Vinnie wrote:You are talking like he is 95% selfish and does not think about Ran at all. Whats the big deal? Eisuke also could tell that Ran and Shinichi's feelings are mutual, so why would he touch this theme too? He was the one who started it, why couldn't Shinichi reply?
Well since Eisuke was really just trying to confirm suspicions on Conan, I suppose it's moot in his case.
As for Shinichi:
1. The big deal is that the narrative doesn't frame it as a jerk moment for the character, but a crowning moment of comedy. Having a character make a dick move is fine, but if it's going to be romanticized, then I think it's fair game to find it uneasy.
2. As for whether he's 95 or just 5 percent selfish?
Well I'm also looking at the other problem of this moment. Up until then, it's easier to accept that Conan's determination to keep his identity secret is to protect the people in his life from harm, especially Ran. But here he flat out gives himself away just for the sake of cock blocking someone. As such it kind of paint his need for secrecy to be a little more for his own benefit rather than others (mainly out of a sense of pride).
Plus, I'd argue that quality matters a little more than quantity and while things like the Eisuke situation isn't quite the norm it's still not something to dismiss as entirely harmless.
At least to me, harmless cases of selfishness is something like buying the last copy of the current issue of Simpsons Comics or taking the last bottle of Gatorade out of the fridge.
The situation I'm critical of in this case is Shinichi denying Ran some agency and acting like she's not capable of making what he considers is the right choice.
The Mystery of Conan Edogawa.
Arguably one of the best attempts at tackling the story of "Ran discovering the secret behind Conan". It's strong point is taking a common plot for Detective Conan fan fics and presenting it in a fresh manner such as:
- Touching on things that aren't dealt with in the show or discussed much.
- While there is some understanding towards Conan's predicament, the fic doesn't ignore the problematic approach he takes towards keeping quiet.
So, do yourself a favor and read this. I only wish I could so something half as decent.