At one point in our lives, most of us wanted to be a detective like Detective Conon, Sherlock holmes, or whoever was our favorite mystery solver. And, even if it’s no longer your dream job, mystery-solving can still be fascinating. There are so many unique and curious detective anime series that will keep you on the edge of your seat, thinking about what’s gonna happen next. Just watching these detective anime series can bring your childhood dream of becoming a detective back to the surface.

So, not to hold you any longer from watching a new detective anime. Here are some best anime detective series to enjoy your evening with.

Here are the Top 20 Best Detective Anime Series.

1. UN-GO

UN-GO is a detective anime series with a double mystery that will suck you right in. The story is about an odd detective Shinjuro Yuki and his mysterious partner Inga. The anime plot deals with the mystery revolving around the numerous homicide cases that Yuki solves and his very partner Inga.

Shinjuro Yuki, an old-fashioned detective who believes in the supremacy of truth, is commonly referred to by the public as the Defeated Detective because of his unexpected appearances at the wrong time and incorrect conclusions about the crime scene. But he is the famous ‘Last Great Detective’ who is often saught by Kaishou Rinroku, the heroic head of the Kaishou Media Empire that controls all the media and surveillance network of Japan, and uses his technology and contacts to solve crimes across the country.

Yuki and Inga are usually called in by the Prosecution office and Rinroku to solve the cases that are too strange or delicate for normal investigations. With his exceptional deductive skills and his partner’s truth-seeking abilities, Yuki is always solving mysteries and trying to bring the truth to the world. But Rinroku, to control what information reaches the war-devasted public tends to manipulate and spin the conclusion to fit his own narrative, earning Yuki’s distrust and enmity. An engaging and fabulous detective anime with a touch of supernatural and action, perfect for a suspenseful evening.

2. Bungou Stray Dogs

What could be better than a detective anime with superpowers, right? Bungou Stray Dogs is a fabulous mix of action, mystery, supernatural comedy, and superpowers. The plot revolves around a young boy Atsushi Nakajima, whose life suddenly takes an unexpected turn when he is unexpectedly kicked out of his orphanage. Well, who wouldn’t if they suddenly found themself with no shelter to keep them safe and no food to eat.

But this is not the end of his encounter with unexpected circumstances; rather just the start.
Standing by the river, contemplating what to do now, he sees a man attempting suicide. Without realizing his next action would change his life forever, he saves the man. The man he saves is Osamu Dazai, a member of a Special Detective Agency, that deals with cases that are beyond the expertise of the Police and the Army. These detectives with the help of their powers and resources solve supernatural and complicated mysteries that normal people can’t; all while fighting other shady organizations and conspiracies to keep their city safe.

Atsushi finds himself joining the detective agency, full of eccentric people with superpowers. An unexpected turn of events indeed. A detective anime with the perfect mix of mystery, action, and humor, to keep you entertained.

3. Hyouka

A detective anime with a high school slice-of-life theme that is not only full of mysteries but also lots of adorable moments. The story revolves around Houtarou Oreki, who is constantly living in an energy-saving mode, leading a grey life. But unfortunately for him, his peaceful life changes when his elder sister forces him to join the school’s classic club to save it from disbanding.

There he meets Eru Chitanda, a curious and bubbly girl, who with her enthusiasm, is always roping Oreki and the other two members of the Classic literature club in solving the mysteries revolving around their club and the School. Together the four use their deduction skills, investigation techniques, and resourcefulness to find out the truth revolving the mysteries revolving around their school.

A light-hearted detective anime about a lazy guy with brilliant deduction skills, who would find the easiest method if he had to get something done. It is perfect to unwind after a hectic and tiring day. A fabulous series that will keep you wanting for more, a good thing, as the second season of the series is going to be aired soon.

4. Detective Conan

Detective Conon is a classic detective anime series about a Sherlock-obsessed high school boy Shinichi Kudo, who is well known for solving many challenging cases. While following two suspicious guys, he is injected with an experimental drug that their illegal organization has been working on, which is supposed to kill him but unexpected to either of them it transforms Kudo into a 7-year-old child.

Although his body is reduced to that of a 7-year-old, his intellect and mental capabilities thankfully remain intact. Taking the alias of Conan Edogawa, he decides to hide his identity from everyone including his childhood friend Ran, in whose house he decides to reside for the time being. Not being able to stop his unyielding enthusiasm for mystery, he starts helping Ran’s father, a private detective, solving cases from behind the curtain. All while covertly investigating the organization that turned him into a child and ways to reverse the effect of the drug.

If you like classic detective anime, then Detective Conan is just for you. With a fascinating plot and amusing characters, the series is lined with an incredible mix of romance and humor in it. Once you start watching the series, you won’t be able to decide when to stop.

5. Kamisama no Memochou

Also known as Heaven’s Memo Pad, is another marvelous detective anime. It has an attractive and stunning art style with a deeper and darker plot than it might seem at the first glance.
Narumi Fujishima is a seemingly normal-looking high school guy, who is actually a pessimistic recluse who can’t seem to fit with others. One day while helping his friend Ayaka Shinozaki with her part-time job, Narumi meets Alice, who lives just above the noodle shop.

Alice is an extremely tech-savvy young girl with high intelligence, who runs a Private detective organization called NEET – Not in Education, Employment or Training. Which you would notice is quite an ironic name for the organization. After a surprising turn of events, Narumi finds himself joining the NEETs. Due to personal involvement with a criminal case, Narumi sinks deeper and deeper into the world of crime, criminals, and mystery solving, coming face to face with the crazier and darker side of society.

If dark mysteries with a touch of comedy and cuteness, are your preference, then this detective anime is just made for you. A fantastic crime and detective anime series that will keep you on the edge of your seat for the whole season.

6. The File of Young Kindaichi

It sure is true that you should never judge a book only by its cover. Because if you do, then you will never ever come to know what gem lies within it. Hajime Kindaichi may seem like a normal high schooler with his untidy and lax personality, but is an extremely smart person with an IQ of 180. The Anime is one of the best detective anime you will ever see, with its well-written mysteries and psychological basis of the crimes.

Hajime, the grandson of the greatest detective of japan of his time, Kosuke Kindaichi, is a remarkable detective himself. His dream is to uncover the truth behind all the gruesome, cunning, and sinister mysteries around the world. With an unconventional inspector Isamu Kenmochi and his best friend Miyuki Nanase, you will find Hajime skipping from country to country solving mysteries.

Not only the plot of this detective anime series is fabulous, but the places Hajime and his team go to are fascinating. All the ominous towns, remote islands, sinister sea journeys, and other ominous environment gives a sense of mystery on their own. It’s a detective anime that will keep you on the edge of your seat without even blinking.

7. Ghost Hunt

Do you believe in ghosts? Do you think they are real? How would you know, those strange occurrences are actually due to supernatural elements and not just your hyperactive mind? This is exactly what the anime series Ghost Hunt deals with; The Ghosts.

Shibuya Psychic Research is a special investigation agency that investigates supernatural occurrences all around Japan. The story revolves around Mai Taniyama, an orphan high school girl who accidentally ( quite literally) becomes part of the Shibuya Psychic Research Team. One accident changes her whole life, and now she is involved in the supernatural more than she could have ever thought. Not only that, but she also finds a family in the misfit team that is SPR.

Ghost Hunt is a unique anime, diverting from the typical fantasy-horror anime series. It is a detective anime that investigates the incidents and crimes relating to ghosts instead of humans. The whole series is more of a scientific thriller supernatural detective anime than the simple gory horror mystery that you would associate ghost hunt with. It is a fantastic detective anime with an original plotline that you are sure to enjoy if you love horror and mystery. So, do give it a try.

8. Detective School Q

Have you ever been interested in becoming a private detective? What if there were a school that taught the art of mystery-solving and the knicks-knacks of how to become a good detective. Kyuu is a teenager who has a knack for logical and analytical reasoning. He loves solving puzzles and mysteries and wants to become a detective. He comes to know about a detective academy that has been established by Morihiko Dan, a well-renowned detective in Japan. And without thinking about anything else, goes for it.

The plot of this detective anime revolves around the crimes that Class Q of the detective academy which includes Kyuu and four other students solves. The five make solve baffling mysteries, fight each other, make friends, go on adventures and catch criminals together. They eventually come to know that all those near fool-proof crimes that have been being committed in Japan are actually the work of a criminal organization known as Pluto. Now they not only have to solve crimes but also uncover this evil Syndicate called Pluto.

Detective School Q is a suspenseful gripping detective series with friendly banter among friends who don’t consider each other friends. Try giving it a go and find out how these not-so-friends change into friends all by solving deadly criminal cases.

9. Psychic Detective Yakumo

It’s another detective anime with a unique plot that won’t let you forget it anytime soon. Yakumo Saito is a University student who is a private detective on the side. But what’s extraordinary about Yakumo is that he can see ghosts and spirits with his left red eye. He uses this ability to communicate with them and help them move on.

One day, a fellow student Haruka Ozawa, a sophomore year student comes to him seeking help for a friend who she believes is possessed. Although she is initially skeptical about Yakumo’s supernatural abilities but comes to believe him when he passes a message to her from her dead sister. He decides to help her, unknowing where this will be taking him. The two together solve the mysteries surrounding the strange events happening in their school.

Yakumo And Haruka forms an abnormal team of paranormal detectives, one who can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits, while the other has a knack for finding buried secrets and cold cases. The two work together to unfold the truth behind the deadly mysteries that they come across, all the while avoiding the killers who don’t want the dead to tell any tales. This is a detective anime that will keep you engaged till the very end and leave you guessing what’s gonna happen next.

10. ID- Invaded

ID: Invaded is an action psych-thriller detective anime with integrated elements of virtual reality. The story has an incredible plotline with amazing world-building. It is set in future Japan, where investigators can access the unconscious part known as ‘ Id- Well’ of a killer and see the fragmented part of their psyche. Id well is a mental sphere where investigators can enter to collect clues regarding the motives, victims, places related to the crime, and other pieces of information. The Id plain is always twisting and changing, after all, it’s all just cognitive fragments.

But the thing is, not everyone can enter the Id Well of a killer; only a killer or a victim can enter it. And this is where our protagonist Akihito Narihisago, comes; a renounced detective. After Akihito’s daughter is brutally murdered by a serial killer, his wife couldn’t handle the grief and commits suicide. Akihito hunts the killer down and kills him, consequently earning a prison sentence.

After two years Akihito finds himself back on the side of the law, working with a special detective unit tracking down serial killers. The only twist is, now, to catch the serial killers he has to enter a fragmented virtual reality where your death means your death in real life. But taking his daughter’s death as motivation Akihito is determined to bring those who killers other to justice, even though it might cost him his own life. It is an addicting detective anime series with a brilliant mix of virtual reality and psychological horror in it.

11. Spiral: The Bonds of Reasoning

Spiral is another detective anime that is a gem in the genre of mystery and detective anime series. The series revolves around Ayumu Narumi, whose older brother Kiyotaka suddenly disappears without leaving a trace. And the only clue he has is the word ‘Blade Children’ from his brother’s last phone call. Now he has to solve the mystery of what this blade child is and how it relates to Kiyotaka’s disappearance.

Now in his first year of high school, Ayumu is trying to find his brother, when suddenly he is a suspect in a crime. While trying to find the person responsible for framing him, he discovers that Blade children are involved. He soon finds himself in the middle of a cluster mess of crimes, murders, and strange incidents; trying to uncover the truth all the while making sure to stay alive.

Ayumu soon meets five blade children who tell him his brother told them that he can save the blade children from their tragic fate. The main plot of this detective anime orbits around the mystery of blade children. And while trying to solve this mystery Ayumu encounters many other crimes that he can’t help but uncover. An entertaining detective anime series, that not only tests the mysteries but also the bond of trust, family, and friendship.

12. Ryoko’s Case File

Ryoko’s Casefile also known as Yakushiji Ryoko no Kaiki Jikenbo, is another well-knitted detective mystery. This detective anime as the name says revolves around Ryoko Yakushiji, a gifted police officer. She is one of the youngest superintendents of police in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police department. The cases that she deals with are anything but ordinary.

Ryoko is a member of a makeshift team, that includes his subordinate Junichiro Izumida, another equally brilliant young superintendent Yukiko Muromachi and her two personal maids, and a few personnel of the JACES security force. A strange concoction of personalities, indeed. But what is unsurprising is how well they work together to solve the paranormal and bizarre cases that can’t be solved by ordinary police procedures and scientific methods.

If you like detective anime with unique characters tackling incredulous cases, then this series is just for you. It is amusing to see Izumida, a mild-mannered guy constantly tackling not only the ghosts but also the egoistic personality of his superior Ryoko as well. This detective anime has a fabulous mix of mystery, supernatural, thriller, rivalry, humor, and bonding moments, that will keep you on the roller coaster of emotions for the whole series.

13. Woodpecker Detective’s Office

Does the historical era fascinate you? What is better than a detective anime set within the bounds of history. Although the anime is not set in ancient times, the Meiji era background is stunningly portrayed. The story depicts the adventures of a poet and his linguistic assistant in mystery-solving and ghost hunting if it could be called that.

Takuboku Ishikawa is a poet who also runs a private detective agency to support his family. When the news of a ghost spotting on the 12th floor of the Asakusa Juunikai Building is published in the newspaper, Takuboku decides to go solve this intriguing case with his assistant Kyosuke Kindaichi. This case proves to be just the starting of their several mystery cases.

The rag-tag team of two friends who can’t seem to stop bickering even in the most unfavorable of situations. But then again, when have you ever seen friends who do anything without bickering like it’s a competition they intend to win. A detective anime that is fabulous in all its aspects. If you wanna pick a detective anime series that is amusing, and mysterious but light-hearted at the same time, then this is just for you.

14. Magic Kaito: Kid the Phantom

Do you like magic? But what if there is a thief that uses it to steal precious gems of unknown origin, only to return them by the next full moon? What a strange thief. This detective anime revolves around Kaito Kuroba, a high schooler, who is a magician, a thief, and a detective together.

One day Kaito finds out about the true identity of his father and the reason behind his mysterious death. Kaito’s father was actually a famous international thief known as Kaito Kid, who was murdered by an evil organization for targeting a mysterious gem. The gem is said to provide immortality and the only way to identify it is that it turns red under the full moon. He takes an oath to uncover that secret organization and prevent it from getting its hands on Pandora’s Gem.

Kaito decides to copy his father and stage thefts in the same way he did to bait the killers. And while trying to lure his father’s killers out, he also has to find and destroy the pandora’s gem before the organization does. This detective anime is literally magical. The art style, the story plot, the magic tricks, and the slice of life, all will keep you enchanted. So, do give it a try.

15. Erased

What if you had the ability to go back in time to change a tragic incident in your life? As tempting and appealing the thought is, it is unfortunately not possible for us. But it is for Satoru Fujinuma, a 29-year-old aspiring manga writer who works part-time as a pizza delivery man. He possesses an ability called ‘revival’ that sends him back in time just before the happening of a life-threatening event, so that he may change the course and prevent it from happening.

After Satoru’s mother is murdered for an unapparent reason by a mysterious assailant, his ability of revival, to his surprise takes him 18 years back in time. Then he realizes, that his mother’s death might be connected to the kidnapping of the three of his childhood friends. Now, not only does he has the opportunity to save his mother but also to prevent the kidnapping of his friends which becomes the cause of their death.

Erased is an amazing thriller anime that may not involve detectives, but the mystery and Satoru’s efforts in preventing the kidnapping and unraveling the truth, sure make it an incredible detective anime. This detective anime is so captivating and phenomenal that will have you going for the next episode till the end of the series.

16. The millionaire detective Balance: Unlimited

Can two persons with contradicting and opposing beliefs can work well together for the same cause? The same is the case with Daisuke Kambe and Haru Kato, who are teamed up to work together in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police department to solve crimes. Daisuke belongs to one of the wealthiest families in Japan, who believes that all problems can be solved with money. He is assigned to the Modern Crime Prevention Task Force, where problematic individuals are transferred. There he is partnered with Haru Katao, a kind-hearted detective who believes in righteousness and justice.

Haru is repulsed by Daisuke’s materialistic attitude and his tendency to evaluate even human life with money. Daisuke doesn’t care much and takes full benefit of his family’s wealth in solving the crimes they come across. Somehow, even with their dramatically opposite personality and beliefs, they handle all the unsolvable cases they come across quite well.

It’s a stunning detective anime that will keep you entertained with engaging criminal cases and the two’s shenanigans. If you are looking for a light-hearted detective anime, you must give this one a go. (https://www.harveymaria.com)

17. Beautiful Bones: Sakurako’s Investigation

Beautiful Bones is a mystery mixed humor detective series. It is about a stunning genius Sakurako Kujo in her mid-twenties, who is infatuated with bones and the mystery they bring forth. Sakurako is the niece of a famous forensic anthropologist and lives in a mansion that seems to be more ancient than the science of forensics itself.

Engrossed in her studies of bones, she rarely goes out and interacts with other people. But this changes when she meets a high school boy Shotaro Tatewaki, who decides to become her assistant. With now Shotaro as her assistant cum companion cum friend, she comes to interact more with the world outside her mansion. But to no one’s surprise, almost every venture out of the mansion ends up with a new bone in her hand and the mystery revolving around it.

It sure is an unforgettable detective anime. As much as there is a mystery to solve, it is full of fun and shenanigans as well. It’s a really unique detective anime series that is absolutely engaging and fun to watch. If you are looking for a light-hearted detective anime series to watch, then you should give it a try.

18. Rampo Kitan : Game of Laplace

Ranpo Kitan is a gruesome horror detective anime with adorable characters that will keep you wanting more. The story starts with the bizarre situation Yoshio Kobayashi, a middle school student finds himself in. One day he wakes up in his classroom holding a blood-stained weapon near his teacher’s mutilated body. Souji, Yoshio’s friend decides to help his friend find the real culprit and clear his name.

Fortunately for the two of them, Kogorou Akechi, a genius detective who is still in high school, comes to investigate the crime and clears Yoshio’s name. Yoshio develops a keen interest in Akechi and his skills in crime-solving and decides to become his assistant. The detective anime furthers on with Akechi along with Yoshio solving murder cases that lead to them finding out about a killer known as the Twenty Faces who is involved in several cases they have investigated.

If darker and surreal detective anime intrigue you, then Ranpo Kitan is just for you. With an amazing art style and character sketch, it packs a well-paced horror mystery with the most bizarre, gruesome, and brutal crime you will witness. Watch the boys trailing around the minuscule clue to solve brutal cases they find themselves in.

19. Box of Spirits and Goblins

A detective anime that you are bound to get hooked in with the very first episode. Do you like historical supernatural mysteries? If yes, then, this detective anime series is just for you. The whole mystery starts, when one of the two friends Kanako, who were going on a lake trip is pushed in front of a train by a gloved man. She is stabilized after being admitted to a research hospital, but she is mysteriously kidnapped from there. Following this, her friend Yoriko is also kidnapped.

But this is just the starting of a series of rather ominous events. After the abduction of Kanako, three other girls are also kidnapped and their served limbs are found in boxes around the whole town. The grandfather of Kanako appoints private detective Reijiro Enokizu to find Kanako. The News editor Morihito with Tatsumi decides to investigate the matter on their own with the help of Akihito, an onmyoji, as well. Their investigation brings dark family secrets and strange events out into the light.

Is it really the work of the spirits and Goblins or just the sinister mind of humans at work? The detective anime will keep you guessing what is gonna happen next. Can a rag-tag team of a crime fiction writer, an onmyoji, and a news magazine editor find the culprit behind the series of these gruesome and sinister events? If you enjoy detective anime with a pinch of supernatural suspense set in a historical setting, then, you are going to love this one.

20. B: The Beginning

B; The Beginning is another detective anime with a double mystery. The plot of the series encompasses a unique world-building and well-structured and engaging mystery. The story is set around the islands of Cremona, where royalty still governs in the advanced scientific world and is currently haunted by the presence of a vigilante ‘Killer B’ who is specifically targeting the wrongdoers.

When the Royal Investigation Service(RIS) finds themselves unable to apprehend this vigilante with superhuman power, they decide to take the help of a renowned but eccentric detective Keith Flick. In their pursuit of Killer B, they meet a mysterious teenager Koku, who is the center of secrets himself.
When a new case of murder is reported, which RIS believes to be committed by Killer B, Keith disagrees and suspects the involvement of another party. With all the chaos going on, a member of RIS is attacked and Keith is the prime murder suspect. Now he, not only has to find the real killer but also uncover the mystery behind the Killer B. And how is Koku involved in all this?

This is a detective anime series that is going to keep you hooked from the very first episode. The series is full of action sequences and well-paced suspense, that will have you guessing what’s going to happen next.

So, these are some best detective anime series to quench your thirst for suspense thriller mysteries. Have you watched any of the series in this list of top 20 best detective anime? Which is your favorite detective series that you have ever watched? Do share with us by commenting below. And wish you a fun time with your next mystery.