! Besides the peak Gojo Satoru, this is a rare appearance of a Gojo family character!"
Komura Rina brings her phone close to her best friend, "Look quickly, and this atmosphere, this way of speaking, feels like there's definitely a story behind it!!"
Kadoya Akiko takes her friend's phone, focusing on the screen. She scrolls with her finger, quickly finishing the first chapter's update.
Besides the background introduction already in the pilot handbook, the first chapter expands on the airport new character, and finally transitions to the main character group's side for current status description. Overall, it can be said to be a first chapter prelude setup.
If we're talking about the most impressive content in the first chapter, undoubtedly it's the new character's appearance part, because this is what most surprises viewers.
Kadoya Akiko flips back to that black text on white background part, thinks for a few seconds, and smiles: "Tokyo itself is the Gojo family's base, right? In that case, the way this sentence is said becomes very interesting."
The first chapter opens by releasing such a character who reveals background yet remains mysterious in details. And it's not presented out of nowhere, it can also connect with the main character group's side.
Because of 'Gojo.'
"But it's somewhat strange," Kadoya Akiko flips forward and backward a few pages, confirming once, and says, "Logically, for this kind of identity revelation, the official would annotate the character's name beside the character. But the new character doesn't have one."
Komura Rina reacts for a few seconds, blinking and answering: "Maybe there's no need to annotate? After all, it was said in the dialogue."
Maybe. Or perhaps there are other secrets in the name. Kadoya Akiko analyzes in her mind but has no leads for now.
"Speaking of which, I always feel like the Gojo family generally has white hair, turns out there are black-haired ones too." Komura Rina rests one hand on the table, supporting her face, murmuring.
"The Gojo family has very few appearing characters, can't judge overall characteristics. However, blue eyes and white hair might be Six Eyes configuration, not Gojo family traits." Kadoya Akiko analyzes.
"Don't know what this new character's position is." She says, "But combined with this new series' background, it does look like there's quite a story."
Kadoya Akiko returns the phone to Komura Rina, tucking the long hair hanging to one side behind her ear, her eyes flashing with rare attention to an individual character, smiling:
"I'm now... also starting to look forward to his future screen time."
=
On the other side, by the window.
Komura Rina's earlier exclamation also caught Matsuda Jinpei's attention.
Hearing that "Gojo Lai," he finds it very familiar. After reacting for a fraction of a second, he realizes: Isn't this the fake name Jiang Lai decided on for first impressions during the phone call at the airport just now?!
So this updated??
Matsuda Jinpei immediately opens his phone and logs onto the official website. The first chapter's bright update indicator appears above, the red "new" particularly eye-catching.
He clicks in without hesitation.
A few minutes later.
Matsuda Jinpei has a blank expression, puts down his phone, looking like a monk who has entered and exited meditation.
"..."
If he didn't know Jiang Lai's real personality, he would have been fooled by this atmosphere too!
When it was just over the phone, he only heard the voice. Now from the manga he realizes, Jiang Lai's acting at that time was really quite good.
...Maybe it's not just the effect of acting.
He finally understands what Jiang Lai meant by dark filters, this atmospheric feeling is completely maxed out!!
Matsuda Jinpei picks up the disposable cup on the table and takes a sip, calming his emotions.
But, how to put it. He leans back and scratches his head. The first impression and such... was probably quite successful.
Matsuda Jinpei picks up his phone, quickly edits and sends a message to Jiang Lai, reminding him about the manga update.
Then, after pausing for a moment, he also sends the official website manga link to Morofushi Hiromitsu and Kurosawa Akira respectively.
Both reply quickly.
【#Morofushi Hiromitsu#: Thanks for the recommendation, I'll read it when I have time (smile.jpg) Did you pick up Jiang Lai?】
【#Kurosawa Akira#: We're all at home, waiting for you two to come back for dinner together. Where are you and Brother Jiang Lai now?】
Matsuda Jinpei calmly edits a reply: 【No, didn't pick him up.】
【#Morofushi Hiromitsu#: ?】
【#Kurosawa Akira#: ?】
Amid the other two's confused and concerned follow-up inquiries, Matsuda Jinpei calmly replies again:
【Because he turned into a 2D character, now he's in the manga link I just sent you.】
【#Morofushi Hiromitsu#: ...?】
【#Kurosawa Akira#: ???】