Best Mystery Manga of 2014

There is nowhere that Seon Jin can find solace. At school, he is ruthlessly bullied due to his unsettlingly quiet nature and weak appearance. However, this is not the source of Jin's insurmountable terror: the thing that he fears more than anything else is his own father. To most, Jin's father is a successful businessman, good samaritan, and doting parent. But that is merely a facade; in truth, he is a deranged serial killer—and Jin is his unwilling accomplice. For years, they have been carrying out this ruse with the police being none the wiser. When his father takes an interest in the pretty transfer student Yoon Kyun, Jin must make a decision—be the coward who sends her to the gallows like all the rest, or be the bastard of a son who defies his wicked parent.

Hyakkaou Private Academy is a school for the privileged and influential, playing host to the children of businessmen and politicians. However, unlike other schools, students at Hyakkaou do not pride themselves on academic achievement. Instead, they value strategic prowess and the ability to read people. Come nightfall, many places on campus transform into gambling dens overseen by the student council, where players compete for rank, money, and more. Ryouta Suzui spends his days as a "house pet"—a student ranked in the bottom one hundred, forced to serve his peers. His circumstances soon change when a mysterious new transfer student, Yumeko Jabami, arrives at the academy. Despite Suzui's warnings, Yumeko quickly becomes immersed in the school's gambling scene, facing off against several high-profile opponents. Her exploits draw the attention of the student council members, who start meddling in her affairs. Suzui tries his best to keep Yumeko out of trouble, but to his chagrin, she turns out to be the type of person best suited to attend Hyakkaou: a compulsive gambler.

In the East is a land ruled by an emperor, whose consorts and serving women live in a sprawling complex known as the hougong, the rear palace. Maomao, an unassuming girl raised in an unassuming town by her apothecary father, never imagined the rear palace would have anything to do with her—until she was kidnapped and sold into service there. Though she looks ordinary, Maomao has a quick wit, a sharp mind, and an extensive knowledge of medicine. That's her secret, until she encounters a resident of the palace at least as perceptive as she is: the head eunuch, Jinshi. He sees through Maomao's façade and makes her a lady-in-waiting to none other than the Emperor's favorite consort... so she can taste the lady's food for poison! At her lady's side, Maomao starts to learn about everything that goes on in the rear palace—not all of it seemly. Can she ever lead a quiet life, or will her powers of deduction and insatiable curiosity bring her ever more adventures, and ever more dangers?

Striving for talent, Senji Touya tries everything he can so he can find it. Kendou, dancing, swimming, basketball, soccer, chess,... anything he tries, he fails to exceed it. One day, his classmate, Haito, came to school for once in a long time. Senji refers her as someone who "has it" or someone who has talent. Later on, he found out that she isn't just someone who has talent, but someone who "took" the talent of herself in her past life. And, those who "took" the talent from their past lives, are also known as "Returners"…

A few thousand years has passed since an alchemist created Winter. He is now living with Jane learning what it means to be alive as a human.

Gangnam in complete darkness... "Am I the only one alive? What's going on?..." A boy wakes up to find himself in a building full of dead people. No cars, no electricity and no stars in the sky... Not only Gangnam, but the entire city seems deserted.

You awaken in a decrepit old mansion. A woman with eyes of jade stands before You, informing You that You are the Master of the house, and she Your Maid. However, You have no memories, no concept of self—or, indeed, any certainty that You are even alive. The Maid invites You to join her on a journey through the mansion's lifeless halls, to behold the numerous tragedies that have befallen its residents. She suggests that among them, perhaps You will find some trace of Yourself.

Twenty-five-year-old Kakushidate Yakusuke suffers from the fate of constantly stumbling into various crime scenes and ending up being the main suspect. His last resort: Okitegami Kyouko the "Quickest Detective." However, Kyouko suffers from a strange case of amnesia; whenever she falls asleep, she forgets everything that happened the previous day, making her solve the mysteries within one day.

When Lord El-Melloi II, the later Waver Velvet, gets asked to claim his inheritance over Adra Castle, he travels there with his apprentice Gray to do so. But they are not the only ones called that way. The will of the previous owner states that the assembled contestants—including Luviagelita Edelfelt—must compete in a game of wits to win the castle.

Deep in Scotland Yard in London sits an evidence room, where artifacts of the greatest mysteries in London history are kept. In this "Black Museum" sits two bullets, fused together after a head-on collision. This was the key piece of evidence in a case that brought together a supernatural Man in Gray and the famous nurse and activist Florence Nightingale—the only person who can see him. Surrounded by war and suffering, the lady enters into a desperate pact with this ghostlike man...

From the mind behind Steins;Gate, Chaos;Head, Robotics;Notes, and Chaos;Child! Now a hit anime, too! --Q: Do you believe in ghosts? A: Of course not! Yuta Gamon, a young boy who lives in Kichijoji, runs an Occult-related blog called "Kirikiri Basara". He spends his days dreaming of making a fortune off his affiliate links. Suddenly, Yuta's blog brings together the fate of nine strangers, as what starts off as a tiny feeling that something's wrong develops into a case that goes beyond imagination. Black magic, the afterlife, psychics, fortune-telling, other dimensions, prophecies, hypnosis, urban legends... The world is filled with flim-flam!

Minami Asako has a "unique constitution." He senses the lingering thoughts of the deceased and experiences the circumstances under which they died with his own body in a reaction similar to stigmata. This proves useful in solving difficult cases with the Metropolitan Police Department's Special Investigations Unit Six. Asako's partner is the reserved Superintendent Hiroto Kuroiwa, rising through the MPD ranks despite doubting his own abilities.

The human army lost the battle against the vampires on the island of Higanjima. Unable to prevent Miyabi's plan, Japan became a vampire country. Six months later, there is a one-armed man fighting the vampires in abandoned Japan! The man's name is Akira Miyamoto. A warrior who has already tasted hell on Higanjima.

In Tenikai General Hospital's general diagnostic department, patients who are deemed difficult to treat by other doctors are collected here. From mysteries of unknown illness to murders that even the police can't handle. Genius doctor Takao Ameku reveals the shocking truth hidden behind these mysterious "disease."

Each village that the scholar visits is said to be under unholy influences. A series of dark folktales from a genius of mystery manga!

There is a certain detective company on 7-chome Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo. Tsukioka Haruhi, Kannawa Yato, and Minakata Utsuhi. They are the rumored youkai boy detectives in the streets. You who are suffering from strange, weird, irrational, incomprehensible phenomena! If you come to this detective company, you will be immediately resolved and witnessed the monument! A popular creator ...

Two friends wake up in a strange place. They find themselves in a room with a red cube and no exits. Then, suddenly, there are two more people. Are they friends or foes? Why are they all trapped here? And why does one of the strangers claim the room is alive…?

Icons are pieces of art or paintings that contain complex iconography by hiding unique meanings in its backgrounds or objects. Chikage, a girl who studied iconography in England, learns that her grandfather passed away and returns to her homeland Japan. At the gallery currently run by her grandmother, she is asked to judge a pair of paintings. Apparently those paintings were stolen pieces and come with a dark history...?!