Masaki Tsuji

**Masaki Tsuji**
**Profile**
**Gender:**
Male
**Date of birth:**
March 23, 1932 *(93)*
**Place of birth:**
Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
**Position:**
Screenplay
**Years active:**
1963-present
**Alias:**
Masaki Katsura (桂 真佐喜)
**Website:**
[X Account](https://twitter.com/mtsujiji)
First name can also be written Massaki.
**Masaki Tsuji** (辻 真先 ,*Tsuji Masaki*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese")), born 23 March 1932, is a Japanese screenplay writer that specializes in detective series and other TV series. He is currently the eldest *Detective Conan* screenwriter.
## Contents
* [1 Biography](#Biography)
* [2 Style analysis](#Style_analysis)
* [3 Scenarios written](#Scenarios_written)
* [4 Other notable works](#Other_notable_works)
+ [4.1 Anime](#Anime)
* [5 Awards](#Awards)
* [6 References](#References)
## Biography[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Masaki_Tsuji&action=edit&section=1 "Edit section: Biography")]
He graduated from [Nagoya University](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagoya_University "wikipedia:Nagoya University") (名古屋大学)[](#cite_note-1). He worked at NHK TV since 1954[](#cite_note-NHK_TV-2), as the role of making, director, producer, and also screenplay. Later, he quited that TV station[](#cite_note-NHK_TV-2) and became a freelance writer for several anime and tokusatsu. As a veteran among the industry, he engaged in numerous renowned anime work. For example, *[Astro Boy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astro_Boy "wikipedia:Astro Boy")* (鉄腕アトム), *[Ikkyū-san](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikky%C5%AB-san_(TV_series) "wikipedia:Ikkyū-san (TV series)")* (一休さん), *[Dr. Slump](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Slump "wikipedia:Dr. Slump")* (Dr.スランプ), and *[Urusei Yatsura](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urusei_Yatsura "wikipedia:Urusei Yatsura")* (うる星やつら), etc.[](#cite_note-3)
Meanwhile, he was also a mystery writer, in 1963, he published his work on the magazine "Houseki" under his pen name Masaki Katsura. Soon, he even won the [Mystery Writers of Japan Award](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_Writers_of_Japan_Award "wikipedia:Mystery Writers of Japan Award") with his novel *murder in Alice's country* (アリスの国の殺人). In addition, he was the third president of Classic Mystery Writers Association from 2009 to 2013.
## Style analysis[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Masaki_Tsuji&action=edit&section=2 "Edit section: Style analysis")]
Despite his reputation being rather high, his works written in the *Detective Conan* are not of high quality. But overall, his cases cover a big range of deduction schools, for example, the traditional Honkaku deduction (本格派推理) and the creative Shinhonkaku deduction (新本格派推理). Most of his works contain a distinct theme and connotation, along with some humanity and history. However, some of his works do contain a lot of gimmicks and end up being fairly anticlimactic.
Funny scenes of the culprit by Tsuji.
He attempted to write innovative cases that did not follow the general routine of most *Detective Conan* episodes. For example, in [The Truth Lit Up By the Fireflies](/wiki/The_Truth_Lit_Up_By_the_Fireflies "The Truth Lit Up By the Fireflies"), he gathered numerous different elements in his composition and made the episode look rather intense. After that, [Solving Mysteries at the Red Leaf Palace](/wiki/Solving_Mysteries_at_the_Red_Leaf_Palace "Solving Mysteries at the Red Leaf Palace") and [The Dark Tower's Hidden Treasure](/wiki/The_Dark_Tower%27s_Hidden_Treasure "The Dark Tower's Hidden Treasure") were related to treasure hunting within a designated building, which held some similarities with [The Old Blue Castle Investigation Case](/wiki/The_Old_Blue_Castle_Investigation_Case "The Old Blue Castle Investigation Case"). In [Ai Haibara Imprisonment Case](/wiki/Ai_Haibara_Imprisonment_Case "Ai Haibara Imprisonment Case"), Tsuji attempted to think outside the box and created the scenario that Haibara was abducted by the culprit, and it also possessed some elements from [Soji Shimada](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soji_Shimada "wikipedia:Soji Shimada") (島田 荘司)'s *Murder in the Crooked House* (斜め屋敷の犯罪). On the other hand, he is also very good at writing comedy; [Detective Boys' Locked Room Mystery Battle](/wiki/Detective_Boys%27_Locked_Room_Mystery_Battle "Detective Boys' Locked Room Mystery Battle") would be the perfect indication of that. Another thing that is worth mentioning is that the plot background of [The Cursed Tears of Borgia](/wiki/The_Cursed_Tears_of_Borgia "The Cursed Tears of Borgia") by him was set on a TV station in the Showa 50s, which Tsuji himself had worked for [NHK TV](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHK "wikipedia:NHK") in his early years; therefore, many of the matters described were his personal experiences.
An issue with his works is that the trick has sometimes been used by other *Detective Conan* episodes already, such as [Who Poisoned the Victim](/wiki/Who_Poisoned_the_Victim "Who Poisoned the Victim"), which corresponds to [The Farewell Wine Murder Case](/wiki/The_Farewell_Wine_Murder_Case "The Farewell Wine Murder Case") in terms of the core trick.
## Scenarios written[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Masaki_Tsuji&action=edit&section=3 "Edit section: Scenarios written")]
Number of case scenarios written: **14** (19 episodes)
* [The Eyewitness Who Did Not See](/wiki/The_Eyewitness_Who_Did_Not_See "The Eyewitness Who Did Not See") (Episode 565)
* [The Truth Lit Up By the Fireflies](/wiki/The_Truth_Lit_Up_By_the_Fireflies "The Truth Lit Up By the Fireflies") (Episode 577)
* [What the Flower Clock Knew](/wiki/What_the_Flower_Clock_Knew "What the Flower Clock Knew") (Episode 631)
* [Solving Mysteries at the Red Leaf Palace](/wiki/Solving_Mysteries_at_the_Red_Leaf_Palace "Solving Mysteries at the Red Leaf Palace") (Episodes 638-639)
* [The Dark Tower's Hidden Treasure](/wiki/The_Dark_Tower%27s_Hidden_Treasure "The Dark Tower's Hidden Treasure") (Episodes 669-670)
* [The Window at the Girls' School](/wiki/The_Window_at_the_Girls%27_School "The Window at the Girls' School") (Episode 697)
* [Dancing Demon at the Noh Mask Mansion](/wiki/Dancing_Demon_at_the_Noh_Mask_Mansion "Dancing Demon at the Noh Mask Mansion") (Episodes 716-717)
* [Ai Haibara Imprisonment Case](/wiki/Ai_Haibara_Imprisonment_Case "Ai Haibara Imprisonment Case") (Episode 768)
* [Detective Boys' Locked Room Mystery Battle](/wiki/Detective_Boys%27_Locked_Room_Mystery_Battle "Detective Boys' Locked Room Mystery Battle") (Episode 799)
* [The Foul-Mouthed Myna Bird](/wiki/The_Foul-Mouthed_Myna_Bird "The Foul-Mouthed Myna Bird") (Episode 865)
* [High School Girl Detective Sonoko Suzuki](/wiki/High_School_Girl_Detective_Sonoko_Suzuki "High School Girl Detective Sonoko Suzuki") (Episode 915)
* [The Killer Fist of Talos](/wiki/The_Killer_Fist_of_Talos "The Killer Fist of Talos") (Episodes 937-938)
* [The Cursed Tears of Borgia](/wiki/The_Cursed_Tears_of_Borgia "The Cursed Tears of Borgia") (Episodes 946-947)
* [Who Poisoned the Victim](/wiki/Who_Poisoned_the_Victim "Who Poisoned the Victim") (Episode 1006)
## Other notable works[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Masaki_Tsuji&action=edit&section=4 "Edit section: Other notable works")]
### Anime[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Masaki_Tsuji&action=edit&section=5 "Edit section: Anime")]
* *Astro Boy* (All episodes): Screenplay
* *Cyborg 009* (18 episodes): Screenplay
* *Doraemon* (1979): Screenplay
* *Ikkyū-san* (68 episodes): Screenplay
* *Ninja Hattori-kun*: Screenplay
* *Tiger Mask* (21 episodes): Screenplay
* *Urusei Yatsura* (4 episodes): Screenplay
* Many more including *Arrow Emblem Grand Prix no Taka*, *Bōken*, *Captain Future and Ganbare!! Tabuchi-kun!!*
## Awards[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Masaki_Tsuji&action=edit&section=6 "Edit section: Awards")]
* 11th Japan Media Arts Festival: Lifetime Achievement Award
* 13th Animation Kobe: Special Award