"Snow Demon Legend Murder Case" (aka "Snow Yaksha Legend Murder Case" or "The Death TV Case") is the third case arc in the File Series of The Kindaichi Case Files. This is also where Reika Hayami and Kengo Akechi debut, though before Characterization Marches On for Akechi.
Kindaichi joins a team of entertainers and crew members for a TV production within a mansion located in the Taisetsu Mountain range in Hokkaido as an extra and help with errands for his part-time work at the local TV station during his winter break, but things take a deadly turn when a serial murderer starts a killing spree.
Tropes include:
- And You Thought It Was a Game:
- When encountering the culprit, the actress, having caught on to the Candid Camera Prank theme of the TV production earlier, believes the culprit under the disguise of the snow demon from the local legend is also part of the crew playing pranks on her... until the moment the culprit's axe sinks into her skull, killing her on the spot.
- Played with regarding those who watch the culprit's appearance. Initially they are uncertain about whether this part is real or staged, but it turns into a Mass "Oh, Crap!" once everyone double-checks with the production crew members and receives confirmation that no one in the crew had brought the costume in question for the production.
- The Bet: Akechi, who at this point isn't impressed with Kindaichi's deduction prowess as Kenmochi is, proposes a bet on who can solve the case first. Should Akechi win, Kenmochi would have to hand over his badge to Akechi. If Kindaichi wins, Kenmochi gets to do what he wishes with Akechi's.
- Big "OMG!": Kindaichi lets out one of these once the reality of an incoming murder sinks in while watching the culprit's appearance through the monitors. This leads to a Mass "Oh, Crap!" as the same reality starts sinking in for the others as well.
- Bystander Syndrome: Part of the backstory involves this. Ten years ago, the culprit (back then a ten-year-old) emerged from the wreckage of an airplane after its deadly crash and found her mother stuck underneath some wrecked airplane parts, while her father was nowhere to be found and presumed to be dead. She tried desperately to pull her mother out, but to no avail. When a group of journalists showed up, she pleaded with them for help, but they refused. The wreckage eventually fell and crushed her mother to death, and it was at this point that she resolved to kill the group in turn.
- Candid Camera Prank: What the TV production was intended to be at first for the celebrities that are involved (some of them, anyway) before things become real deadly.
- Conveniently an Orphan: As Kindaichi reveals during Summation Gathering, the person who would impersonate as the deceased wealthy painter grew up as an orphan with no relatives.
- Dead All Along: The artist who owns the mansion where the TV production and the serial murder takes place turns out to have already been dead in the airplane accident that kick-started the whole series of events leading to the murder case arc, and one person among the victims who discovered his body has been pretending to be him this whole time.
- Dead Person Impersonation: Among the victims, one of them turns out to have been impersonating a dead artist in order to claim ownership on his wealth without the danger of blowing the cover.
- Deceased Fall-Guy Gambit: This is the first case arc where the culprit plants fake evidence after murdering the final intended target in an attempt to trick others into believing said victim committed the murders before committing suicide.
- Destroy the Evidence: In this murder case, the evidence in question is a bridge — an ice bridge, to be precise. Kindaichi reveals during Summation Gathering that the culprit had, early on in the case arc, constructed one such bridge nearer to the buildings that are separated by a river surrounded by steep cliffs in order to shorten the travel time and allow oneself to park the vehicle to a Security Blindspot before carrying out the murder on the actress, destroying the bridge after crossing it with the intention of eliminating a crucial proof of the crime.
- Destroy the Security Camera: The culprit destroys a nearby security camera after killing the actress. As Kindaichi reveals in The Summation, the motive is to manipulate others into paying attention to the painter's self-portrait, which can be seen through the destroyed security camera prior to the culprit destroying said camera and taking the portrait, for the Deceased Fall-Guy Gambit later on.
- Dying Clue: There are some bits of grass-straw being discovered in hand when the cameraman's dead body is found. As Kindaichi reveals during the Summation Gathering, the cameraman was trying to leave a message for the others via taking hold of the grass-straw in his dying moment.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: For Kenmochi, anyway. While he couldn't stop the murders or solve the case on his own merits, the fact that Kindaichi has solved the case means he's the winner of The Bet against Akechi, who is now forced to show him some respect as a result.Kenmochi: During all of my years working here, I've never felt this good. (hugs Kindaichi) All thanks to you.Kindaichi: Whoa, take it easy.
- Forced to Watch: The scenario of the culprit killing the actress is done in plain view of everyone who's watching remotely from the monitors. Once those who watch the incident realize that This Is Not a Drill, all of them can only witness powerlessly at the inevitable murder due to none of them being nearby enough to stop it in time.
- Foreshadowing: The culprit makes a claim early in the case arc while presenting herself with a pleasant personality, though at the time it's said to address Reika, when Kindaichi feels disappointed about her after overhearing her argument with the actress.There's a saying: "Every woman has two faces."
- He Knows Too Much: The cameraman turns out to be the first murder victim after seeing an ice bridge the culprit is making for a planned murder; on the other hand, he's been on the culprit's kill-list right from the start anyway, even without seeing anything incriminating.
- The Hermit: The wealthy painter is a recluse who rarely shows his own face to even the people he knows. In the backstory, this was the trait a group of journalists took advantage of in order for one of them to pretend to be him without blowing the cover after discovering his dead body in the aftermath of the airplane accident that happened a decade ago.
- His Name Is...: The director comes to realize who's behind the murders after two people have already fallen victim, but he fails to notice the culprit standing behind him with an axe in hand and poised to kill him right as he's about to mention the culprit's name. The next time anyone else sees him, it's only after Kenmochi follows a trail of bloodstained money bills into his room and discovers his corpse.
- Hostility on the Set: In-Universe. Almost everyone who's been in the entertainment business long enough has some beef with the actress, which is why the director decides to plan a Candid Camera Prank on her as the production is near the end.
- Hypocritical Humor: When the cameraman offers Kindaichi a private footage of Reika bathing, Kindaichi declines because another woman is nearby, so cameraman tells him the time and location for the footage viewing. The cameraman enters the room with the video clip and finds Kindaichi anxiously waiting by the TV, now that there's no woman around.Cameraman: You seem pretty eager.
- Interrupted Declaration of Love: As Reika is about to leave after the case is over, she tries to say something to Kindaichi but doesn't manage to finish her words before the helicopter coming to pick her up leaves. It's heavily implied to be a love confession, as the case arc concludes with the combination of Reika answering a TV host's question about how many Valentine's Day chocolates she's giving out by saying "one"note and Kindaichi's mother receiving a Valentine's Day chocolate that's addressed to Kindaichi from a sender "R.H."note .
- The Killer Was Left-Handed: It's discovered when the murder spree ends that the painter — or, rather, the imposter pretending to be the painter — is left-handed, which leads to Akechi's conclusion that the imposter is the murderer. Then Kindaichi finds evidence that the painter (the real one, that is) is also left-handed, that the imposter had mistakenly believed that the painter he had been impersonating all along was right-handed and, therefore, had been pretending to be right-handed while impersonating the painter, and that the culprit also wrongly believes that the deceased painter was right-handed, which Kindaichi reveals during Summation Gathering, shattering the culprit's plot of tricking others into believing that the imposter had committed murderer and then killed himself.
- Mass "Oh, Crap!": Most of the people watching the culprit's appearance in front of the actress have a panicked reaction upon realizing that the scenario is turning into a real murder and they're too far away from the location of the culprit to stop it.
- Minor Major Character: Miyuki is absent throughout the case until the very end. It's justified by Kindaichi explaining to Kenmochi that she was supposed to show up to help out with the TV production but got sick before the scheduled arrival. That being said, she gets to help with the case by researching about the wealthy artist and his connection with the airplane accident that happened ten years ago.
- Mood Whiplash: The Candid Camera Prank starts out with everyone watching gleefully at the actress getting scared, before the culprit wearing the costume of the snow demon appears on the scene, at which point the reality of an impending murder causes Kindaichi to react with a Big "OMG!" and leads to a Mass "Oh, Crap!" once everyone realizes that This Is Not a Drill and everybody is Forced to Watch the murder happening in plain view of the security cameras.
- Not the First Victim: The actress, whose death Kindaichi and many others are Forced to Watch, turns out to be the second victim, while the cameraman, who has gone missing around the same time-span, is revealed to be the first murder victim.
- Orphan's Ordeal: The culprit lost both of her parents in the airplane crash. She handles her father's presumed demise better than her mother's since the airplane crash itself presumably killed her father even though his body is never found while her mother died as the result of human-made factor (others' refusal to provide help for an otherwise-preventable death), which drove the culprit to a murderous resolve.
- The Prima Donna: The actress has this reputation. Even after her death, one of the actors describes her as a "nag" at one point.
- Reclusive Artist: In-Universe. The owner of the mansion is a wealthy painter who almost never shows his face to others, even to people he knows. This ends up being exploited, as he turns out to have been Dead All Along and part of the backstory involves his dead body being seen by a group of journalists who then decided to have someone among them impersonate him in order to cash in on his wealth without the risk of blowing the cover.
- Security Blindspot: The culprit, being among the TV production crew members, has detailed knowledge about where the security cameras can see. As Kindaichi reveals in The Summation, the culprit parks the vehicle just far enough away for the vehicle to be undetected by the security cameras while still nearby enough to change into the snow demon costume disguise, enter the building where the actress is, kills her, returns to the vehicle, takes off the costume, and wait until the estimated time is right to pretend to have just arrived at the building where the actress just died, creating The Alibi as a result.
- Shovel Strike: The culprit kills the cameraman with a shovel when the latter, while tailing the culprit, discovers the ice bridge the culprit has been making with the intention of using it to help commit the murder on the actress and the culprit decides that He Knows Too Much.
- Slipping a Mickey: Kindaichi states during The Summation that the culprit probably put some sleeping pill inside the cup she gave to the artist — or, rather, the imposter who pretends to be him — early on during the events of the case arc in order to make his alibi less than ironclad and make the others, especially the police, suspect him so the effort into setting him up later as The Scapegoat would be easier.
- Smoking Is Not Cool: Kindaichi's description of the director is that he "always has a cigarette in his mouth and stinks like one".
- Snow Means Death:
- The entire murder case arc sets within a mansion in the mountain range in Hokkaido, as a severe snowstorm is blowing. While no one dies directly from the weather effect, the snowstorm ensures the mansion is a Closed Circle until the snowstorm passes.
- There's a legend in the Hokkaido village where the case arc is located about a woman and her baby who died in the snow after failing to find shelter. She is then reborn to take revenge during harsh snowstorms.
- Tampering with Food and Drink: The artist — or, rather, the imposter who pretends to be him — is on the receiving end of this when the culprit does so to kill him before setting him up as The Scapegoat for the other murders.
- This Is Not a Drill: When everyone who's awake watches through the security monitors the Candid Camera Prank against the actress remotely, the air of schadenfreude is thick, before it quickly gives way to an air of horror when the culprit, dressed as the snow demon holding an axe that is depicted in a painting within the mansion, emerges in view, and everyone present, having realized that it's no longer All Part of the Show, is Forced to Watch the actress in question being murdered.
- Trail of Blood: A variation, as the scenario in question is "a trail of money bills with bloodstains", but the trope gets played straight otherwise. Kenmochi discovers one such trail that leads into a room, where he finds the axe the culprit has been using before spotting the corpse of the director.
- Unwitting Pawn: Akechi falls for the culprit's Deceased Fall-Guy Gambit in this case arc due to the fake evidence being planted by the real culprit that's intended to trick others into believing the imposter pretending to be the deceased painter had been the murderer.
- The Watson: After being cleared of suspicion thanks to Kindaichi's deduction, Reika decides to help him in his efforts to find the real culprit, though her contributions usually amounts to asking questions that might be connected to the case at handnote .
- Who Murdered the Asshole: After the actress has died as the first murder victim, the director believes the cameraman, who's missing at the moment and, therefore, the presumed most likely suspect, is the culprit due to the two of them having gotten into fights back when they were reporters. One of the actors, however, disagrees by arguing that this line of argument would mark everyone among the participants in this case arc who have been in the show business long enough with her as a prime suspect due to her notorious reputation as The Prima Donna.Oh, come on. If you're looking for motives, pretty much everybody here has one.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Played for Drama. After emerging from the wrecked airplane, the culprit found her mother trapped underneath some debris and tried to get her out, but to no avail. When a group of journalists appeared at the scene of the plane wreckage, the culprit firmly believed that they'd help her to get her mother out of the airplane debris trapping her, only for that hope to be dashed when they reacted with cold apathy to the culprit's pleas. Once the airplane debris fell on the culprit's mother and killed her, the culprit's determination to murder the group in turn was set in stone.
