Police Are Starting to Use Anime to Recruit Officers and Yes, It's Really Working
Anime is more than just an entertainment medium; it affects the real world in several ways. The most recent example of this phenomenon is that an unexpected organization has used anime in its recruitment: the police. Japan’s Metropolitan Police Department incorporated an anime series into their recruitment materials, and it has been immensely successful in sparking interest.
Detective Conan, also called Case Closed, is a popular anime in Japan that follows a detective main character, Shinichi Kudo, who solves cases with the police department. Since the character is already affiliated with the police in his series, he was chosen as a perfect fit for the Japanese Police Department's recruitment materials.
The Detective Conan Anime Was Used in Police Recruitment Materials
The Police Recruitment Pamphlet Features the Series' Most Famous Characters, Like Conan and Amoru
Detective Conan may be underrated in the United States and other countries, but it is quite beloved in Japan. The series follows Shinichi Kudo, a successful detective who, during a difficult case, is turned into a child, and has to continue his career while he appears on the outside to be an average elementary school student. He begins leading a double life as Conan Edogawa, attending school and making friends like any normal child, while continuing his crime-fighting efforts on the side, using his new appearance as a child to his benefit. Written by Gosho Aoyama, Detective Conan is still being produced, and has been since 1994.
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The Japan Metropolitan Police Department took note of how passionately people love Detective Conan, and made the wise choice to incorporate the series into their recruitment campaigns to inspire new members to join the force. Using anime in a police recruitment campaign was completely unprecedented and had never happened before this moment, so the Japan Metropolitan Police Department has made history and proven just how influential anime can be in different contexts beyond just entertainment. A Conan-themed pamphlet was released, causing application numbers to skyrocket across various areas in the Japan Police Department.
More People Applied to the Police Department After Seeing the Conan Pamphlet
Application Rates Rose Rapidly After Conan's Appearance, Making the Campaign a Success
Canon Edogawa and his various classmates appear on the cover of the Police Department's pamphlet, and many other illustrations of the characters are inside as well. The Japan Police Department knew they needed a groundbreaking campaign to bring up rapidly decreasing application rates, which had gone down 40% in the last decade, and it seems this Detective Conan campaign has done the trick. A representative of the Japan Metropolitan Police Department was very optimistic about the campaign, stating “It’s an anime that appeals to a wide range of age groups, so we hope it will spark interest in police work.”
This representative's assumptions that the Detective Conan anime would be effective at recruitment were correct, because the creatively illustrated pamphlet definitely caught people's interest and even motivated many to apply for roles with the Police Department. Amoru Toru, a fan-favorite Conan character who showed up in the pamphlet, also made a massive difference. Amoru, whose real name is Furuya Rei, works for the Public Security Bureau in the series, and because of his inclusion in the recruitment pamphlet, the Japan Police Department noted that the public security page of their website received increased traffic and applications as well.
Japan Has Opened the Door for Anime to be Used in Other Police Departments
Due to the Success of the Conan Collaboration, Other Similar Campaigns Will Likely Appear Soon
Since Detective Conan has been so cherished in Japan for over thirty years, it has understandably been the subject of many different campaigns aside from this partnership with Japan's Police Department. Another topic related to the series, crime awareness, was taught to children through a 2006 Detective Conan campaign. The 34th G8 Summit, held by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also integrated the mystery thriller series, also using pamphlets featuring the characters as promotional materials. Japan Post created a Detective Conan stamp collection and there are also statues and museum exhibits paying homage to the series in Japan.
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It is extremely evident that Japan adores Case Closed, and has for quite a while, so it is no major surprise that recruits were inspired to follow in their favorite characters' footsteps and pursue similar careers in law enforcement. This Detective Conan collaboration has opened the door for Japan's Police Department, as well as other police departments worldwide, to use anime characters in recruitment materials and other aspects of their work. Since he is one of anime's most important law enforcement officials, this likely will not be the last time Conan is used in a police campaign, given the success of this one.
Source: Anime Galaxy Official, YouTube
Case Closed
- Release Date
- January 8, 1996
Cast
Minami TakayamaConan Edogawa- Kappei YamaguchiShinichi Kudo
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