The series boasts 102 manga volumes as of September 2022 and an ongoing anime and film series. Detective Conan’s name was changed to Case Closed by Viz Media and Funimation for the west due to legal issues.. If you’re in the mood for more comedy or mystery manga that offers a similar vibe, fear not! We’ve gathered together 8 books/manga to check out when you’ve caught up with Detective Conan. Of course, if you feel we’ve missed any of your favorites, do comment below and let us know!
Monster – Naoki Urasawa
Similarities – Mystery
Monster is an incredible manga with an excellent mystery, phenomenal tension, and well-written characters. The manga can feel slow-paced at times, but Urasawa knows how to build upon tense situations wonderfully. With its cunning antagonist and realistic setting and character design, you’re in for a worthwhile treat with this crime drama. It follows Dr. Tenma whose undergoing immense stress. This is because he chose the save a child’s life over his town’s mayor. While this doesn’t sound dumbfounded, the child goes on to become a vicious serial killer. Wanting to cast away the mistakes he’s made in the past, Tenma aims to bring Johan to justice. This manga contains phenomenal mind games, suspense, and nightmarish circumstances. Its villain Johan Liebert is regarded as one of the best anime and manga villains of all time. Many compare him to The Joker because of his twisted psyche and horrid actions. If you’re okay with stories that gradually reveal things over time, then you’re for a treat with Monster.
Death Note – Tsugumi Oba
Similarities – Crime, Thriller, Characters
Death Note is one of the best thought-provoking manga out there. It merges supernatural elements with its realistic detective themes well. It contains a well-written cast, an engaging plotline, and a depressing world. Although Conan is more heroic and kind-hearted than Light, they harbor incredible wit and intelligence. Death Note follows Light Yagami, a teenager who wants to rid the world of crime. One day, he finds a mysterious book called Death Note. This book allows its holder to murder anyone they desire if they write the person’s full name in it. After killing various criminals and meeting the book’s creator, Ryuk, Light establishes the alias Kira, who’s worshipped like a God. However, a young detective named L Lawliet aims to thwart Light’s plans. Thus countless cat-and-mouse mind games ensue between the two. This serves as the crux of Death Note’s narrative. It’s what keeps people entertained and invested with each new chapter. You’ll adore seeing these two engage in a strong battle of wits. If you’re a fan of intelligent protagonists and antagonists, you should give Death Note a shot.
Pretty Face – Yasuhiro Kano
Similarities – Concepts & Comedy
Pretty Face is a hilarious romantic comedy manga. This manga contains some fun banter, characters, and storytelling. It doesn’t offer any thought-provoking elements on par with Detective Conan. However, its protagonist ends up in a similar situation as Conan does in his series. That said, this manga leans into romance, drama, and comedy more than Conan, but provides readers with a swell time. Our story follows Randou Masashi, a self-centered karate star. He gets into a bus accident that leaves him in a comatose state. A plastic surgeon named Dr. Manabe saves Randou’s life, though. It came at the cost of reconstructing his face. He had to go by a photograph found during the accident. Unfortunately, the photo he based Randou’s surgery on was of Randou’s crush, Rina Kurimi. To make matters worse, Randou encounters Rina, who mistakes him for her twin sister. The story revolves around the hilarious antics that ensue between them as Randou must find a way to conceal the truth from Rina in an understanding manner. This story will leave you giggling at Randou’s failures. However, some readers may feel sympathetic toward Randou and the embarrassing situation he’s found himself in. If you’re looking for a more humorous manga with a protagonist that must conceal his identity from his crush then check out Pretty face. Be warned as its artwork isn’t the best to look at.
Ichinensei ni Nacchattara – Masakazu Ooi
Similarities – Story & Characters
Ichinensei ni Nacchattara is a short manga series full of laughter and wonder. Like Detective Conan, this manga centers around a protagonist who gets turned into a toddler and lives with his crush without her knowing the truth. Both series harbor scientists with unimaginable knowledge and skills. This story leans more into romance than Detective Conan and doesn’t offer any intriguing cases to solve alongside its protagonist. However, if you’re looking for a fabulous romantic comedy manga that you can complete in three days, you’re in for a fun time with this one. It begins with our protagonist Takatou Iori heading to school to confess his love to a classmate named Kusanagi Mikuru. Suddenly, he spots an elementary schoolgirl walking in the road and notices a truck heading toward her. Iori chooses to save the girl and gets hit by the truck. After several hours, Iori wakes up learning that he was revived by a perverted doctor. He’s transformed into a female elementary school student. To make matters worse, he’s in the same class as the girl he saved. Therefore, we follow Iori and his new life as an elementary school girl.
Quod Erat Demonstrandum – Motohiro Katou
Similarities – Solving Cases & Romance
Quod Erat Demonstrandum is an interesting detective manga with similar vibes to Detective Conan. This manga contains a fun cast who love to solve cases. Our cast solves cases in more mathematical and scientific ways than Conan does in his series. However, the cases they come across don’t differ too much and Motohiro Katou builds upon his cast’s romance similarly to Aoyama. This story centers around an MIT graduate named Touma Sou. He’s a former Japanese resident who returns to his county because he wants to know what it feels like to be a high schooler. He meets a female sports fanatic named Mizuhara Kana. Despite being on opposite ends of the spectrum, they team up to solve the strange mysteries happening around them. Quod Erat Demonstrandum can get surprisingly dark with its cases like Detective Conan. Sou’s backstory is shrouded in mystery but readers will enjoy discovering the darker parts of his livelihood. With an appealing art style, fun cases, and charming characters, this is a worthwhile read for Detective Conan fans.
Demon Detective Nougami Neuro – Yuusei Matsui
Similarities – Mystery & Investigations
Demon Detective Nougami Neuro is a quirky detective manga with a supernatural spin. Instead of a normal boy solving mysteries, Yuusei Matsui’s protagonist is a demon who does it for the thrills. This series is filled with many obscure and fun cases for its protagonist to solve. Its demon protagonist is humble like Conan and loves to give credit to other people. This tale follows the Demon Neuro, who travels to the mortal world because he’s sick of his duties in hell. He’s always found rare enigmas pleasing and hopes to gain something of that magnitude in this realm. As he wanders about, he comes across a murder case involving a young girl’s father that entices him. This kickstarts Neuro’s quest to solve every crime imaginable. This manga does a fabulous job of developing its protagonist and providing readers with fun side characters. Even the murderers will make you sympathize with them. This manga’s art style captures a unique expressionist flavor to it that’ll unsettle and astound you. If you’re looking for a fun manga series that tries new things, check out Demon Detective Nougami Neuro.
The Kindaichi Case Files – Shin Kabayashi & Youzaburou Kanari
Similarities –Murder Mysteries With A Hint of Romance
This is another manga that follows a detective who enjoys solving cases. The cases vary in magnitude but lean toward the murder-mystery spectrum of things. The series includes some romantic tension that many may find appealing. Like Detective Conan, this manga harbors an episodic formula that’ll keep readers engaged. The Kindaichi Case Files follows Kindaichi and his pal Miyuki who travel to different locations where murders take place. These cases can involve ghosts, curses, myths, and folklore. He often solves these mysteries by finding clues and using his uncanny deduction and problem-solving techniques. The manga can feel slightly repetitive with its cases. If you stick around long enough though, you may uncover something special about this sensational work.
Lupin the 3rd – Monkey Punch
Similarities – Crime & Comedy
Lupin The Third is hailed as one of the best thieves in anime and manga. He’s a highly skilled sneaky and quirky individual who travels the world in search of artifacts to swipe and villains plans to foil. He once combated Conan in a feature film, which received much praise for its storytelling, musical score, and animation. Although its protagonist Arsene III may act more dimwitted than Conan, he has many tricks up his sleeve to make you think otherwise. That said, Lupin The Third follows Arsene III, the random of the famed thief Arsène Lupin I. Like his grandfather, he enjoys stealing rare items and getting into trouble. His infamous crimes tend to draw Inspector Zenigata’s attention alongside other criminals. Along with his several companions, Arsene III plans to continue his various antics until he has attained every treasure his world has to offer. Like Conan, Arsene III and his pals will encounter many obstacles that’ll stand in their way. Each crew member brings something special to the group, making it tough for readers to find a favorite. If you adore Detective Conan’s episodic and quirky nature, you’ll enjoy Lupin The Third. So there we have it, our 8 books/manga to read after you’ve caught up with Detective Conan. What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!
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