Where Does The File of Young Kindaichi Anime End In The Manga?

While Detective Conan is large enough to be recognized globally for its girth, Japan actually loves it boy detective anime series outside of Conan too. In fact, Kindaichi is the older boy detective series, but it never quite got popular enough to break out of being a more niche detective anime/manga – possibly because the author knows how to end their series and go touch grass.

Regardless, The File of Young Kindaichi may be shorter than Detective Conan, but there is definitely still plenty murder mystery-solving to enjoy.

Where To Start The File of Young Kindaichi Manga After The Anime?

While Kindaichi Case Files is a long-beloved mystery series, it is not one that is easy to break into. Or rather, Kindaichi Case Files is not a series that is easy to transition from anime to manga. This is because the Kindaichi anime series all just kind pick cases that they want to adapts from the multiple manga series, and adapts them in random order. For example, the manga starts with the Opera House Murder case, but you don’t see that until episode 21 in the anime.

The key to breaking into the Kindaichi manga from the anime is, actually, just knowing all the manga series and what order to read them in. So, let’s start with that.

All Main Kindaichi Manga Series in Reading Order:

• The File Series (27 Volumes/19 Cases/219 Chapters/Completed)
• The Case Series (10 Volumes/7 Cases/81 Chapters/Completed)
• The Short Files Series (6 Volumes/20 Cases/48 Chapters/Completed) – The cases are often one to three chapters compared to the longer main cases in the other manga.
• The New (Shin) Series (14 Volumes/8 Cases/16 Short Cases/107 Chapters/Completed)
• The 20^th Anniversary Series (5 Volumes/3 Cases/1 Short Case/40 Chapters/Completed)
• The Kindaichi Returns Series (14 Volumes/10 Cases/1 Short Case/125 Chapters/ Completed)
• The 37 Year Old Kindaichi Series (15 Volumes (as of 2024)/Ongoing)
• The 30^th Anniversary Series (4 Volumes/2 Cases/1 Short Case/26 Chapters/Completed)

As for the anime, you have two anime series as well as some OVAs. The original, long-running The File of Young Kindaichi (1997) covers cases from primarily the File, Case, and Short Files manga series. The anime actually covers almost all the content in those series, but it does skip a few. Do note that some cases are in the canon OVAs.

As for the sequel anime, The File of Young Kindaichi Returns (2014), or Kindaichi Case Files R as it is sometimes called, it is more freestyle with what it is adapting. It picks cases from the 20^th Anniversary, New, Case, Return, and Short File manga series. Interestingly enough, the Return manga series, with which this anime shares a title, is majorly unadapted in the anime.

Now, as for what manga you should read after watching both anime series:

• The File Series – Western-style Village Murder (File 2, in Volumes 2 and 3, Chapter 7-17), Head Hanging School Murder (File 8, in Volumes 9 and 10, Chapter 70-81) – both were skipped in the anime
• The Case Series – Fully Adapted in Anime
• Short Files Series – Fully Adapted in Anime
• The New (Shin) Series – Snow Spirit Legend Murder (File 30, in Volumes 6 and 7, Chapter 39-51)
• 20^th Anniversary – Cannibal Laboratory Murder (File 35, in Volume 1 and 2, Chapter 1-11)
• Return Series – You can skip Snow Goblin Legend Murder (File 1, Chapters 1-11) and Drifting Firefox Murder (File 3, Chapters 24-34), the rest of the cases are not adapted in any anime series.
• Age 37 Series – No Anime Adaptation, you can read all of it
• 30^th Anniversary – No Anime Adaptation, you can read all of it

Kindaichi Spin-offs

No lengthy franchise can go without spin-offs.

• Supt. Akechi’s Pretty Case Files (2 Volumes/7 Cases) – You will find these stories interspersed throughout much of the File, Case, and Short File manga series, they are all just collected in this one with some new Akechi stuff. Much of it was also in the original anime series too.
• Young Akechi’s Magnificent Case Files (5 Volumes/8 Cases) – All New Akechi stuff not found in other series. Follows him when he is younger. Some cases were in the anime as well.
• The Takato Case Files Series (1 Volumes/ 7 Cases) – Takato Spin-off. No anime adaptations.

Will There Be More Kindaichi Anime?

While no new Kindaichi anime has been announced, let’s hold out hope for an Age 37 series. Kindaichi is a staple, but sensibilities do change, and when it comes to anime, money talks.