Apr 29th, 2025 Tuesday Sunny
I finally got to watch the Detective Conan movie released last year, “the million-dollar pentagram”.
Living up to the reputation of recent years, this movie included plenty of action, romance comedy, and deduction. The pace was tight, to the extent that I found myself trying hard to keep up with all the happenings, and still had to read more reviews afterwards to fully understand it. Nevertheless, the story made sense, and the scenery of Hokkaido pleasing, so I would recommend it as a casual pastime.
The plot unfolded from a special katana with a star-shaped cross-guard, given to a historical swordsman, Hijikata Toshizo. A capitalist in Hokkaido who made a fortune during the world wars was also a fan of this historical figure, so he incorporated elements related to Toshizo when he decided to hide a treasure. This treasure was said to be so valuable that it could turn the tide of the war, which naturally attracted the attention of an arms dealer, as well as the grandson of the capitalist, who was hoping to use the treasure to save his collapsing family enterprise.
After all the fighting and puzzle-solving, the whereabout of this treasure was finally uncovered (by Conan, of course). Inside the Hakodate mountain, everyone held their breath, and beheld – a code machine, an upgraded version of Enigma based on the Japanese alphabet. Perhaps it would have been helpful during the war eighty years ago, but its computing power can easily be surpassed by a smartphone today, as Kid pointed out.
In other words, this discovery can hardly be considered as a “treasure”, given that its worth nowadays is mostly historical and it belongs nowhere other than in a museum.
Unlike some previous movies, this one did not attempt to strike the audience with any “big idea” or being overly sensational. Yet the ending got me think.
Undoubtedly, the code machine, with its capacity to encrypt and decrypt important messages, must have been believed to hold the key to the victory during wartime. However, as its utility was purely based on technology, and technology has been advancing at such speed that what used to be viewed as “magical” and “rare” is taken for granted and accessible to billions of people, I would say that it did not outlive time.
Likewise, most of gadgets with a high price tag – in the current society they tend to be associated with the newest electronics – are unlikely to have lasting value, since newer trends always outshine “the old favorites”.
Is there anything that can transcend the trial of time?
Interestingly, another Conan movie, aired exactly twenty-five years ago, “the last wizard of the century”, might have answered this question. In that movie, the coveted treasure, a Faberge egg with intricate craftsmanship and countless jewels from the Russian empire, unveiled its true existence – a light activated album of family photos. When the micro-images were projected onto the dark walls of the castle basement, the great granddaughter of the jewel maker met her great grandparents at last. The music of that beautiful moment still resounds in my mind.
It turns out the truly timeless treasure has nothing to do with money, conflict, automation, and consumption. It is the irreplaceable parts of us that give life meaning, and connects one human to another in a genuine way – love, courage, and the memories that we share with those we hold dear.