Directed by Tomochi Kosaka and written by Yoshiko Nakamura, “Case Closed: Zero’s Tea Time” is a manga spin-off for the character Rei Furuya and gives the audience an insight into Furuya’s triple role as he goes on with his days. It is a good nostalgic series and easy to binge-watch for the Detective Conan Fandom. The art style of the childhood series, which gained immense popularity, has remained intact. It is a stand-alone series that relies on the narrative as the background. It is an excellent introduction to the series in case somebody wants to start the series anew.
Spoilers Ahead
‘Case Closed: Zero’s Tea Time’ Plotline: What Is The Miniseries About?
The series revolves around Rei Furuya and his daily life. Rei Furuya relies on different identities and priorly worked as a cafe owner and doubles as a detective. He dons his mask and keeps each of his identities separate. His daily routine is to keep track of his customers and make notes of their likes and dislikes. He is always quick to notice their discomfort and even the slightest change in their habits and prepares accordingly. He always takes care of his colleagues, be it Azusa san from the cafe Coffee Poirot or Kazami from his time as a detective. He is always on the lookout for anything amiss and carries on all his jobs diligently.
Who Is Rei Furuya, Also Known As Toru Amuro?
The spin-off from the top-rated series of “Case Closed Detective Conan,” “Zero’s Tea Time,” focuses mainly on the character of Rei Furuya and the triple role he plays every day. Rei Furuya, aka Toru Amuro aka Bourbon, is shown working in a cafe named Coffee Poirot as Toru Amuro. He uses his real name while working for the Mouri Detective Agency and goes by Furuya. He is also an undercover agent of the Public Security Bureau working for the Black Organization. He shares a darker skin tone with dyed blonde hair and blue eyes. He mostly dresses casually, except when he’s on duty as a detective, when he’s all suited up. He has an easygoing personality, and he keeps a watchful eye out for all of his acquaintances.
He is always working, and he starts his days early by using his deduction skills to make his customers feel better at the cafe. The series really gives a look into his deduction skills, which set him apart from the other detectives. Out of concern for Kazami, his junior’s health, Furuya brings him food when he can. He is always there to help out Kazami whenever he is caught lacking. Azusa relies on Amoru’s deduction skills to help out all the customers in the cafe. His skills are shown off in the series during the thief chase when the policeman crashes while chasing the car of the thief. He successfully caught the thief and handed him over. He is also quite proficient in parkour and judo, which is shown during the various episodes where he had to catch the thieves. He used his parkour skills to overcome the route, which had been impossible for most of the members to overcome. He is shown as a person with a high IQ and EQ. His soft personality also gets a cameo when he adopts a stray dog who is persistent in following him.
Rei Furuya’s Flashbacks Explained: What Is He Trying To Find And Prove?
In the pilot episode, Azusa tells Amoru that he is not only working at Poirot but also training under Mouri and working as a detective. Hence, performing three duties all at the same time and Azusa feels that he is overburdening himself, but to Azusa’s surprise Amoru tells her that he kind of enjoys it. This gives us an idea that Furuya is trying to find something, and he is working very hard to either find some clues regarding his earlier team or he’s trying to find closure. His flashbacks nudge the series into finding out what happened to Rei and his team, which might include a cameo by the beloved Detective Conan. His flashbacks also give us an insight into the life of a woman who is a scientist. His behavior and tendencies to deduce and not judge stem from his positive behavior toward the scientist, who later is identified as his mother. These flashbacks help him to teach a boy to ride his bike and overcome his fears before he goes on a ride with his friends. Another instance shows him adopting a dog who has been deliberately hurting itself to get Furuya’s attention. He deduces this and immediately adopts the dog, naming him Haro Amuro. He puts a lot of thought into the small things that make his character so lovable.
‘Case Closed: Zero’s Tea Time’ Ending Explained – Is There A Probability Of A New Series?
The ending music video portrays Furuya being burdened by his thoughts, which leads him to grasp any straws or clues he can get. He is seen as depressed and absolutely immersed in his work to find some clues or closure to an unknown incident. However, one of his flashbacks did give an insight into something terrible happening with two of his previous team members or friends. The Black Organization seems to have a hand in this, but it is unclear as to what exactly happened. The mini-series seems to have finished at episode 6 but promises a re-emergence of the Detective Conan series featuring Furuya. The flashbacks and the ending score surely seem to indicate a new series, but it is not clear if there will be a series.
The mini-series can be watched as a stand-alone due to the lack of many previous characters and only featuring Furuya and his daily life. It is a good nostalgia series for the die-hard Detective Conan fans and also serves as a treat for beginners to get into the Detective Conan series. The little easter eggs here and there, as well as the flashbacks, might just serve as an incentive for the beginners to understand the plot and the characters. There might be a resurgence of the Detective Conan fandom in the coming days yet again.
“Case Closed: Zero’s Tea Time” is a 2022 Animated mini-series streaming on Netflix.
