Best Mystery Anime of 2008

In the shadowy corners of Victorian England, Ciel Phantomhive, known as "the Queen's Guard Dog," tackles the disturbing cases that endanger the realm on behalf of the monarchy. Guided by Sebastian Michaelis, a butler whose capabilities surpass human limits, Ciel employs every method necessary to complete his duties. However, deeper mysteries may lurk behind Sebastian's enigmatic presence. Tragic events from Ciel's past cast a dark shadow over him, prompting a pact with Sebastian, a demon, to exact revenge on those who wronged him in exchange for his soul. In the present, Sebastian excels not merely as a butler but as a flawless executor of Ciel's desires, while impatiently awaiting the day he can feast on Ciel's soul. As they unravel the riddles surrounding Ciel's misfortunes, an unbreakable bond forms between them, defying both heaven and hell.

At Cross Academy, which is split between a Day Class and a Night Class, Yuuki Cross and the stoic Zero Kiryuu serve on the disciplinary committee to oversee the transition between the two groups. While the Day Class remains unaware, the Night Class students are actually vampires. Ten years prior, Yuuki was saved from a vampire attack by Kaname Kuran, a Pureblood who currently leads the Night Class. As Yuuki encounters Kaname more often, her feelings toward him become increasingly tangled. In contrast, Zero holds a deep hatred for vampires, firmly believing that humans and vampires can never coexist in peace. However, secrets regarding Zero's past begin to surface, threatening the delicate stability of the academy and paving the way for significant turmoil.

Upon returning to Cross Academy, Zero Kiryuu is met with overwhelming relief from Yuuki Cross, though she observes that he has changed considerably. Tormented by visions connected to his past choices, Zero struggles to discover where they come from, unaware that the answers are closer than he realizes. Meanwhile, Yuuki deals with troubling hallucinations and turns to Kaname Kuran, the Pureblood vampire she holds most dear, for help in uncovering her hidden past. As the story moves toward a crucial revelation, it examines the fallout of exposing the truth.

In Shibuya, a series of murders known as the "New Generation Madness" are generating growing local buzz due to their notoriety. Nonetheless, these "New Gen" killings barely impact Takumi Nishijou, a high school otaku prone to delusions and a persistent sense of being watched by unseen eyes. Apathetic toward the outside world, Takumi spends his time on online games and anime. His routine is abruptly disrupted when he receives a graphic image of a man impaled on a wall from a user named Shogun. After recovering his composure at an internet café, Takumi unexpectedly encounters the very crime scene from the image, along with a blood-splattered pink-haired girl calling out to him. As Takumi struggles with the boundaries of reality, he finds himself increasingly entangled in the "New Gen" murders, believing the perpetrator is targeting him.

In the winter of 1995, Mikiya Kokutou encounters a young woman during a late-night walk in the snow. She wears a striking white kimono and an enigmatic smile that draws Mikiya's attention. The next spring, Mikiya spots Shiki Ryougi at his high school entrance ceremony, and they begin spending time together over lunch, slowly forming a friendship. As Shiki becomes more open with Mikiya, he learns about her unusual background. Meanwhile, Mifune City is shaken by a string of violent, interconnected murders that confound the police. Through his cousin, who works in law enforcement, Mikiya gains inside knowledge of the investigation. Worried for Shiki's safety, he starts watching her closely, only to discover a shocking truth that transforms his life forever.

In November 1998, a double murder takes place at the newly built Ogawa apartment complex in central Mifune City. The culprit, Tomoe Enjou, flees the scene in a state of panic. Strangely, the police show no interest in pursuing him, and the crime receives no coverage from the media. After Shiki Ryougi steps in to rescue Tomoe from some attackers, he lets Tomoe stay at his place. A few days later, Tomoe is shocked to find out that his mother is still alive, despite being certain he had killed her. At the same time, Mikiya Kokutou looks into a lead given by his colleague Touko Aozaki concerning the bizarre murder at the Ogawa complex. As Mikiya digs deeper into the incident, he becomes especially curious about Tomoe. His further investigation into Tomoe reveals the unsettling reality behind the eerie Ogawa complex. As the fifth installment in the Kara no Kyoukai movie series, Mujun Rasen weaves together a complex mystery with recurring themes and characters to deliver a dark and intellectually stimulating narrative.

In July 1998, during a violent storm, teenage girl Fujino Asagami is brutally assaulted and raped by a street gang inside an abandoned bar. Despite the extreme physical and sexual violence inflicted upon her, she remains blank and unresponsive throughout the ordeal. The following day, authorities discover mutilated corpses at the crime scene, torn apart so severely that human involvement is ruled out. Touko Aozaki's detective agency takes on a new case, assigning Shiki Ryougi to either capture or eliminate the perpetrator from the previous night. Rumors spread about a lone survivor who managed to escape the massacre, and the killer now relentlessly pursues this witness. Shiki becomes caught in a dangerous chase, facing an opponent that remains invisible even to her extraordinary perception.

In the wake of Satsujin Kousatsu (Zen), Shiki Ryougi enters a two-year coma after a car crash. Waking up, she grapples with amnesia and a deep sense of isolation. She also begins noticing dark lines around objects, and finds that touching these lines allows her to take them apart, an ability that frightens her. Her friend Mikiya Kokutou seeks out Touko Aozaki, a mage who can assist Shiki in comprehending the nature of her "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception" and mastering how to wield them properly.

After Ladd Russo chose not to kill Graham Specter in 1929, Graham became fiercely devoted to him. Three years later, Graham learns that Ladd was thrown from a train during the Flying Pussyfoot incident, which enrages him. To make his point, Graham intends to abduct Eve Genoard and Jacuzzi Splot, who resides at the Genoard mansion with his gang. Meanwhile, Jacuzzi's group takes in a mysterious woman, Elmer C. Albatross visits an old acquaintance in prison, and Czeslaw Meyer encounters someone they desperately wanted to avoid. These seemingly separate narratives gradually converge, revealing the full account of the strange events that occurred aboard the Advena Avis in 1711.

In a world where memories exist on detachable chips, physical death does not equate to the end of one's soul. These memory chips can be accessed, modified, and transferred into new bodies. The affluent leverage this technology to attain immortality by choosing optimal hosts, whereas the impoverished frequently sell their bodies and store their souls in these chips merely to endure. An insurmountable social gap is maintained by a barrier of electrolytic clouds that divides the heavens of the rich from the underworld inhabited by the poor. One day, Kaiba awakens in a desolate room, devoid of recollections, with a peculiar hole in his chest, and holding a locket featuring an image of an unfamiliar woman. Following a narrow escape from assailants and reaching a dilapidated village populated by underworld dwellers, Kaiba embarks on a quest across various planets of this bizarre cosmos to piece together the puzzle of his past and his connection to the woman in the photograph. On this odyssey of self-discovery and acceptance, Kaiba delves into tales of souls and spirits, questioning the essence and value of memories.

In the past, Himura Yuu was a dedicated student who focused solely on maintaining his position at the top of Otowa Academy. One day, he encountered a mysterious girl named Amamiya Yuuko, who somehow recognized him. This encounter stirs up long-buried childhood memories that are better left forgotten. Meeting Yuuko again forces Yuu to confront their shared past and the regret and sorrow that still linger in the present. In the current timeline, Kuze Shuuichi appears to be a playboy on the surface, but closer observation reveals that he prefers solitude. However, Hayama Mizuki is not the kind of girl who gives up easily, especially after hearing his beautiful violin performance. When Mizuki tries to get closer to him, Kuze struggles to push her away, and the development of their relationship is overshadowed by an impending tragedy.

Kimihiro Watanuki lives an uncommon existence, gifted with a rare talent for perceiving spirits. In this follow-up to xxxHOLiC, he persists in laboring for Yuuko, the eccentric proprietor of a mysterious store, who vowed to rid him of his supernatural vision. Yet Yuuko can fulfill that promise only after Watanuki has sufficiently proven himself through his actions. This rule applies to every visitor who comes to the shop wanting a wish fulfilled: the cost must equal the desire. Operating in a realm that connects the living world and the afterlife, Watanuki spends his days performing household tasks for Yuuko and her associates, as well as aiding other clients. He faces these trials together with his schoolmates—Shizuka Doumeki, his supposed love rival, and Himawari Kunogi, for whom he has romantic feelings—all while contending with the numerous issues brought by Yuuko’s customers and the ongoing problems that trouble him and his friends.

After the events of *Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori*, Ai Enma, the Hell Girl, vanishes. Her former allies attempt to resume ordinary lives, but are confronted when she suddenly returns, accompanied by a new partner. Yuzuki Mikage, a regular student, becomes deeply entangled with the Hell Girl. While in a dreamlike state during a bath, Ai kisses Yuzuki and takes control of her body. When Yuzuki's friend submits their teacher's name on the Hell Communication website, Ai uses Yuzuki's form to carry out her duty of sending the teacher's soul to the underworld. Troubled by this new situation, Yuzuki questions why she was chosen to continue Ai's mission. Yet, as the Hell Girl and her assistants restart the Hell Communication activities, Yuzuki is inevitably pulled into the proceedings that lead toward the depths of hell.

By the year 2029, the concept of national borders has been rendered obsolete by the global network; humans enhanced with cybernetic parts inhabit digital realms, monitored by law enforcement agencies capable of transferring their consciousness into powerful, crime-fighting mecha suits. The ultimate covert operative of this era is not a biological being, lacks a physical form, and can traverse the world's information networks at will, hacking and manipulating data whenever and wherever necessary. Note: Ghost in the Shell 2.0 is an updated edition of the original 1995 film, created as part of the celebrations surrounding the release of The Sky Crawlers in 2008. For Version 2.0, the entire animation was remade using state-of-the-art techniques including 3D-CGI, and the soundtrack underwent a remastering process. All voice acting was re-recorded. A notable change is that the character "Puppet Master" was recast from Kayumi Iemasa to Sakakibara Yoshiko, and some dialogue lines were altered from the original version. Kawai Kenji remixed the music in 6.1 channel surround sound, and Randy Thom from Skywalker Sound joined as Sound Designer to enhance the audio quality.

The story is set in Ayanagi City, a futuristic metropolis located near the Japan Sea. It was constructed to facilitate recovery from the calamity triggered by the "Apathy Syndrome" a decade earlier. Ten years later, high school student Shin Kanzato and his younger brother Jun reunite with their elder brother Ryō, who now serves as the chief of the Ayanagi City Police. Around the same time, a series of strange incidents unfold in the city: the crew of a submarine suddenly vanishes while inside the vessel, a spiritless symptom resurfaces and disturbs the world after ten years, and a student is found dead with a horrifyingly distorted appearance—the "inside out corpse" case. Ryō pursues the organization behind these events, and as Shin becomes drawn into the incidents, he awakens his "Persona."

Yoriko Kusumoto, a clumsy high school student, holds deep affection for Kanako Yuzuki. As they prepare for summer vacation, their plans are shattered by a tragic incident: Kanako is found critically injured on railway tracks, while Yoriko collapses in tears on the station platform. Detective Shuutarou Kiba, a passenger on the train involved in the collision, takes charge of the investigation. His inquiries reveal a tangled web of deceit surrounding the Yuzuki family, particularly Youko Yuzuki, Kanako's sister and a famous actress. After Kanako's successful surgery, her precarious condition prompts Youko to entrust her care to Dr. Koushirou Mimasaka at an unusual, box-shaped facility deep in the forest for experimental treatment. The situation worsens when Kanako mysteriously disappears during a visit from Kiba and Yoriko. Kiba's pursuit of the truth intensifies as he uncovers horrifying evidence, including the dismembered bodies of young girls stored in boxes. A colleague suggests these grisly findings are linked to Kanako's disappearance and her sister's enigmatic past. With support from his colleagues Tatsumi Sekiguchi and Akihiko Chuuzenji, Kiba races against time to find Kanako and uncover the chilling reality behind these horrors.

A string of strange killings connects each victim to a renowned music academy run by a famous pianist. Conan and his friends receive an invitation to the inaugural event of a new concert hall the pianist constructed. The main highlight of the occasion is a concert showcasing the legendary Stradivarius violin, accompanied by a singer celebrated for their flawless sense of pitch.

In the world of Nijuu Mensou, a celebrated gentleman thief known for executing flawless heists after notifying his targets in advance, his actions are governed by a strict ethical code that prohibits taking lives. Instead, he focuses on individuals he considers morally bankrupt. On one of his operations, Nijuu Mensou breaks into the Mikamo residence, where Chizuko—affectionately called "Chiko"—lives with her aunt Yoshie and uncle Shouji following her parents' death. Though she is the rightful heiress to a significant fortune, her living situation is far from ideal, and she deeply longs to escape her current existence. That chance arrives when Nijuu Mensou steals the Mikamos' prized gemstone and also takes Chiko with him. Chiko quickly adapts to her new position within the infamous thief's group, sharpening her abilities and forming strong bonds with her new comrades, which fills the void of the familial affection she had craved. As she becomes known as Nijuu Mensou's daughter, this newfound fame brings its own difficulties.

Three complete strangers—Mishiba Toki, Nakajyo Nobuto, and Saitoh Kazuo—are recruited by a corporation to participate in the Bus Game, an illegal underground dog-fight conducted in absolute secrecy. Assigned the team code "Team AAA" (Triple Anonymous), these three individuals, who come from vastly different living situations and have completely distinct personalities, must collaborate effectively. However, they are not allowed to dissolve their mutual distrust or intrude into each other's private lives. Their sole commonality is that each of them urgently requires a large sum of money for personal reasons. To obtain that money, they must compete in the game, even though their own lives hang in the balance.

Haru and Kai are two rookies in Japan's Narcotic Control Department, battling drug dealers, gangs, murderers, psychopaths, mysterious organizations, and various unstable individuals. Kai, the gentle and caring member of the duo, has his own personal struggles and a tendency to become a lethal killing machine in certain situations. His demeanor shifts as if operated by a "switch." As they go about their work, the secrets behind Kai's strange behavior and his true identity are gradually uncovered.

Based on a series of light novels written by Tanaka Yoshiki and illustrated by Kakinouchi Narumi. The narrative centers on Ryouko Yakushiji, a 27-year-old multilingual investigator who graduated from Tokyo University's elite Department of Law. While working for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Yakushiji confronts a variety of bizarre cases. Her duties involve not only dealing with supernatural beings but also facing off against her rival, Yukiko Muromachi, another police investigator who is equally talented and beautiful.

Set in a futuristic world, a groundbreaking MRI technology enables investigators to retrieve visual memories from the minds of the deceased within 48 hours after death, helping solve numerous murder cases. However, this method has stirred major ethical controversies, placing Section Nine—the specialized police unit handling these MRI investigations, led by Tsuyoshi Maki—under intense scrutiny from the media and government agencies. Members of Section Nine frequently suffer psychological trauma from reliving the final moments of both victims and perpetrators, and they must also obtain consent from the victims' families before conducting scans. Ikkou Aoki, a fresh graduate of the police academy, joins Section Nine to replace Katsuhiro Suzuki, Maki’s closest colleague, who died mysteriously after viewing particularly disturbing MRI footage from a recent case. As a string of seemingly unrelated incidents begins to uncover the truth behind Suzuki's death, Section Nine faces its most formidable challenge yet, one that could threaten its very survival.

In Rags Town—a Japanese location where discarded objects and people fleeing their pasts are left behind—the detective agency S&A Detectives operates under strict rules: no investigating personal histories and no forming close relationships. The story centers on Ayamana, an unconventional pair of detective apprentices, whose journey begins when Manami impulsively takes on a case, sparking a series of upheavals. As they work the case, they discover a woman with an abnormally high body temperature, being pursued by a group of armed women. They name her Sara and seek to uncover the mystery around her. At the same time, a rash of bizarre incidents occurs in which teenage girls in the town suddenly ignite and turn into glass. Even though the government tries to suppress these events, the detectives, along with an intrusive reporter and the local police, are determined to reveal the truth behind what is happening.

After the end of ef - a tale of memories, Asou Renji returns to the station with Chihiro. The two reflect on their past together in this recap of the earlier season, accompanied by newly added interlude scenes.

Detective Conan Magic File 2: Kudou Shinichi - The Case of the Mysterious Wall and the Black Lab was released exclusively at select Japanese convenience stores like 7-Eleven. It also came with pay-per-view broadcasts of earlier episodes, including the New York case. The first disc holds a side-story OVA tied to Movie 12, centering on Kudou Shinichi and providing background relevant to the next film. The second disc gathers those PPV episodes.

Yasuo, a ramen shop employee, is in a relationship with Yukiko, a news reporter. Money is tight until a customer forgets a green jacket, leading Yasuo to start pickpocketing in Tokyo's crowded areas to earn extra cash. With this money, he buys Yukiko an expensive ring, though she insists it wasn't necessary. Over time, Yasuo becomes more and more obsessed with the master thief Lupin, devouring every piece of media about him. At one point, he even teams up with Jigen briefly. When news of the Ice Cube diamond reaches him, Yasuo decides that stealing it would prove he is a genuine heir to Lupin's legacy.

Special episodes included in the 1st and 5th DVD volumes, as included: 1. Toorikaze (Passing Wind) 2. Mitsua Shigaeru