The “Devil Puppet-Master” arc, which began back in File 1129, reaches its conclusion in File 1133.
After three tragic deaths, the true killer is finally unmasked.
Detective Play Murder Case
This post delivers spoiler-heavy commentary and fan theories for Detective Conan (Case Closed) File 1133, “The Dark Red Curtain,”
as serialized in Weekly Shōnen Sunday issue 42 (11 Sep 2024).
Detective Conan 1133 “The Dark Red Curtain”– Spoiler
The chapter opens right where 1132 ended: Conan and Heiji are waiting on the rooftop deck of Abeno Harukas. A lone figure—the presumed killer—stands before them.
Heiji Hattori declares,
Heiji「All right… time for the final curtain」
and the culprit’s face is revealed at last.
File 1133 Spoiler ① – The Culprit Is the Most Obvious Suspect
The rooftop murderer is none other than Tenma Anzaka, the actor who plays “Heiichi” in the stage production.
Heiji then begins detailing every trick used in the previous crimes.
Notably, Anzaka’s alibi during Victim #2’s death (Ayari Kakiwaki) had looked iron-clad: Conan, Heiji, and Youka Kuraishi all “saw” him asleep in the nap room.
File 1133 Spoiler ② – How Anzaka Faked His Alibi for Victim #2
Anzaka wasn’t in bed at all.
He pre-recorded a close-up video of his own head turning on a pillow and reflected that clip with a vanity mirror, making it appear he was sleeping.
From outside the window he answered questions through the curtains, then played Kakiwaki’s famous scream from a recorder sealed in a trash bag and tossed it into the dumpster below—right beside her already-hidden corpse—creating the illusion she’d just fallen.
Anzaka slipped behind a storage shed and “rejoined” the others moments later.
File 1133 Spoiler ③ – The Method Behind Victim #3 (Nobuya Nagakubo)
Anzaka deliberately dangled an unlit cigarette to tempt chain-smoker Nagakubo onto the weakened railing.
While retrieving a “semaphore chart” downstairs, Anzaka whispered up to lure Nagakubo to that exact spot.
The gallium-eaten rail snapped, Nagakubo fell, and Anzaka arranged the marionette-style “I” pose on the body to extend the EVIL message.
File 1133 Spoiler ④ – Motive: Killing to Protect a Friend
Anzaka had a perfect selfie alibi for the first murder.
But when he noticed the phone beside Miku Narazawa’s corpse contained a screenshot of his long-buried self-defense incident, he realized Narazawa was blackmailing him—and that Ayari Kakiwaki and Nagakubo had caught on.
He doctored Narazawa’s phone with the “Devil Puppet-Master” line, staged the drop from the crowd, and eliminated the other two actors who threatened to expose him, dressing the crimes as a chain of theatrical killings that would end with his own staged death.
File 1133 Spoiler ⑤ – Heiji Phones Kazuha… and Misses
Stunned by Anzaka’s remark about the beautiful sunset, Heiji remembers his promise and calls Kazuha.
Ran answers: Kazuha never made it to the roof
Ran「she’s in the basement!」
Heiji fears he’s blown his only chance.
File 1133 Spoiler ⑥ – A Sunset Confession at Last
Heiji sinks against a pillar as the sun dips:
Heiji「All I wanted was to tell her I love her…」
when a voice behind him asks,
Kazuha「Is that true?」
Kazuha is suddenly there on the deck.
After a brief stumble, Heiji blurts,
Heiji「It’s true!」
—and the long-running mutual crush finally becomes official.
File 1133 Spoiler ⑦ – Momiji Ooka Feels the Shock Wave
Elsewhere, Momiji wins a karuta championship.
Her butler congratulates her, yet Momiji begins to cry for reasons she can’t explain—intuitively sensing Heiji and Kazuha’s breakthrough.
File 1133 Spoiler ⑧ – Kazuha’s Mother Revealed
Meanwhile, a “second Kazuha” is still in the department-store basement.
She removes her mask: it’s Sakura Toyama, Kazuha’s mother—former ace of Osaka Prefectural Police’s Firearms Division.
Sakura had swapped places with her daughter mid-case (“Our voices are identical; no one will notice with a mask”).
Chief Toyama scolds his wife for barging into an active crime scene.
Thus the real Kazuha was with Heiji on the roof, while her mother played decoy below.
File 1133 Spoiler ⑨ – Epilogue: A New Couple
In the final panel, Heiji and Kazuha walk hand-in-hand through the basement concourse.
After years of will-they-won’t-they tension, their mutual confession is a done deal
—bringing the “Devil Puppet-Master” arc to an emotional close.
Detective Conan 1133 “The Dark Red Curtain” – Review & Theories
The finale of the “Devil Puppet-Master” arc is an instant classic.
The murder plot turned out to be more intricate than anyone expected—and, at the very end, two fan-favorite characters finally got together.
File 1133 Review & Theories ① – A Historic Episode: Heiji & Kazuha Officially Become a Couple
Long-time Conan fans have waited years for Heiji Hattori and Kazuha Toyama to confess.
After a string of near-misses—most recently the movie “The Million-Dollar Pentagram”—the payoff arrives at sunset atop Abeno Harukas.
Heiji「Ha-ha… I’m such an idiot… All I wanted was to tell Kazuha I love her,」
Heiji mutters, unaware that Kazuha is standing right behind him.
When she quietly asks,
Kazuha「Is that really how you feel?」
Heiji drops all bravado and blurts,
Heiji「It is!」
The scene flashes through their many shared memories, then seals the moment with a simple, sincere confession.
After years of mutual pining, the childhood friends are finally—officially—a couple. Conan fandom can breathe a collective sigh of relief.
File 1133 Review & Theories ② – The Debut of Kazuha Toyama’s Mother, Sakura Toyama
Speculation proved correct: Sakura Toyama, Kazuha’s long-absent mother, appears for the first time.
Clues were sprinkled throughout the arc—most notably the masked “Kazuha” whose phone case color didn’t match earlier panels.
The reveal shows Sakura impersonating her daughter to slip into the crime scene, banking on their identical voices and a face mask to avoid detection.
Even veteran Inspector Ginshirō Toyama spots the switch immediately, scolding his wife for meddling in an active investigation.
Sakura’s résumé is impressive—she’s a former ace in Osaka Prefectural Police’s Firearms Control Unit—so expect her to play a bigger role in future Osaka-based cases.
Detective Play Murder Case
Comments