Animated displays in theme stores

At the Conan store, a bronze of the famous manga detective stands guard next to the signature red telephone booth featured in the anime series.

Anime fans are having a field day in Shanghai, where the latest shopping mall displays are very close to their hearts. Shi Jing tells us more about this new trend.

A bronze replica of Japanese comics character Detective Conan is the star attraction in a shopping center in Shanghai. Dozens of Conan fans come to pay homage every day, posing beside their hero in his signature stance of "There is only one truth" while he prepares to shoot anesthetic needles from his watch.

No, this is not a miniature theme park.

Lawson, the next to largest convenience chain in Japan, has recently launched a Conan store on the first floor of Metro Town in downtown Shanghai. Just beside the metro exit, the storefront attracts fans and passers-by with its display of Detective Sherlock Holmes' Baker Street home in London down to the red telephone booth outside. All familiar sights from the anime Conan film, The Phantom of Baker Street.

A huge billboard outside the shop declares: "Welcome to the mysterious world of Conan".

Inside, customers are greeted by service staff all togged up as Detective Conan - beige baseball cap, tweed cape in matching beige and brown, cream-colored Oxford shirt, brown pants and the signature monocles large enough to cover half the face.

"I like the entire outfit, except for the cape, which I think is a bit girly," Wang Huanhuan, a shop assistant, laughs.

"The monocles glasses gave me some trouble at first, but I got used to them. Loyal fans or curious passers-by come and pose for pictures with us every day."

Wang himself is a manga fan, and he follows the series Naruto and One Piece, but he says he used to watch the Conan series on TV when he was younger. It was this early exposure that made him apply for his current position.

Apart from its usual stocks, the Lawson store at this location also sells Detective Conan merchandise including clocks, mugs, mirrors, notebooks, pens, T-shirts, iPhone cases and much more.

"It is so much fun. Conan Fans cannot miss it. You can also take a quiz and watch anime films here," says Wang Shiyuan, a model based in Shanghai who is also a hard-core fan of Detective Conan.

Shop assistants at the Conan store are all dressed up in the detective's signature outfit. [Gao Erqiang / China Daily]