Step into the world of mystery and intrigue, where detectives use their wit and intelligence to solve the toughest of cases.
In this blog post, we will be exploring anime centered around detectives that have captivated audiences in recent years.
From crime-solving detectives to amateur sleuths, these best anime about detectives will showcase a wide range of characters and storylines that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Whether you’re a fan of the genre or simply looking for a new show to watch, these anime will take you on a journey through the criminal underworld, unraveling the mysteries that lie within.
So, grab your detective hat and magnifying glass, and join us as we delve into the world of the best detective anime of 2023.
10 Must-Watch Anime About Detectives
10. Himitsu – Top Secret
- Author: Reiko Shimizu
- Studio: Scociku
- Release Date: August 6, 2016
- Season(s): 1
- Episodes: 26
- Where To Watch: GoGoAnime
Himitsu is a mystery anime that follows a group of students who try to solve their school’s mysteries.
The main character, Kokonotsu, has been told by his father that he is not good at anything and should quit school. His father runs a shop called Kokonotsu Sweets, where he makes sweets. Also, he enjoys going to school with his younger sister, Hotaru.
When Kokonotsu enters high school, he meets many new people, including Hino Satoshi, who immediately takes an interest in him. She invites him to join their club as an investigator. The club is known as “Himitsu” or “Top Secret,” and its members are detectives who solve mysteries around the school.
9. Hyouka
- Author: Honobu Yonezawa
- Studio: Kyoto Animation
- Release Date: April 22, 2022
- Season(s): 1
- Episodes: 22
- Where To Watch: Crunchyroll
Hyouka is one of the best detective anime out there. It’s a great example of how to make a slow-paced mystery show that keeps you guessing to the end.
Hyouka is set in a famous high school in Japan, named Kamiyama High School. The protagonist, Oreki Houtarou, is a boy who always seems disinterested in everything around him. He was asked to join the Classic Literature Club by his older sister, but he rejected the invitation immediately.
However, after confronting her and asking her why she wanted to join the club, he decides to accept the offer. After all, the club only has four members, so it’s easy to be lazy.
8. Psycho-Pass
- Author: Gen Urobuchi
- Studio: Production I.G
- Release Date: October 12, 2012
- Season(s): 3
- Episodes: 22
- Where To Watch: Crunchyroll
The world of the Psycho-Pass is a dystopian future where the government can scan and analyze your mind. This analysis is called a Psycho-Pass. People with criminal thoughts are arrested and sent to live in an isolated prison colony called Sibyl.
The main character, Akane Tsunemori, is a rookie detective who joins Section 9. It’s an elite police force that deals with criminals with high psycho-passes.
Psycho-Pass is one of those shows that will stay with you long after it ends. Even though it’s been over 5 years since I first watched it, I still remember the plot perfectly! You definitely won’t be able to stop yourself from binge-watching this show!
7. Spiral: Bonds of Reasoning
- Author: Kyo Shirodaira, Eita Mizuno
- Studio: J.C.Staff
- Release Date: October 1, 2002
- Season(s): 8
- Episodes: 25
- Where To Watch: Zoro.to
It’s a crime anime about detectives that follows the lives of two detectives – Kogoro Mouri and Conan Edogawa. The two are partners in a detective agency and they solve cases together. While Conan is a child prodigy detective, he still has to hide his identity as an elementary school student whenever he solves a case.
The story begins when Uesugi receives a request from a woman to find her missing husband. However, after a few days, the woman calls back and says that her husband has been found dead in an alleyway.
The two detectives begin to investigate this case but they soon discover that it has some connections with another case they worked on earlier on. For example, there’s an underground society that uses illegal drugs to control people’s minds as well as their bodies!
6. Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo
- Author: Fumiya Satō, Shin Kibayashi, Yōzaburō Kanari
- Studio: Toei Animation
- Release Date: January 11, 2022
- Season(s): 3
- Episodes: 148
- Where To Watch: GoGoAnime
Kindaichi is a prominent private detective who has solved many heinous crimes that the police could not solve. However, his life outside of solving cases isn’t as glamorous as it seems. He still lives with his parents and studies hard at school to maintain his perfect grades.
Despite this, he always tries his best to solve cases quickly so he can spend more time with Miyuki or go out with friends like Kazuya Kujo or Kazunobu Chiba.
While Kindaichi’s main goal is always to find the truth behind each case, sometimes he gets sidetracked by other situations, such as helping out friends or solving smaller cases for money.
5. Monster
- Author: Naoki Urasawa
- Studio: Madhouse
- Release Date: April 7, 2004
- Season(s): 1
- Episodes: 74
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Monster, despite being an old anime, still has many fans due to its storyline.
The story starts with Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a neurosurgeon having an amazing life with a good job and a beautiful fiancée. One day he is caught in a moral dilemma, whether to save a little boy or the mayor. He takes up a decision and since then series of events happen.
After saving a little boy, killings start happening in the hospital and the police suspect Dr. Tenma, but he comes out clean. The killings continue for 9 years until the killer is caught off-guard by Dr. Kenzo himself.
One of the best detective anime which will keep you hooked to your seat till the end.
4. Death Note
- Author: Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata
- Studio: Madhouse
- Release Date: October 4, 2006
- Season(s): 1
- Episodes: 37
- Where To Watch: Netflix
If you are a true fan of detective anime, then you have to watch this masterpiece.
This shounen anime series consists of 37 episodes. Light, the main protagonist, has a book with him named “Death Note,” This book gives Light the power to kill anyone as long as he knows the victim’s face and name.
Light, a.k.a Kira, uses this book to kill criminals and immoral.
Japanese police force hires a detective named L to stop Kira. Kira has the Death Note and L has nothing, but still, L uses his mind games to trick Kira and trap him.
3. Bungo Stray Dogs
- Author: Sango Harukawa
- Studio: Bones
- Release Date: April 7, 2016
- Season(s): 2
- Episodes: 24
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Bungo Stray Dogs is an intriguing detective anime that follows Atsushi Nakajima, an 18-year-old who lives in an orphanage. And for some odd reason, he is kicked out of the orphanage.
A depressed Atsushi sees a man trying to commit suicide and stops him. The man is detective Osamu Dazai. They both start talking, and Atsushi learns that he has a supernatural ability.
Dazai brings him into his Detective agency where each member uses their powers to fight crime and solve cases.
The agency works to keep citizens safe from the threat of corrupt societies and evil organizations, wielding their extraordinary powers against evil forces.
2. Case Closed
- Author: Gosho Aoyama
- Studio: TMS Entertainment
- Release Date: January 8, 1996
- Season(s): 30
- Episodes: 900+
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Any detective anime list is incomplete without Case Closed.
Case Closed is one of the longest and most popular mystery anime series of all time, known widely outside of Japan as Detective Conan.
The story follows Shinichi Kudo, a 16-year-old detective, who wakes up in a 7-year-old boy’s body after consuming a mysterious poison. He keeps his identity closed in fear of getting killed. And although he is in a 7-year-old’s body, his mind remains unchanged.
He starts using his genius to solve cases. Police do not suspect him because of his age. And using his clever sleuthing skills, Detective Conan solves intriguing cases throughout the series while in disguise.
Fans of classic anime detective series should not miss this one!
1. Erased
- Author: Kei Sanbe
- Studio: A-1 Pictures
- Release Date: March 19, 2016
- Season(s): 1
- Episodes: 12
- Where To Watch: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Erased is a 2016 action-mystery anime based on the manga series written by Kei Sanbe.
The story follows Satoru Fujinuma, a manga artist with a supernatural ability called “Revival.” This ability enables him to time travel whenever he is close to danger. Satoru keeps saving people’s lives with his extraordinary ability.
The twist comes when his mother is murdered in his apartment and he is the prime suspect. He, with his ability, travels back but is transported to the year when he was 10 years old.
Apparently, his mother’s murder is related to a past kidnapping case.
Join Satoru as he unravels this mind-bending suspenseful mystery thriller!
Who is the Most Intelligent Detective in Anime?
Who is the best detective in anime? Here’s a list of who I think are the best detectives in anime and what makes them such good detectives!
8. Oriki Hotaru – Hyouka
- Age: 16 Years Old
- Height: 5’8”
- Voice Actors: Yuichi Nakamura
Oriki Hotaru is a first-year student at Kamiyama High School and one of the best detective anime characters. He is known for his sharp eyes and is especially good at solving puzzles and riddles.
Oriki Hotaru joins the Classics Club with his friends. His intelligence level is shown when he solves all the riddles in Ibara’s novels. The author describes Oriki Hotaru as being similar to Houtarou Oreki, a mysterious boy who appears out of nowhere.
He’s the type of guy who would rather spend his time listening to music and reading books than do anything else. That is until he meets a girl named Eru Chitanda, who has an obsession with solving mysteries. She tries her best to solve every mystery she comes across.
7. Hajime Kindaichi – The Kindaichi Case Files
- Age: 16 Years Old
- Height: 5’7”
- Voice Actors: Taiki Matsuno
Hajime Kindaichi is a 16-year-old high school student who solves crimes for the police. He’s mostly known for his ability to read people and judge their arguments. But he also has a strong desire to solve crimes.
Kindaichi is shown as highly intelligent with an eidetic memory. He’s capable of remembering even the smallest details that could help him solve a case, which makes him an effective detective.
He rarely shows any emotion or fear in dangerous situations, making him seem cold and uncaring sometimes. However, this helps Kindaichi focus on solving cases rather than wasting time worrying about himself or others around him.
6. Akane Tsunemori – Psycho-Pass
- Age: 20 Years Old
- Height: 5’4”
- Voice Actors: Akane Tsunemori
Akane is a young inspector who is assigned to the Crime Prevention Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Division’s Division 1. It’s a section of the police force that deals with matters related to the Sibyl System. The system uses this information to determine if they are a latent criminal or not.
Akane is tasked with hunting down criminals before they commit crimes. But she soon starts to struggle with her mortality as she learns more about the system she works for and its long-term effects on society.
Her character development makes her my favorite detective anime girl. She starts as someone who believes in justice above all else and has no problem killing criminals when needed. But she soon discovers the truth about how flawed the Sibyl System is and how it ruins lives without mercy or remorse.
5. Sakon Tachibana – Karakurizoshi Ayatsuri Sakon
- Age: 16 Years Old
- Height: 5’1”
- Voice Actors: Megumi Ogata
Sakon Tachibana is a detective who works for the Metropolitan Police Department. He has been described as a genius detective who has solved many cases over the past ten years.
His superior at the Metropolitan Police Department describes him as someone who “takes everything into account and then leaves no stone unturned”. In many cases, Sakon develops ideas on his own without any assistance from other detectives or police officers.
That’s why he always shows up at crime scenes before anyone else does, even though they were all supposed to lead detectives themselves. Sakon’s personality seems cold and distant at first glance, but he cares deeply for his friends and family. Although he is willing to bend the rules to solve cases efficiently, he is also deeply committed to justice.
4. Dan Morihiko – Detective School Q
- Age: –
- Height: –
- Voice Actors: Tanaka, Hideyuki
Dan Morihiko is a high school student who transfers to a new school for one sole reason- to solve his father’s murder. His photographic memory makes him very useful in solving cases. He can remember exactly what happened during an incident and use it later to solve another case.
Furthermore, Morihiko is known for his speed and strength. Because of his skills, Dan Morihiko has been nicknamed “The Devil’s Detective”.
Dan uses this ability to solve cases by figuring out how someone would react if they were placed in a certain situation. And then he uses that information to deduce their motives or whereabouts if they have gone missing.
3. Ema Yasuhara – Big Order
- Age: 26 Years Old
- Height: 5’1”
- Voice Actors: Haruka Yoshimura
The first time I see her in the anime is when she comes to take her brother away from their home. He has gone missing. Shortly after, she meets with her friend Hoshimura. She tells her about what happened at the hospital where Ema’s brother had been staying before he disappeared.
Ema later finds out that her brother was responsible for killing many people, including his parents. After this revelation, she decides to join The Cult to help them take down her brother so he can’t kill anyone else anymore.
She later becomes a member of The Cult’s inner circle and helps them execute their plans against Big Order by tracking down their targets and giving them information on how to reach them.
2. L – Death Note
- Age: 25 Years Old
- Height: 5’10”
- Voice Actors: Alessandro Juliani
One of the best detective anime characters is L from Death Note. He can solve any case, no matter how difficult. L also has an amazing memory and can remember everything he reads in books or sees in the news.
Although he had an amazing brain, he never used it for evil. In his career, he has assisted the Japanese police force in solving many difficult cases.
His partner is Misa Amane, who also has an amazing memory as L does. But she doesn’t have as much experience as him yet. The reason for this is she’s only 20 compared to him, who’s 26 at the beginning of Death Note.
1. Megumi Minami – Detective School Q
- Age: 14 Years Old
- Height: 5’3”
- Voice Actors: Kuwashima Houko
Megumi Minami is a young girl who loves to solve crime cases. Her main goal is to become the best detective in Japan and maybe even the world.
Her knowledge about how criminals think and act gives her an advantage over other detectives who don’t know as much as her. Minami often uses her knowledge to solve difficult cases which no one else could solve easily before she arrives at the crime scene.
But she has a habit of doing things at random times without thinking about what she’s doing or how it will affect others around her. She also tends to be very clumsy and forgetful at times, which often ends up causing trouble for those around her (especially Ran).
Conclusion
Detective Anime can get a reputation for being dark or bloody. But there’s so much more to enjoy. The characters are generally well-developed, and the cases themselves are fascinating.
So, whether you’re looking to solve a mystery or kick back and enjoy some complex character dynamics, these anime will have you hooked from the beginning!