Is Detective Conan Worth Reading? The Manga Plot Holes Debate

Detective Conan by Gosho Aoyama has run since 1994 and remains the default recommendation for anyone asking is a long mystery manga worth reading. Shinichi Kudo, a high-school detective shrunk into a child, solves cases while chasing the mysterious organization behind his condition. The formula is consistent: a locked-room puzzle, a clever reveal, a trick that rewards attention. For fans of self-contained mysteries, the weekly case is a feature, not a bug, and it has more clever puzzles than almost any rival.

The famous knock is continuity. Across a thousand plus chapters the manga plot holes pile up: forgotten subplots, a romance that freezes in place, and villains who escape by author fiat. The filler problem is real for anime viewers, and even the manga occasionally stalls the main conspiracy to keep the weekly machine running. Long-time fans accept the gaps as the cost of a decades-long run, while new readers bounce off the sheer volume and the uneven pacing. The honest take is that the best cases are among the best in mystery manga.

Whether Conan is worth starting in 2026 depends on how you read. Treat it as an anthology of puzzles rather than a single novel, and the length stops being a threat. Jump-in guides point to the strongest arcs, and the movies plus main-story episodes give the conspiracy real weight when you want it. Manga worth reading reddit threads almost always split here: purists who want a clean finale versus fans who love the comfort of an endless casebook. Recommend it as a dip-in series with a few must-read arcs.

Editorial Discussion

Detective Conan splits its audience more than almost any long-runner. Devoted fans argue the case design is unmatched and the main-story arcs reward patience, ranking it as the gateway mystery manga for a generation. Critics are blunt about the plot holes: stalled romance, recycled escapes, glacial conspiracy, which makes the overrated label common among newcomers. The middle ground is practical and widely shared: read the celebrated arcs, skip the filler, and treat the series as a puzzle anthology rather than a novel. For new readers the smart entry is a curated arc list, which turns a huge mountain into a fun, finished-feeling experience.