Japanese Animation Feature Film ‘Detective Conan: Sunflowers of Inferno’ Premiers In South Korea With Almost All References To Japan Changed

When the Japanese animated movie "Detective Conan: Sunflowers of Inferno" hit South Korean theatres in summer this year, fans were astounded to see how the movie has been localized to fit the South Korean setting.

The long-running "Detective Conan" anime series is predominantly set in Japan, where protagonist Jimmy Kudo is somewhat a young Sherlock Holmes working with police to solve crimes. For the South Korea release of "Sunflowers of Inferno" many of the Japanese references were changed, even the movie's setting itself, Kotaku noted Thursday.

For instance, newspapers, currency, popular locations, and street signs were replaced. The Japanese yen was changed to the Korean won, and texts on newspapers were in Hangul instead of Nippongo.

Users on Sina Weibo have given their two cents on the matter, Anime News Network reported Sept. 10.

"South korea has always been like this," one member wrote. "It's not just in Conan. Any anime that appears on Korean television is changed to be more Korean. Even Crayon Shin-chan's setting was changed to Seoul."

Another user commented that changes were only made for "Conan's" South Korean release, while no changes were reflected when the movie made its debut in Chinese theatres.

"You don't see the Chinese release changing the currency, do you?" one user pondered.

The animated series "Detective Conan" first premiered in Japanese television on January 19, 1994. It tells the story of a young boy named Jimmy Kudo who works with the police department in solving cases. During an investigation, Jimmy was attacked by a syndicate known as the Black Organization that made him take an experimental poison that turns him into a child.

In "Sunflowers of Inferno", Jimmy Kudo investigates a case involving a Van Gogh painting called "Sunflowers", which was thought to have been destroyed during World War II.