Since 2006, Jinjiang Amusement Park (201 Hongmei Road) has been extending its opening hours during the summer. However, this is the first year that it has done so while adding a themed summer program.

And what a safe choice Detective Conan (aka Case Closed) seems - the Japanese detective manga series and later animation franchise, which has run for more than 20 years, enjoys an enormous and still-growing audience.

But the experience itself is a disappointment, at least for a grown-up who is more of an enthusiast than a fan.

Part of the Detective Conan theme summer program at Jinjiang Amusement Park

Theme fail

It is important to realize that the Detective Conan theme does not encompass any of the rides in the park, despite what the promotional materials may suggest.

Instead, one of a series of six questions is posted outside each ride. For example, a board at the entrance of a mock cave adventure asks who the murderer is in the well-known episode A Murder at the Library.

The ride itself contains no clue as to the answer. You either know it (or find it with the help of your smartphone), or you don't.

If you manage to answer all six questions correctly on your Detective Conan "passport," which comes with the admission ticket, you can head to the stand near the entrance of the amusement park to claim your reward - a free souvenir.

Display zones

The program has put more efforts into setting up two themed display zones, which allow visitors to solve mini-investigations taken from the series and get hands-on with gadgets.

The Classic Cases of Detective Conan hall replicates six famous scenes from six episodes. There is the mysterious elevator from episode 19, the shelf of dolls in celebration of Girls' Day (March 3) from episode 312, and a reading room with dubious-looking books.

There are signposts offering a number of clues on each case to suggest what visitors can do in each of these settings. For example, a sliding wall within the reading room can be pushed open to reveal a secret chamber.

Re-enactment is certainly the appeal here, and young children seemed to have a lot of fun exploring the installations. While older visitors may find it less enchanting, at least the main theme from the soundtrack, which is played nonstop in the hall, manages to keep spirits up.

Meanwhile, the Home of Doctor Ali, referring to the genius inventor's dwelling where the titular protagonist lives, is a circular showroom offering interactive games based on Conan's signature gadgets.

It is where you ride on Conan's slide to avoid cars and try to finish a mile in the shortest time, hit monsters on the LED screen with Conan's football, or experience altered voices using Conan's bow tie. Again, you need to be either in love with basic interactive games, or Conan, to have fun here.

If you visit the amusement park for the two specific halls alone, purchase the 60 yuan ($9.80) minimum ticket (two fun rides are included). A 100 yuan ticket, on the other hand, allows you to go on six fun rides.

Characters from the popular cartoon Photos: Liao Fangzhou/GT

Cash in hand

The program offers a range of souvenirs of mediocre design and quality, mostly near the exit of the Classic Cases of Detective Conan hall.

While the wide collection of cotton handbags and backpacks hung on the wall looks nice, largely due to pleasant color combinations, the accessories lack attractiveness or value-for-money - be it a 5 yuan badge, a 35 yuan key chain, or an 88 yuan water bottle.

Japanese-style outdoor vendors selling so-called Japanese food and drinks (for example, pan-fried pies from Fukuoka and herb tea from Okinawa) aim to provide the sense of an authentic summer fair.

Yet the dismal quality of the items combined with the requirement that you can only pay with a 50 yuan minimum prepay card makes it an unpalatable experience.

Photo ops

On the plus side, photo opportunities abound. Many visitors take time to pose by the life-size cardboard models of the main characters, or beneath a huge, sweetly smiling air-filled Conan.

In a sense, the lackluster program does connect me to Conan, though rather ironically. While the protagonist represents an advanced mind trapped in the body of a child, I felt I was trapped in a world clearly designed to cash in on kids. I guess I endured it like Conan endured second grade mathematics.

This is a bit sad, for an amusement park features heavily in the animation's plot - it is where high school detective Conan, before he is poisoned and shrinks to his childhood form, last meets his love interest Ran.

Perhaps Conan-loving couples on a date are the only visitors other than young kids who would find the place worthwhile. They can perhaps ride the Ferris wheel together - an opportunity Conan and Ran never had.

Date: Until August 31

Call 5420-4956 or 5421-6858 for details