RELATED: Awesome Games Based On Anime Series (That Never Left Japan)
Mystery plots either come in two forms — well-crafted masterpieces or sloppily constructed misadventures where the ending is far too obvious. Fortunately, Japanese animators and storytellers seem to have a knack for tackling the genre with grace and style. Let’s take a look at the best mystery anime on the market.
Updated April 30, 2022 by Mark Sammut: Mystery anime are not overabundant, so the ones that do exist should be cherished. When done right, these stories can be among the most captivating and the hardest to put down, and anime is responsible for some of the most gripping mysteries of the last three decades. Spring 2022 has a few of these types of shows airing, and while it is too early to rank Summer Time Rendering and Tomodachi Game among the best mystery anime of all time, they are already worthwhile additions to the genre. This article has been updated to include an additional show, along with the streaming information of each anime.
11 Odd Taxi
Odd Taxi was an underrated anime of the Spring 2021 season that deserves to have more people watching it. The lore and mystery that unfolds throughout the series expands beyond the show itself. There are real-life Twitter accounts for characters, a hidden audio drama on YouTube, and even foreshadowing for the series finale in the official music video for the opening song.
Fans will have many opportunities to try and untangle the web of what happens in the show. Just be prepared to still guess wrong in the end!
10 Baccano!
What does a group of alchemists from 1711 have to do with a transcontinental train in the 1930s? Baccano! follows several seemingly unrelated events while slowly creating a full picture of a much more expansive story. The show is perfect for fans of historical dramas that want a bit of puzzle-solving to go along with their viewing experience.
Based on a light novel that has won several awards, this adaptation is sure to entertain anyone that watches it.
9 Mononoke
Mononoke not only features one of the most visually stunning art styles in all of anime but complex mysteries to work through in each episode. The Medicine Seller must figure out each spirit’s form, truth, and reason before being able to exorcise it with his sword.
RELATED: Greatest Fantasy Anime Of All Time
The series really digs into the darker parts of human nature with a supernatural backdrop as humans must take terrible actions for vengeful Mononoke to exist in the first place. The revelations of the final episode will leave viewers particularly stunned, so be braced for impact when watching.
8 Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex
With Yutaka Maseba of Sailor Moon, Trigun, and Akira fame behind Stand Alone Complex, it’s no wonder it is remembered as one of the best parts of the Ghost in the Shell franchise.
The special police force at Station 9 face a lot of unique enemies but none as challenging to take down as “The Laughing Man.” Watching the team try to play a game of cat and mouse with the mysterious hacker is thrilling right through the end.
7 The Promised Neverland
While it wasn’t a perfect adaptation of the manga, The Promised Neverland is still a perfect blending of the thriller, psychological, horror, and mystery genres.
RELATED: Horror Anime To Watch If You Like Mieruko-chan
Without giving too many spoilers, three children that live in an orphanage slowly learn that being adopted out to a family isn’t what it really seems. With well-written plot twists peppered through the episodes, The Promised Neverland is sure to leave viewers on the edge of their seats. Season 1 is especially strong, telling a well-paced story filled with suspense and mystery. The sequel is a bit more polarizing and rushed.
6 The Tatami Galaxy
Who hasn’t wanted the chance to go back and relive a moment to make their future better? This is the opportunity Watashi is given during his third year of college — a chance to make his miserable life much better by making better choices.
Watching the show unravel how each minor decision Watashi makes changes the alternate timelines he can go through is utterly fascinating and results in a payoff that is sure to leave fans satisfied. With so many intertwining storylines taking place, it might be necessary to take notes to solve the mysteries of the show.
5 The Garden Of Sinners
Based on a Type-Moon light novel, The Garden of Sinners is a challenging sit, both thematically and narratively. Consisting of eight movies and some short entries, the series revolves around a detective agency that investigates supernatural-themed cases, although that description makes this story sound much more conventional than it actually is.
Telling its story out of chronological order, The Garden of Sinners is first and foremost a character study, specifically of Shiki Ryougi. An anti-social girl who possesses the ability to see someone’s death lines, Shiki is an enigmatic and compelling figure; she is not necessarily likable, but she is deeply fascinating. The movies weave a tale of suffering, growth, and compromise. Now, it should be said that not every entry is a mesmerizing watch, particularly on initial viewing, but when the series hits the mark, The Garden of Sinners is among the best mystery anime. Paradox Spiral and A Study in Murder – Part 2 are especially strong.
4 Death Note
It’s impossible to mention anime in the mystery genre without discussing this masterpiece of psychological anime. Death Note’s signature twists and turns as Light Yagami and L engage in their battle of wits are so intense that even the most seasoned detectives might have a hard time seeing them coming.
RELATED: Death Note Was Better As An Anime For Many Reasons
What makes the show particularly strong is the limitations placed upon its titular Death Notes making it so that Light must find clever ways to evade them without shortening his own lifespan with L hot on his trail. If even a bag of potato chips can be the ultimate psychological weapon, imagine what else the two come up with.
3 Mushi-Shi
Ginko is a Mushishi — a person who studies the mysterious entities known as Mushi. The Mushi are almost unknowable entities that are capable of taking on basically any form and seem to lack any human concept of mortality.
Mushi-shi leads fans on Ginko’s journey as he tries to chase down any sightings of the strange creatures and try to figure out what their existence means both physically and philosophically.
2 Monster
Is the life of a famous celebrity worth more than an immigrant worker? How about a small child or a town’s mayor? These are the tough questions asked in Monster where elite neurosurgeon Dr. Kenzou Tenma is forced to make difficult decisions that result in deep traumas and even deeper social intrigue.
When The doctor eventually saves the life of a dangerous criminal, everything turns upsidedown as he must try to make up for the mistakes he made in saving his life.
1 Owarimonogatari
While the entire Monogatari series is highly regarded, Owarimonogatari is considered to be the best of them all. Ougi and Koyomi’s adventures trying to discover how and why a classroom exists in a place where it should not is full of twists and turns.
While it helps to have watched the previous parts of the series, it’s not impossible to get a lot out of Owarimonogatari all by itself due to its fantastic writing and storyline. That said, people should really start from Bakemonogatari since the show deserves to be experienced in its entirety.
MORE: Best Anime From The 2000s
