These days the show is considered to be the prime example of the Japanese Cop Show, having codified many conventions in the genre, as well as being a vehicle for many of its cast members. The best example of the latter would be Yusaku Matsuda, who earned a role in the series early on as Detective Jiipan and would later become a top-draw star in Japan and earn a role in Ridley Scott's Black Rain.
The show earned a short-lived Sequel Series, Taiyo Ni Hoero! PART 2, which ran for 12 episodes from 1986 to 1987 on the same timeslot. The show later returned for several Reunion Show specials in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2001.
Compare to Hawaii Five-O, Law & Order, and Tatort in terms of longevity and influence.
Taiyo Ni Hoero provides examples of:
- Aborted Arc: Episode 48's conclusion reveals a Big Bad shadow organization that manipulated and later killed Shinko's friend without a trace of their actions. Boss vows to find the culprit if a case like this was to happen again. They never did.
- The Ace:
- Yama-san is considered to be Nanamagari's best detective due to his high interrogation skills.
- Gori was by far the squad's best shot and ace marksman. Doc later took this distinction after Gori died in Episode 525.
- Advertised Extra: Shinko both before and after she became a detective. She was credited third in the opening and even had a solo action sequence(something that Denka and Pops originally had to share) but is rarely involved in the plot unless it focuses on her. By the second year of the show, her periods of absence have been more frequent, to the point that Kumi-chan the secretary has more screen time than her.
- Alas, Poor Villain: Some episodes feature criminals who are portrayed sympathetically and only turned to crime out of desperation. Even the detectives are hesitant to arrest them, but they still have to because it's their job.
- Anyone Can Die: The show became infamous during its time for this. Jonathan Clements, Japanese pop culture historian, perhaps said it best in The Dorama Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese TV Drama Since 1953:"...many new cops arrived, stood their ground, and met with tragic deaths."
- The Artifact: By the end of the original series, Boss was the last member of the original cast still on the show. By the time of the sequel series and the first reunion show, Pops later took over this distinction after joining the cast again.
- Artistic License – Law: Japanese police officers and detectives cannot use physical assault while on duty, except in self-defence or special circumstances such as forced evacuation. This was ignored in the show, as the cast tended to get physical during the arrest scenes.
- Bavarian Fire Drill:
- Episode 690 sees Toshi-san fill in and pretend to be Boss, who's on vacation after a criminal on the run wants to meet with the latter.
- DJ spends the entirety of his debut episode (Episode 706) playing mind games with the episode's criminal-of-the-week. It eventually pays off when he finds out why the man's going on a bombing spree, leading to his arrest by the episode's end.
- Berserk Button: Any case that involves or harms children will anger the entire squad greatly. Even calmer detectives like Yama-san and Scotch will lose their cool in these situations.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Doc in the preview of his debut episode cheerfully introduces himself to the audience. Infamously a Mood Whiplash due it happening the episode after Denka's death.
- Big Brother Mentor: Gori, despite his early hostility towards the rookies when they screw up in their debuts, became this to every newer rookie that joins until his death. Afterward, Doc proceeds to take this role..
- Big Damn Heroes: In Episode 167, when Texas is about to be shot and killed by the criminal of the week, Boss appears behind them and then proceeds to walk to the criminal unarmed while the latter shoots and misses. When Boss finally gets hit in the shoulder, the criminal runs out of ammo, leading the others to jump out from their hiding places and arrest him.
- Big Brother Instinct: Gori's reaction to Scotch speaking ill of the recently-deceased Texas? A punch to the face.
- Breather Episode:
- Episode 129 has everyone go undercover in a senior citizen's home to save a boy who is in danger from the yakuza. While the episode discusses the dangers of human trafficking, most of the scenes focus on humor from the senior citizens and the detectives trying to stay in character. The criminals are also caught earlier than usual so the rest of the episode is the usual heart-to-heart with the guest and everyone enjoying themselves.
- Episode 436 focuses on Doc trying to catch a master pickpocketer and his system of thieves after getting his wallet stolen from him. This episode stems from the usual violent crime episode and instead shows how pickpocketers are successfully able to steal through quick thinking and manipulation.
- Butt-Monkey: Bogey, which was pretty much one of his main shticks. His debut episode consists of him being a practical bullet magnet while his appearance in the opening credits montage even had him handcuffing himself and holding his gun the wrong way.
- The Bus Came Back:
- Scotch and Mommy. The former was a case of Real Life Writes the Plot and the latter was a case of Promotion to Opening Titles.
- Pops left in Episode 520, but returned for guest spots and came back for the sequel series, and later the first Reunion Show.
- Charles Atlas Superpower:
- Pops, of all people, despite his age, usually took down criminals by tackling them, thanks to his experience as a rugby player. This proved useful in booking the criminal in Episode 520, who had shot him in the shoulder.
- Rocky in his debut actually tore off the door leading to the squad's main office. He can also physically manhandle any criminal who gets in his way without help.
- Country Mouse: Both Rocky, who hails from Hokkaido, and Sneakers, who's from Okinawa.
- Credits Montage: The opening. Notably evolved over the years thanks to its ever-evolving cast.
- Cast Full of Pretty Boys:
- While the show consistently has had good-looking men, it was prominent during 1983 with the "Miwakan Trio"note and later the "Kingfisher Quartet" note
- There was a plan to have Kunihiko Mitamura's Hissatsu co-star Masaki Kyomoto join the cast... who probably would have taken this trope up to 11 had this pushed through.
- Character Development: All the main detectives go through this during their time on the show, thanks to everyone getting a handful of spotlight episodes that deal with their flaws and conflicts.
- Character Focus: Most episodes will usually center around one or two of the main characters as they deal with a case and/or problems in their personal lives.
- Character Tics: Yama-san has a habit of wagging his finger to his juniors to gently admonish them if they get police work wrong or misinterpret a clue. He also tends to rub his face with his index finger when he brainstorms.
- Characterization Marches On: Yama-san in the first episode is rather lazy, as he is seen playing mahjong in the middle of a case. He is also more aggressive in interrogations early on before adopting his classic relaxed attitude that he had for the rest of the series. He also had a shaved head before growing his hair out.
- Chase Scene: One of Japan's most famous examples. Happens Once an Episode, whether in a car, by foot, or even both. You will always see someone running or speeding to catch a criminal or a suspect.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome:
- The majority of the show's run featured an office worker that serves as the squad's secretary. While the third and fourth girls had proper sendoffs, the first one, Kumi, disappeared with no explanation given. Her supposed replacement, Chaco also disappeared after 12 episodes.
- Most notable with Shinko. She retired to marry Jeans but after the latter was Killed Off for Real, she stopped appearing and was never mentioned again unlike her dead colleagues. She was not even mentioned as Jeans' fiancee in Episode 665, an episode that focused on the loved ones of the deceased detectives. She surprisingly turns up again in the last Reunion Show years later as a forensics scientist but what she did in between her last appearance and the events of the film remains unknown.
- Companion Cube: When Micro debuts on the show, the squad also gets a Mistubishi office computer they lovingly dub "Holmes III". It proves crucial in many episodes by being able to pull up a criminal's records at the drop of a hat.
- Contrasting Sequel Main Character: When a detective gets Killed Off for Real or Put on a Bus, the succeeding detective will usually have a different personality from their predecessor.
- Cool Shades:
- Blues started to wear them regularly outside late in the show's run. Other characters start to have them on too, mostly due to it being The '80s.
- Played for laughs at the end of one episode: Doc shows up to work after vacationing, but he's wearing sunglasses but refuses to take them off. When the squad eggs him on and he does... it's revealed that he got sunburned.
- Crime Time Soap: Another one of the show's trademarks. Oftentimes the show would run plotlines where the personal lives of the detectives would cross with them on the job. Jeans and Shinko's relationship (their final episode's B-plot is centered on them trying to convince her dad to grant his blessing), Gori and Denka's arcs with their girlfriends, plus Pops and Toshii-san's arcs on how their Married to the Job nature affects their relationship with their families are some of the more notable examples.
- Da Chief:
- Todo, his friend Takayuki Nishiyama, played by Godzilla veteran Akihito Hirata, and Todo's Distaff Counterpart replacement in Part 2, Asako Tanimura.
- Yama-san, Toshi-san, and Tachibana also served as this when Todo took his leaves.
- Darker and Edgier:
- The character death episodes, naturally, even if the squad ends up avenging the deceased detective by solving the case or arresting the said detective's murderer. Due to their tragic nature, these episodes never end with a joke-of-the-week.
- Although Sneakers' farewell episode didn't end with him getting killed, he still outright quits being a detective after his sister died in a bus robbery. The episode even plays Boss' Love Theme, which usually plays when a character dies.
- Episodes that center around Yama-san usually focus on heavier and more serious criminal cases. There are barely any humor or lighthearted moments in these episodes, with the exception of ending jokes. Even then, some still end on a bittersweet note at best or outright tragic at worst.
- Episodes 399 to 414 featured some of the darker and more mature episodes in the show's entire run, and was topped off with Denka's death. Things more or less got back to normal as soon as Doc arrived, though.
- Deadpan Snarker:
- Boss may be serious on duty, but once the case has been solved, he would usually snark at his subordinates whenever they banter.
- Doc's main trait. While it initially rubbed everyone off the wrong way in his debut, they all got used to it soon enough.
- Death by Origin Story: A good portion of characters had someone important to them killed, which led them to being a detective or why they act the way they do.
- Jiipan's dad, who was a policeman killed whilst he was unarmed. This causes him to not hold a pistol on duty in favor of his martial arts skills. Even when he finally gets a gun, he opts to use the smallest caliber possible.
- A police booth worker Texas worked with before his debut episode. He was killed shortly after Texas' announced his transfer, leading Texas out for revenge.
- Scotch's original partner. As Scotch blamed his kindness for his partner's death, he swore it off and became a "lone wolf".
- Bon for Sneakers, whose kindness inspired the latter to become a detective. His murder led Sneakers to Nanamagari to find the killer himself.
- Rugger's dad, who used to work with Pops.
- Gypsy's parents, causing Gypsy to become lonely and antisocial.
- Rocky for Mommy. She becomes a detective to understand her husband's work.
- A hobo friend of Blues', who died in his debut episode due to running afoul of a mid-level yakuza enforcer and his ex-pro wrestler turned bodyguard. The murder was Blues' first case with Nanamagari.
- Demoted to Extra: Macaroni was initially the show's central character, with most of the first episodes revolving around him. By the second half of the show's first year, he barely appears in episodes that don't focus on him and is even missing in three of them. He was eventually killed off in Episode 52.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight:
- Texas dies in the arms of Gori, Denka, and Pops all holding him.
- Rocky dies in Pops and Doc's arms with both comforting him.
- Distaff Counterpart: In the second series, Todo was replaced by Asako Tanimura, while it was mentioned that Todo had been promoted and reassigned.
- Downer Ending: Rugger's death. Although he died saving a bus of passengers from a yakuza, there is not enough evidence to link the plot or the members involved with the organization. Because of this, his death was only covered in a small section of the newspaper without explaining the reason, meaning that the only ones who know of Rugger's Heroic Sacrifice are the detectives.
- The Drifter: Variation in Rocky's case: When he moves into Tokyo in his debut episode, he had no fixed abode and simply lived at Nanamagari Station, taking up the bulk of the night watch duties. This changed when he moved in with Bon starting with Episode 260. He later ended up inheriting the apartment they lived in after Bonn's death; Mommy later inherited it from him in turn after he died.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him:
- Denka lost control of his car to avoid a truck and drove off a cliff just before he could pick up his girlfriend in Episode 414.
- Macaroni and Bogey both get stabbed ignominiously and die without anybody from the squad to comfort them.
- Dying Moment of Awesome:
- Rocky, Texas, and Gori all get shot up pretty badly. However, Rocky manages to save a couple of animals from being blown to bits when the culprit he's chasing throws a bunch of dynamite, Texas ends up busting a gun-running ring alone, and Gori (in what is considered the series' best action scene) guns down ten thugs before getting shot, and he even summons the strength to put his handcuffs on the shooter before he dies.
- Bon gets shot to death by a gang of jewel thieves, but he manages to pull off a Taking You with Me with three of them, and gets to call Boss one last time to tell them of his location.
- Yama-san gets shot in the gut by a culprit, after busting a gun-running ring. However it ends up as a Mutual Kill when he also gets one on his attacker.
- Scotch arrests a culprit who can lead him to a gun-running ring, plays Russian Roulette with him, all while he's suffering from hemoptysis. He wins, gets the sulrpit to surrender, and places the handcuffs on the perp before coughing up blood one last time. He is brought to hospital by Gori, where he dies.
- Rugger gets his own Mutual Kill and saves a bus of people from getting killed by a sniper.
- Eager Rookie: The go-to persona for most of the new detectives.
- Everyone Laughs Ending: Many episodes end with the squad having a humorous and lighthearted exchange with a joke of the week.
- A Father to His Men: Boss, and when he's not around, Yama-san to all of the detectives.
- Forgotten Fallen Friend: Averted. Many of the deceased detectives continue to haunt several of the cast years after their death. Episode 665 notably is an Extra-Long Episode in which the deceased's surviving loved ones and the current squad remember them. Some of the later episodes even have fellow squad members taking it upon themselves to solve their deceased friends' last unresolved cases.
- Formerly Fit: Rugger started out in the series as a relatively lithe and athletic young man. When he left a few years later, he put on several pounds and barely resembled the man he was when he started out in the show.
- Four-Temperament Ensemble: Represented by the Kingfisher Quartet, a quartet of younger detectives who joined shortly before the show's 10th anniversary: Doc (choleric), Rugger (sanguine), Gypsy (melancholic), and Bogey (phlegmatic).
- Freeze-Frame Ending: This happens all the time, with everyone laughing at the joke of the week before ending with Boss laughing.
- Frothy Mugs of Water: Sort of. At the end of one episode, the rest of the squad are drinking full mugs of beer.. except for Sneakers and Naoko the secretary, who appear to be drinking glasses full of orange juice.
- Friendly Sniper: Played with, when concerning Gori. While he's a little rough around the edges he's not so bad when you get used to him.
- Friend to All Living Things: Rocky's most defining trait, being an outdoorsman by nature.
- Gratuitous Foreign Language: Happens when the cast go on a Vacation Episode.
- Gentle Giant: Rocky is a head taller than most of the cast, is freakishly strong, and is a genuine Nice Guy and Friend to All Living Things.
- Image Song: All of the main characters have one that usually plays when they are in action.
- In-Series Nickname: In the show, everyone refers to each other by a nickname given to them by the rest of the squad. This was another trope the show pioneered, to the point that it got Self-Parodied in-series when Doc debuted and gave everyone their own personalized nicknames.
- It's Personal: Pops had this to say about Rocky's murderer:"I've been a cop for twenty years. I don't think I've ever hated anyone more."
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold:
- Gori, Jiipan, Sneakers, Gypsy, and Blues. They're introduced as hot-headed loners with mean streaks and massive chips on their shoulders, but as the show progressed, they each became a little less rough around the edges and some even earned their own Love Interests. Blues himself would later get have a son.
- Scotch, after witnessing his partner getting shot to death by a criminal, was described as a "lone wolf". However, is run on the show still showed flashes of humanity as he got along well with Boss, Rocky, and Gori.
- Handicapped Badass: Surprisingly for a 70s show, Taiyo wasn't afraid to run with this, especially with its main cast:
- Scotch during his second run was suffering from hemophytis, which caused him to cough up blood. But despite that becoming worse than ever by his last episode, he still found the strength to successfully investigate a gun-running syndicate. His lone-wolf nature after formerlyhaving a gentler personality may also hint that he may have some form of mental illness.
- Rugger developed osteosarcoma in his legs late in his run, which resurfaces in his last episode.
- Gypsy has dextrocardia, which means his heart is on the right side of his body, rather than his left.
- Scotch during his second run was suffering from hemophytis
- Hostage Situation:
- One episode where a busjacker takes the squad all over Tokyo with a bomb - a good twenty years or so before Speed.
- Another is where a young punk takes Boss hostage at Namemagari station itself.
- The Series Finale has Blues get kidnapped, shot, and he almost bleeds to death.
- Episode 238 arguably takes the cake. Gori is taken hostage by a criminal he's escorting back to Tokyo while they're in a flying helicopter.
- Kicked Upstairs: After Yama-san's investigation into a gun-smuggling case perpetrated by a diplomat in Episode 691 meets with heavy resistance, he is slated to be appointed as head of Chiyoda Police Station's detective squad. He manages to implicate the diplomat and the yakuza gangs involved just before the due date for his promotion, but gets killed while fighting off a gunman.
- Killed Off for Real: The show pioneered this trope for Japanese cop shows and it became one of its more infamous trademarks.
- Last-Name Basis: While everyone goes by their nickname, Denka is called by his last name, Shima, by all of his juniors with the exception of Macaroni. It got to the point where his death episode was titled "Detective Shima-san Forever" rather than Denka.
- Let's Split Up, Gang!: Vacation episodes would divide the squad into two. One half, usually consisting the younger detectives and a veteran one, go to the location and try to arrest the criminal there. The other one, consisting of everyone else, investigate back home for clues and accomplices that would help the first half find the criminal and their motives.
- Like an Old Married Couple:
- Mommy used to clash a lot with the Nanamagari detectives over jurisdiction issues when she was still a patrol cop, even with Rocky, whom she later married.
- Likewise, every member of the cast has argued with their seniors and peers more than once. They still see each other as family despite these regular disagreements.
- Gori and Scotch were very much subject to this, even in the latter's second run. In one episode they came close to blows in Gori was accused of murder, which Scotch pointed out. Yet by Scotch's death episode, Gori is the one to take him to hospital and is the only squad member to witness his passing.
- Long Runner: Taiyo is actually the second-longest nationally-syndicated Japanese cop show, with 718 episodes. Toei's Special Mobile Investigation Team is longer with 801 episodes.note
- Married to the Job:
- Boss, big time. We rarely ever see his personal life outside of a few episodes early on in the show's run. It's also established he is a perpetual bachelor and lives alone in a highrise.
- One of the main storylines for Pops. His dedication to his job causes a rift between him and his family. After his transfer, the storyline passes to Toshi-san, who ends up divorcing his wife because of it.
- Meaningful Name:
- All the detectives have a nickname that correlates with their character:
- Boss is called so because he's Da Chief.
- Pops' nickname is spoken in Japanese as Chosan, which is used in reference for his age and experience.
- Gori-san based on the term "gorioshi" which means a pushing, strong character. It became a Running Gag for a new detective to mistake him for being a gorilla, angering him.
- Denka is called so because of his good looks. ("Denka" is an honorific translating roughly to "Your Highness".)
- Macaroni due to his clothes resembling a Spaghetti Western hero.
- Shinko got hers from Macaroni initially using it as an insult (a shinko is a type of fish, and her dad runs a restaurant that the squad used to frequent in the early days of the show). Everyone else ended up adopting it, even herself.
- Jeans because of him wearing denim.
- Texas because of his ten-gallon hat.
- Bon as a play on the term bonbon, a Kansai term that refers to a spoiled child.
- Scotch due to his dandy appearance.
- Rocky got his because of his dream of climbing the Rocky Mountains.
- Sneakers because he wears sneakers.
- Doc because of his medical training.
- Rugger because he was a former rugby player.
- Gypsy because of his tendency to walk on his own, and for constantly being transferred from police station to police station.
- Bogey, which he coined himself because he is a fan of Humphrey Bogart, but Boss thought he was referring to a golf bogey.note Oddly enough, it's quite appropriate as Bogey's real name is "Ichi", which translates to "one".
- Mommy because she's a mother to twins.
- Blues because he likes listening to blues music (his father was a piano player), and arguably because of his perpetually downbeat nature. Mommy also suggested calling him "Bruce" because of his resemblance to Bruce Lee, which is funny because "Blues" can be mistranslated to "Bruce" in Japanese.
- Microcomputer or just Micom because of his high intelligence and computer expertise.
- Duke because of his prince-like attitude.
- DJ because his real name is Jun Dazai. note Curiously, he was not given the nickname by the rest of the squad, as it had been his for quite a while (the opening scene reveals he has "DJ" hanging on his apartment door).
- Additionally, Yama-san and Toshi-san, as per Japanese convention are called so by their younger peers being the older and more experienced detectives.
- Subverted with Inspector Tachibana, whom everyone just calls "Keibu", in reference to his rank. He also consistently refuses to refer to anyone by their nickname. Although by the final episode he does do this with Blues when he's at death's door.
- All the detectives have a nickname that correlates with their character:
- Mood Whiplash:
- Doc's cheerful, fourth-wall-breaking intro happening the episode immediately after Denka died.
- After Rocky died, Bogey was introduced and ended up becoming a mix of a Butt-Monkey and The Chew Toy in the episodes following. Then, four episodes after that it was Gori's turn to die in the line of duty.
- Mountain Man: Played with in Rocky's case. While he does engage in mountain climbing as a hobby and even looks the part (to the point he carried his climbing gear with him on his backpack when he moved to Tokyo), he actually hails from a fishing village in Hokkaido.
- New Job as the Plot Demands: Kangoro "Jaws" Samejima, a former colleague of Boss' from when he worked at Johoku Station. He frequently shows up throughout the series with a new business every time due to the previous one always failing. His job throughout his appearances ranged from private investigator, dating agent, exam tutor, model producer, and food company manager.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Sneakers delivers several to Bon's murderer and his bosses in his debut episode.
- Not So Above It All:
- Scotch by his second run is more prone to laugh and smile at the squad's antics, thanks to his Character Development. One notable example happens in Episode 401 (his first full episode back as a squad member), where he's seen relaxing on his desk chair with his feet on the table - something you'd expect more from Macaroni or Jeans. The rest of the squad even feels more comfortable in making him the butt of the joke-of-the-week a few times.
- Gypsy as well, who warmed up faster than Scotch did. If you look at him closely in the background during an funny moment, you can see him grin and then quickly proceed to hide his face.
- Noodle Incident: Sneakers mentions in Episode 401 that he went hitchhiking in the US prior to his time on the show. How a person that seemed to be struggling financially growing up being able to afford an overseas trip remains a mystery.
- Number Two: Yama-san was this for Boss before his death in Episode 691. Later, Detective Tachibana, played by Ishihara's Real Life Heterosexual Life-Partner Tetsuya Watari would take up this role.
- Obsessive Sports Fan: Although not so much obsessive, Doc is a proud Youmuri Giants fan. This however, put him in conflict sometimes with Bogey, who being from Hiroshima, supports Hiroshima Carp.
- Odd Couple: Scotch and Rocky, then Blues and Bogey. Scotch and Blues are cold, calculating professionals, while Bogey and Rocky are a pair of kind-hearted, all-loving nice guys. Yet they work very well together and continue to banter with each other on and off duty.
- Old Soldier: Detective Nozaki, who's affectionately nicknamed "Chosan" or "Pops".
- One-Steve Limit: Averted. Several detectives in the series have the same given name.
- Macaroni, Jiipan, Texas, Sneakers, and DJ all of the given name of Jun spelled in different kanji.
- Rocky and his successor Bogey both have the given name of Hajime spelled in different kanji.
- Ditto for Gori and Blues, as both are named Makoto, but spelt differently as well.
- Passing the Torch: Notably happens only once in the entire show, when Sneakers hands over one of his sneakers to Rugger. This is mostly due to the predecessor usually getting Killed Off for Real beforehand which causes the introduction of a new character replacing them. Behind the scenes, it is a proper tradition of taking pictures of the departing actor shaking hands with their successor.
- Passed-Over Promotion: Yama-san, full stop. A recurring storyline is the fact he can never quite make Inspector despite his brilliant investgative skills. He finally becomes one in Episode 691, but it's hinted that this may be because his investigation into a gun-running ring is ruffling the feathers of the corrupt foreign diplomat masterminding it. He does get enough evidence for the case to be prosecuted at a higher level, but it also results him in being killed by a hitman, whom he also kills.
- Promotion to Opening Titles: Mommy started out in a semi-regular role as a policewoman and Rocky's love interest, then wife, and was Put on a Bus after her husband's death before she became a regular.
- Professional Killer: The squad deals with one in Episode 233, whose target is a JSDF general attending his daughter's wedding.
- Pungeon Master: Doc would frequently do puns in the middle of an investigation, leading to disdain from his fellow detectives. He would also give everyone personalized variations of their nicknames. This would get downplayed after Rugger died, however.
- Put on a Bus:
- Five detectives were lucky enough to leave the show alive, namely Shinko, Pops, Sneakers, Gypsy, and Duke. Downplayed since they showed up for guest spots in later episodes. Elsewhere, Pops got to come back for Part 2 and the first reunion show, while Shinko returned for the last one.
- Happens to Boss in the sequel series, as Ishihara's health had deteriorated to the point that he could no longer work. By the reunion special, he had unfortunately passed away.
- Reaction Shot: Happens whenever a dramatic reveal occurs, which cuts to all the characters' reactions with a dramatic sound effect.
- Really Dead Montage: Whenever a detective dies, a montage plays of the main cast mourning his death while flashbacks of their time on the show are played, to the tune of Boss' Love Theme.
- Recurring Element: Whenever a rookie detective gets introduced to the show, this usually happens: They show up enthusiastic to start only to get discouraged when they fail to arrest the criminal. They then proceed to get called out by Gori until his death (or in Bon's case, Texas; in Doc's case Boss). Boss, sometimes Yama-san or Pops, then explains the true meaning of being a detective. The rookie then inspired, takes down and arrests the criminal.
- Relationship Upgrade:
- Jeans and Shinko were seen dating in their final episodes before leaving the show.
- Rocky and Mommy were dating for a significant amount of time in the series before they got married in Episode 420. They remained married for the next 99 episodes.
- The Reliable One: Pops. He is a Detective Sergeant after all.
- Reverse Whodunnit: A handful of episodes begin with the killer already known to the viewers. The squad discovers the culprit over the course of the episode thanks to the clues the culprit would unintentionally leave behind.
- Retirony: Bogey quit the police force after letting the culprit behind a yakuza-related killing flee the country with his fiancee, He resolves to solve the case on his own after quitting, but is promptly stabbed to death by a member of the gang involved.
- Rule of Seven: The station is named Nanamagari, which translations in English as "Seven Songs". The majority of the first half of the series features seven main detectives working in the station. It was lampshaded by Scotch in Episode 274, who denied to come back because of the seven-person system. Eventually dropped by Episode 400, where Scotch himself fully returns, increasing the main cast to eight. However, the team does go back to seven for a few short periods.
- Self-Offense: Happens in Episode 664, where Mircom accidentally shoots Toshi-san, causing him to suffer a Heroic BSoD.
- Shout-Out:
- The theme for the Case Closed anime is very similar to the show's theme music, as they were scored by the same composer, Katsuo Ohno. He even managed to sneak in Taiyo's signature opening beats into the twelfth and thirteenth Conan movie themes.
- The death of Gai Yuki/Black Condor in Choujin Sentai Jetman was directly inspired by Macaroni's death in Episode 52.
- The show's status as one of the cornerstones of Japanese TV also ensures that these are quite frequent across Japanese media.
- The theme for the Case Closed anime is very similar to the show's theme music, as they were scored by the same composer, Katsuo Ohno. He even managed to sneak in Taiyo's signature opening beats into the twelfth
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: In his debut episode, Blues beats up a gang of yakuza and the villain of the week's main henchman his boxing skills alone. The goons opt to surrender before the squad can arrive to book everyone.
- Spoiler Title: This happens if a major character will die or gets Put on a Bus in the episode.
- Sudden Soundtrack Stop: In Episode 493, Gori gives an ill Scotch one of his cacti to hold on to with gentle music playing in the background. Scotch was about to touch his cactus before the music cuts as he begins to succumb to his illness.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: In Episode 10, Gori orks with a young detective from another station, who was played by Masaya Oki before he joined the main cast. The detective bears many similar characteristics to Macaroni, who only appeared at the beginning and end of the story.
- Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Denka, Scotch, Gypsy, and Duke were quite the lookers in their runs on the show. Denka, in particular, was so popular with female fans that the site of his fatal road accident in the series was frequented by said fans, who left tributes at the site. Scotch was quite dandy-like in nature and always dressed in suits.
- Thanking the Viewer:
- When Ishihara came back after his first leave in Episode 489, he thanks the viewers for having supported him through his illness and surgery before the episode begins.
- And at the end of the Series Finale, a message is typed on screen as the camera lingers on one last image of Boss:
14 years and 4 months... thank you very much for all the support! - That One Case: Boss has only failed to arrest one criminal during his entire career: a corrupt politician and powerbroker, who appeared in Episodes 86 and 135.
- Theme Naming:
- The real names of the first three rookie detectives (Macaroni, Jeans, and Texas) are all named Jun in different kanji but share the same meaning of purity which symbolizes their youth and innocence as a detective. The theme stopped with Bon's introduction but still counted officially as his actor's name is Jun as well.
- Bon's replacement is Sneakers, real name Jun Godai. "Godai" means "fifth generation".
- Sneakers is succeeded by Rugger, real name "Junji" which translates to second puritynote .
- The show's last year introduces DJ, real name Jun Dazai, who served as the final rookie detective in the series.
- Tonight, Someone Dies: The show made no bones about this trope, openly proclaiming which detective would die during the title during the actor's last episode.
- Those Two Guys:
- Whenever a new detective appears, he's usually paired up with the one who came before him, assuming the latter hadn't been Killed Off for Real beforehand.
- Boss and Yama-san were this as well, until the latter's death.
- The Smurfette Principle: Shinko and Mommy were the only female detectives during the show's run.
- Trailers Always Spoil: The episode previews are particularly guilty of this, especially as the show aged.
- Transatlantic Equivalent: To Starsky & Hutch (thematically) and Hill Street Blues (with the ensemble cast).
- True Companions:
- It's shown many times that the Nanamagari detectives all see each other as family and hang out outside of work frequently. Which makes the character death episodes hit really hard.
- This also seemed to reflect the cast behind the scenes as well.
- Unconventional Vehicle Chase: Episode 275 features Mommy (before she joined the main cast), Rocky, and Bon chased by a truck... in a tiny, slow police minicar. Bon and Rocky could barely even fit in the back seat due to the tight space.
- Unexplained Recovery: A detective could get critically injured in one case, only to show up okay and back to work the next episode (or in other cases, within the same episode).
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: It's pointed out multiple times in the show that Nanamagari faces a lot more violent crimes than the average Tokyo police station. In fact Doc chose to transfer there specifically because of its high gun usage. In one episode Chief Nishiyama even chews out Gori, Doc, and Sneakers after a failed arrest in front of the rest of the squad, saying that their actions make Nanamagari look like a station full of violent detectives.
- Vacation Episode: The show went to Hawaii twice, apparently to coincide with Ishihara's yearly vacations there. There were also episodes where the cast went to Australia, Okinawa, Canada, and France.
- Very Special Episode: Both Gori and Denka's final girlfriends are physically disabled - the latter is deaf, the former can't walk. They also have a few Character Focus episodes with their boyfriends.
- Wake-Up Call: Doc initially joins the group, after having an interest in the station's high gun usage and wanting to show his shooting skills. Gori-san calls him out on it, stating that five people already died from the dangers of this job. After a suspect was killed during a chase in an accident, Doc realizes the risks of being a detective and takes it seriously from then on.
- We Hardly Knew Ye:
- In-Universe example: Gori and Bogey only got to know each other for a grand total of four episodes before the former got killed off.
- Also happens with Scotch and Rugger as the former went on a second absence after Rugger debuted in Episode 477. Scotch died sixteen episodes later.
- Texas, Bogey, and Blues tried to live up to Jiipan, Rocky, and Gori' examples, even though they never met them.
- Well-Trained, but Inexperienced: Doc was introduced as a senior to both Rocky and Sneakers. However, his prior workplace had way lesser crimes than Nanamagari, leaving him initially oblivious and inexperienced to the station's more violent encounters.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Gori pulls this on most of the cast whenever they go through a Heroic BSoD.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?:
- Pops' greatest fear? Flying. Which is funny since he's heavily involved in the overseas portions during the vacation episodes.
- Rocky's? Guns and being shot at - at least until he and a guest-starring Scotch take down a gun-wielding goon in Episode 274. This, unfortunately, makes his death all the more tragic since he died after being shot twice by the criminal-of-the-fortnight in his last episode.
- Scotch's? Dogs.
- Yakuza: Nanamagari sometimes clashes with various groups as recurring antagonists. Dealing with them tends to be very dangerous, with some detectives even losing their lives against them. Recurring groups include the Ryushinki, the Togawa-gumi, and the Hibiki-gumi.
- You Kill It, You Bought It: Variant. Sometimes a Nanamagari rookie will wear their precessor's clothing
In Memoriam of the latter.- Bon once wore a green jacket as one of his default outfits. Rocky would take to wearing it after Bon passed away. Rocky also inherited their shared apartment to boot.
- Before returning to Okinawa after his retirement, Sneakers confides to Gori that he would like to pass on his shoes to his successor. Sneakers later gave Rugger a new pair in Episode 489.
- Blues wore Bogey's fingerless gloves and purple-red suit after the latter's death.
- Doc stopped wearing casual attire and wore more suits as the show entered its last episodes, just like Denka and Gori.
