Best Mystery Anime of 2010

In the downtown area of Tokyo's Ikebukuro district, strange rumors swirl about anonymous gangs and dangerous individuals, but the most famous urban legend is the headless "Black Rider"—a figure seen riding a jet-black motorcycle through the city streets. Mikado Ryuugamine has always craved the excitement of city life, and an invitation from a childhood friend convinces him to move to Tokyo. On his very first day, he glimpses the Black Rider, and it seems his wish for adventure has been fulfilled. However, as supernatural events unfold, ordinary people like himself, along with Ikebukuro's most eccentric residents, become entangled in the chaos erupting throughout the city.

One chilly December day, Kyon heads to school expecting another outing with his SOS Brigade comrades. But to his astonishment, nearly everything has drastically altered: Haruhi Suzumiya and Itsuki Koizumi are missing; Mikuru Asahina has no memory of him; Yuki Nagato is an ordinary human; and Ryouko Asakura has inexplicably reappeared. Though no stranger to the supernatural, Kyon is unsettled by this strange development and sets out to investigate alone. Realizing he is the sole person who recalls the former reality, Kyon faces a tough decision: accept the ordinary life he once craved, or find a way to reverse time and restore his chaotic but familiar world.

In the quiet village of Sotoba, life is peaceful and everyone knows each other. However, things take a dark turn when Megumi Shimizu, an ambitious young girl, dies suddenly from a mysterious illness. As the hot summer progresses and more unexplained fatalities occur, local physician Toshio Ozaki starts to believe there is a more malevolent force behind the deaths. Toshio joins forces with detached teenager Natsuno Yuuki and siblings Kaori and Akira Tanaka—friends of Megumi—to uncover the truth about the town's deaths. Their collaborative investigation steers them toward a disturbing secret connected to the newly arrived family residing in the Kanemasa mansion.

On an autumn night at a secluded ramen shop near Shimogamo Shrine, a solitary third-year university student encounters a deity with an eggplant-shaped head who claims to oversee marriage. This encounter triggers the student’s memories of his previous two years, which were wasted attempting to sabotage campus relationships alongside his unsettling friend Ozu, who seems determined to cause him misery. Determined to maximize his remaining time in school, the student tries to pursue Akashi, a shy but gentle junior, but ultimately fails, leading to deep regret over his past choices. Immediately after this realization, he is transported back to the start of his university life, granted a second opportunity to navigate his existence. Visually striking and psychologically complex, Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei follows a young man’s surreal journey as he seeks friendship, romance, and the vibrant campus experience he always envisioned.

Haruka Ozawa is in her sophomore year, and things are turning terrifying. One of her friends has been possessed, another has died by suicide, and Haruka might be the next to fall. Her only escape from this potentially deadly situation is Yakumo Saito, a mysterious student born with a red eye that lets him see and speak with the dead. But the spirits don't always rest, and some killers are willing to murder again to keep the dead silent. That doesn't stop Haruka from uncovering hidden secrets, especially as more evidence surfaces—including from Yakumo's police contact and an investigative journalist who has a fresh corpse hidden in her closet. Can this unusual pair of paranormal detectives solve the ultimate dead case files, or will they end up in cold storage themselves?

The narrative centers on Maya, the daughter of the former headmaster of Waldstein Academy, and a time-traveling agent named Fumiaki Uchida. In 2012, aliens invaded the world, prompting time travelers to be sent back to 1999 with the mission of locating and destroying the Nostradamus Key—an object foretold by Nostradamus's prophecy to trigger the apocalypse. The story then shifts to 1999, where Maya returns to the Academy intending to dismantle it by taking over her late father's position as principal. Her plan is disrupted when she meets Fumiaki and learns about the impending catastrophe. Despite her distrust of Fumiaki, they form an alliance to search for the Nostradamus Key. To locate the Nostradamus Key, time agents are given specially designed cell phones. When a user encounters an object of interest, they think about destroying it and take a photo. If the resulting image shows a peaceful world, the object is the Nostradamus Key; if it shows destruction, the object is not the key. Using this phone, Maya and Fumiaki investigate occult phenomena as they arise in the town.

Due to his father's job, 15-year-old Hiroshi Kuzumi and his family relocate to the mountain town of Jouga. While many teenagers might worry about fitting in or feeling out of place in a new environment, Hiroshi is warmly welcomed at school by most of his new classmates. In fact, they seem unable to get enough of him, and he quickly makes two friends: the clingy and overly-affectionate Isuzu Tsumuhana, who is also his neighbor, and Kaname Asagiri, another recent arrival to Jouga. All in all, Hiroshi's new life appears quite normal—until people start vanishing. Hiroshi is told that the missing townsfolk have simply moved away or suddenly transferred, but he can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. Meanwhile, in the dead of night under a red moon, masked individuals led by a girl with a scythe stalk their prey through Jouga's darkened streets. Who are they, and is any resident safe from their wrath?

Toys are special abilities granted to select individuals, each manifesting in ways unique to their wielders. Some of these chosen ones are born with pure hearts, dedicating themselves to solving crimes as detectives. Others develop corrupt intentions, turning to the life of phantom thieves. This conflict between the two opposing groups led to the creation of detective academies worldwide, designed to train detectives to combat and capture these thieves. Sherlock Shellingford, Nero Yuzurizaki, Hercule Burton, and Cordelia Glauca make up Milky Holmes, a team celebrated as the top students at the Holmes Detective Academy in Yokohama. Yet, after a battle with the phantom thief Arsine, their Toys vanish, rendering them powerless and unfit for duty. Deprived of their status and relegated to a dilapidated attic, they must retrieve their powers within three months or face expulsion. Tantei Opera Milky Holmes follows this formerly legendary quartet as they strive to regain their Toys while continuing their detective work without the abilities that once defined them.

The narrative follows a mysterious tall tower constructed from a precarious stack of building blocks. Each morning, noon, and evening, an elderly timekeeper rings the tower's bell to signal the correct time for the villagers. But one noon, the bell does not ring, causing confusion among the townspeople about when to have lunch. The fantasy adventure kicks off when Karl, a curious boy who lives in the town, heads to the tower's plaza to investigate.