Exploring characterization: A comparative study of Sherlock Holmes and Conan Edogawa

Abstract

“Sherlock Holmes” and “Case Closed” are two well-known works of the detective genre. The two main characters of the two works are also loved by many people. However, the number of research articles on these two characters is still limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore and analyze the characterizations of two detective characters in their respective series - Sherlock Holmes and Conan Edogawa. This study will identify the similarities and differences between their traits, methods, and narrative roles. Moreover, it examines the detective archetype in two distinct cultural and historical contexts: Victorian Britain and Japan in the 1990s. From the analysis of these two characters, the similarities and differences in the writing styles of the two authors in the two Asian and European cultures will be clearly shown. From the results, although the two detectives - Sherlock Holmes and Conan Edogawa - exist in two different cultures and different periods, they still share similarities in the elements that build the character and the elements that make up the detective. However, each character also has clear differences, and these differences have become the special points to identify them.