The anime version of Detective Conan is produced by Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation and TMS Entertainment.[28][29] Directed by Kenji Kodama and Yasuichiro Yamamoto, Conan's cases have been adapted into 25-minute episodes.[28] Over 700 episodes have aired in Japan since the anime's premiere on January 8, 1996 making it the sixteenth longest anime series.[30][31] Initially, Shogakukan collected and released the episodes on VHS video cassettes between June 1996, and October 2006.[32][33] Four hundred and twenty-six episodes were released on VHS until Shogakukan abandoned the format and switched over to DVDs, starting over from the first episode.[34] For the fifteenth anniversary of the anime series, the series was made available for video on demand.[35][36] Detective Conan is later broadcast in North America on NHK's cable network TV Japan.[37]
In 2003, the first 104 episodes of the regular animation series were licensed by Funimation for distribution in North America and was retitled Case Closed because of legal considerations.[1][38] The Meitantei Conan anime has also been released in other languages such as French, German and Italian.[39][40][41] Case Closed debuted on Cartoon Network as part of their Adult Swim programming block on May 24, 2004;[42] no more than 50 episodes were licensed from Funimation due to low ratings.[43] The Canadian channel YTV picked up the Case Closed series and broadcast 22 episodes between April 7, 2006, and September 2, 2006, before taking it off the air.[44][45][46] Funimation made the series available with the launch of the Funimation Channel in November 2005 and was temporary available on Colours TV during its syndication with the Funimation Channel.[47][48] A separate English adaptation of the series by Animax Asia premiered in the Philippines on January 18, 2006, under the name Detective Conan.[49][50] Because Animax were unable to obtain further TV broadcast rights, their version comprised 52 episodes.[51] The series continued with reruns until August 7, 2006, when it was removed from the station.[52]
Funimation also released DVDs of their dubbed series beginning August 24, 2004.[53] Initially, the releases were done in single DVDs and future episodes were released in seasonal boxes; 130 episodes have been released in total.[54] The seasonal boxes were later re-released in redesigned boxes called Viridian edition.[55][56] Funimation began streaming Case Closed episodes on March 2013.[57] Hanabee Entertainment licensed the series for distribution in Australia.[58]