Best Japanese Mystery TV Shows

This page is updated regularly. Subscribe, so you don't miss new recommendations. The list of "Best Japanese Mystery TV Shows" contains films with the following parameters. Style: anime, captivating, detective, suspense, suspenseful and manga. Plot: supernatural, investigation, murder, female nudity, police, blood, supernatural power, supernatural ability, death and mature. Genre: Mystery, Animation and Drama. Country: Japan, USA and Poland.
Best Japanese Mystery TV Shows
Best Japanese Mystery TV Shows
TOP TV Shows: Terror in Resonance (2014), Death Note (2006), The Locked Room (2012), Unnatural (2018), Psycho-Pass (2012), Galileo (2007), Steven Universe (2013), Elfen Lied (2004), Black Butler (2008), Monster (2004), Spy x Family (2022), MR.BRAIN (2009), Gosick (2011), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987), Blue Lock (2022), Emergency Interrogation Room (2014), Testimony of N (2014), Alice in Borderland (2020), ERASED (2016), Tengoku Daimakyo (2023).

List of Best TV Shows

Watch Trailers From This List to Choose a Movie
Terror in Resonance (2014)
Genre: Animation, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 23 min.
TV show
Story: In an alternate version of the present, Tokyo has been decimated by a shocking terrorist attack, and the only hint to the identity of the culprit is a bizarre video uploaded to the internet. The police, baffled by this cryptic clue, are powerless to ...
Style: anime, psychological, tragic ending, touching, suspenseful ...
Plot: terrorist bombing, conspiracy, terrorism, orphan, puzzle, tragic hero, hacker, police, tragedy, human experiment, childhood friend, death of protagonist ...
Place: japan, tokyo
Is relevant ?
 8.9
 373K
Death Note (2006)
Genre: Animation, Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min.
TV show
Story: Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects—and he’s bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and ...
Style: anime, manga, suspenseful, exciting, serious ...
Audience: teens, kids, manly, boys' night
Plot: mind game, anti hero, secret identity, rivals, vigilante, police, battle of wits, supernatural, heart attack, law enforcement, supernatural ability, intelligence ...
Time: 2000s, 21st century
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
The Locked Room (2012)
Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 47 min.
TV show
Story: Enomoto Kei is a security "otaku" working for a security firm, devoted to improving the securities system on a daily basis. He is not an easy person to familiarize oneself with, always collected and calm, unapproachable, a maniac in ...
Style: captivating, suspense, disturbing, tense
Plot: locked in, puzzle, investigation, crime solving, uncover truth, breaking and entering, security guard, locked door, crime investigation, room, buddy, lawyer ...
Is relevant ?
 8.1
 2K
Unnatural (2018)
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 54 min.
TV show
Story: Mikoto Misumi is a pathologist at UDI (Unnatural Death Investigation) Lab. She can't stand neglecting unnatural deaths and believes there must be a truth behind the deaths. Team members that work with her are autopsy doctor Kai Nakado, recorder ...
Style: touching, serious, atmospheric, cynical, suspenseful ...
Plot: forensic, medical examiner, untimely death, medical examination, coroner, morgue, police investigation, murder, hopes, young woman, human nature, mission ...
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
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 8.2
 22K
Psycho-Pass (2012)
Genre: Animation, Action, Crime, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 25 min.
TV show
Story: Psycho-Pass is a Japanese anime television series that takes place in the future where it is possible to instantaneously measure a person's mental state, personality, and the probability that a person will commit crimes with a device installed ...
Style: anime, atmospheric, bleak, serious, futuristic ...
Plot: cyberpunk, partners against crime, human nature, police investigation, society, graphic violence, mastermind, master criminal, psychopath, investigation, dystopia, psychology ...
Time: future, near future
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
 7.5
 1K
Galileo (2007)
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Country: Japan
TV show
Story: Galileo is a Japanese television drama based on Detective Galileo, a novel by mystery writer Keigo Higashino. It narrates the events and cases encountered by Kaoru Utsumi, a rookie detective, and Manabu Yukawa, a university associate professor, ...
Style: detective, tense, suspense, captivating
Plot: female police detective, crime solving, genius, crime investigation, police, police officer, physicist, murder mystery, police investigation, unsolved crime, secret revealed, investigation ...
Is relevant ?
Steven Universe (2013)
Genre: Animation, Short, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Musical, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 11 min.
TV show
Story: A young boy takes his mother's place in a group of gemstone-based beings, and must learn to control his powers.
Style: touching, stylized, captivating, offbeat, witty ...
Audience: family outing, kids, teens, family friendly, pre-teens ...
Plot: supernatural ability, gem, goodhearted, intergalactic, danger, youth, heroes, save the world, supernatural, imaginary, alien, outer space ...
Is relevant ?
 7.9
 37K
Elfen Lied (2004)
Genre: Animation, Action, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min.
TV show
Story: The Diclonius, a mutated homo sapien that is said to be selected by God and will eventually become the destruction of mankind, possesses two horns in their heads, and has a "sixth sense" which gives it telekinetic abilities. Due to this ...
Style: anime, suspenseful, disturbing, rough, bleak ...
Audience: kids
Plot: memory loss, childhood trauma, split personality, life is a bitch, supernatural ability, supernatural, decapitation, sadism, experiment gone awry, social misfits, trauma, danger ...
Time: near future, future
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
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 7.7
 9K
Black Butler (2008)
Genre: Animation, Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min.
TV show
Story: In Victorian-era London, on the night of Ciel Phantomhive's tenth birthday, a fire destroyed his manor and killed both of his parents. In a moment of despair, Ciel strikes a deal with a demon - his soul in exchange for revenge. This demon ...
Style: anime, exciting, dark fantasy, captivating, suspenseful ...
Audience: teens, kids, chick flick
Plot: supernatural, butler, investigation, master and servant, jack the ripper, demon, supernatural ability, evil force, young heroes, deal with the devil, murder, aristocracy ...
Time: victorian era, 19th century
Place: england, london, united kingdom, europe
Is relevant ?
 8.7
 43K
Monster (2004)
Genre: Animation, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan, Poland
Duration: 24 min.
TV show
Story: Kenzou Tenma, a Japanese brain surgeon in Germany, finds his life in utter turmoil after getting involved with a psychopath that was once a former patient.
Style: anime, psychological, realistic, suspenseful, serious ...
Plot: moral dilemma, false accusation, doctor, hospital, murder, mastermind, protagonist as suspect, manipulation, life is a bitch, choice, guilt, society ...
Time: 70s, 80s, 20th century, 90s, 21st century
Place: germany, europe, czech republic
Is relevant ?
 8.4
 37K
Spy x Family (2022)
Genre: Animation, Action, Comedy, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min.
TV show
Story: Master spy Twilight is the best at what he does when it comes to going undercover on dangerous missions in the name of a better world. But when he receives the ultimate impossible assignment—get married and have a kid—he may finally be in over ...
Style: anime, captivating, disturbing, satirical, entertaining ...
Plot: agent, secret organization, telepath, espionage, family relations, supernatural ability, husband wife relationship, supernatural power, satire, supernatural, secret, female assassin ...
Is relevant ?
 7.1
 855
MR.BRAIN (2009)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 58 min.
TV show
Story: Ryusuke Tsukumo is a quirky, yet brilliant neuroscientist working for the National Research Institute of Police Science. Wielding a unique perspective and psychology, Tsukumo tackles the nation's most baffling crimes and scandals, going ...
Style: captivating, disturbing, psychological, tense, detective
Plot: crime solving, unconventional method, murder investigation, investigation, fighting crime, forensics, police detective, crime investigation, murder, job, mind game, police investigation ...
Is relevant ?
 7.3
 1K
Gosick (2011)
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min.
TV show
Story: Gosick is a Japanese light novel series by Kazuki Sakuraba, published by Fujimi Shobo. Set in a fictional European country in 1924, a Japanese exchange student meets a mysterious, brilliant girl who only leaves the library to sleep. Her brother, a ...
Style: anime, humorous, gothic, detective, captivating ...
Plot: friendship, amateur detective, occult, folklore, urban legend, high school life, city life, investigation, partner, couples, police, tragedy ...
Time: 20th century, 1920s
Place: europe
Is relevant ?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Family, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 23 min.
TV show
Story: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated television series produced by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson. The pilot was shown during the week of December 14, 1987 in syndication as a five-part miniseries and began its official run on October 1, ...
Style: anime, retro, exciting, humorous, epic ...
Audience: kids, family outing, toddlers, pre-teens, preschool
Plot: ninja turtle, mutant, martial arts, turtle, superhero, invasion, werewolf, mutant animal, master warrior, good versus evil, friends, anthropomorphic animal ...
Time: year 1987, 80s, 90s
Place: new york, usa
Is relevant ?
 8.2
 12K
Blue Lock (2022)
Genre: Animation, Sport, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 22 min.
TV show
Story: After a disastrous defeat at the 2018 World Cup, Japan's team struggles to regroup. But what's missing? An absolute Ace Striker, who can guide them to the win. The Japan Football Union is hell-bent on creating a striker who hungers for ...
Style: anime, captivating, tense, thrilling
Plot: soccer, world cup, tournament, football team, football player, football, school, high school, soccer coach, sport team, athlete and trainer, high school football ...
Is relevant ?
Emergency Interrogation Room (2014)
Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 54 min.
TV show
Story: Yukiko Makabe takes a transfer to a special interrogation team "Kintori".
Style: detective, disturbing, tense, captivating, suspense
Plot: police interrogation, crime investigation, sleuth, uncover truth, police detective, coworker, investigation, police investigation, forensics, workplace, crime solving, police ...
Is relevant ?
 7.4
 266
Testimony of N (2014)
Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 54 min.
TV show
Story: University student Sugishita Nozomi, Naruse Shinji, Ando Nozomi and Nishizaki Masato end up coming upon the scene of the murder of the Noguchi couple, because of a plan they had devised. Nishizaki is arrested at the scene and is given a 10-year ...
Style: suspense
Plot: friendship, mysticism, supernatural, best friend, love and romance, supernatural ability, friends, first love, boy girl friendship, student, young love, friendship between boys ...
Is relevant ?
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (2006)
Genre: Animation, Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min.
TV show
Story: Japan has been invaded and conquered by the Britannian Empire. Japan is now known as Area 11 and its citizens known as Elevens. The Britannian Empire takes away Japan's autonomous power and imposes its rule through the use of Knightmares. The ...
Style: anime, suspenseful, rough, stylized, manga ...
Audience: kids, teens, boys' night
Plot: mind control, rebelliousness, youth, peril, rebellion, military, young heroes, battles, civil rights, resistance, leader, emperor ...
Time: future
Place: japan, kyoto japan, asia
Is relevant ?
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That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (2018)
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 25 min.
TV show
Story: "Rimuru Tempest" is the new name of a slime in a fantasy world taken by a former 37-year-old human Satou Mikami after he is killed by a passing robber. Broken free from ordinary, stale past life, his fresh adventure in a fantasy world as a ...
Style: anime, exciting, captivating, humorous, tense ...
Plot: reincarnation, parallel world, isekai, friendship, danger, fantasy world, heroes, magic, slime, murder, dragon, death ...
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
Alice in Borderland (2020)
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 50 min.
TV show
Story: With his two friends, a video-game-obsessed young man finds himself in a strange version of Tokyo where they must compete in dangerous games to survive.
Style: suspense, psychological thriller, psychological, dorama, psychotronic ...
Plot: survival, fight, game, mercilessness, game of death, danger, quest, violence, psychology, courage, team, friendship ...
Time: 2020s, 21st century
Place: tokyo, japan
Is relevant ?
Hokuto: Some Murderer's Conversion (2017)
Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story: Why did an abused solitary boy become a murderer? A sad but powerful gut-wrenching drama portraying the destiny of humans seeking love, starting up-and-coming actor Yuma Nakayama.
Style: suspenseful, psychological, suspense, serious
Plot: dysfunctional family, child abuse, jail, tragic past, murderer, death, tragedy, domestic violence, abusive father, adoptive mother, death sentence, masochism ...
Is relevant ?
 8.5
 57K
ERASED (2016)
Genre: Animation, Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 264 min.
TV show
Story: Satoru Fujinuma is a struggling manga artist who has the ability to turn back time and prevent deaths. When his mother is killed he turns back time to solve the mystery, but ends up back in elementary school, just before the disappearance of his ...
Style: anime, psychological, captivating, psychological thriller, tense ...
Audience: teens
Plot: time travel, childhood, serial killer, murder, child abuse, dysfunctional family, friendship, abusive mother, death, kidnapping, mystery killer, disappearance ...
Time: year 1988, year 2006, 21st century
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
Tengoku Daimakyo (2023)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min.
TV show
Story: In the year 2024, the world has collapsed. Grotesque monsters lurk amongst the ruins of Japan, while remaining people scrape together what they can to survive. Kiruko, an odd-job girl in Nakano, accepts a mysterious woman's dying wish to take a ...
Style: anime, tense, apocalyptic, captivating, seinen
Plot: post apocalypse, monster, dystopia, children, civilization, violence, adventure hero, multiple storylines, survival, trance, paradise, utopia ...
Time: 2020s
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
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Who Killed Daigoro Tokuyama? (2016)
Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 25 min.
TV show
Story: One morning, students find their homeroom teacher Tokuyama Daigoro’s body on the floor of the classroom. A strange school life begins as the students work hard to hide the presence of their teacher's corpse in their classroom. Other teachers ...
Style: suspense, psychological, disturbing, captivating
Plot: japanese teenager, hidden corpse, japanese school, teachers and students, problem, who done it, secret, murder mystery, schoolboy, disposing of a dead body, murder investigation, school ...
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- (2016)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min.
TV show
Story: Natsuki Subaru, an ordinary high school student, is on his way home from the convenience store when he finds himself transported to another world. As he's lost and confused in a new world where he doesn't even know left from right, the ...
Style: anime, enigmatic, exciting, suspenseful, manga ...
Plot: isekai, magic, death, alternate world, parallel world, murder, angst, time travel, time loop, tragedy, medieval, rescue ...
Is relevant ?
The Phantom Thief YAMANEKO (2016)
Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 54 min.
TV show
Story: Yamaneko is notoriously elusive, but wherever he shows up, enormous amounts of money gets stolen. Evidence of the audacious crime is left scattered all over the place. In every episode, Yamaneko the hero thief throws a splash of “rotten justice” ...
Style: disturbing, tense, suspense, captivating
Plot: forensics, expose, rich, burglar, heist, rich and poor, hacker, secret revealed, crime solving, robbery, corruption, partners in crime ...
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
Medium Detective Hisui Jozuka (2022)
Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 45 min.
TV show
Story: Hisui Jozuka can “see” the culprits with her clairvoyance, but this won’t hold up as evidence. Just how will she solve complex cases? “I have the ability to know the truth, but why am I so useless?” Hisui, with her green eyes, is in ...
Style: detective
Plot: psychic, medium, supernatural power, investigation
Is relevant ?
The Apothecary Diaries (2023)
Genre: Animation, Drama, History, Mystery, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 23 min.
TV show
Story: Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she's sold as a lowly servant to the emperor's palace. But she wasn't meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to ...
Style: anime, detective, medical drama, entertaining, exciting ...
Plot: medical, female protagonist, love, young girl, teenage girl, maid, politics, medicine, teenager, palace, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, royal court ...
Place: ancient china
Is relevant ?
Summer Time Rendering (2022)
Genre: Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 25 min.
TV show
Story: Upon hearing of Ushio's death, Shinpei returns to his hometown of Wakayama City on Hitogashima and reunites with his childhood friend's family. The funeral goes smoothly, but under the surface something strange is brewing on the island. ...
Style: anime, suspense, tense, disturbing, captivating ...
Plot: island, supernatural, private investigation, investigation, murder, sleuth, uncover truth, paranormal phenomena, puzzle, getting home, paranormal activity, paranormal investigation ...
Is relevant ?
 8.4
 11K
Steins;Gate 0 (2018)
Genre: Animation, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 30 min.
TV show
Story: The dark untold story of Steins;Gate that leads with the eccentric mad scientist Okabe, struggling to recover from a failed attempt at rescuing Kurisu. He decides to give up and abandons his lively scientist alter ego, in pursuit to forget the past. ...
Style: anime, mind bending, captivating, exciting, psychological ...
Audience: teens
Plot: time travel, time machine, time loop, experiment, inventions and discoveries, hopes, escapades, research, peril, existence paradox, rivalry, characters in danger ...
Time: 21st century
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
Watch Trailers From This List to Choose a Movie
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