The Bluish Gray Middle Act

| Chronology | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ‹  [The Bright Yellow First Act](/wiki/The_Bright_Yellow_First_Act "The Bright Yellow First Act") | [**List of Chapters**](/wiki/Manga#Chapters "Manga") | [The Light Gray Penultimate Act](/wiki/The_Light_Gray_Penultimate_Act "The Light Gray Penultimate Act")  › |
|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| **Chapter 1131** | |
|  | |
| **Information** | |
| Title: | The Bluish Gray Middle Act |
| Japanese title: | 鉛色の中日   (Namari-iro no Nakabi) |
| Original release: | August 28th, 2024 |
| Shōnen Sunday issue: | #40/2024 |
| Volume: | (/wiki/Volume_106 "Volume 106") |
| Pages: | 16 |
| **Viz Media version** | |
| English title: | The Lead-Gray Intermission |
| English release: | August 28th, 2024 (Simulpub)[](#cite_note-1) |
**The Bluish Gray Middle Act (鉛色の中日 ,*Namari-iro no Nakabi*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese"))** is the 1131st chapter of the [manga](/wiki/Manga "Manga") of *[Detective Conan](/wiki/Detective_Conan "Detective Conan")*. It was written by [Gosho Aoyama](/wiki/Gosho_Aoyama "Gosho Aoyama"), drawn by him and his [assistants](/wiki/Gosho_Aoyama%27s_assistants "Gosho Aoyama's assistants") and first released in [Shōnen Sunday](/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dnen_Sunday "Shōnen Sunday") #40/2024 on August 28, 2024 and was reprinted as part of [Volume 106](/wiki/Volume_106 "Volume 106") on October 18, 2024. It was released in English by [Viz Manga](/wiki/Viz_Media "Viz Media") on the same day under the name **The Lead-Gray Intermission**.
## Contents
* [1 Characters](#Characters)
* [2 Settings](#Settings)
* [3 Plot](#Plot)
* [4 Continuity](#Continuity)
+ [4.1 Referencing](#Referencing)
+ [4.2 Referenced in](#Referenced_in)
* [5 Sherry's Soliloquy](#Sherry.27s_Soliloquy)
* [6 Animal Crossing Promotional Hints](#Animal_Crossing_Promotional_Hints)
* [7 See also](#See_also)
* [8 References](#References)
## Characters[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=The_Bluish_Gray_Middle_Act&action=edit&section=1 "Edit section: Characters")]
Main article: [Characters](/wiki/Characters "Characters")
Characters
[Conan Edogawa](/wiki/Conan_Edogawa "Conan Edogawa")
[Heiji Hattori](/wiki/Heiji_Hattori "Heiji Hattori")
[Kogoro Mouri](/wiki/Kogoro_Mouri "Kogoro Mouri")
[Goro Otaki](/wiki/Goro_Otaki "Goro Otaki")
[Kazuha Toyama](/wiki/Kazuha_Toyama "Kazuha Toyama")
[Ran Mouri](/wiki/Ran_Mouri "Ran Mouri")
[Miku Narasawa (flashback)](/wiki/Volume_106#Detective_Play_Murder_Case "Volume 106")
[Ayari Kakiwaki (corpse/flashback)](/wiki/Volume_106#Detective_Play_Murder_Case "Volume 106")
[Tenma Anzaka](/wiki/Volume_106#Detective_Play_Murder_Case "Volume 106")
[Youka Kuraishi](/wiki/Volume_106#Detective_Play_Murder_Case "Volume 106")
[Toshikata Yoshiura](/wiki/Volume_106#Detective_Play_Murder_Case "Volume 106")
[Nobuya Nagakubo](/wiki/Volume_106#Detective_Play_Murder_Case "Volume 106")
[Kyousuke Kabumoto (background)](/wiki/Volume_102#Detective_Play_Director_Murder_Case "Volume 102")
## Settings[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=The_Bluish_Gray_Middle_Act&action=edit&section=2 "Edit section: Settings")]
Main article: [Setting](/wiki/Setting "Setting")
* [Japan](/wiki/Setting/Countries "Setting/Countries")
+ [Osaka Prefecture](/wiki/Setting/Prefectures_of_Japan "Setting/Prefectures of Japan")
- [Osaka City](/wiki/Osaka "Osaka")
* [Naniwa Ward](/wiki/Osaka "Osaka")
+ [Okera Theatre Troup building](/wiki/index.php?title=Okera_Theatre_Troup_building&action=edit&redlink=1 "Okera Theatre Troup building (page does not exist)")
## Plot[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=The_Bluish_Gray_Middle_Act&action=edit&section=3 "Edit section: Plot")]
Conan, Heiji, Kogoro and Otaki examine the body of Ayari Kakiwaki. Another message from the devil's puppeteer was found on a cell phone in her bag, saying that there are two more left; two more victims, as Kogoro suspects. Conan and Heiji find it strange that the body has been positioned like a marionnette again. Panicked, Youka Kuraishi says that this is her fault, as the curse of the late Kyousuke Kabumoto is on them because of her. While Tenma Anzaka sets about comforting Youka, Nobuya Nagakubo and Toshikata Yoshiura are reminded of their last play by the pose of the body. Since only the four actors moved around the building and around it between interviews, the perpetrator must be one of them, Conan and Heiji determine. However, Anzaka was lying in bed when Ayari's scream was heard, and Youka was at the door with Conan and Heiji. Yoshiura was apparently still in the toilet and Nagakubo was at the supermarket to buy cigarettes. Nagakubo thus has the weakest alibi, but one detail bothers Conan and Heiji.
Heiji wants to put on his cap, but he can't find it in his pockets. Suddenly Kazuha comes over and puts the cap on his head. Heiji had given it to her when they came on the motorbike so that he could put on his helmet; Kazuha knows that Heiji goes into detective mode when he turns his cap forward, which is why she wants him to solve the case quickly so that Ran and the others can spend some time sightseeing. Blushingly, Heiji asks Kazuha if they want to watch the sunset from the Naniwa Harukas observation deck after the case is solved. Kazuha agrees and says that Conan and Ran will certainly be happy about it too. Heiji tries to explain that he only wants to do this with Kazuha, but she gets a call from her mother and leaves. Ran whispers to Conan that they should say no if Kazuha asks them if they want to come along; Conan agrees. Otaki asks for a second round of questioning; each suspect is also assigned a police officer for the waiting time so that no one is left unobserved. Anzaka speaks to Heiji and advises him not to go to Naniwa Harukas. Nagakubo explains that the observation deck will be closed for renovation work starting tomorrow. Heiji replies that he still has this afternoon left, but Yoshiura points out the gray clouds in the sky that indicate rain.
First, Tenma Anzaka is questioned by Otaki in the presence of Conan, Heiji, Kogoro and Ran. He was lying in bed in the dormitory and sleeping, which is why he cannot be the perpetrator. Kogoro argues that no one saw Ayari fall, only a scream and the impact were heard, which could also have been recordings. Conan and Heiji say that the scream gradually faded away and that the impact also came from below. Otaki asks her if there could have been a doll in the bed, but Conan and Heiji rule that out. Anzaka's mouth was under the covers and the room was relatively dark, but Anzaka turned over in bed and his answer fit the situation exactly. Otaki wonders if the pose of the corpse was just a coincidence, whereupon Anzaka mentions that the pose reminded him of [sempahore symbols](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_telegraph "wikipedia:Optical telegraph"), which were part of the plot of their last play.
Youka Kuraishi is the next one questioned again. She tells them that Kabumoto told them which codes they should use. The play was about a love affair between the son and daughter of two rival families in Kyoto who could only communicate via semaphores. Otaki shows her the photos of the two corpses and asks her to decode the poses, but when she sees the photos, Youka faints again. Kazuha comes in because of the noise; Heiji and Kogoro ask her to take care of Youka together with Ran. The two carry her out; the investigators note that this is already Youka's second time fainting, which makes Heiji suspect that she is hiding something.
Nobuya Nagakubo is questioned next. The poses also reminded him of the sempahores. He himself does not know the code, however, since only the main actors Youka and Anzaka had to remember it; this knowledge was irrelevant for the supporting actors. Nagakubo suspects, however, that the character table could still be in a car in the parking lot, since the play ended not that long ago. Anzaka, who is waiting outside the door, then comes into the interrogation room with a cigarette in his mouth and says that he can get the character table together with a policeman because he has forgotten the characters again. He goes out again and is informed by Yoshiura, who is also waiting outside the door, that smoking is not allowed in the building. Anzaka replies that the cigarette is not lit; suddenly Anzaka winces in pain and clutches his chest. Yoshiura asks him if everything is okay, whereupon Anzaka downplays the matter and leaves. Yoshiura looks after him with a sinister look without saying a word. Meanwhile, Otaki receives a call from a colleague who has checked the supermarket's surveillance cameras, which prove that Nagakubo was actually there at the time of Ayari's murder, making his alibi ironclad. Nagakubo asks to be allowed to smoke a cigarette on the balcony of the interrogation room, as this is the only balcony with an ashtray.
While Nagakubo is smoking outside on the balcony, Toshikata Yoshiura is being questioned inside. He claims to have been in the toilet, which the men could also confirm. Otaki interjects that they only heard his voice from the booth; and there were at least five minutes between the conversation and the murder of Ayari, which is a lot of time. Yoshiura now asks for another bathroom break because his stomach is still acting up.
Meanwhile, Ran and Kazuha have fetched drinks for Youka. Ran asks Kazuha why her mother called; Kazuha replies that her mother just told her not to worry about the whole thing. When Ran says that she would like to meet Kazuha's mother. Kazuha tells her that her mother used to be in the Osaka Police Anti-Firearms Squad and that she is really strong and super pretty. They go to the rehearsal room, but they do not find Youka there. The other actors in the rehearsal room explain that Youka actually wanted to follow Ran and Kazuha when she woke up. Suddenly they hear the door to the roof open. Ran and Kazuha go to the roof, where they see Youka standing at the railing, ready to commit suicide. Youka cries out in tears that the serial killing is only happening because of her, because Kabumoto in heaven is upset with her, which is why she has to die so that the others can live.
At that moment, another scream and a crash are heard, which distracts Youka. Conan and Heiji see through the balcony door that Nagakubo has disappeared and the balcony railing has broken. They look down and see that Nagakubo has indeed fallen to his death. His body is also lying in a puppet pose in the parking lot. Anzaka, who has just fetched the drawing table with his the policeman accompanying him from the parking lot below, wants to run to the body, but an officer holds him back. The policeman sends a photo of the table to Otaki. He shows the photo to Conan and Heiji: according to the chart, Miku Narasawa's pose represents an "E", Ayari Kakiwaki's corpse represents a "V", and Nobuya Nagakubo's corpse represents an "I". If there really is only one more victim, his pose could represent the letter "L", which would make the puppeteer's message "EVIL".
## Continuity[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=The_Bluish_Gray_Middle_Act&action=edit&section=4 "Edit section: Continuity")]
Main article: [Continuity](/wiki/Continuity "Continuity")
### Referencing[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=The_Bluish_Gray_Middle_Act&action=edit&section=5 "Edit section: Referencing")]
* **[The Dark Red Curtain](/wiki/The_Dark_Red_Curtain "The Dark Red Curtain")** and **[The Bright Yellow First Act](/wiki/The_Bright_Yellow_First_Act "The Bright Yellow First Act") (Manga: [1129-1130](/wiki/Volume_106#Detective_Play_Murder_Case "Volume 106"))** : Flashbacks to Narasawa's corpse and to Anzaka sleeping before Kakiwaki's murder.
### Referenced in[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=The_Bluish_Gray_Middle_Act&action=edit&section=6 "Edit section: Referenced in")]
* **[The Light Gray Penultimate Act](/wiki/The_Light_Gray_Penultimate_Act "The Light Gray Penultimate Act")** and **[The Dark Red Last Act](/wiki/The_Dark_Red_Last_Act "The Dark Red Last Act") (Manga: [1132-1133](/wiki/Volume_106#Detective_Play_Murder_Case "Volume 106"))** : Flashbacks to Nagakubo's death.
## Sherry's Soliloquy[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=The_Bluish_Gray_Middle_Act&action=edit&section=7 "Edit section: Sherry's Soliloquy")]
Sherry's soliloquy for File 1131.
Main article: [Sherry's soliloquy](/wiki/Sherry%27s_soliloquy "Sherry's soliloquy")
**Sherry's Soliloquy** (シェリーのひとりごと ,*Sherī no Hitorigoto*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese")) is a collection of comments [Gosho Aoyama](/wiki/Gosho_Aoyama "Gosho Aoyama") has [Ai Haibara](/wiki/Ai_Haibara "Ai Haibara") say on the official *[Detective Conan](/wiki/Detective_Conan "Detective Conan")* website, [Conan News Agency](/wiki/index.php?title=Conan_News_Agency&action=edit&redlink=1 "Conan News Agency (page does not exist)") ([こなん通信社](http://www.conatsu.com/) *Konan Tsūshin-sha*) in the course of every new chapter's publication.
**Soliloquy of File 1131:**
コナン界のお母さん強過ぎ！（笑）
The mothers in the Conanverse are too strong lol!
*(August 30, 2024)*
## Animal Crossing Promotional Hints[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=The_Bluish_Gray_Middle_Act&action=edit&section=8 "Edit section: Animal Crossing Promotional Hints")]
Main article: [Animal Crossing promotional hints](/wiki/Animal_Crossing_promotional_hints "Animal Crossing promotional hints")
With every new chapter, players can receive these hints written by [Gosho Aoyama](/wiki/Gosho_Aoyama "Gosho Aoyama") in *[Animal Crossing: New Leaf](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Crossing:_New_Leaf "wikipedia:Animal Crossing: New Leaf")* and *[Animal Crossing: New Horizons](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Crossing:_New_Horizons "wikipedia:Animal Crossing: New Horizons")* by interacting with four characters named [Spade](/wiki/Conan_Edogawa "Conan Edogawa") (スペード), [Heart](/wiki/Ran_Mouri "Ran Mouri") (ハート), [Diamond](/wiki/Ai_Haibara "Ai Haibara") (ダイヤ), and [Clover](/wiki/Kaito_Kuroba "Kaito Kuroba") (クローバ), who appear in Gosho's Dream Town.
**September 2, 2024:**
**Spade:** I drew "File 0", an episode ->
**Heart:** set before File 1. Look forward to reading it!
**Diamond:** It's been a while, Mr Ginshiro
**Clover:** you should be glad that times have changed, Mr Ootaki