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Detective Conan: Strategy Above the Depths (2005) movie poster

Timeline

Detective Conan: Strategy Above the Depths (2005) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2005 · 110 mins · Japanese
Directed by
Yasuichiro Yamamoto
Starring
Minami Takayama, Megumi Hayashibara, Yoshiko Sakakibara, Wataru Takagi, Kazuhiko Inoue, Koji Yusa

Fifteen years ago a cruise liner vanished after striking an iceberg in the Pacific. A decade later ship engineer Hideto Yashiro dies in a car crash, and the cases are linked aboard the newly launched luxury ship St. Aphrodite. While on vacation, Kogoro Mouri, his daughter Ran, Conan Edogawa and the Detective Boys enjoy a trip provided by Sonoko Suzuki’s family, but a game of hide‑and‑seek ends with Sonoko’s disappearance.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Events in order (12)
  2. 2 Timeline questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Movies like Detective Conan: Strategy Above the Depths
  5. 5 Every angle

12 events in order · contains spoilers

Detective Conan: Strategy Above the Depths Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Detective Conan: Strategy Above the Depths (2005) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Sinking and past tragedy

    Fifteen years ago, the cruise Yashiromaru sank in what looked like a tragic accident engineered for insurance fraud by the Yashiro group. The scheme aimed to cash in on the payout while the company tried to hide its culpability. During that period, the CEO's husband, a ship architect, suffered a heart attack and drove his car off a cliff, tying his fate to the wider conspiracy.

    When
    15 years ago
    Where
    Off the coast, Yashiromaru site
  2. Saint Aphrodite cruise launches

    Today, the Yashiro group launches the Saint Aphrodite, a luxurious 100 million yen cruise. Conan and his friends are invited aboard through Serena, and the voyage promises glamour and excitement. However, the shadows of the past begin to loom as old crimes resurface.

    When
    Present day / Day 1
    Where
    Saint Aphrodite cruise
  3. Second day murder of the CEO

    On the second day, the CEO is found murdered in her cabin, turning the cruise into a high-stakes crime scene. The crew and detectives scramble to secure the vessel and begin questioning suspects. Conan and the others start their own investigation, following clues amid rising tension.

    When
    Day 2
    Where
    CEO's cabin, Saint Aphrodite
  4. President goes missing

    Shortly after the CEO's murder, the President of the Yashiro group disappears from the cruise and is presumed thrown overboard by the killer. The mystery deepens as passengers and crew search the sea for any sign of him.

    When
    Day 2
    Where
    Onboard Saint Aphrodite
  5. Welcome party and initial deduction

    At the welcome party, Richard publicly deduces that Akiyoshi, the sub-designer, is the murderer. Conan challenges the conclusion, hinting that the culprit's motives and connections are more complex than a simple misdirection. This disagreement foreshadows a deeper conspiracy at work.

    When
    Evening of Day 2
    Where
    Welcoming party, Saint Aphrodite
  6. Kusaka's revelation about 15-year scheme

    Kusaka, a scriptwriter working with Akiyoshi on a script, reveals that the accident from 15 years ago was a deliberate sinking planned for insurance. He explains that his own father was murdered when he discovered the captain's role in drugging and leaving people to die.

    When
    Mid-voyage
    Where
    Cruise ship area
  7. Bombs and chase begin; evacuation

    Kusaka triggers bombs and escapes by sea, prompting the Detective Boys to pursue him. More bombs are ignited as alarms blare and passengers scramble to evacuate the ship.

    When
    Mid-voyage
    Where
    Onboard, around the ship's exterior
  8. Rachel's hidden medal and peril

    During the evacuation, the Detective Boys organize a hide-and-seek game and create a 'gold medal' from sea-shells for Rachel. The ship sways, and Rachel returns to a hiding place in an enclosed area, causing her to faint.

    When
    During evacuation
    Where
    Inside ship; hiding area
  9. Akiyoshi revealed as the true killer

    It is revealed that Akiyoshi is the true mastermind, having killed all three victims and manipulated Kusaka into thinking he did them. She also admits that her father was the captain who died when the ship sank.

    When
    Following Kusaka's confession
    Where
    Onboard
  10. Richard arrests Akiyoshi

    Richard deduces correctly this time and arrests Akiyoshi, driven by the need to prove her guilt rather than defend her innocence due to resemblance to his wife. The breakthrough closes the case and shifts focus to rescuing everyone.

    When
    After the arrest
    Where
    Onboard
  11. Rachel found and rescued

    As evacuation proceeds, Richard and Conan realize that Rachel is missing. They locate her under the deck with a fire axe and, with a helicopter arriving, escape from the ship.

    When
    Endgame
    Where
    Under the deck, then helicopter extraction
  12. Post-credits clue and medal

    In the post-credits scene, Conan explains how he knew Rachel's location thanks to a volleyball clue implying a hard wall. The Detective Kids present an improved 'gold medal' for Rachel and place it on her.

    When
    Post-credits
    Where
    Post-credits aboard cruise

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:33

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Timeline questions answered

Detective Conan: Strategy Above the Depths Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Detective Conan: Strategy Above the Depths (2005): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why did Minako Akiyoshi kill the CEO and President of the Yashiro Group?

Minako Akiyoshi was revealed as the mastermind behind all three killings on the Saint Aphrodite. She murdered the CEO and her own father (the President) to avenge her real father, who was the captain that died during the Yashiromaru sinking 15 years ago. That sinking was a deliberate insurance fraud scheme orchestrated by the Yashiro Group, and her father was left to die after being drugged. Akiyoshi orchestrated the current murders to expose and destroy those responsible for her father's death.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Richard's initial deduction that Akiyoshi was the murderer was actually correct, though his reasoning was wrong.

  • minako akiyoshi
  • yashiro group
  • ceo murder
  • president murder
  • revenge
Q2

How is the 15-year-old Yashiromaru sinking connected to the murders on the Saint Aphrodite?

The Yashiromaru sinking 15 years ago was not an accident but a deliberate insurance fraud scheme orchestrated by the Yashiro Group to collect money while hiding their culpability. The current murders on the Saint Aphrodite were revenge killings by Minako Akiyoshi, whose father was the captain who died during that original sinking. Akiyoshi killed the current CEO and President to avenge her father's death, using the new cruise ship as the setting to confront those responsible.

Foreshadowing: The Saint Aphrodite was built by the Yashiro Group as a mirror to the lost Yashiromaru, creating symbolic closure for the conspiracy.

  • yashiromaru sinking
  • insurance fraud
  • 15 years
  • conspiracy
  • yashiro group
Q3

Why was Kusaka framed for the murders on the cruise ship?

Kusaka, a scriptwriter who worked with Akiyoshi on a ship-related project, was manipulated by Minako Akiyoshi into believing he committed the murders. Akiyoshi orchestrated the crimes and planted evidence to make Kusaka appear guilty. She used Kusaka's own troubled past, his father was murdered when he discovered the captain had been drugged during the original sinking, to turn him into a suspect. Kusaka then set off bombs and fled, thinking he was the killer, which further obscured Akiyoshi's true role.

Foreshadowing: Kusaka's revelation about his father's murder and the 15-year-old conspiracy came during his confrontation with Conan.

  • kusaka
  • frame
  • scriptwriter
  • bombs
  • manipulation
Q4

What was Minako Akiyoshi's father's role in the original Yashiromaru sinking?

Minako Akiyoshi's father was the captain of the Yashiromaru, the cruise ship that sank 15 years ago. During the deliberate sinking orchestrated for insurance fraud, her father was drugged and left to die along with other crew members. This personal tragedy motivated Akiyoshi to seek revenge against the current Yashiro Group leadership who ordered or benefited from that original crime. She later became the ship's sub-designer to orchestrate her revenge plan.

Foreshadowing: Akiyoshi's position as sub-designer on the new Saint Aphrodite allowed her to plan and execute her scheme.

  • captain
  • akiyoshi father
  • drugged
  • left to die
  • original sinking
Q5

How did Conan find Rachel's location using the volleyball clue?

In the post-credits scene, Conan explained that he deduced Rachel's location by interpreting a small clue: when he kicked a volleyball, Rachel heard a soccer ball, indicating she was in a space bordered by a hard wall that produced a different sound. This sound interpretation led Conan and Richard to locate Rachel hidden beneath the deck, where they rescued her with a fire axe as the ship swayed dangerously.

Foreshadowing: During the hide-and-seek game, the Detective Boys had created a gold medal from seashells for Rachel, which she was holding when found.

  • conan
  • rachel
  • volleyball
  • soccer ball
  • location
  • hard wall
Q6

Why did Richard initially believe Minako Akiyoshi was innocent?

Richard initially defended Akiyoshi because she bore a striking resemblance to his late wife. This personal connection led him to publicly deduce that she was the murderer at the welcome party, though he was actually hoping to prove her innocence due to this resemblance. However, as the investigation deepened, Richard's rational instincts forced him to confront the truth and correctly deduce Akiyoshi's guilt, leading to her arrest.

Foreshadowing: Richard's personal motive was hinted at early, making his later reversal more significant.

  • richard
  • akiyoshi
  • late wife
  • resemblance
  • deduction
Q7

Why did Kusaka set bombs on the Saint Aphrodite and escape by sea?

After being manipulated by Akiyoshi into believing he committed the murders, Kusaka panicked and set off bombs aboard the Saint Aphrodite. He then escaped by sea, pursued by the Detective Boys. Kusaka's desperate action was driven by his belief that he was responsible for the killings and his need to flee. His actions triggered a mass evacuation as more bombs threatened everyone on board.

Foreshadowing: Kusaka revealed his father's murder and the 15-year-old conspiracy moments before setting the bombs.

  • kusaka
  • bombs
  • escape
  • sea
  • detective boys pursuit
Q8

Why did Rachel faint in her hiding place during the evacuation?

During the evacuation chaos, Rachel returned to a hiding place in an enclosed area within the ship. As the Saint Aphrodite swayed dangerously from the bomb threats and emergency maneuvers, Rachel was trapped in this confined space and fainted. She remained unconscious until Conan and Richard located her beneath the deck using the sound clue and rescued her with a fire axe.

Foreshadowing: The Detective Boys' hide-and-seek game earlier set up the context for Rachel's chosen hiding spot.

  • rachel
  • faint
  • hiding
  • enclosed space
  • ship sway
Q9

Why did Conan challenge Richard's initial deduction about Akiyoshi?

Conan challenged Richard's initial deduction because while Richard correctly identified Akiyoshi as the murderer, his reasoning was wrong. Richard accused Akiyoshi based on circumstantial evidence and his personal feelings about her resemblance to his late wife, not because of the actual logical chain of clues. Conan recognized that the culprit's motives and connections were far more complex than Richard's simple deduction implied, foreshadowing the deeper conspiracy involving the 15-year-old sinking.

Foreshadowing: This disagreement at the welcome party set up the central mystery of who truly orchestrated the crimes.

  • conan
  • richard
  • akiyoshi
  • initial deduction
  • challenge
Q10

What was the significance of the gold medal made from seashells?

During the evacuation, the Detective Boys created a gold medal from seashells for Rachel as part of their hide-and-seek game. Rachel kept this medal with her even while hiding in the enclosed space where she later fainted. In the post-credits scene, the Detective Kids presented Rachel with an improved, more enduring gold medal, symbolizing their bond and celebrating their survival together. The medal served as both a clue during the crisis and a symbol of their friendship.

Foreshadowing: The medal was introduced during the peaceful moments before the crisis escalated.

  • gold medal
  • seashells
  • detective boys
  • rachel
  • hide and seek
  • final scene

Movie threads

More Movies Like Detective Conan: Strategy Above the Depths, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Detective Conan: Strategy Above the Depths tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Fast-paced whodunit mysteries like Detective Conan: Strategy Above the Depths

Intricate puzzles solved under extreme pressure and a looming deadline. If you enjoyed the high-stakes investigation aboard the luxury ship, you'll like these movies. This list features similar stories where a confined setting and a ticking clock create a tense, fast-paced mystery. Fans of clever deductions under pressure will find more movies like Detective Conan: Strategy Above the Depths here.

  • suspenseful
  • investigative
  • tense
  • methodical
  • race against time
  • cerebral
  • Tone: tense, investigative
  • Pacing: fast, escalating
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically begin with a crime in a closed environment, such as a ship, train, or isolated mansion. A detective figure must piece together clues while a secondary threat—like a bomb or a hidden accomplice—escalates the danger. The narrative is propelled by a series of reveals and chases, culminating in a dramatic confrontation and resolution just before time runs out.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together because they share a specific narrative structure that blends intellectual mystery with action-thriller pacing. They create a cohesive experience defined by a sense of confinement, a methodical investigation, and the constant, palpable pressure of a countdown.

Movies about amateur sleuths uncovering conspiracies like Detective Conan: Strategy Above the Depths

Ordinary individuals uncovering vast, hidden schemes connected to a past tragedy. For viewers who liked the corporate conspiracy and hidden past in Detective Conan: Strategy Above the Depths, this list gathers similar films. Discover more stories where unlikely heroes, including child detectives, untangle complex webs of crime and deception. Find your next watch if you enjoy mysteries with a deep, emotional backstory.

  • investigative
  • conspiracy
  • uncovering secrets
  • dramatic
  • methodical
  • revenge plot
  • Tone: dramatic, suspenseful
  • Pacing: steady, investigative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a present-day incident that acts as a catalyst, reopening a cold case or revealing a cover-up. The protagonists, often ordinary people or unconventional detectives, follow a trail of clues that pits them against a well-resourced antagonist. The journey is as much about exposing the truth as it is about personal vindication, frequently involving themes of revenge and lost justice.

Why they belong together: These films are connected by their focus on the 'little guy' versus a powerful system, the methodical unveiling of a multi-layered plot, and the thematic weight of rectifying a past wrong. The combination of intellectual discovery and personal stakes creates a compelling and relatable viewing experience.

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Every angle

Detective Conan: Strategy Above the Depths (2005) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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