Headscratchers / Magic Kaito

• Okay, I know that this is probably Plot Induced Stupidity, but... Hasn't Nakamori-keibu ever heard of Facial Recognition? Yes, Kid wears a top-hat and a big monocle, but 3/4ths of his face is still visible, and what with the fact that everybody and their GOLDFISH is there and taking pictures and videos of a heist, especially Kid, who's the FOCUS of the heist, you'd think they'd subpoena the media's tapes and run them through Facial Recognition systems for civilian identities, such as driver's licenses, school yearbooks (they usually have an online version), newspapers, SOMETHING.
  • I have no idea how Japanese law works in this case, but if it were America they couldn't do that. Such databases only exist for people already in police databases, checking things like driver's licenses and school yearbooks would be an invasion of privacy. Again, I'm not sure if that is true in Japan, and even if it is it wouldn't apply to Shinichi, so he's got no excuse there.
    • Well, I'm not sure how ubiquitous that technology was back when Magic Kaitou was first released, but there was an arc where Nakamori saw KID's un"masked" face, and started investigating his civilian form. KID's response was to fake being on a date with Nakamori's daughter at the same time as he committed another heist where his identity is revealed again, this time as the aforementioned daughter, reminding Nakamori that not only is one of KID's primary skills is his insane mastery of Latex Perfection, but he also just really enjoys screwing with Nakamori's mind for giggles, so there's no real reason to assume that his face really looks like that.
    • I love you guys. I love this website. I love the fact that I asked a question and got serious, thoughtful, detailed responses that make perfect sense and dispel my troubled mind-churnings and confusion!
  • This has actually been officially tackled in the Magic Kaito manga; Nakamori gets a good look at Kid and recognises his daughter's best friend. Aoko subsequently tearfully begs Kaito to take her on a date the same day as an announced heist, to be his alibi. Hilarity Ensues. In the end Nakamori makes a grab for Kid, who's face tears off to reveal Aoko's face and hair underneath, and Kid openly mocks him, saying he knows ALL the people who are close to Nakamori, and may possibly appear as the inspector himself next time. In the end Nakamori decides, legitimately, that he'd been duped and that Kid never appears with his real face at all, which is helped by Aoko's testimony of where Kaito was all the time.
• I'd very much like to know what kind of show Toichi was planning 18 years ago that required the use of a cape that turns into a hang glider.
  • Batman: The Japanese Bishonen Edition.
• Seriously, where does Kid get the money for his gadgets and cool toys?
  • There are quite a few fans that think he makes money by selling off successfully stolen items that he doesn't return, but this flies in the face of canon, which has stated at least once that Kid always returns the stolen items (see Aoko's rant in the Kaitou Kid vs Shinichi Kudo story). Of course, Magic Kaito has a lot of "broken" canon, in that things are changed drastically quite frequently (example: Kaito's mum, who starts off as an ordinary stay-at-home mum, but later becomes an ever-absent, neglective mother currently on permanent holiday in Las Vegas... That's not even mentioning her appearance!)
    • In the manga, Kaito only began intentionally returning his loot after the Blue Birthday heist, wherein he discovered the existence of the Organization. Until then, he just stole high-profile things and very little indicates he returned them. This troper thinks it's important to remember that Magic Kaitou is decades old and has been retooled multiple times; the early Kaito didn't have the established habits and practices of his later incarnations. It's telling that the adaptation that most heavily retconned the chronology and events of early heists is also the only adaptation to suggest an alternative source for Kaito's gear: namely, that Jii gets it from Agasa.
  • Alternatively, it's off his dad's income. Toichi Kuroba is often called the best magician in all of Japan (and according to Kaito, the world), so his income isn't going to be average. The best magicians today have a net worth of millions, with one magician (David Copperfield) well on his way to a billionaire status. Considering the Kurobas live in a normal suburban house instead of even a small mansion (like the Kudous), it can be assumed that they still have plenty of cash lying around... This WOULD also make Kaito secretly rich, but I doubt that would change much about his character... And with the way he loses/destroys equipment frequently, he's likely to run out of money within a few years!
    • Kaito in the animated adaptations often complains about his mother wasting the money left from his father, so this troper isn't sure how likely that is.
    • It is also likely that there is cash or assets from both Touichi and Chikage's careers as Kaitou KID and the Phantom Lady. Chikage might even still be active as a thief considering that she is always traveling. No one ever mentions the Phantom Lady carrying out any heists outside of past tense, though.
• How did Hakuba get Kaitou KID's *exact* height and weight? And more bizarrely, how de *hell* did he get his vision range and IQ?? Did he sit KID down with an optometrist board and played 20 questions with an IQ exam or something?