Akai family's mother

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|  |  |  | This article contains significant **[spoilers](/wiki/Glossary#Spoiler "Glossary")** about major events concerning this person. It is likely you will be spoiled if you have not read all the manga released to date. To find out what pages will be safe for you to read, please consult our [wiki spoiler policy](/wiki/Glossary#Spoiler "Glossary"). |
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| **Mary Sera** | |
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| **Profile** | |
| Japanese name: | メアリー 世良   (Mearī Sera) |
| Age: | Looks approximately middle school aged according to Conan   Real age is 53[](#cite_note-1)[](#cite_note-2) |
| Gender: | Female |
| Relatives: | [Tsutomu Akai](/wiki/Tsutomu_Akai "Tsutomu Akai") (husband, deceased)   [Shuichi Akai](/wiki/Shuichi_Akai "Shuichi Akai") (first son)   [Shukichi Haneda](/wiki/Shukichi_Haneda "Shukichi Haneda") (second son)   [Masumi Sera](/wiki/Masumi_Sera "Masumi Sera") (daughter)   [Elena Miyano](/wiki/Elena_Miyano "Elena Miyano") (younger sister, deceased)   [Atsushi Miyano](/wiki/Atsushi_Miyano "Atsushi Miyano") (brother-in-law, deceased)   [Akemi Miyano](/wiki/Akemi_Miyano "Akemi Miyano") (first niece, deceased)   [Shiho Miyano](/wiki/Shiho_Miyano "Shiho Miyano") (second niece) |
| Occupation: | MI6 agent   Housewife |
| Status: | Alive (shrunk)   Dead (for the Black Organization) |
| Nicknames: | Sister from outside the domain |
| **Statistics** | |
| First appearance: | Manga: [File 875](/wiki/Volume_83#Red_Tragedy "Volume 83")   Anime: [Episode 756](/wiki/The_Tragedy_of_the_Red_Woman "The Tragedy of the Red Woman") |
| Appearances: | Chapters: (/wiki/Mary_Sera_Appearances "Mary Sera Appearances") Episodes: (/wiki/Mary_Sera_Appearances "Mary Sera Appearances") Movies: (/wiki/Mary_Sera_Appearances "Mary Sera Appearances") OVAs: (/wiki/Mary_Sera_Appearances "Mary Sera Appearances") Specials: (/wiki/Mary_Sera_Appearances "Mary Sera Appearances") Openings: (/wiki/Mary_Sera_Appearances "Mary Sera Appearances") Closings: (/wiki/Mary_Sera_Appearances "Mary Sera Appearances") |
| Cases solved: | 1 |
| Keyhole number: | [Volume 83](/wiki/Volume_83 "Volume 83") |
| **Actors** | |
| Japanese voice: | [Atsuko Tanaka](/wiki/Atsuko_Tanaka "Atsuko Tanaka") (Episode 756~1046; Movie 24)   [Takako Honda](/wiki/Takako_Honda "Takako Honda") (Episode 1144 onwards) |
| English voice: | [Amber Lee Connors](/wiki/index.php?title=Amber_Lee_Connors&action=edit&redlink=1 "Amber Lee Connors (page does not exist)") (Bang Zoom!) |
**Mary Sera** (メアリー 世良 ,*Mearī Sera*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese")), also known by her marriage name as **Mary Akai** (赤井 メアリー ,*Akai Mearī*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese"))[](#cite_note-3), appears as a middle-school age girl with blonde hair who has been hiding in various hotels in Tokyo with [Masumi Sera](/wiki/Masumi_Sera "Masumi Sera"). Despite her appearance, she is actually a middle-aged woman; She is the wife of [Tsutomu Akai](/wiki/Tsutomu_Akai "Tsutomu Akai"), and the mother of [Shuichi Akai](/wiki/Shuichi_Akai "Shuichi Akai"), [Shukichi Haneda](/wiki/Shukichi_Haneda "Shukichi Haneda"), and Masumi Sera. She is a member of the British [Secret Intelligence Service](/wiki/Secret_Intelligence_Service "Secret Intelligence Service"), often known as MI6.
## Contents
* [1 Background](#Background)
* [2 Personality](#Personality)
* [3 Appearance](#Appearance)
* [4 Skills](#Skills)
* [5 Appellations](#Appellations)
* [6 Plot overview](#Plot_overview)
+ [6.1 The Red Woman Murder Case (Manga: 875, Anime: 756)](#The_Red_Woman_Murder_Case_.28Manga:_875.2C_Anime:_756.29)
+ [6.2 Romance Novelist Murder Case (Manga: 876-878, Anime: 759-760)](#Romance_Novelist_Murder_Case_.28Manga:_876-878.2C_Anime:_759-760.29)
+ [6.3 Shogi Tournament (Manga: 899-902, Anime: 785-786)](#Shogi_Tournament_.28Manga:_899-902.2C_Anime:_785-786.29)
+ [6.4 Poolside Case (Manga: 903-905, Anime: 787-788)](#Poolside_Case_.28Manga:_903-905.2C_Anime:_787-788.29)
+ [6.5 A Killer in Ramen Ogura (Manga: 928-930, Anime: 827-828)](#A_Killer_in_Ramen_Ogura_.28Manga:_928-930.2C_Anime:_827-828.29)
+ [6.6 Department Store Stabbing Case (Manga: 939-941, Anime: 843-844)](#Department_Store_Stabbing_Case_.28Manga:_939-941.2C_Anime:_843-844.29)
+ [6.7 Soul Detective Murder Case (Manga: 951-953, Anime: 863-864)](#Soul_Detective_Murder_Case_.28Manga:_951-953.2C_Anime:_863-864.29)
+ [6.8 A Chance Meeting at the Beach (Manga: 972-974, Anime: 881-882)](#A_Chance_Meeting_at_the_Beach_.28Manga:_972-974.2C_Anime:_881-882.29)
+ [6.9 Crimson School Trip Case (Manga: 1005, Anime: 928)](#Crimson_School_Trip_Case_.28Manga:_1005.2C_Anime:_928.29)
+ [6.10 Antique Facet Case (Manga: 1038, Anime: 1020)](#Antique_Facet_Case_.28Manga:_1038.2C_Anime:_1020.29)
+ [6.11 Sisters' Birthday Party Murder Case (Manga: 1047-1050, Anime: 1045-1046)](#Sisters.27_Birthday_Party_Murder_Case_.28Manga:_1047-1050.2C_Anime:_1045-1046.29)
+ [6.12 Serial Hotel Bombing Case (Manga: 1094-1096, Anime: 1144-1145)](#Serial_Hotel_Bombing_Case_.28Manga:_1094-1096.2C_Anime:_1144-1145.29)
+ [6.13 Chess Tournament Murder Case (Manga: 1103, Anime: 1167)](#Chess_Tournament_Murder_Case_.28Manga:_1103.2C_Anime:_1167.29)
* [7 Non-canon plot overview](#Non-canon_plot_overview)
+ [7.1 Dimensional Sniper (Movie: 18)](#Dimensional_Sniper_.28Movie:_18.29)
+ [7.2 The Scarlet Bullet (Movie: 24)](#The_Scarlet_Bullet_.28Movie:_24.29)
* [8 Relationship](#Relationship)
+ [8.1 Tsutomu Akai](#Tsutomu_Akai)
+ [8.2 Shuichi Akai](#Shuichi_Akai)
+ [8.3 Shukichi Haneda](#Shukichi_Haneda)
+ [8.4 Masumi Sera](#Masumi_Sera)
+ [8.5 Kohji Haneda](#Kohji_Haneda)
+ [8.6 Elena Miyano](#Elena_Miyano)
* [9 Plot Exposition](#Plot_Exposition)
+ [9.1 Hints that Mary is the Akai family mother](#Hints_that_Mary_is_the_Akai_family_mother)
+ [9.2 Mary is an adult shrunken by APTX 4869](#Mary_is_an_adult_shrunken_by_APTX_4869)
+ [9.3 Mary is the sister of Elena Miyano](#Mary_is_the_sister_of_Elena_Miyano)
+ [9.4 Mary is a British SIS/MI6 Agent](#Mary_is_a_British_SIS.2FMI6_Agent)
* [10 Speculation](#Speculation)
* [11 Gallery](#Gallery)
* [12 Trivia](#Trivia)
* [13 See also](#See_also)
* [14 References](#References)
## Background[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=1 "Edit section: Background")]
Masumi thinking back to her mother's transformation
Mary Sera's full background is currently unknown. She met and married [Tsutomu Akai](/wiki/Tsutomu_Akai "Tsutomu Akai"), and bore three children, [Shuichi](/wiki/Shuichi "Shuichi"), [Shukichi](/wiki/Shukichi "Shukichi"), and [Masumi](/wiki/Masumi "Masumi"). Her husband left, at some point before Masumi was born, to investigate the double murder of [Kohji Haneda](/wiki/Kohji_Haneda "Kohji Haneda") and [Amanda Hughes](/wiki/Amanda_Hughes "Amanda Hughes"), which got him tangled with the [Black Organization](/wiki/Black_Organization "Black Organization").
Later on, Mary learned that her husband was apparently roaming London and immediately travelled there, taking Masumi along as added insurance.[](#cite_note-ch1049-4) Leaving her daughter in their hotel room, she left to meet Tsutomu at their favorite meeting place at Vauxhall Bridge. There she was trapped and forced to ingest the [APTX 4869](/wiki/APTX_4869 "APTX 4869") by [Vermouth](/wiki/Vermouth "Vermouth"),[](#cite_note-ch1048-5) causing her age to be regressed. She returned to Masumi hours later in the body of a middle-school child.[](#cite_note-ch1025-6)[](#cite_note-ch1049-4)
Right after her return, Mary and Sera watched a recording of a TV broadcast featuring [Conan Edogawa](/wiki/Conan_Edogawa "Conan Edogawa")'s involvement in the attempted blackmail of Minerva Glass[](#cite_note-7) and immediately recognized him as [Shinichi Kudo](/wiki/Shinichi_Kudo "Shinichi Kudo"), whom they [had encountered ten years ago](/wiki/Volume_92#A_Chance_Meeting_at_the_Beach "Volume 92").[](#cite_note-8) She returned to Japan with Masumi in order to find out about the existence of an antidote to the APTX 4869, to which they think Shinichi has access, using Masumi as a proxy. She also has an interest in the death of [Kohji Haneda](/wiki/Kohji_Haneda "Kohji Haneda") and the identity of the missing bodyguard [Asaka](/wiki/Asaka "Asaka").[](#cite_note-9)
## Personality[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=2 "Edit section: Personality")]
Mary seems very mature and direct, especially when speaking to Masumi. She seems hesitant to trust others at the moment and is being extremely cautious about who knows about her. Currently, because of her cautiousness, she and Masumi have been moving from one hotel to another to keep their location hidden.
She is proud of her British heritage.
Like her eldest son, she also seems to be clumsy at recognizing the motives behind the feelings of others and how to interact positively with others. In dealing with her children, Mary seems to be strict and cold, treating her children more like coworkers than a family. Shukichi seemed to be more nurturing to Masumi than her mom. When Mary was 10 years younger, she came to physical blows with her eldest son Shuichi since he lied to her about his reasons to study in the USA and planned to join the FBI and investigate her husband's incident. They both went as far as attacking each other's faces, leaving black eyes. She also thought Shuichi, who is a rather cold person as well, would make a good replacement father figure for Masumi and Shukichi. However, soon after, she realized that Shuichi was driven by the same sense of curiosity as his father and he would go his own way. To her daughter Masumi, she acts secretively by hiding a lot of important information from Masumi, such as turning off the TV during Shukichi's shogi match, and possibly some other whereabouts of the Black Organization and the Akai family overall. Her continued mistrust of Conan is another example of her general denseness at understanding others, since it is long past the point where she should be able to tell that Conan's motives and pursuit of justice are genuine.
But she does express joy at Shukichi becoming the seven-crowned shogi master. It indicates that she does care for her children. Additionally, when Mary easily sees through Vermouth's disguise of Tsutomu, she appears genuinely distraught at the fact that her husband is apparently dead and even cries and didn't seem to be concerned about her fate as long as Masumi remains safe, showing regardless of her tough attitude, she truly cares for her family. The apparent death of Tsutomu may have contributed to her hardened personality.
## Appearance[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=3 "Edit section: Appearance")]
Mary's two different eye patterns.
Mary is a girl of middle school age (12-15) with blonde, curly, neck-length hair. She has eyes similar to those of [Masumi Sera](/wiki/Masumi_Sera "Masumi Sera") and [Shuichi Akai](/wiki/Shuichi_Akai "Shuichi Akai"). In her appearance in File 877, she was shown wearing a high-neck pleated top, hoodie jacket, and hat. Like all the other manga characters, the color of her eyes is supposed to be blue, as seen in the keyhole of manga volume 83. She had a well-endowed adult body when young Shinichi and Ran met the Akai family on a beach in the past.
In her varying appearances, Mary's eyes have been drawn slightly differently. In her original and current chapter appearances she seems to have an extra lash on the top of her eye, where as in the Pool case and [Conan](/wiki/Conan_Edogawa "Conan Edogawa")'s comparison of her and [Haibara](/wiki/Ai_Haibara "Ai Haibara")'s eyes in the Department store case she does not have that extra lash.
## Skills[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=4 "Edit section: Skills")]
Mary's hiding skills.
Mary seems to know about several types of wire taps. When she and Masumi find Conan's wire tap in their room, she says that she hasn't seen that type before. She also describes the components of it such as its battery life and performance. She spoke in a similar fashion about Conan's voice changer after she got a chance to use it herself.
She has demonstrated the ability to hang from a balcony by a thin rope/wire and hug the wall like a ninja. She has the strength to vault back up on to the balcony, much like [Vermouth](/wiki/Vermouth "Vermouth") did in the New York case.
10 years ago, she already had the ability to fight well enough that she landed a "knife-hand strike" to her son Shuichi's face, who at the time had already been practicing Jeet Kune Do. In the present, even with her small body, she was able to take down a fully grown man by herself. Conan described the damage as "a copped blow to a vital spot, similar to the techniques used by the secret service".
## Appellations[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=5 "Edit section: Appellations")]
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| Picture | Name | What they call Mary | What Mary calls them |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | [Tsutomu Akai](/wiki/Tsutomu_Akai "Tsutomu Akai") | - | Tsutomu-san[](#cite_note-file974-10)  Husband (*Shujin*)[](#cite_note-file972-11)  *Ano hito* (literally "that person", but the intended meaning is "husband")[](#cite_note-file974-10) |
|  | [Shuichi Akai](/wiki/Shuichi_Akai "Shuichi Akai") | Mom (*Kāsan*)[](#cite_note-file972-11)  Mother (*Haha*)[](#cite_note-file972-11) | Shuichi[](#cite_note-file974-10) |
|  | [Subaru Okiya](/wiki/Subaru_Okiya "Subaru Okiya") | - | Brat of the FBI (*FBI no kozo*) |
|  | [Shukichi Haneda](/wiki/Shukichi_Haneda "Shukichi Haneda") | Mom (*Kāsan*)[](#cite_note-file974-10)  Mom Mary (*Mary-kāsan*)[](#cite_note-file972-11) | Shukichi[](#cite_note-file974-10) |
|  | [Masumi Sera](/wiki/Masumi_Sera "Masumi Sera") | Mama[](#cite_note-file953-12)  The little sister from outside the domain (*ryōiki-gai no imōto*) | Masumi[](#cite_note-file953-12) |
|  | [Kohji Haneda](/wiki/Kohji_Haneda "Kohji Haneda") | - | Kohji[](#cite_note-file952-13)  Haneda Kohji[](#cite_note-file952-13) |
| Picture | Name | What they call Mary | What Mary calls them |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | [Conan Edogawa](/wiki/Conan_Edogawa "Conan Edogawa") | Mary[](#cite_note-file930-14)  That girl (*ano shōjo*)[](#cite_note-file930-14)  The little sister from outside the domain (*ryōiki-gai no imōto*) | Edogawa Conan[](#cite_note-file903-15)  This boy (*kono shōnen*)[](#cite_note-file903-15) |
|  | [Shinichi Kudo](/wiki/Shinichi_Kudo "Shinichi Kudo") | - | Kudo Shinichi |
|  | [Ran Mouri](/wiki/Ran_Mouri "Ran Mouri") | That girl (*ano ko*) | - |
| Picture | Name | What they call Mary | What Mary calls them |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | [Vermouth](/wiki/Vermouth "Vermouth") | Mary Akai | Witch of a thousand faces (*sen no kao wo motsu majo*) |
var DCTabsJsId = "2a5318dc0423f951c02d075f8f754830"
## Plot overview[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=6 "Edit section: Plot overview")]
### The Red Woman Murder Case (Manga: (/wiki/Volume_83#The_Red_Woman_Murder_Case "Volume 83"), Anime: (/wiki/The_Tragedy_of_the_Red_Woman "The Tragedy of the Red Woman"))[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=7 "Edit section: The Red Woman Murder Case (Manga: 875, Anime: 756)")]
Mary on Masumi's phone.
Masumi asks Conan to find her cellphone by calling it with his. When he does he notices the call background screen is a child with eye bags similar to those of [Shuichi Akai](/wiki/Shuichi_Akai "Shuichi Akai") and [Masumi Sera](/wiki/Masumi_Sera "Masumi Sera"). He remarks that the girl looks similar to Masumi. Earlier in the case she only mentioned having two brothers; a mother; and a father, so Conan suspects Masumi was intentionally trying to show him the child for some reason.
### Romance Novelist Murder Case (Manga: [876-878](/wiki/Volume_83 "Volume 83"), Anime: [759-760](/wiki/The_Romance_Novel_with_the_Unexpected_Conclusion "The Romance Novel with the Unexpected Conclusion"))[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=8 "Edit section: Romance Novelist Murder Case (Manga: 876-878, Anime: 759-760)")]
Mary and Masumi.
Masumi tells Conan about Mary.
When Ran, Sonoko, and Conan visit Masumi's hotel room, Mary is shown opening Masumi's door as Conan, Masumi, Sonoko, and Ran rush to investigate a crime. It is implied she was hiding in Masumi's bedroom while the other three were in the dining area because Masumi asks Conan not to enter her bedroom. Mary later goes downstairs to the scene of the crime where she is seen by Conan. At some point off screen Conan leaves behind a bug in Masumi's room. After the case is solved, Mary finds the bug, crushes it and examines it with Masumi. Mary comments on the quality of the performance of the bug itself and that she has never seen one like it. When Masumi asks if Mary has taken a liking to Conan, she says that it is still early to trust him, and asks Masumi to introduce her as "the little sister from outside the domain (領域外の妹 ,*ryōiki-gai no imōto*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese"))", should Conan ask.
### Shogi Tournament (Manga: [899-902](/wiki/Volume_85#Shogi_Tournament "Volume 85"), Anime: [785-786](/wiki/Taiko_Meijin%27s_Match_of_Love "Taiko Meijin's Match of Love"))[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=9 "Edit section: Shogi Tournament (Manga: 899-902, Anime: 785-786)")]
Mary and Masumi in the bedroom.
Mary is interested in [Shukichi](/wiki/Shukichi_Haneda "Shukichi Haneda")'s shogi match. When Masumi returns to the hotel room in the middle of the case while Mary is napping, she turns on the TV and sees the shogi match. Later, after the case is solved, Masumi enters the room for a second time to see Mary turning off the TV. Presumably she saw the end of the match and was happy at Shukichi's victory, as was Subaru Okiya, whose identity was revealed in the case before this one, to be Shuichi.
### Poolside Case (Manga: (/wiki/Volume_85 "Volume 85")-(/wiki/Volume_86 "Volume 86"), Anime: [787-788](/wiki/The_Mystery_Sinking_in_the_Midsummer_Pool "The Mystery Sinking in the Midsummer Pool"))[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=10 "Edit section: Poolside Case (Manga: 903-905, Anime: 787-788)")]
Ran sees Masumi and Mary.
Mary is waiting for [Conan](/wiki/Conan_Edogawa "Conan Edogawa") to visit her and [Masumi](/wiki/Masumi_Sera "Masumi Sera") in their hotel room. She expresses her still-lingering concern of trusting Conan, even though she thinks he is bright enough. Mary does comment that if anything were to go wrong, they would have to move hotels again. Her talk with him alone is put on hold, however, because [Ran](/wiki/Ran_Mouri "Ran Mouri") and [Sonoko](/wiki/Sonoko_Suzuki "Sonoko Suzuki") have invited themselves in accompanying Conan in order to enjoy the hotel's pool. As Conan, Ran, and Sonoko head back home after the case is solved, Ran turns around and sees Masumi talking to her. Ran gets the feeling that she has seen that child before.
### A Killer in Ramen Ogura (Manga: [928-930](/wiki/Volume_88#A_Killer_in_Ramen_Ogura "Volume 88"), Anime: [827-828](/wiki/Ramen_So_Good,_It%27s_to_Die_For_2 "Ramen So Good, It's to Die For 2"))[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=11 "Edit section: A Killer in Ramen Ogura (Manga: 928-930, Anime: 827-828)")]
Conan with the handkerchief.
[Masumi Sera](/wiki/Masumi_Sera "Masumi Sera") is at Ramen Ogura with Conan, Sonoko and Ran. [Katsumasa Ogura](/wiki/Katsumasa_Ogura "Katsumasa Ogura") asks Masumi (mistakenly calling her "Mari") if she's going to take the same food to her apartment again. Conan implies that Masumi could be giving food to someone she's letting stay in her apartment, making a clear reference to Mary, but she jokes saying that it's for her secret boyfriend. At the end of the case it is revealed that Ogura had found a handkerchief that Masumi had left behind that said "Mary" on it in English. Ogura had confused the English name with the Japanese name "Mari". Conan believes that the handkerchief may be related to the child as well.
### Department Store Stabbing Case (Manga: [939-941](/wiki/Volume_89#Department_Store_Stabbing_Case "Volume 89"), Anime: [843-844](/wiki/The_Detective_Boys_in_a_Grove "The Detective Boys in a Grove"))[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=12 "Edit section: Department Store Stabbing Case (Manga: 939-941, Anime: 843-844)")]
Conan makes a connection between Mary and Haibara due to some remaining makeup.
Conan wonders why Sera is in Japan and thinks it has to do with Mary. Conan's worked out her name and noticed her resemblance to Sera but also to someone else. At the end of the case Haibara tried to wipe some of the makeup off of her face in the bathroom, but she missed some just below her left eye. The left over makeup made it look like she had the same eye bags as Shuichi, Masumi, and Mary. This causes Conan to make a connection between her and Mary.
### Soul Detective Murder Case (Manga: [951-953](/wiki/Volume_90#Soul_Detective_Murder_Case "Volume 90"), Anime: [863-864](/wiki/The_Spirit_Detective%27s_Murder "The Spirit Detective's Murder"))[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=13 "Edit section: Soul Detective Murder Case (Manga: 951-953, Anime: 863-864)")]
"Mama?!"
[Kogoro](/wiki/Kogoro_Mouri "Kogoro Mouri") is put in contact with a Soul Detective who wishes to reveal some information about the [Kohji Haneda](/wiki/Kohji_Haneda "Kohji Haneda") case. When Conan and Kogoro go to meet with him at the hotel, they find him dead and that [Masumi](/wiki/Masumi_Sera "Masumi Sera") and Mary are presently staying in the next room. During the investigation Conan runs into Masumi's hotel room and checks the balcony as that is the only place a person would hide. However, Mary has hidden herself by anchoring herself and hiding by hugging the wall underneath the balcony. Conan takes a picture of a car parked on the ground floor below the balconies and decides to take a snapshot of the underside of the balcony, just to be certain. Masumi rushes to interrupt him on some pretense. Conan then drops his voice-changer on his way back inside. Mary picks it up, and later uses it in place of Conan to solve the case. When the culprit tries to flee by leaping over the balcony of the murder room over to their room, Mary takes him down single handedly using skills comparable to that of the secret service. Masumi rushes after Conan who has followed the suspect, calling out "Mama". Once Conan has left, Mary and Masumi discuss what information the Soul Detective had, which was that before Kohji's death, Asaka was seen holding a hand mirror and thinks that it means that Asaka is a woman. Mary warns Masumi about Conan saying that "true identity is unknown, gives off a bad feeling like a demon" (暗がりに鬼を繋ぐが如く), and that he is not the same boy they met 10 years ago. Conan looks at the photo he took of Mary and theorizes that Mary could have been Asaka. Later Gin uses the same demon line that Mary used to refer to Kogoro.
### A Chance Meeting at the Beach (Manga: [972-974](/wiki/Volume_92#A_Chance_Meeting_at_the_Beach "Volume 92"), Anime: [881-882](/wiki/The_Wizard_of_the_Ripples "The Wizard of the Ripples"))[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=14 "Edit section: A Chance Meeting at the Beach (Manga: 972-974, Anime: 881-882)")]
A flashback to 10 years ago at the beach.
10 years ago at a beach somewhere in Japan, Shuichi reunited with his family after his 7 years in the US. Mary had an off-screen fight with him where they both managed to injure each other's eye. Through out the case Mary warns him to stop investigating the disappearance of [his father](/wiki/Tsutomu_Akai "Tsutomu Akai"). She also tells both Shuichi and Masumi not to do things that got them involved in the case, because there are people out there that are after them.
### Crimson School Trip Case (Manga: (/wiki/Volume_95#Crimson_School_Trip_Case "Volume 95"), Anime: (/wiki/The_Scarlet_School_Trip "The Scarlet School Trip"))[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=15 "Edit section: Crimson School Trip Case (Manga: 1005, Anime: 928)")]
After the case is solved, Masumi calls Mary and informs her about the drug that will return her back to normal, after witnessing Shinichi's appearance. Mary ordered Masumi to find [the developer](/wiki/Ai_Haibara "Ai Haibara") of the drug and obtain it. Once she succeeds, Mary declared that they will stop running from hotel to hotel and counterattack.
### Antique Facet Case (Manga: (/wiki/Volume_98#Antique_Facet_Case "Volume 98"), Anime: (/wiki/The_Antique_Tray_Can%27t_Be_Hidden "The Antique Tray Can't Be Hidden"))[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=16 "Edit section: Antique Facet Case (Manga: 1038, Anime: 1020)")]
At the end of the case, Sera asks her mother about her "50:50" catchphrase, Mary revealed that it is a line that her husband used to say and her son Shuichi inherited from him. Mary asks Sera if she can gets her hands on the drug, which the latter told her that it is difficult for the moment since [Subaru Okiya](/wiki/Subaru_Okiya "Subaru Okiya") is standing in her way. Mary asks her if he is such a noteworthy person, however, Sera is more concerned about whether Subaru is her brother Akai or not, since he's using the same "50:50" catchphrase as her brother.
### Sisters' Birthday Party Murder Case (Manga: (/wiki/Volume_98 "Volume 98")-(/wiki/Volume_99 "Volume 99"), Anime: [1045-1046](/wiki/The_Birthday_Party_of_Divine_Punishment "The Birthday Party of Divine Punishment"))[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=17 "Edit section: Sisters' Birthday Party Murder Case (Manga: 1047-1050, Anime: 1045-1046)")]
Mary receives a call from Masumi, informing her that Conan brought the antidote that can returns her to her orginal body, and it is blue and white compared to the drug she was forced to take, which is red and white. Mary ordered her daughter to steal the antidote if possible. Later, Mary calls her daughter, asking if she was able to get the antidote, which Masumi responded that she was involved in a poisoning murder case. Hearing about poison, Mary started to remember her shrinking moment. Several months ago, Mary was supposed to meet her husband at Vauxhall Bridge in London, [Tsutomu Akai](/wiki/Tsutomu_Akai "Tsutomu Akai") appeared in front of her, however Mary realised that he isn't her husband after giving him false informations about her daughter. Tsutomu is revealed to be [Vermouth](/wiki/Vermouth "Vermouth") in disguise, who intended to poison her with [APTX 4869](/wiki/APTX_4869 "APTX 4869"). Vermouth feeds Mary the drug with her mouth directly, which is created by her [sister](/wiki/Elena_Miyano "Elena Miyano"). Mary then jumps into the river due to the effect of the drug being very instant. After Mary shrinked, she returned to Sera, explaining to her the whole situation. Later, Mary and Sera witnessed Conan proclaiming himself as Holmes' apprentice during [Minerva's match on TV](/wiki/Holmes%27_Revelation "Holmes' Revelation"), and remembered the same proclamation of Shinichi 10 years ago. The two realised that Conan is Shinichi who shrunk the same way as Mary, however, he has a way of returning as Shinichi to board a plane to London. Since then, Mary ordered Masumi to get closer to him, in order get their hands on the antidote.
### Serial Hotel Bombing Case (Manga: [1094-1096](/wiki/Volume_103 "Volume 103"), Anime: [1144-1145](/wiki/The_Hotel_Serial_Bombing_Case "The Hotel Serial Bombing Case"))[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=18 "Edit section: Serial Hotel Bombing Case (Manga: 1094-1096, Anime: 1144-1145)")]
After luring Conan to their current hotel to get their hands on the APTX antidote, Sera and Mary get involved in the resolution of a serial bombing case. However, they are discovred by an unknown man, who is the driver of an unknown old man, to the hotel and triggers a fire alert, forcing the building's evacuation. As Sera and Mary try to avoid drawing attention to themselves, they are nevertheless spotted by the unknown old man.[](#cite_note-File_1096-16)
### Chess Tournament Murder Case (Manga: (/wiki/Volume_104#Chess_Tournament_Murder_Case "Volume 104"), Anime: (/wiki/The_17-Year-Old_Truth "The 17-Year-Old Truth"))[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=19 "Edit section: Chess Tournament Murder Case (Manga: 1103, Anime: 1167)")]
## Non-canon plot overview[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=20 "Edit section: Non-canon plot overview")]
### Dimensional Sniper (Movie: (/wiki/Dimensional_Sniper "Dimensional Sniper"))[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=21 "Edit section: Dimensional Sniper (Movie: 18)")]
Mary is only shown twice at dawn under her hotel bed's blankets.
### The Scarlet Bullet (Movie: (/wiki/The_Scarlet_Bullet "The Scarlet Bullet"))[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=22 "Edit section: The Scarlet Bullet (Movie: 24)")]
Mary is shown working with her daughter Masumi to find a VIP from England who was kidnapped. She is seen attacking Subaru (Shuichi Akai) landing a few clean blows before running disappearing. She is also seen towards the end of the movie as she hides in Subaru’s car and waits for him to jump in. She points the gun to his head and threatens him and the FBI as they risked the life of an important VIP.
## Relationship[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=23 "Edit section: Relationship")]
### Tsutomu Akai[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=24 "Edit section: Tsutomu Akai")]
Tsutomu is her husband, who she lost around 17 years prior to the series. In his last message, he advice them to hide in Japan and think of him as dead due to that he has made himself some enemies. Although much of their relationship remains unknown, she knew her husband enough to easily see through Vermouth's disguise and in contrast to her distant and hardened exterior, the fact that Tsutomu was possibly dead was enough to cause her to cry, showing she cared deeply for him.
### Shuichi Akai[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=25 "Edit section: Shuichi Akai")]
Shuichi is her oldest son. She didn't approve at first of his decision to join the FBI and investigate his father's death, but eventually she gave him her blessing.
### Shukichi Haneda[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=26 "Edit section: Shukichi Haneda")]
Shukichi is her second-oldest child and youngest son. It's not certain how she feels of him, but she keeps track of his Shogi-career and seemed happy when he became the seven-crowned king.
### Masumi Sera[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=27 "Edit section: Masumi Sera")]
Masumi is her only daughter and youngest child, who was born after the family moved to Japan. Currently the two of them switch between hotels to hide themselves. Mary cares for Masumi, but doesn't trust her entirely (probably due to her extreme youth).
### Kohji Haneda[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=28 "Edit section: Kohji Haneda")]
Mary reacted to Kohji's name when she heard Kogoro mention it. It's possible that the Akai family, including Mary, might know Kohji in person.
### [Elena Miyano](/wiki/Elena_Miyano "Elena Miyano")[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=29 "Edit section: Elena Miyano")]
In [File 1049](/wiki/Volume_99#File_1049_-_It.27s_Unbelievable.21 "Volume 99"), the flashback shows that Vermouth forced Mary to drink [APTX-4869](/wiki/APTX-4869 "APTX-4869") and said "How is it? The feeling of leaving this world with this poison your younger sister created", which officially confirms that Mary and Elena are sisters.
## Plot Exposition[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=30 "Edit section: Plot Exposition")]
### Hints that Mary is the Akai family mother[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=31 "Edit section: Hints that Mary is the Akai family mother")]
These were the hints that fans used to determine that Mary was the Akai family mother prior to the end of the Soul Detective Murder Case where Masumi called Mary "mother"[](#cite_note-17), and the flashback to Shinichi and Ran meeting the Akai family on a beach.
* Mary shares a resemblance to [Shuichi Akai](/wiki/Shuichi_Akai "Shuichi Akai") and [Masumi Sera](/wiki/Masumi_Sera "Masumi Sera"), and it was known from Masumi's earlier testimony that Akai family's mother also passed her looks into Shuichi and Sera.
* Mary is unusually mature while talking to Masumi. She gave Masumi instructions despite Masumi being apparently older and a skillful detective in her own right.
* Mary was happy when [Shukichi](/wiki/Shukichi "Shukichi") (who was later revealed to be the middle brother of the Akai Family) won his 7th Shogi title.
* Mary seems to have some knowledge abut wiretaps, she also demonstrated the ability to a balcony by a thin rope/wire and hug the wall like a ninja. She was also able to take down a fully grown man by herself. Conan described the damage as "a copped blow to a vital spot, similar to the techniques used by the secret service." A normal middle school girl wouldn't be able to do this.
### Mary is an adult shrunken by APTX 4869[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=32 "Edit section: Mary is an adult shrunken by APTX 4869")]
Mary acts like an adult despite having the appearance of a middle-school aged female. When Masumi and Mary speak, the speech honorifics are not those appropriate for an elder Masumi talking to a younger girl. Instead, they appear to indicate the two are on equal levels, or even reverse with Mary expressing greater seniority. In addition, Mary's voice actor in the anime, [Atsuko Tanaka](/wiki/Atsuko_Tanaka "Atsuko Tanaka"), has a deep and sultry voice which is often used to portray mature female characters.
The secrecy surrounding Mary, as well as Masumi's attempts to get her to trust Conan, whom Masumi knows is a shrunken Shinichi, might be indications that Masumi is trying to get the child help about an [APTX 4869](/wiki/APTX_4869 "APTX 4869") problem. This plot point is finally canonized in manga chapter 1049, when a flashback reveals a fateful confrontation between Mary and Vermouth which resulted in Mary getting force-fed the APTX.[](#cite_note-ch1049-4)
### Mary is the sister of Elena Miyano[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=33 "Edit section: Mary is the sister of Elena Miyano")]
This very popular fan theory[](#cite_note-18) was born after Gosho hinted that two mother characters are sisters.[](#cite_note-19) After it was confirmed the sisters were not the previous most popular choice [Yukiko Kudo](/wiki/Yukiko_Kudo "Yukiko Kudo") and [Chikage Kuroba](/wiki/Chikage_Kuroba "Chikage Kuroba"), and that the Akai family mother was one member of the sister pair,[](#cite_note-20) fan suspicion fell squarely on Elena Miyano as the other mother. After all, both women are British. Gosho has given evasive answers when asked about Elena and the Akai family mother being related, which is his habit when a fan theory is correct but he can't admit to it.[](#cite_note-21)
### Mary is a British SIS/MI6 Agent[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=34 "Edit section: Mary is a British SIS/MI6 Agent")]
Mary is British and has several unusual skill sets that match those of other spy-like characters in *Detective Conan*. Mary has knowledge of incapacitating martial arts that can bring down adult men despite her size[](#cite_note-22), extraordinary flexibility and climbing skills that allowed her to hide below a balcony like a ninja[](#cite_note-23), and knowledge of listening devices and hidden microphones.[](#cite_note-24)
Because of her British nationality, the theory that she is a member of the British [Secret Intelligence Service](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Intelligence_Service "wikipedia:Secret Intelligence Service"), often known as MI6, has gained traction in many Detective Conan fandoms. In chapter 1049, that detail is inserted into *Detective Conan* canon when in a flashback Vermouth expresses regret that she cannot disguise herself as Mary to infiltrate MI6 for the time being when she is forced to assassinate the latter.[](#cite_note-ch1049-4)
## Speculation[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Mary_Sera&action=edit&section=35 "Edit section: Speculation")]
At the time Mary was introduced, her relationship to Masumi Sera was unknown. Masumi testifies that she has two older brothers: [Shuichi Akai](/wiki/Shuichi_Akai "Shuichi Akai") and an unknown brother (later revealed to be [Shukichi Haneda](/wiki/Shukichi_Haneda "Shukichi Haneda")) living in Japan.[](#cite_note-25) She says her father is dead, and her mother lives overseas in America. Masumi says she doesn't have any more relatives close enough to depend on.[](#cite_note-26) Masumi only started claiming to have a "younger sister from outside the domain" after the unknown child coached her to use that cover story if Conan asked about her.[](#cite_note-27)[](#cite_note-28)[](#cite_note-29) She is currently being financially supported by a friend of her father's. If Masumi has told the truth, minus what she said about having a "younger sister from outside the domain", that leaves relatively few options for Mary's identity assuming the child is related by blood somehow to Masumi. In file 972, Mary is revealed to be the Akai family's mother.