Best Mystery Anime of 2022

Following the loss of his parents, Shinpei Ajiro was raised by the Kofune family, growing up with their daughters Mio and Ushio. Although he eventually moved to Tokyo for his education, he returns home after Ushio tragically drowns while attempting to save a child. During her funeral, a close friend reveals strange marks on Ushio's neck, suggesting her death may not have been an accident. Convinced that Ushio was murdered, Shinpei begins investigating recent events, only to uncover more disturbing incidents involving people vanishing and unexplained phenomena. These occurrences prompt Mio to recall a local legend regarding "Shadows," entities believed to herald death when encountered. Resolved to face the dark forces plaguing Hitogashima Island, Shinpei struggles against his predetermined fate to fulfill Ushio's final wish: ensuring Mio's safety.

Having survived the perilous trials of Idofront, Riko obtains a White Whistle, which grants her passage to the Abyss's sixth layer, the Capital of the Unreturned. Accompanied by Reg and Nanachi, she ventures into this unexplored region where the legendary Golden City is said to be concealed. As they traverse the brutal environment, the group faces lethal creatures and treacherous terrain. Their path leads them to a village home to enigmatic entities known as "hollows." Despite the eerie surroundings, the trio continues forward to reveal the settlement's mysteries and the forgotten tales of adventurers who plunged into the Abyss's deepest unknown.

In The Case Study of Vanitas Part 2, Vanitas and Noé Archiviste journey to Gévaudan to track down the "Beast," a large wolf-like creature blamed for numerous deaths. Vanitas believes the Beast is a cursed vampire and intends to cure it using his grimoire. During their travels, Vanitas and Noé are unexpectedly sent back in time to the era when the Beast was active. After encountering the Beast and a vampire hunter, Vanitas teams up with Jeanne to find Noé. Although they work together, their goals conflict, as Jeanne seeks to eliminate the Beast, suspecting it may be connected to her personal history. Elsewhere, the wounded Noé is cared for by Chloé d'Apchier and her servant. Chloé, like Noé, is a hidden vampire who has protected future generations and worked to restore her humanity. While Noé is grateful for Chloé's help, he remains unaware that she may be involved with threats more dangerous than the Beast.

In "The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes," Kaoru Touno struggles with a broken home after losing a sibling and his parents separating. Fleeing an angry argument with his father, Kaoru wanders into a strange tunnel that pulls him inside. Disoriented, he quickly exits, bringing with him a bird that looks exactly like his deceased pet. Leaving the tunnel, Kaoru discovers that although only a few minutes passed inside, an entire week has gone by outside. This strange phenomenon reminds him of stories about the "Urashima Tunnel," which can grant wishes but costs the wisher their lifespan. With his pet bird seemingly brought back to life, Kaoru wonders if the tunnel could fix his shattered family. When he returns to the tunnel, Kaoru meets Anzu Hanashiro, a new classmate who followed him there. Knowing the tunnel's legends, Anzu asks for his help with an experiment, revealing that she also has a wish only the tunnel can fulfill.

After the first season's events, Kate and her Doll Emilico dwell within the Shadows House but remain under close watch by the Star Bearers, who enforce control over the children's quarters. To evade this surveillance and the oppressive tactics used to secure loyalty, Kate and Emilico must carefully choose allies and strive to earn the rank of Star Bearer themselves. Meanwhile, the Star Bearers face internal turmoil as a mysterious cloaked figure known as "Master Robe" has slipped into the children's area. Initially dismissed as harmless, Master Robe becomes entangled in a growing chain of incidents that endanger the Dolls. Determined to rise in status, Kate undertakes to unravel the mystery of Master Robe. With scant clues and numerous possible suspects, tracking down Master Robe and discerning their true intentions for targeting the mansion proves to be an arduous task.

Mary Saotome is bold, brash, and rebellious, yet exceptionally clever. Upon transferring to Hyakkaou Private Academy, where a student’s status is based on their gambling skills, she impresses everyone with a remarkable win over a classmate, quickly catching the eye of the crafty student council. In this hierarchical environment, those with the least gambling earnings occupy the lowest rungs. Tsuzura Hanatemari faces a grim future at the bottom, but as Tsuzura's childhood friend, Mary is determined to climb the ranks and amass enough funds to liberate her from this oppressive system. Mary's persistence and unwillingness to concede propel her to outperform and embarrass even the most formidable adversaries. However, some members of the student council seem to harbor more ambitious plans for her.

Within the imperial court, a mysterious figure known with both awe and fear exists: the Raven Consort, Ryuu Jusetsu. Secluded in her dark palace and kept apart from the emperor, she is the subject of countless rumors. Tales of her supernatural powers—from retrieving lost objects to placing curses—are widespread. Speculation ranges from her being an immortal sage to a malevolent spirit, but Jusetsu remains unmoved by the gossip, content in her isolation. That tranquility ends when Emperor Ka Koushun suddenly enters her sanctuary, begging for her help with a baffling problem. Jusetsu's quiet seclusion is shattered as she is forced to leave her palace for the first time to aid the emperor. Despite her annoyance at Ka Koushun's repeated visits, she cannot refuse his pleas. Recalling the words of her predecessor, the Raven Consort is fated to eternal solitude, free of desire. Yet a change occurs when Jusetsu chooses Jiujiu, a naive and curious palace maid, as her sole attendant. As they begin to handle the court's requests, hidden dangers emerge beyond the safety of her walls, threatening to uncover parts of Jusetsu's past that she wishes to keep hidden.

Shoutarou Hidari, a tough private eye from the Narumi Detective Agency, tirelessly works to keep peace in Fuuto with his sharp-witted partner, Philip. One evening, Shoutarou meets a mysterious woman named Tokime, who soon becomes linked to a series of thefts and murders. As he investigates further, he learns that people are using "Gaia Memories"—memory sticks shaped like USB drives—to transform into dangerous creatures called "Dopants." Though they have defeated many of these Gaia Memory users before, several still pose a serious threat to the city. Resuming their roles as Kamen Rider W, Fuuto's legendary protector, Shoutarou and Philip—who also use Gaia Memories for justice—must face the remaining Dopant danger. In doing so, they need to solve the mystery of Tokime and confront a past they thought they had left behind.

In the special jurisdiction of Tokyo Bay's 24th Ward, the Hazard Cast surveillance system predicts accidents to aid public safety, yet it cannot prevent or truly understand these incidents. Ran Akagi, Kouki Suidou, and Shuuta Aoi—nicknamed "RGB" for their distinctive hair colors—witnessed the system's shortcomings firsthand when Asami, Suidou's sister, died in a school fire. One year later, Shuuta carries guilt over his failure to save Asami, Ran throws herself into becoming a celebrated street artist, and Kouki works within the Hazard Cast intervention unit. During a memorial for the fire victims, the trio receives mysterious phone calls that show them glimpses of future disasters and present them with harsh choices. Refusing to accept their fate, they investigate the mystery, confronting many obstacles to safeguard the 24th Ward and its people.

On a sweltering summer day in Kyoto, a college student returns to his dormitory, intending to escape the heat with the air conditioner. His plans go awry when Ozu accidentally spills soda on the remote, breaking it and leaving the air conditioner useless. He and his roommates are then forced to endure the oppressive August heat. As their irritation grows, the group discovers a genuine time machine hidden in their storage closet. Ignoring the potential dangers, they choose to travel back in time to prevent Ozu from damaging the remote. Their effort, however, plunges them into an unexpected and chaotic chain of events.

Reminiscence of Lilies A news report about a defaced painting catches the attention of William James Moriarty. Recognizing the artist as someone from his own difficult past, he brings his brother Louis to Bath to track down the creator and find the one responsible for the damage. However, the person pretending to be the artist is not the individual William remembers. Teaming up with Sherlock Holmes and John H. Watson, William searches for clues to locate his former acquaintance. Moriarty Family's Day Off The Moriarty household faces its greatest challenge when they decide to host a tea party. Usually kept out of public sight, the Moriarty residence contains a variety of weapons, research materials, and equipment essential for their secret operations. To keep these secrets safe from curious and admiring noblewomen, the entire Moriarty family must use their abilities to protect their headquarters at all costs.

On October 4, a high school girl disappears, setting off a chain of unexpected occurrences. To solve the mystery of her vanishing, every key witness connected to the case recounts their experiences from before and after the event. As these fragments are assembled, they all lead back to one person—taxi driver Hiroshi Odokawa.

Seven students in Tokyo, each cut off from their loved ones and confined to their dim rooms, notice their mirrors beginning to glow. Reaching out to these reflective surfaces, they are transported to a castle inspired by the tales of Grimm, which serves as a sanctuary during school hours. Though the castle has electricity, it lacks basic necessities like food and water, and is ruled by a masked girl known as the Wolf Queen. The students learn of a key hidden within the castle walls that can grant wishes, along with clues pointing to its location. They must find this key before the school year ends and return to the real world by five PM each day, or risk losing their lives. As the deadline approaches, it becomes clear that to survive, they must share their deepest struggles. Among them is a boy haunted by his obsession with technology, another grappling with inexplicable rejection, and a girl living in fear of her abusive stepfather. Through revealing their innermost sorrows, the seven adolescents trapped in solitude and mutual misunderstanding discover freedom, resilience, and the power of their unity.

Upon Kotetsu's return to the First League, HeroTV launches a partnership program as its main new initiative. Mirroring the renowned duo of Wild Tiger and Barnaby Brooks Jr., two heroes will now work together to fight crime. With new heroes joining the lineup in Sternbild City, both veteran protectors and fresh recruits face trials that test their abilities and reveal the true meaning of teamwork in defending their city.

During the Halloween festivities in Shibuya, Tokyo, a wedding ceremony is taking place at Shibuya Hikarie, with Sato wearing a wedding gown. Among the guests, including Conan, chaos erupts when an intruder attacks, and Takagi is injured while protecting Sato. Although Takagi recovers and the immediate threat subsides, Sato remains shaken as memories of the grim reaper she witnessed during Jinpei Matsuda’s death in a series of explosions three years ago resurface. Meanwhile, the mastermind behind those explosions escapes from prison. Rei Furuya, also known as Toru Amuro, a public safety police officer, pursues the murderer of his former classmate but is cornered by a masked assailant who attaches a collar bomb to him. Conan visits Amuro’s hideout to disarm the bomb and learns about the incident from three years ago, when Amuro and his deceased police academy colleagues encountered a mysterious virtual bomber called “Plamya” in Shibuya. As Conan and his team investigate further into this past tragedy, a dark figure begins to encroach upon their efforts.

This anime is based on the spin-off manga Meitantei Conan: Zero no Tea Time and focuses on the triple agent as they work to balance their multiple identities.

Beika Town, a city of crime. A mysterious dark figure descends upon this location, which ranks among the highest crime rates in the world. Their goal is to kill a "certain man." That key player from Detective Conan now becomes the protagonist! Clad in tights and possessing a pure intellect, this individual's name is… the pseudonymous Culprit Hanzawa!

The initial installment of a two-part film series that re-edits the Mawaru Penguindrum anime while incorporating fresh content. How far would you go to rescue someone dear to you? All Shoma and Kanba know is that their little sister Himari, who was terminally ill, collapsed at an aquarium and appeared to die—only to be mysteriously revived by a Penguin hat she had wished for. Now the brothers face an impossible task: the cost of keeping Himari alive is locating a strange artifact called the Penguindrum, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to save her. Whatever it takes. As they each follow separate routes in their quest, they must decipher intricate puzzles, forge alliances with untrustworthy strangers, and challenge the very nature of time and fate.

In 2045, the world is reeling from the aftermath of the Global Simultaneous Default, an economic catastrophe that shattered global stability, alongside the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence. This era is defined by the Sustainable War, a prolonged conflict engineered to persist indefinitely. Despite these challenges, the looming threat posed by advanced AI remains largely overlooked by the general public. To address the cybercrimes perpetrated by the emerging Posthuman faction, Public Security Section 9, led by full-body cyborg Kusanagi Motoko, travels to Tokyo, a city scarred by previous conflicts. There, they encounter a refugee group called "N" and clash with a hostile U.S. Special Forces team. As tensions escalate over a potential nuclear crisis involving a hijacked submarine, the rivalry among Section 9, the United States, and the Posthumans intensifies.

Second half of the second season of Tiger & Bunny.

Satake Hirofumi, an "Undeadman" who has endured countless brushes with death, is on death row after being convicted of killing his fiancée. His extraordinary nature draws the attention of the "Human Crazy University," a research facility dedicated to studying real-world miracles and the individuals involved in them. Brought in as a test subject, Satake shares the story of his eternal yet tragic existence. The truth behind his fiancée's death gradually uncovers a far-reaching conspiracy.

Short animation depicting the day before the events of the Miko Note mobile game (which is now defunct).

Sixth season of Oshiri Tantei.

In Oshiri Tantei: SHIRIARTY, a string of perplexing crimes is uncovered to be the doing of Shiriarty, a villain seeking to steal the mysterious treasure known as the "O-PARTS." Butt Detective, together with his assistant Brown, enlists the help of Audrey, an investigator from the international police organization Wanterpol, to keep the "O-PARTS" from falling into the wrong hands, while Shiriarty works to plunge the world into darkness.