After 28 years of waiting for their romance to progress, Detective Conan fans have finally seen Heiji Hattori and Kazuha Toyama become an official couple. Their relationship took a major step forward in the October 10, 2026, episode of the anime, and the milestone is being celebrated with special advertising trucks, a promotional boat, and an immersive fan experience in Osaka.
The episode concludes the popular “The Crimson School Trip?” No. The relevant story is “The Crimson Finale (Grand Finale),” known in Japanese as Akane-iro no Senkyoku (Dairaku). The story adapts material from Detective Conan manga Volume 106 and features Heiji finally confessing his feelings to his childhood friend.
HEIJI AND KAZUHA’S CONFESSION FINALLY PAYS OFF
Heiji, the high school detective from Osaka, and Kazuha have spent decades circling around their mutual feelings. Although Heiji repeatedly tried to find the perfect moment to confess, his attempts often failed, leaving fans waiting for the pair to move beyond their childhood-friend dynamic.
The long-awaited moment arrives after Heiji solves a case and finds himself at the observation deck of Abeno Harukas, a real Osaka landmark that inspired the location in the story. His feelings come out more naturally than he had planned, and Kazuha overhears him. She asks whether he really means it, prompting Heiji to confirm his feelings.
Heiji’s Japanese voice actor, Ryo Horikawa, reflected on the confession in comments reported by Anime! Anime!. He explained that he had initially imagined Heiji making a direct confession, but the character’s repeated failures ultimately led to an unplanned admission.
Horikawa also offered a playful message to his character: “Heiji Hattori, you lucky guy! Take good care of Kazuha.” Kazuha’s voice actor, Yuko Miyamura, celebrated the moment as well, noting that the pair’s feelings had finally been confirmed after a very long wait for viewers.
OSAKA CELEBRATES THE DETECTIVE CONAN COUPLE WITH SPECIAL EVENTS
The anime’s romantic milestone has inspired a citywide celebration in Osaka. Advertising trucks featuring Heiji and Kazuha are scheduled to travel through Umeda, Shinsaibashi, and Namba from October 11 to 17. A promotional boat is also cruising along the Dotonbori River from October 11 to 13, bringing the couple’s relationship to the city’s streets and waterways.
Fans can also revisit the confession at Abeno Harukas’ Harukas 300 observation deck. Starting October 11, the attraction features footprints marking where Heiji and Kazuha stood during the scene, accompanied by audio from the anime. An additional special voice recording, written by Detective Conan creator Gosho Aoyama, plays in the elevator on the way down, offering a glimpse of the conversation between the characters after the confession.
The celebrations give fans an opportunity to experience a major romantic moment at the real-world location that inspired it. The anime’s 30th anniversary year makes the occasion especially significant for longtime viewers.
Although Heiji and Kazuha’s relationship has taken 28 years to reach this point in real time, Miyamura noted that only around six months have passed within the story. Their confession marks a major development for one of the franchise’s longest-running romantic storylines, leaving fans eager to see how their relationship develops from here.
