The previous arc brought heavy hitters like Toru Amuro and Masumi Sera onto the stage—yet it wrapped with no last-minute twist.
By contrast, File 1129 launches a brand-new, five-chapter storyline that promises far more payoff.
This post delivers spoiler-laden analysis for Detective Conan (Case Closed) File 1129, “The Dark Red Curtain,” published in the combined Weekly Shonen Sunday issue 37-38 on 7 Aug 2024.
Detective Conan File 1129 “The Dark Red Curtain” – Spoilers
The story opens at Osaka’s Naniwa Arts Theater, where Conan, Kogoro, Ran Mouri, Heiji Hattori, and Kazuha Toyama are watching a new whodunit stage play.
Kazuha wears a mask throughout the performance.
Onstage, the mystery features two detectives patterned after them—“Daigoro Mouri” (modeled on Kogoro) and “Heiichi Hattori” (modeled on Heiji)—as they unravel the case.
File 1129 Spoiler ① – A Sequel to “Momiji Ooka’s Sweet Trap”
Long-time readers may remember a Kyoto case in which a director planned a detective drama based on Kogoro and Heiji.
That project collapsed after the original director was murdered by the scriptwriter.
Against all odds, a new writer has resurrected the play, bringing it to life in Osaka.
File 1129 Spoiler ② – Back-Stage Introductions
After the curtain call, the group visits the dressing rooms.
Because Kazuha needs medication for her pollen allergy, she follows later.
Conan, Ran, and Kogoro greet the two double leads:
- Osamu Kenzaki – plays “Daigoro Mouri”
- Hyoga Komoto – plays “Heiichi Hattori”
File 1129 Spoiler ③ – Heiji Plans Yet Another Confession
Kenzaki recently got engaged to former Earth Ladies idol Yuki Takeno, who accepted his proposal on the Harukas observatory.
Heiji instantly thinks,
Heiji「Harukas… sunset… perfect confession spot!」
and decides to tell Kazuha how he feels on Osaka’s tallest landmark.
FYI: Momoji Ooka is absent, busy with a karuta tournament.
File 1129 Spoiler ④ – The Rest of the Cast
The play rotates casts for different performances:
- Toshikata Yoshiura – alternate “Daigoro Mouri”
- Tenma Anzaka – alternate “Heiichi Hattori”
- Youka Kuraishi – plays “Kaede Otsuka,” based on Momiji Ooka
- Miku Narazawa – plays “Ochiba Toyama,” based on Kazuha
- Ayari Kakiwaki – plays “Rieko Mouri,” based on Eri Kisaki
- Nobuya Nagakubo – plays “Suruga Iori,” based on Iori Muga
Back-stage tension crackles among the actors—professional rivalry or something darker?
File 1129 Spoiler ⑤ – A “Cursed” Production
The play’s origin is grim. The first director, Kabumoto, was murdered by the original scriptwriter, Inaba.
The replacement writer collapsed with a raging fever right after finishing the new script, and the new director was crippled in a car crash last week.
Kabumoto was so ruthless with his actors that the industry dubbed him the “Devil Puppet-Master.”
Anyone who defied him vanished from the stage world.
File 1129 Spoiler ⑥ – The First Body Falls
During small talk, actress Ayari Kakiwaki (playing “Rieko Mouri”) jokes, “One more death would really hype the show,” then everyone heads out for a break.
Moments later a heavy thud echoes outside.
Conan and Heiji rush out to find Miku Narazawa—actress for “Ochiba Toyama”—lying dead on the pavement.
Her arms are bent at perfect right angles, exactly like a marionette’s.
Next to the corpse, her smartphone glows with a single message:
「I am the Devil Puppet-Master.」
End of File 1129 – To be continued in File 1130.
Detective Conan File 1129 “The Dark Red Curtain” – Review & Theories
The latest case revives the stage-play thread from the previous murder arc, this time as a five-part Osaka saga.
Below are the key talking points and why they matter for the chapters to come.
File 1129 Review & Theories ① – Will Heiji Finally Confess to Kazuha?
Osaka’s tallest landmark, Abeno Harukas, is Heiji’s chosen confession spot.
Yet Conan’s inner monologue—
Conan「I can only see this ending in disaster…」
—all but waves a failure flag.
Long-time readers know Heiji’s track record, so expectations are tempered.
File 1129 Review & Theories ② – Director Kabumoto’s Sinister Legacy
The murdered director Kabumoto turns out to have been dubbed the “Devil Puppet-Master.”
His tyrannical control drove actors to the brink, and the first corpse in this chapter is arranged like a marionette—a clear callback.
Everything points to a looming chain of copy-cat killings that mimic Kabumoto’s twisted stagecraft.
File 1129 Review & Theories ③ – What’s Hiding Behind Kazuha’s Mask?
Kazuha claims severe hay fever, but she teases Ran:
Kazuha「I’ve got a surprise—just wait!」
Fan theories range from simple lipstick (to spark a kiss moment) to a full disguise.
The mask’s reveal—and Ran’s promised surprise—are likely to dovetail with Heiji’s confession attempt.
File 1129 Review & Theories ④ – When Will Momiji Ooka Make Her Entrance?
Momiji is absent, away at a karuta tournament, yet the play features a character modeled on her.
Odds are high she’ll appear at the worst possible moment—potentially the very second Heiji steels himself to confess.
Keep watch for her dramatic late-arrival cameo.
Detective Play Murder Case
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