Best Suspense Anime of 2014

A deadly menace lurks in Tokyo: man-eating "ghouls" that look exactly like humans and hide among them. Reserved college student Ken Kaneki keeps his head in books and pays no attention to reports of the escalating crisis. But the arrival of a beautiful woman named Rize Kamishiro breaks his solitude when she boldly asks him out on a date. As Kaneki walks Rize home, he realizes she is far from the kind person she seemed—she lured him with malicious intent. After a violent struggle, he wakes up in a hospital to find out his life was saved by having the organs of the now-dead Rize transplanted into his body. Kaneki's body starts changing in terrifying ways, turning him into a human-ghoul hybrid. As he begins his grim new path, Kaneki desperately holds onto his humanity amid the growing bloody war between society's new monsters and the government agents hunting them.

Parasitic aliens suddenly descend upon Earth, infiltrating humanity by burrowing into the brains of vulnerable targets. These insatiable creatures seize complete control of their hosts and can morph into various forms to hunt unsuspecting prey. Sixteen-year-old high school student Shinichi Izumi is attacked by one of these parasites, but it fails to take over his brain, ending up in his right hand instead. Unable to move to its intended location, the parasite, named Migi, must rely on Shinichi to survive. This forces the duo into an uneasy coexistence as they defend themselves against hostile parasites determined to eliminate this new threat to their kind.

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.

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.

Yuuji Kazami transfers into Mihama Academy, seeking an ordinary high school life. But the school is unusual—it consists of only the principal and five female students. As he gets to know each girl, Yuuji discovers their unique personalities and the deep, hidden traumas that shape their pasts. Mihama Academy acts as a refuge for these girls, described as fruit that have fallen from their branches and begun to rot. Yuuji must become the catalyst to save them from their self-destructive tendencies, but he struggles with the challenge of helping others when he cannot rescue himself.

Tokaku Azuma transfers to the elite Myoujou Academy, a private girls' boarding school. However, she and eleven of her classmates in Class Black are assassins participating in a challenge to eliminate their sweet-natured classmate, Haru Ichinose. Whoever succeeds will have their deepest wish granted, no matter the difficulty or price. But each assassin gets only one attempt; if they fail to kill her, they are expelled. Despite the incredible reward, Tokaku chooses a different path. Even though Haru is her target, the young assassin soon becomes drawn to the very girl she is supposed to kill. With the entire class hunting Haru, Tokaku refuses to let her friend die, swearing to protect her from the mounting bloodlust.

In the 21st century, humanity dispatched algae and cockroaches to Mars with the intention of terraforming the planet, as these species could withstand its harsh conditions. What was not foreseen was their extraordinary capacity for adaptation. By the 26th century, a lethal illness called the Alien Engine Virus is devastating Earth, with its potential cure believed to exist only on Mars. The problem is that Mars is now overrun by the "Terraformars"—highly intelligent, powerful humanoid cockroaches that mutated from the original specimens sent there. The Annex I team, composed of one hundred men and women who have undergone genetic enhancement with traits from formidable Earth organisms, has been dispatched to Mars on a mission to uncover the source of the Alien Engine Virus and aid in humanity's salvation, marking the beginning of the crew's desperate struggle for survival.

Left to fend for themselves after being abandoned by their cruel parents, the Hasegawa siblings, Utsutsu and Yume, are led astray by striking red butterflies that have appeared in their world. Unknown to them, these crimson-winged heralds announce the arrival of a cannibalistic nightmare—a mysterious virus named Pupa is about to emerge. Fully succumbing to Pupa, Yume undergoes a horrifying transformation into a monstrous being with an uncontrollable craving for flesh; Utsutsu, however, is only partially infected, gaining instead remarkable regenerative abilities. Reaffirming the vow he made to himself years earlier, Utsutsu is prepared to sacrifice everything to always stay by his beloved little sister's side. Pupa tells the story of a devoted brother's desperate efforts to save his sister while protecting the world from her ravenous hunger.

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.

Nothing is quite as it appears on the surface. This holds especially true for Ruuko Kominato, who is given a set of cards for the popular WIXOSS trading card game, only to discover a girl imprisoned inside her LRIG, the avatar card. After encountering others who share her predicament, Ruuko learns that she has become a "Selector"—a participant in a special version of WIXOSS where girls battle one another for the chance to have their deepest wishes granted. But there is a serious drawback. Unlike the glory that awaits them after winning, a harsh consequence looms: if they suffer three defeats, their lives will be ruined. Caught in a sinister game rife with deception and betrayal, Ruuko and her new companions must unravel the mysteries behind WIXOSS and come to understand what truly matters to them before time runs out.

The aftermath of Iona Urazoe's fan event continues to weigh on Ruuko Kominato. Now aware of the truth behind being a Selector, Ruuko and her friends Yuzuki Kurebayashi and Hitoe Uemura hesitate to engage in battles that could destroy the lives they hold dear. Chiyori, another Selector, remains unaware of the consequences of losing despite repeated warnings. As Ruuko tries to steer Chiyori away from a cruel fate, she uncovers more about a WIXOSS novel that may hold the secrets of LRIGs and the very nature of Selector battles. Meanwhile, Akira Aoi's modeling career has recovered thanks to Iona, now possessed by Ulith. With her life back on track, Akira vows to support Ulith however she can. Unbeknownst to Akira, Ulith is plotting to use a familiar LRIG to torment Ruuko and ensure her wish is never granted.

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.