Detective Conan Anime

The anime version of Case Closed is produced by Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation and TMS Entertainment.[35][36] Over 900 episodes have aired in Japan since the anime's premiere on January 8, 1996, making it the sixteenth longest anime series to date.[37][38] Initially, Shogakukan collected and released the episodes on VHS video cassettes between June 1996, and October 2006.[39][40] Four hundred and twenty-six episodes were released on VHS until Shogakukan abandoned the format and switched over to DVDs, starting over from the first episode.[41] For the fifteenth anniversary of the anime series, the series was made available for video on demand.[42][43] Case Closed was later broadcast in North America on NHK's cable network TV Japan.[44]Crunchyroll began simulcasting the series in October 2014.[45]

In 2003, the first 104 episodes were licensed by Funimation for distribution in North America, under the title Case Closedbecause of legal considerations.[2][46] The Case Closed anime has also been released in other languages such as French, German and Italian.[47][48][49] Case Closed debuted on Cartoon Network as part of their Adult Swim programming block on May 24, 2004;[50] no more than 50 episodes were licensed from Funimation due to low ratings.[51] The Canadian channel YTV picked up the Case Closed series and broadcast 22 episodes between April 7, 2006, and September 2, 2006, before taking it off the air.[52][53][54] Funimation made the series available with the launch of the Funimation Channel in November 2005; it was temporary available on Colours TV during its syndication with the Funimation Channel.[55][56] Funimation lost the rights to the series in 2018.[57]

A separate English adaptation of the series by Animax Asia premiered in the Philippines on January 18, 2006, under the name Detective Conan.[58][59] Because Animax were unable to obtain further TV broadcast rights, their version comprised only 52 episodes.[60] The series continued with reruns until August 7, 2006, when it was removed from the station.[61] The California based channel United Television Broadcasting (UTB) aired Detective Conan with English subtitles from 2011 until 2014, until episode 421.[62][63]

Funimation also released DVDs of their dubbed series beginning August 24, 2004.[64] Initially, the releases were done in single DVDs and future episodes were released in seasonal boxes; 130 episodes have been released in total.[65] The seasonal boxes were later re-released in redesigned boxes called Viridian edition.[66][67] Funimation began streaming Case Closed episodes in March 2013.[68] Hanabee Entertainment licensed the series for distribution in Australia.[69]

In January 2016, 52 episodes of the anime appeared on Netflix, initially under its original title Detective Conan before changing to its English moniker Case Closed. The episodes are listed as "season one", although in reality they are episodes #748 to #799. The episodes are only available in Japanese, but are subtitled. The availability is likely part of Netflix's efforts to expand its anime catalog.[70] As of 2018, the Detective Conan anime has been broadcast in 40 countries around the world.[71]