Mysteries, suspence, supernatural, puzzles!

[kitten320]

Had taken a break from anime for a month and feel like watching mysteries right now. Are there any good mysteries or detectives out there that would keep me entertained and on the edge of my seat? The best I had seen so far were Ghost Hunt and Shiki. Monster also was good but a bit dragged out and ending was dissapointing.

My anime list is in my signature so feel free to check what I have already watched. Everything rated below 8 was weak.

Would prefer to have some supernatural stuff involved, ghosts are mostly appraciated. But real life detectives are good too!

I can't find anything entertaining lately so hopefully you can help.

P.S. As a bonus, good and strong dramas are appraciated too.

[4Tran]

The current Mawaru Penguindrum seems like it'd be a very good fit for you. Even 6 episodes in, the precise storyline and how all the characters fit in it is unclear, but there's a lot of potential in the plot. It's also one of the best shows this year and the direction has been stellar so far - it's an easy recommendation as long as you can handle abstract anime.

[Dist]

Ghost Hound. Go watch it. Now. I'll assure you that you'll like it given the themes you're looking for.

[Kotohono]

I'll second Mawaru Penguindrum, and also suggest Steins;gate it's Sci-Fi but definitely Mystery/suspense especially as things get going in the series.

[kitten320]

I tried to watch Steins;gate when the first episode came out but I never finished it... things just seemed to drag there that I had no patience to wait anymore... is the whole show like that?

If it is Haruhi style then it's not my cup.

[Haak]

It takes a while for things to get going but once they do you're in for a good ride. I recommend giving Steins;Gate another go.

I also second Mawaru Penguindrum but it's quite lighthearted. There's also Blood C.

[Dist]

Really? You like mystery/suspense but won't like it because it '' drags on ''. I don't know what to say, other than that you should never ever judge a series by it's first episode, no matter how '' draggy '' it may seem.... especially since you didn't even finish the first episode ; If you had, you'd be watching it even now..

[totoum]

Originally Posted by kitten320

I tried to watch Steins;gate when the first episode came out but I never finished it... things just seemed to drag there that I had no patience to wait anymore... is the whole show like that?

If it is Haruhi style then it's not my cup.

The end of the first episode has a plot twist that should make you wonder "wtf just happened?"

and even 20 episodes later people are still rewatching episode 1 looking for clues because what seems like a bunch of random stuff of no importance hide a deeper meaning.
I don't feel the plot ever drags later on,there's constant plot progression.
However it's really at the end of episode 12 that it grabs you and takes you on wild ride,in the same way Shiki did a lot of building up in the first half and started the real bloodbath in the second.

Dennou Coil also comes to mind,there's some filler episode towards the middle but hey it's very entertaining filler.

[Ziziphus]

Seconding Ghost Hound, very good mystery with elements of horror and supernatural and likable characters.

More recommendations:

- Mouryou no Hako: more people should watch this! A great detective story with elements of horror, complemented by gorgeous visuals and music. Kept me on the edge of my seat during its run, blew my mind when it's finished. (Note that some ep is dialogue-heavy, but stick to it, it's worth it in the end.)

- Himitsu: The Revelation: again, detective story with elements of horror (or should I say: nightmare inducing). Have a very interesting and unique premise, interesting cases, good characters, overall quite enjoying (even though the ending is not to my liking).

And if you can overlook the character designs, try Fantastic Children. Very interesting but underrated series. Beneath the overall mystery lies a great drama and love story.The pacing is kinda slow though, only picks up around the half way point, but the end result is beautiful and satisfying.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by kitten320

Would prefer to have some supernatural stuff involved, ghosts are mostly appraciated. But real life detectives are good too!

Yakushiji Ryoko is the head of the "supernatural division" of the Tokyo Police in the anime of the same name. The first half tends to be a "monster of the week" type of story, while the second half generally sticks to a single plot thread. I found the witty script and excellent voice acting made this show worth watching.

For a more serious take on a supernatural "detective," I give you Bakeneko and its successor Mononoke. These present a set of short stories about a travelling medicine seller who also slays demons. Each story requires the solution of a puzzle about the origin and meaning of the demon that was invoked.

Nijuu Mensou no Musume is adapted from characters devised by the famous Japanese mystery writer Edogara Rampo. While his Holmes-ian character, the detective Akechi, appears briefly, this show really focuses on the adventures of a young heiress who is taken from her aunt's home by a famous master thief known as "Twenty Faces" ("Nijuu Mensou"). Not a supernatural show, per se, but the science fiction portions aren't far removed from fantasy.

Another detective story is told in Shion no Ou, about a young girl who strives to become a professional Shougi ("Japanese chess") player after witnessing her parents' brutal murder. The murder mystery isn't all that compelling, but Shion herself is an excellent character. Nothing supernatural in this show, though.

I'll second Mouryou no Hako, with the proviso that you watch it when you're fully awake. You won't be able to appreciate those "dialogue-heavy" episodes otherwise. The AS page is incomplete because it's missing the hard-to-find episodes subbed by Aoi, but you'll find links to complete torrents elsewhere.

Seconds as well for Ghost Hound and Dennou Coil. The latter is one of my all-time favorite anime series.

[kitten320]

Some of the shows sound really interesting, I will give them a chance.

And I will try to watch Stein;Gate again later.

[AnimeMistress]

Try these:

Blue Exorcist

Kuroshitsuji ( Black Butler )

Yu Yu Hakusho

[Ritzo]

Angel beats! is one i found very suspenceful

[YuriEcchiGirl]

Lunar Legend Tsukihime
Gilgamesh
Witch Hunter Robin
xXxHolic
Aquarian Age: Sign For Evolution

5 such enjoyable series that I can recommend very highly to you right now fitting these catagories

[kitten320]

Just finished Dennou Coil, it is a good show as you people said. Though found some things a bit confusing and two main characters Yasaka and Haraken were a bit annoying, sadly all focus was mostly on them =/
The fillers in the middle got a bit tiresomes and I wanted to be done with them already because I started to lose the interest that I had at the start.
For me personally series could be even better if they had less focus on Yasako and more on Isako because show got instantly fun when Isako was on screen.

But over all it was a good show which I would give 7 or 8, probably 7 because of Yasako and Haraken.

[AnimeFan188]

Well, if you want puzzles; "Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle" is coming:

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...uzzle-tv-anime

[kitten320]

Oh that's cool, will be waiting for it. Thanks for the update