All that murder planning for nothing with 水の泡になる
Idiom Explanation: All that effort for nothing with 水の泡になる
After discovering who the murderer is, Conan explains why the murderer went after Ran. He pinpoints when Ran unknowingly discovered a vital clue.
- コナン:
- 「あの時、蘭の事気にもとめてなかったが、もし思い出されたらせっかく組み立てたこの殺人計画がすべて水の泡になる…」
- “Ran didn't think anything of it at the time, but if she remembered it, all the murderous plans he worked so hard on putting together would go up in smoke.”
- Literal: “At the time, Ran didn't pay it any mind, but if she remembered, this murder plan he had gone to the trouble of assembling would all become bubbles of water...”
- “Ran didn't think anything of it at the time, but if she remembered it, all the murderous plans he worked so hard on putting together would go up in smoke.”
Key Points
1水の泡になる = to come to nothing
- This idiom means all the effort would be wasted.
- In the scene, the culprit’s carefully built murder plan would collapse if Ran remembered the clue.
2せっかく highlights the effort invested
- せっかく組み立てた means “carefully” or “with effort put together”.
- That makes 水の泡になる feel more tragic or frustrating.
3もし思い出されたら sets the condition
- The idea is “if she were to remember it”.
- Everything after that clause is the consequence the culprit wanted to avoid.
Vocabulary
時 (Time)
時 means time, a moment, or an occasion.
せっかく (With much effort)
せっかく marks an effort or valuable opportunity that should not go to waste. Depending on the sentence, it can mean “after taking the trouble” or “since we have the chance”.
殺人 (Murder)
殺人 means killing another person or murder.
計画 (Plan)
計画 means a plan that sets out what will be done, when, how, and by whom.
See Also
- External: Past tense with 〜た・〜だ
- Grammar: Marking the topic with は and も
- Kanji: Counting and planning with 計
- Kanji: People and persons with 人
- Kanji: Pictures and plans with 画
名探偵コナン © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.