The Case Closed anime series, known as Meitantei Conan (名探偵コナン, lit. Great Detective Conan, officially translated as Detective Conan) in its original release in Japan, is based on the manga series of the same name by Gosho Aoyama. It was localized in English as Case Closed by Funimation due to unspecified legal problems.^[1] The anime is produced by TMS Entertainment and Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation with the directors being Kenji Kodama, Yasuichiro Yamamoto, Masato Satō, Kōjin Ochi, and Nobuharu Kamanaka.^[2] The series follows the teenage detective Jimmy Kudo, who transforms into a child after being poisoned with APTX 4869 by the Black Organization. Now named Conan Edogawa and living with the Moores, Conan solves murders during his daily life as he awaits the day to defeat the Black Organization.

Case Closed premiered on January 8, 1996 on Nippon Television Network System in Japan and is currently ongoing.^[3] It has aired over 1100 episodes in Japan making it the fifteenth longest running anime series. In 2010, Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation began making the episodes available for video on demand.^[4][5] The anime spun off theatrical films, two OVA series and a TV special titled Lupin the 3rd vs Detective Conan, these spin offs were created with the same staff and cast as the anime series. The theme music supplier for the series was initially Universal Music Group, whom released the first two openings and ending theme songs, and is currently Being Incorporated.^[6][7]

In 2003, the first 104 episodes were licensed by Funimation for distribution in North America under the name Case Closed where it debuted on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block on May 24, 2004,^[8] no more than 50 episodes were licensed from Funimation due to low ratings.^[9] The Canadian channel YTV picked up the Case Closed series and broadcast 22 episodes between April 7, 2006, and September 2, 2006, before taking it off the air.^[10] Funimation made the series available with the launch of the Funimation Channel in November 2005 and was temporary available on Colours TV during its syndication with the Funimation Channel.^[11][12] Funimation began streaming Case Closed episodes on their website in March 2013.^[13]

A separate English adaptation of the series by Animax Asia premiered in the Philippines on January 18, 2006, under the name Detective Conan.^[14][15] Because Animax were unable to obtain further TV broadcast rights, their version comprised 52 episodes. The series continued with reruns until August 7, 2006, when it was removed from the station.^[16][17] Meitantei Conan has also been localized in other languages such as French, German, and Italian.^[18][19][20] As of 2018, the Detective Conan anime has been broadcast in 40 countries around the world.^[21]

Although Cartoon Network stopped ordering episodes, Funimation continued to dub the series direct-to-DVD and episodes 1–4 and 53–83 were released on eleven DVD volumes released between August 24, 2004 and July 26, 2005.^[22][23] Funimation then redesigned its DVD volumes and episodes 1–52 were released in eight DVD volumes between February 21, 2006 and May 29, 2007.^[24][25] The series was later released in five seasonal DVD boxes between July 22, 2008 and May 12, 2009 containing 130 episodes in total.^[26][27] The seasonal boxes were then re-released as a part of Funimation's Viridian Edition line between July 14, 2009 and March 23, 2010.^[28][29] Then they were re-released as part of Funimation's Super Amazing Value Edition (S.A.V.E.) line on July 23, 2013.

These "seasons" are based on the Japanese DVDs released by Shogakukan starting on October 25, 2000. (see Home media release section) In Japan, Case Closed runs continuously on TV with very few weeks off.