Sera Masumi identity, motive, whatever speculation topic

[Fennec]

Of course, there's the possibility that she's using it to refer to him as a close, older friend (such as how Conan refers to Ran as "Ran-nee-chan"), but it's more likely that they're actually siblings due to the resemblance in the eyes. Also, Gosho did say in an interview somewhere that Sera was someone's sister.

[Nix]

Just kind of bumping this thread, since, you know, the recent case and all

So, after this, our new clues are:
- Sera and Shinichi have met before, definitely however somehow Sera chooses not to tell Conan this
- Ran keeps hearing waves when she sees Sera
- Her weird fang smile is actually... significant.. O.o

And mustn't forget our old ones:
- Her mum who has, ahem, large breasts and apparently Ran should know her.
- Remember in her intro case, she claims she has good ears, due to her line of work. Whatever that means.
- and that 'Bad girl' comment.
- and if Sera Masumi is her real name :x
EDIT: - why she is/was so interested in meeting Amuro.
        - and that really old one that I've forgotten if it was resolved: How does Vermouth know her name?

I feel like all these should add up to something, just don't know what.

[Pmofmalasia]

Well, the due to her line of work comment was before she was introduced as a detective, so that's probably all that was leading up to.  I think it's pretty safe to say that Masumi is her real name, since if it weren't she would have noticed something when Vermouth referred to her as Masumi while disguised as Scar Akai.  I wonder if maybe Sera and Akai were orphans and were adopted?  Just a speculation, but it would explain why they have different names, unless there's some other possible reason in Japanese culture that I don't know about.

[Chekhov MacGuffin]

Sera Masumi could be her official name if the Akai family took witness protection and then switched the family name up to Sera. Akai Masumi is probably Sera's birth name though.

If WTP WP is the reason, I guess that would mean Sera Shuuichi.

[RADEON360]

Maybe Sera has photographic memory? she can remember Conan/Shinichi's face after a long(?) time... Any evidence of this?

[Pmofmalasia]

Sera Masumi could be her official name if the Akai family took witness protection and then switched the family name up to Sera. Akai Masumi is probably Sera's birth name though.

If WTP is the reason, I guess that would mean Sera Shuuichi.

That makes sense, since 3 years ago when Sera and her family went to America that was probably around when Akai was getting deep into the FBI, but I still find it odd that she would think that Vermouth was Akai if Masumi wasn't her real name, as I'd think that Akai would call her by her real name and not the one given to her by witness protection.  True, she might not consider this discrepancy because she was relieved to see her brother again, but at the same time she went into it suspicious (the first thing she said to Vermouth was "Who the hell are you???") so I think that she would have noticed it.

Also, I don't know what WTP means

[Nix]

Well, the due to her line of work comment was before she was introduced as a detective, so that's probably all that was leading up to.  I think it's pretty safe to say that Masumi is her real name, since if it weren't she would have noticed something when Vermouth referred to her as Masumi while disguised as Scar Akai.  I wonder if maybe Sera and Akai were orphans and were adopted?  Just a speculation, but it would explain why they have different names, unless there's some other possible reason in Japanese culture that I don't know about.

Well yes, we're pretty sure Masumi is her real name, but I was talking about Sera. I think it is indeed from the witness program, because she didn't have a character box (indicating that this is not her real name) but Akai had one.

Remember Akai's first appearance. The passengers had to undergo police questioning, and if Akai wasn't a real surname, he would have avoided it (if Akai wasn't the witness program name). However, doesn't Sera try to avoid police questioning? She did have to after the kidnapping case, but avoided it in the Yuusaku case. So it's either Sera is a fake name, or it is the switched family name.

Just thinking, if this witness program was for Akai's BO buisness, does Akai have to go under the program too? It's a silly question, but Akai's not exactly afraid of the BO, and he wants to get revenge. If he didn't go under the program, it means the surname 'Sera' is legal and 'Akai' is legal too.

I'm assuming WTP was the witness protection program.

[Pmofmalasia]

Well, if Sera were a name given from the witness protection program, then Masumi would have to be too.  Pretty sure they don't let you keep your first name, but I'm not exactly an expert on it either (and I feel like googling it will get me on some sort of watch list....).

And as for avoiding police questioning, if her name was changed due to witness protection then it would be a legal name, she wouldn't have to worry about that.  I forgot that she avoided questioning though, we should add that to the list.

[Kleene Onigiri]

Sera Masumi could be her official name if the Akai family took witness protection and then switched the family name up to Sera. Akai Masumi is probably Sera's birth name though.

If WTP is the reason, I guess that would mean Sera Shuuichi.

Another possibility for both names being true names is, when the parents divorced. Then Sera Masumi changed her name for example (like, if she followed her mother or whatever) while Akai stayed Akai? :V

[Chekhov MacGuffin]

I'm assuming WTP was the witness protection program.

I'm not sure where that T came from, but yes I meant witness protection...

Well, if Sera were a name given from the witness protection program, then Masumi would have to be too.  Pretty sure they don't let you keep your first name, but I'm not exactly an expert on it either (and I feel like googling it will get me on some sort of watch list....).

We do know Jodie kept her real first name in WP and only changed her last name. I found the following quote from howstuffworks: Witness Protection

However, according to the book WITSEC: Inside the Federal Witness Protection Program, co-written by the program's creator, Gerald Shur, witnesses are advised to keep their current initials or same first name.

I remember reading when I looked up WP before the reason for keeping the given name is because people have a hard time adjusting to a different name and often hesitate suspiciously in conversation or sign the wrong name on documents.
If googling the witness protection program puts you on a watch list, the NSA probably has a filing cabinet dedicated to the things I have searched.  :P

[Pmofmalasia]

Ah, okay, I was totally wrong on that one then, the reason for it totally makes sense too .

I wonder as well how Akai got into the FBI if his family didn't move to America until three years ago... but I suppose that's a bit off topic.

EDIT: And for Sera to recognize the indentation on his hats I'd think that he'd been living with his family for a while, unless he just left all his hats when he moved away

[Kleene Onigiri]

EDIT: And for Sera to recognize the indentation on his hats I'd think that he'd been living with his family for a while, unless he just left all his hats when he moved away

I don't think that has to be the case. Well, it probably is. But people remember stuff about their loved ones more or especially when they don't see them often. Little details will get more memorable then.

[Pmofmalasia]

EDIT: And for Sera to recognize the indentation on his hats I'd think that he'd been living with his family for a while, unless he just left all his hats when he moved away

I don't think that has to be the case. Well, it probably is. But people remember stuff about their loved ones more or especially when they don't see them often. Little details will get more memorable then.

Well, yeah, but Sera is only ~17, so take away 5 years for Akai's BO stuff and maybe a year or two of training minimum, since the BO doesn't exactly seem like a rookie's kind of job, and it would be hard for her to remember something from when she was only 10 max.... therefore Akai must have left his hats at home.
Which is super important to the story and stuff.

[Incomplete-tantei]

Hard for her to remember when she was 10 max? Well, Shinichi and Ran seem to remember things/whole stories that happened to them when they were 7... xD

[Kleene Onigiri]

EDIT: And for Sera to recognize the indentation on his hats I'd think that he'd been living with his family for a while, unless he just left all his hats when he moved away

I don't think that has to be the case. Well, it probably is. But people remember stuff about their loved ones more or especially when they don't see them often. Little details will get more memorable then.

Well, yeah, but Sera is only ~17, so take away 5 years for Akai's BO stuff and maybe a year or two of training minimum, since the BO doesn't exactly seem like a rookie's kind of job, and it would be hard for her to remember something from when she was only 10 max.... therefore Akai must have left his hats at home.
Which is super important to the story and stuff.

What incomplete-tantei said XD
People can remember stuff quite good when they are 6-7year+ (so the DBs age)
And just because Akai wasn't living with them doesn't mean he didn't see his sister D: He could have visited, for long periods of time too.

And since you said he was in the BO ~5years +2 years training, at that time he wouldn't be able to be living with his family anyway :V