Mystery shows are a great genre for novice and seasoned anime watchers alike. Every episode is a lead-in to the next, complete with cliffhangers and all the juicy drama an anime fan could want. The journey to solve the mystery, the wacky characters met along the way, and the twists and turns of every story arc make the mystery genre worth exploring.
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Each case brings something new to the table, each crime brings new intrigue, and each mystery needs a master sleuth to decipher it. Once an anime fan starts a mystery series, they're sure to finish it the same day.
10 Death Note
Considered an essential series among fans, Death Note is still one of the highest regarded manga and anime of all time. The story follows Light Yagami, a teenage boy who discovers a notebook that allows him to kill anyone whose name he writes within its pages.
This macabre story has lots of ups and downs as more and some pretty sinister characters and plotlines to the mix. But the unique intrigue offered by the dark plot is enough to entice any anime fan.
9 Durarara!!
Durarara!! is one of the more peculiar mystery anime to exist. The show follows a colorful cast of underworld characters in Ikebukuro consisting of gang members, brokers, and even a headless motorcyclist.
The episodes jump around from character to character and the show likes messing with viewer's heads whenever it can. For anime fans in search of a more offbeat mystery, this is the one.
8 Death Parade
Another anime that likes to mess with the minds of its audience, Death Parade is a psychological mystery with an existential twist.
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The premise revolves around the recently deceased being sent to an eerie bar where an emotionless bartender has them compete in "death games" which involve the deceased's soul being put on the line for high stakes. This 2015 show was an instant classic and is easily consumable, although the subject matter is certainly grim compared to other mystery anime.
7 Case Closed (Detective Conan)
One of the longest running anime currently airing, Case Closed has been on the air since 1996. This immensely popular anime series follows a genius high school detective who is transformed into a young boy by a mysterious organization.
Of course this in no way stops him from solving crimes. This whodunit episodic mystery extravaganza is filled with thrilling conundrums and head-scratching riddles that viewers can try and solve themselves.
6 Erased
A mystery anime with a time travel twist, Erased is the story of Satoru Fujinuma, a man who is sent eighteen years into the past after his mother is murdered.
On his quest to solve the mystery of her murder and save his mother, Satoru is given the opportunity to save the lives of several of his old classmates as well. The animation's artwork is fantastic and the story is brilliantly paced too.
5 Another
Another is a creepy mystery anime involving a high schooler's search for answers to the grisly deaths of his new classmates.
Not everything is as it seems in class 3-3 and the students need to search in the past for answers as the curse that hangs over them gradually wipes them out. This show is really efficient at squeezing the maximum amount of horror out of every episode for some seriously scary moments.
4 Future Diary
Future Diary is an anime with a psychological time-traveling twist.Its plot revolves around the God of space and time orchestrating a game in which a dozen individuals are given a special diary that allows them to predict the future.
Naturally, things get crazy as more details come to light, but this roller coaster ride of a show is more complex than it first lets on.
3 Hyouka
Hyouka is a change of pace from the wilder mystery anime in that it's much more reserved and laid back. It's light on action, but heavy on brain-busting mysteries.
The show follows the Kamiyama High School Classic Literature Club and their attempts to solve mysteries around the school. It's a charming anime complete with humorous moments, memorable characters, and a story that is just as much a slice of life tale as it is a mystery.
2 Monster
Monster follows surgeon Kenzo Tenma, whose life dramatically changes when he decides to save a young boy at the cost of his own career and social standing. What follows is a dark mystery that delves deep into the psychological thriller category.
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The decision ends up having some massive long-term implications when the boy returns years later, throwing Tenma's life into a spiral of conspiracy, crime, and survival. Monster is a show that will have viewers on the edge of their seats after every episode.
1 Gosick
A period piece and a mystery anime, Gosick is set in 1924 and takes place in an unnamed European country. The series follows a transfer student who meets a brilliant, yet eccentric girl with a penchant for solving mysteries.
Every case is a thrilling adventure and the world-building of the setting is phenomenal. For anime fans in search of an easy-going mystery yarn, Gosick is the move.
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