For me, Kindaichi Case Files is the start of everything that I read. Remember Psychometrer Eiji? I wouldn’t be reading the manga if it’s not because of Kindaichi Case Files.

It’s also the reason why I write the thriller and suspense seinen light novels. I just love something that doesn’t just make me engaged with the storyline. But it also allows me to learn many new things too.

Isn’t manga the best?

What Kindaichi Case Files is all about

Here’s the book description for the manga that I got from Wikipedia.

The Kindaichi Case Files is a Japanese mystery manga series based on the crime solving adventures of a high school student, Hajime Kindaichi, the supposed grandson of the famous private detective Kosuke Kindaichi. They are written by Yōzaburō Kanari or Seimaru Amagi and illustrated by Fumiya Satō.

What do you think? Does the book description is intriguing enough for you to give the manga a try?

What got me to read Kindaichi Case Files in the first place

You may not know this, but Kindaichi Case Files wasn’t the type of manga that I would pick in a heartbeat back then.

The kind of manga that I read back then was the typical popular manga like Dragon Ball and Dragon Quest. Judging by the type of manga I read back then, none of them was nothing close to Kindaichi Case Files at all.

In fact, my only reason to give the manga a try was that I stumbled upon the manga in my cousin’s house.

So, what made me decided to read the manga then?

I won’t deny that I decided to read the manga because I was bored. But at the same time, I was looking around the house to find any book that I could read to kill the time.

Interesting enough, I never thought that I would find a manga like Kindaichi Case Files enjoyable to read.

Sure, I wasn’t a fan of people being brutally murdered in the name of revenge back then. But the fact that I learned so many new interesting things when the mystery unfolded made me felt that the knowledge that I gained was priceless.

Of course, I wouldn’t know for sure where I would use the knowledge I gained from reading the manga. But hey, it does feel great to learn something new through your favorite medium.

That’s how I feel about this manga or any book in that same genre. I always feel like I’m learning something new.

What I didn’t expect when I read the manga

What I didn’t expect about this manga isn’t anything to do with the story concept. For me, it’s more to do with how the story continues.

The first part of the series ended in Book 27. I was expecting that the book would still continue onward like Detective Conan since it didn’t have a definitive ending like Detective Conan.

But it didn’t.

Was the manga ended prematurely? Well, not exactly since the last part of the book did indicate that Kindaichi was off for another journey to track down Takato.

Rather than continuing the manga in a similar fashion like Detective Conan, the story continued in the form of a trilogy instead. And some of the stories are in the form of standalone and two-book series too. It was never a long series like the first part.

It was only until Kindaichi Case Files R was released that the manga continues like a typical manga series. This is another thing that I didn’t expect considering that it’s been years since the first part of the series ended.

Am I excited about the news? Yes, I am. But it was too bad that I only managed to get the book until Book 7 since the company that licensed the manga in Malay went under not long after that.

And now we have 37 Years of Kindaichi Case Files where the story takes place 20 years later.

In 37 Years of Kindaichi Case Files, Kindaichi is already graduated and now is a manager of a PR firm. But he ended up getting involved in the murder cases despite no longer being a detective.

I guess that he was destined to see dead bodies all his life, huh?

Who should give this manga a try

If you enjoy Psychometrer Eiji, there’s no doubt that you will certainly enjoy reading Kindaichi Case Files. But I can’t be so sure for those who read Detective Conan, though.

Unlike Detective Conan, the murder cases in Kindaichi Case Files are more complex than the one in Detective Conan. So, if you expect the murder cases in Kindaichi Case Files to be just like in Detective Conan, you’re in for a disappointment.

Many of my friends who read both books said that they preferred Kindaichi Case Files over Detective Conan simply because of the complexity of the murder cases in Kindaichi Case Files.

Just like them, I also prefer Kindaichi Case Files over Detective Conan too. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy reading both of them. But I love Kindaichi Case Files more than Detective Conan.

As much as I would love everyone to read Kindaichi Case Files, it’s definitely not the kind of manga you want to read if you don’t like to read anything complex.

Where to buy Kindaichi Case Files manga

I doubt that you can get the English version of the manga unless you’ll get it in places or websites that sell used books.

But if you can read Japanese, you can get the book right here at CDJapan:

Buy Kindaichi Case File Vol.1 at CDJapan

You can also buy 37 Years of Kindaichi Case Files manga at CDJapan too, in case you’re wondering.

Here’s the link to the first book:

37 Years of Kindaichi Case Files Vol.1 (Regular Edition)

37 Years of Kindaichi Case Files Vol.1 (Premium Edition)

Over to you

What do you think about this manga? Are you interested in giving it a try after reading my blog post? Let me know in the comment below.

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