Mysterious murders, ghosts investigating their own deaths, and complex moral questions.
Japanese animation is known for its colorful characters, unexpected plot twists, and deep and timely topics – and the detective genre is no exception.
In this list, we've rounded up five works where you definitely won't solve the case before the on-screen detective.
1. Monster, 2004-2005
The German city of Düsseldorf is shaken by a double murder: an unknown assailant breaks into the home of the Liebert family, kills the parents and shoots the son.
A talented Japanese neurosurgeon, Kenzo Tenma, saves the boy's life, unaware that many years later the patient will be implicated in a series of horrific murders across Germany. How did a child who was the victim of a heinous crime become a monster? And is the doctor responsible for the crime of the patient he saved?
2. Darker Than Black, 2007-2010
In the near future, the twinkling of real stars and moonlight will no longer be seen. In the US and Japan, the Gates of Heaven and Hell have opened, dividing the world into before and after.
In the anomalous zones, ghosts appear, people die, and unprecedented flora grows. Despite the evacuation, the consequences of the disaster have negatively affected human society. Among ordinary people, contractors have appeared – people with supernatural abilities who are forced to pay tribute for their use.
The protagonist Hei – a contractor known as the Black Reaper – is trying to understand the nature of the new world and find his sister, while performing tasks for a secret organization.
3. Paranoia Agent, 2004-2005
A psychedelic detective anime from the famous director Satoshi Kon. An ordinary Japanese schoolboy on roller skates with a golden baseball bat becomes famous throughout the region.
He attacks various people, be it a designer girl, a gambler or an artist, and legends about his adventures quickly start to form. More and more people are asking themselves: who will be the next to fall under the hand of the elusive criminal?
And does he really exist – or is everything that happens just a figment of the imagination of people driven into a corner by their own fear?
4. Dusk Maiden of Amnesia, 2012
Seikyou Academy is full of secrets and mysteries. One of them has to do with the ghost of Yuuko, who wanders the corridors. The supernatural being not only communicates with the students through the local medium Teiichi, but also leads the Paranormal Research Club.
Yuuko leads this club not only to have a good time, but also to find out the circumstances of her death. The ghost knows very little about it: her death was painful, and for some reason she was supposed to warn her descendants of impending danger.
The researchers must solve the case as soon as possible, or terrible things will happen.
5. Psycho-Pass, 2012-2019
In 22nd century Japan, justice is administered by a specially trained machine called Sybil. It quickly identifies a potential criminal and gives law enforcement officers the instant right to arrest and use force.
However, the system is not flawless: some criminals' biographies only get cleaner after each offense, and they themselves are completely ignored by the mechanism.
A young idealist, Akane, who has just joined the service, must find out what Sibyl really is and why her mistakes are usually overlooked.