Best Suspense Anime of 2016

Subaru Natsuki steps out of a convenience store, completely unaware that his mundane existence is on the verge of being shattered by a sudden transportation to a fantastical realm. His circumstances rapidly worsen when a gang assaults him, leaving him defenseless with nothing but a shopping bag and a useless phone before he is rendered unconscious. Fortunately, a striking woman named Satella, who is in pursuit of a stolen emblem, arrives just in time to rescue him. Grateful for her intervention, Subaru decides to aid Satella in her quest, and by nightfall, he successfully locates the emblem. However, their triumph is fleeting, as an unseen evil brutally kills both of them shortly after the item is retrieved. To Subaru's astonishment, he awakens moments before the initial attack, finding the events repeating. The mystery deepens as Subaru relives the same sequence of occurrences, confronting the same adversaries and encountering Satella once more.

In Erased, Satoru Fujinuma, a reclusive 29-year-old manga artist, wields a unique ability known as Revival. This power allows him to rewind time by a few minutes to avert disasters, a skill he has employed to save countless lives. However, after being wrongly accused of murdering someone dear to him, Satoru is thrust back eighteen years to 1988. Upon arriving in the past, he uncovers a potential connection between his current situation and the childhood kidnapping and murder of his quiet classmate, Kayo Hinazuki. The narrative follows Satoru as he delves into the past to prevent Kayo's tragic end and safeguard the people he loves in his own time.

During the industrial revolution, a mysterious virus spawns terrifying creatures called Kabane that devour humans. These monsters can only be slain by shattering their iron-encased hearts, and anyone bitten inevitably transforms into a Kabane. One of the few remaining human bastions is the island fortress of Hinomoto, shielded by massive walls that repel constant assaults. Entry to these fortified havens relies on armored trains run and maintained by young people like Ikoma. Ikoma has crafted a potent weapon capable of piercing a Kabane's heart and is keen to put it to the test. Yet, his chance to battle arrives far sooner than he anticipated.

In the town of Lawless, Angelo Lagusa watches in horror as the Vanetti mafia clan brutally murders his parents and younger sibling. Overcome with grief, he abandons his former life and adopts a new identity as Avilio Bruno. Seven years later, a mysterious letter summons Avilio back to Lawless. Upon his return, he encounters Nero, the son of the Vanetti boss, and begins cultivating a friendship with him while employing the covert skills he has honed over the years. Set during the Prohibition era, 91 Days chronicles Avilio's relentless and violent quest for vengeance as he systematically targets and eliminates those responsible for his family's death.

After escaping from Hope's Peak Academy, Makoto Naegi and the other survivors join the Future Foundation, an organization dedicated to fighting despair. But things take a grim turn when Naegi is arrested for treason after defending the Remnants of Despair. Alongside Kyouko Kirigiri and Aoi Asahina, he is brought before the Foundation's leaders, where his fate is uncertain. The situation worsens when Monokuma breaks through the group's supposedly secure defenses and announces the start of another killing game. With the first victim appearing, signaling despair's return, Naegi, the Super High School-Level Lucky Student, must solve the mystery as his allies are picked off one by one. This time, without class trials, the rules are different: among the sixteen participants, only one is the killer, and their death will end this nightmare.

In the distinctive setting of Class 77-B at Hope's Peak Academy, the students welcome Chisa Yukizome, a former pupil known as the Super High School-Level Housekeeper. With her lively personality and abilities, Chisa is committed to repairing the strained relationships among her diverse group of students, which includes a princess, a nurse, a yakuza member, and someone with extraordinary luck. Driven by a conviction in the power of hope, she works to guide them through their conflicts. Meanwhile, Hajime Hinata, a Reserve Course student who doubts his own capabilities, forms a connection with Chiaki Nanami, the Super High School-Level Gamer. Through their interactions, Chiaki helps Hajime gain a new outlook on life. Unbeknownst to Hajime, however, the school authorities are devising a sinister scheme centered on him, one that could bring disaster to Hope's Peak Academy and beyond. Zetsubou-hen captures the daily life at this prestigious institution while shadowy figures orchestrate malevolent plans in the background. As despair begins to eclipse hope, the masterminds behind the Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History set their plan into motion, signaling the beginning of the end.

A busload of diverse passengers journeys toward the fabled Nanaki Village, a place said to offer a fresh start and a perfect life. Each traveler has their own theories about why the village is missing from maps and why authorities cannot locate it. Despite these doubts, they are eager to embrace the promise of a new beginning. When they arrive, they find Nanaki Village abandoned, its run-down condition suggesting it has been empty for over a year. As they explore, members of the group begin to disappear, and the discovery of bloodstained claw marks in the woods fuels their growing fear and suspicion. With tensions rising and accusations flying, the travelers must solve the mystery of the deserted village before more of them vanish.

As World War II begins, intelligence on other nations' social and economic conditions becomes vital. In response, Japan creates a secret espionage unit called the "D Agency." Led by Lieutenant Colonel Yuuki, eight highly trained agents are tasked with infiltrating and monitoring key global powers, transmitting crucial wartime intelligence back to Japan. These operatives have undergone rigorous training to endure extreme conditions and possess expertise in fields like communications and linguistics. Yet their most powerful skill is the ability to manipulate others to extract the essential information needed to strengthen Japan's strategic advantage.

After the Future Foundation's collapse at the conclusion of the Final Killing Game and the exposure of its mastermind, a single survivor devises a drastic plan to eliminate despair across the entire world. To prevent this possibly catastrophic outcome, the remaining members of the Future Foundation must unite. Their efforts gain unexpected strength from an alliance with improbable allies as they fight against time to protect their world's stability. This concluding chapter of the Hope's Peak Academy storyline within the Danganronpa series shows the participants of the ongoing killing game beginning to grasp the deep consequences of despair, hope, and the path to redemption.

In N-City, the social role-playing game Magical Girl Raising Project has become hugely popular among girls, offering them a simulation of being real magical girls. For some lucky players, this fantasy becomes reality. Koyuki Himekawa is one such girl who receives a notification one evening, revealing she has been chosen to transform into a magical girl, with her in-game avatar appearing as Snow White. As Koyuki and other chosen players start helping those in need, they soon get another notification: the administrators plan to reduce the number of magical girls. Every week, the player who collects the least Magical Candies—earned from their magical girl duties—will lose their powers. However, after the first player to be eliminated faces a tragic event in the real world, the harsh reality of losing these abilities becomes clear. As more competitors inevitably fall short in the contest and new, sinister rules are introduced, the girls realize their supposed game is actually a grim fight for survival.

In "Gantz:O," death does not mark the end if one can survive the trials set by the mysterious black sphere known as Gantz. Masaru Katou, a courageous and kind-hearted student, is fatally stabbed on his way home to celebrate his younger sibling's birthday. Waking up in a small room with a view of Tokyo, he finds himself joined by others in what seems to be a preparation area for a dangerous game where their lives are at stake. Before he can grasp the situation, Masaru is given a gun and sent to the center of Osaka with a clear objective: eliminate all encountered aliens. Teamwork becomes essential as Masaru allies with Yoshikazu Suzuki, an elderly companion; Reika Shimohira, a popular idol; and Jouichirou Nishi, a distant yet experienced partner. Together, they must face their deepest fears to ensure survival and return to their former lives, including Masaru's desire to see his brother again.

In Terra Formars: Revenge, the Annex I crew persists in their struggle against the Terraformars—enormous humanoid cockroaches that developed from samples initially sent to Mars. Instead of discovering a remedy for the devastating Alien Engine Virus ravaging Earth, the Annex I team finds that various squads are motivated by their own nationalistic objectives. Consequently, the fighters must battle both the Terraformars to stay alive and one another in an endless pursuit of global supremacy.

In an era of swift industrial advancement, a mysterious virus infects humans, transforming them into ravenous undead beings called Kabane. These creatures can only be stopped by crushing their hearts, which are encased in iron. To survive, the remaining humans have taken refuge in fortified cities known as Stations, surrounded by moats and high walls, with the only link to the outside world being the drawbridges used by armored Hayajiro trains. At Aragane Station, Ikoma works as a steamsmith, maintaining the city's transportation systems. Despite his dedication to his role, Ikoma is dissatisfied with humanity's passive stance and inability to effectively fight the Kabane. He uses his spare time and technical expertise to develop a new weapon against the Kabane threat. When the Kabane launch an attack on Aragane Station, Ikoma gets the chance to test his creation, an event that will drastically change his life beyond just proving the weapon's effectiveness.

Following a move due to family reasons, Suzuko Homura returns to her hometown, recalling the joyful days she once shared with Chinatsu Morikawa. Though their friendship was sealed with a solemn promise, Suzuko has grown distant from Chinatsu over time. Hoping for a fresh start, Suzuko tries to leave her past behind and form new connections at school, though it proves difficult. Meanwhile, Chinatsu balances multiple jobs to support her family alongside her studies, burdened by heavy expectations. Amid their contrasting lives, both girls take up the popular card game WIXOSS and discover they have been chosen as Selectors. In this game, their memories manifest as gold coins, and to succeed, they must compete against other Selectors to collect five coins. Their LRIG avatar cards, born from their personal memories, guide them on their journey. They soon learn that losing duels or all their coins can lead to serious consequences. Determined to protect what they hold dear, Suzuko and Chinatsu prepare for the battles ahead, seeking to reclaim their true selves.

It is 2025, five years after catastrophic terrorist attacks forced the cancellation of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The UN has seized control of the former Olympic site on the edge of Tokyo Bay, placing it outside Japanese jurisdiction. Hana Togetsu is a seventeen-year-old high school student residing in the area, but she is no ordinary teen; she serves in a special unit operated by the UN. Hana is dispatched on a mission, posing as a transfer student at a public high school on Enoshima Island. Her objective is Shunichi Nanase, a boy in her class. Just as Hana prepares to make contact with her target, a middle-aged man arrives at the school searching for Shunichi. The situation spirals into crisis when American military forces descend upon the school in pursuit of the man. As the violence intensifies, another teenage girl begins her journey to the island to resolve the stalemate.

This movie recaps the events of Selector Infected and Spread, adding extra scenes that delve into the characters' pasts. Even though it relies heavily on already-aired episodes, the editing has been rearranged to create a rapid, gripping pace while also emphasizing calm, contemplative moments. New information is presented, such as the true origin of Tama's name, the deep importance of Sachi and Rumi, and the connection between a person's name and their sense of loneliness.

2nd Season to Osiris no Tenbin.