Best Mystery Anime of 2014

After a terrorist attack on a nuclear facility in Japan, only the word "VON" remains, painted in red. The government is paralyzed by its inability to respond, and law enforcement scrambles for ways to track down the culprits. The public remains in the dark until, six months later, a mysterious video surfaces online. In it, two teenage boys calling themselves "Sphinx" issue a direct challenge to the police, threatening to unleash chaos and destruction across Tokyo. As mass panic spreads through the city and leads remain scarce, the police struggle to mount an effective response, with Detective Kenjirou Shibazaki caught at the center of the turmoil. Zankyou no Terror follows Nine and Twelve, the two boys behind Sphinx's masked identities. They are not supposed to exist, yet they stand resolute in a world of lies and secrets, bringing the city to its knees as they seek to bury their own tragic past.

In 2021, a parasitic virus called "Gastrea" infects people and transforms them into monsters. The remnants of humanity now dwell within walls made of Varanium, the sole substance capable of harming Gastrea. To combat the Gastrea threat, "Cursed Children"—young girls whose bodies carry traces of the virus, granting them superhuman abilities—are officially designated Initiators by the Tendo Civil Security. They are paired with Promoters, individuals who guide and protect them. These two-person teams are dispatched on missions to fight the monsters spawned by the Gastrea virus and hold them back. Black Bullet centers on the duo of Enju Aihara, an Initiator, and Satomi Rentaro, a Promoter, as they undertake missions to confront the escalating Gastrea menace in their home city of Tokyo.

A year and a half after the events of the original sci-fi psychological thriller, Akane Tsunemori continues her work as an inspector—carrying out the Sibyl System's rulings. She is joined by new enforcers and junior inspector Mika Shimotsuki, a young woman fiercely and unbendingly loyal to Sibyl. As Akane reflects on both the essence of her role and the justness of Sibyl's decisions, a new and unsettling threat emerges. A shadowy figure has uncovered a method to manipulate the Crime Coefficient—a value derived from mental scans that enables Sibyl to evaluate psychological well-being and flag potential criminals. Using this technique, he murders an enforcer, leaving behind an enigmatic clue: the letters "WC?" daubed in blood on a wall. Akane and the rest of Division 01 soon find themselves caught in a deadly struggle against this new antagonist, confronting a conspiracy that challenges not only the Sibyl System's authority but also the very core of Akane's own principles.

On a scorching August 14th, Shintarou Kisaragi is forced to leave his room for the first time in two years. After a quarrel with Ene, a digital girl living in his computer, he accidentally spills soda on his keyboard. Since most shops are closed for the Obon holiday, they have no choice but to visit a local department store. Going outdoors triggers intense anxiety, but being without his computer is unthinkable. Unfortunately, his first trip out coincides with a terrifying hostage situation. Luckily, a group of teens with mysterious eye powers called the Mekakushi Dan helps Shintarou resolve the incident. As a result, he and Ene become involved with their group. Their abilities seem to fit together like pieces of a puzzle, and as each member's background is unveiled, the hidden link connecting them all steadily emerges.

The Noah's Arc Circus troupe dazzles audiences with thrilling performances full of wonder and excitement. However, these spectacular acts come at a hidden cost. Children have been vanishing around London, and the disappearances align with the circus's movements. Disturbed by these kidnappings, Queen Victoria dispatches her notorious guard dog, Ciel Phantomhive, along with his ever-loyal demon butler, Sebastian Michaelis, on a covert mission to locate the missing children. Balancing their new roles as circus performers with their secret investigation under the big top proves to be a difficult task. As the other performers grow suspicious and the shadowy benefactor of the circus looms as a threat, what the pair uncovers will shake Ciel to his very core.

After his friend Kuroneko died in a tragic accident during an expedition to find evidence of aliens, Ryouta Murakami spent ten years in a coma. Now awake and back in high school, he keeps his promise to honor her memory by searching for proof of extraterrestrial life. His world shifts when transfer student Neko Kuroha appears, looking exactly like his lost friend and bearing a similar name. Neko reveals she has supernatural powers, drawing Ryouta into a struggle with dangerous scientists chasing witches who fled a secret laboratory. As one of these escapees, Neko and others like her are being hunted, and Ryouta must protect them from their pursuers.

Seen as bizarre and feared by humans, the misshapen beings eventually became known as Mushi. While they hold no malice toward people, many suffer from the unintended consequences of their existence and peculiar behavior; exploiting the Mushi without comprehending them, even accidentally, can bring disaster and conflict to everyone involved. Mushishi Zoku Shou picks up the tale of the Mushishi Ginko as he travels, striving to help the visible world find a way to live alongside the Mushi. Along his journeys, Ginko encounters a range of gifted people—those burdened by fate and those clinging to a delicate coexistence with the Mushi—inevitably facing the issue of whether humanity, both talented and tormented, can shoulder the burden of the unseen. Furthermore, as a Mushishi, Ginko must deepen his understanding of these strange creatures and determine whether he has the authority to intervene in the intricate bonds between Mushi and humans.

The power to bring about miracles is not merely a supernatural occurrence; it is an ability granted to a select few individuals. "Minimum," or small miracles, are special powers possessed only by those known as "Minimum Holders." The detective agency Yokohama Troubleshooting, commonly called Hamatora, consists of the "Minimum Holder PI Duo," Nice and Murasaki. Their base of operations is a single table at Cafe Nowhere, where the pair and their colleagues await new clients. Soon, the cases they start receiving appear oddly linked to a serial killer that their friend Art, a police officer, is investigating. The victims share one common trait: they are all Minimum Holders. As holders themselves, Nice and Murasaki are drawn into the case—but what exactly connects Nice to the person orchestrating everything?

Ethereal, primeval entities called Mushi keep triggering strange transformations in human existence. The wandering Mushishi, Ginko, continues his efforts to resolve the bizarre and unsettling events he comes across. Time loops, living shadows, and mind-reading are among the obvious results of Mushi interference, but subtler symptoms that only emerge after many years also draw Ginko's attention as he journeys from one settlement to another. By happenstance, Ginko has become a judge, deciding which Mushi are gifts and which are afflictions. Yet the boundaries he attempts to define are subjective. Some of those he treats prefer to wield their newfound abilities until they are completely consumed by them; others desperately seek to remove conditions that are actually shielding them from catastrophe. People who encounter Mushi must learn to accept seemingly impossible outcomes for their choices and heal wounds they never realized existed. If they fail, they risk encountering fates beyond their understanding.

Nanae Island is an artificial island in the Pacific Ocean designed to provide children with everything they need for proper education and training. It was constructed by the Great Seven, a band of adventurers led by Nanana Ryuugajou, as a place where young people could pursue their dreams. After being cast out and disowned by his family, high school student Juugo Yama arrives on the island, relieved to finally be free from his father's control. When he moves into his new room, he encounters the ghost of Nanana Ryuugajou, who has been bound to the island ever since her unsolved murder a decade ago. Nanana reveals that shortly before her death, she concealed items with unique and mysterious powers across the island—objects collectively called the Nanana Collection. Determined to find clues that will lead him to the person responsible for her murder, Juugo teams up with self-proclaimed "Master Detective" Tensai Ikkyuu and her cross-dressing maid Daruku Hoshino to begin his search.

It has been three months since the events in Yokohama. Life at Cafe Nowhere has begun to calm down. Murasaki and Hajime have joined forces and resumed their investigations. During an unexpected reunion, Art points a gun at Nice. What are Art's true motives? And what will become of the bond between Art and Hamatora?

A while back, the massive corporation Toue Inc. acquired the Japanese island of Midorijima to construct Platinum Jail, an opulent utopian facility. Only the world's wealthiest individuals are fortunate enough to reside there. The island's original inhabitants were forced to move to the Old Residential District and were utterly forsaken once Platinum Jail was completed. "Rib" and "Rhyme" are the two most prevalent games on the island. Rib is a traditional pastime where gangs engage in territorial disputes, whereas Rhyme is a high-tech game where participants battle within a virtual reality. To take part in Rhyme, one must possess an "All-Mate" (an AI typically resembling a pet), and the match must be overseen by an "Usui." Aoba Seragaki has no desire to participate in either game; he simply wants to live quietly with his grandmother and his All-Mate, Ren. Yet after being forcibly dragged into a dangerous Rhyme match and catching wind of rumors about Rib players vanishing, all of Aoba's hopes for a normal life are completely shattered.

The entire countryside halts at midday to observe a rare solar eclipse, rumored to let ordinary people see Mushi. Unable to look away, the air fills with awe and wonder—but those familiar with the Mushi brace for what comes after the eclipse. Following a prediction from Tanyuu Karibusa, the cursed recorder, Mushishi Ginko arrives in an unlucky farming village. Right after the solar eclipse, a strange black cloud gathers in the sky, blocking the sun once more. Suspecting the work of a Mushi called Hihami, Ginko aims to free the village from endless darkness. Yet, not all villagers seem eager to return to the light.

Spring. Far removed from the city, time passes quietly in this countryside town. As cherry blossom petals drift on the breeze, a boy named Yu Narukami alights from the train at Yasoinaba Station. Yu has come to this town, where his uncle resides, due to family circumstances; he will be transferring to the local school, Yasogami High. And so his school life begins... The shopping district after class. A string of murders occurring in the town. The Midnight Channel, broadcasting late at night... What awaits Yu and his companions 'this time around'?

In a dark void called the Lightless Realm, a group of children meet and form bonds, only to be separated and sent back to their own dimension. Years later, these same children reunite to battle "Admonitions"—monsters that also originate from that void—using robots named "Vess." But their efforts merely delay the ever-spreading Lightless Realm from consuming their world. Their lives change drastically when a new enemy appears as a "Corpse," whose song is said to kill anyone who hears it within nine days. The group hears the "Corpse Song," and as a result, each member begins to withdraw and become consumed by their own personal issues—ultimately endangering the fate of humanity.

Hajime Kindaichi, a high schooler and the alleged grandson of renowned private investigator Kosuke Kindaichi, travels to Hong Kong for a fashion event alongside his girlfriend, Miyuki. During the trip, Miyuki is abducted by a stranger who mistakes her for someone else. This incident forces Hajime into a new criminal investigation as he sets out to rescue her.

Under the glittering night sky, the elusive phantom thief Joker pulls off one daring heist after another, stealing prized treasures. Often cornered by persistent police investigator Dokusaburou Oniyama, the self-styled "Miracle Maker" escapes using a dazzling array of tricks that blur the line between science and magic. During a heist to steal the "Dragon Gem" from the mansion of an arrogant multimillionaire, Joker crosses paths with Hachi, a clumsy yet sincere ninja. Hachi seeks the same treasure and idolizes Joker, who initially views him as a bother. Nonetheless, the two manage to cooperate and pull off a successful heist. Impressed by Hachi's quick thinking and courage—along with his handy domestic skills—Joker reluctantly takes him on as a disciple. As they set their sights on the next prize, Joker and Hachi clash with other phantom thieves. Facing both old allies and new enemies, Joker strives to prove himself the greatest "magician" of the shining night.

Assistant Detective Rascal travels around the world with Uncle Po to check various mysteries.