Year: 2017
Runtime: 112 mins
Language: Japanese
Director: Kobun Shizuno
A bombing occurs at Nichiuri TV during filming of the Satsuki Cup, a competition crowning the champion of Japan’s Hyakunin Isshu. The incident creates chaos, and Hattori and Toyama Kazuha are trapped inside the burning facility. Conan arrives just in time to rescue them. The bomber’s identity and motives remain a mystery, prompting Conan to investigate the perplexing case.
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Read the complete plot breakdown of Case Closed: The Crimson Love Letter (2017), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened, and what it all means.
During an autumn bombing at Nichiuri TV, the Satsuki Cup, which crowns the winner of Japan’s Ogura Hyakunin Isshu-based karuta tournament, is being filmed inside the facility. The chaos erupts as the building goes up in flames, and the only people left inside are Heiji Hattori [Ryo Horikawa] and Kazuha Toyama. They are rescued just in time by Conan Edogawa [Minami Takayama], but the bomber’s identity and motive remain unknown.
Meanwhile, a mysterious beautiful girl arrives, claiming to be Heiji’s fiancée. Her name is Momiji Ooka [Satsuki Yukino], the Kyoto High School karuta champion. As fate would have it, Kazuha is preparing to face Momiji in the Hyakunin Isshu competition, so she begins training with Heiji’s mother, Shizuka Hattori [Masako Katsuki], a skilled karuta player.
Elsewhere in Arashiyama, the reigning Satsuki Cup champion is murdered. Photos from the crime scene reveal Momiji’s presence, and several karuta cards are scattered around the victim, hinting at a deeper connection between the two events.
Conan and Heiji, together with the Osaka and Kyoto police departments, begin their joint investigation into the Satsuki Cup and the related murder. As the inquiry unfolds, they uncover a hidden link to the Hyakunin Isshu that ties the cases together.
After the case is resolved, Momiji tells Heiji that he promised to marry her when they were little. Heiji suddenly recalls that this wasn’t the truth: when they were children, he said he would become stronger (tsuyome), but she misheard it as “yome” (bride).
Last updated: February 03, 2026 at 07:41
Explore frequently asked questions about Case Closed: The Crimson Love Letter (2017) with spoiler-rich answers covering the full plot summary, major story beats, character motivations, hidden details, and ending meaning. This movie summary FAQ helps explain confusing scenes, plot twists, and narrative decisions in clear, searchable detail.
The bombing was targeting the Satsuki Cup because the perpetrator had a grudge connected to the Hyakunin Isshu poetry anthology. The competition, which crowns Japan's champion in the traditional karuta card game, became the focal point for a motive rooted in the poetry collection rather than simple terrorism.
Earlier scenes show the bomber's identity remains unknown while the investigation begins, hinting at a personal connection to the tournament.
The bomber was revealed to have a specific connection to the Hyakunin Isshu. The investigation conducted by Conan and Heiji with Osaka and Kyoto police uncovered that the bombing was linked to the murder of the Satsuki Cup champion, with both crimes sharing a common motive tied to the poetry anthology.
The initial mystery surrounding the bomber's identity suggests an intentional, personal vendetta rather than a random attack.
The Hyakunin Isshu is a collection of 100 classical Japanese poems that forms the basis of competitive karuta (card game). The film ties both the bombing and murder to this poetry anthology, revealing that the true target was connected to the cultural significance of the Satsuki Cup tournament rather than the event itself.
The timeline shows that as the investigation progresses, a secret connected to the Hyakunin Isshu begins to emerge, linking the two incidents.
Photos from the crime scene revealed Momiji's presence near the murdered Satsuki Cup champion, making her a person of interest. However, her presence was later clarified during the investigation, and she was not directly involved in the crime itself.
Earlier, Momiji appears as a mysterious figure claiming to be Heiji's fiancée, adding suspicion to her character.
When they were children, Heiji told Momiji he would become stronger (tsuyome). However, Momiji misheard this as 'yome,' which means bride in Japanese. This childhood mishearing led her to believe Heiji had promised to marry her.
Momiji's claim of being Heiji's fiancée appears early in the film, but the truth behind this promise remains unclear until the end.
The tsuyome-yome misunderstanding is a linguistic mix-up that drives the romantic subplot. Heiji said he would become 'tsuyome' (stronger), but Momiji heard 'yome' (bride), creating a false promise of marriage that she believed for years.
The film foreshadows this by having Momiji confidently claim Heiji's marriage promise while Heiji appears confused.
Conan and Heiji worked with Osaka and Kyoto police to investigate both incidents. Through sharing clues and tracing connections to the Hyakunin Isshu, they discovered that both crimes were motivated by the same underlying reason related to the poetry anthology, tying the two cases together.
The timeline shows the investigation beginning with separate cases that gradually reveal hidden links.
The murder of the reigning Satsuki Cup champion was connected to the same Hyakunin Isshu-related motive as the bombing. The perpetrator had a personal grievance tied to the poetry collection and the tournament's legacy, making the champion a target.
The discovery of karuta cards scattered around the victim hints at the connection to the poetry anthology.
Kazuha began training with Shizuka Hattori because she was preparing to face Momiji Ooka in the Hyakunin Isshu competition. Shizuka, being a skilled karuta player, helped Kazuha improve her skills for the upcoming tournament.
The training sequence establishes the competitive context between Kazuha and Momiji.
Conan arrived at Nichiuri TV as the building was collapsing from the bombing. He worked through the smoke and chaos to locate Heiji and Kazuha, leading them to safety before the structure completely fell apart.
The opening scene establishes Conan's timely arrival as crucial to the characters' survival.
Momiji Ooka is the Kyoto High School karuta champion who claims to be Heiji's fiancée due to the childhood misunderstanding about the tsuyome-yome phrase. Her arrival introduces both a romantic subplot and a potential suspect in the investigation.
Momiji's mysterious appearance at the bombing scene immediately raises questions about her true intentions.
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Stories in this thread follow a dual-track narrative. The A-plot is a traditional mystery or action scenario—a murder, a heist, a conspiracy—that provides the external conflict and pacing. The B-plot focuses on the protagonist's personal life, typically a burgeoning romance, a rekindled friendship, or the resolution of a past misunderstanding. These threads often intersect, where solving the case also helps resolve the personal dilemma.
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