Anime Corner recently held its annual award voting in various categories and the votes are in! In this article, we will highlight the best Mystery/Suspense Anime of 2023 as voted by fans. Here are the results:
Ranked 5th – Pluto (Vote: 6.65%)
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Ranked fifth in Anime Corner's Best Mystery/Suspense Anime of 2023 is Pluto from Studio M2. Pluto is a manga series written and illustrated by Naoki Urasawa, serialized in Big Comic Original magazine from September 2003 to April 2009. It is based on the popular Astro Boy by Osamu Tezuka—a One of Pluto's main characters is named Atom, which closely resembles Astro Son. The Pluto manga has sold over 10 million copies, even winning the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Award in 2005. The anime adaptation directed by Toshio Kawaguchi is available to watch on Netflix.
VIZ Media has licensed the series in English and describes the series as:
In an ideal world where humans and robots coexist, someone or something destroyed the powerful Swiss robot Mont Blanc. Elsewhere, a key figure in a robot rights group is murdered. The two incidents appear to be unrelated…except for one very obvious clue—both victims' bodies had been fashioned into some kind of bizarre composite figure complete with makeshift horns placed on their heads victim. Interpol puts robot detective Gesicht in charge of this strangest and most complicated case – and he eventually discovers that he, one of the world's seven great robots, is also one of the targets.
4th place – Tengoku Daimakyo (Vote: 11.95%)
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In fourth place for Best Mystery/Drama Anime of 2023 is Tengoku Daimakyo (Heavenly Fantasy) from Production IG studio Tengoku Daimakyo is a manga series written by Masakazu Ishiguro currently being published in the monthly Afternoon magazine . There are currently 10 published volumes and no specific release date for Volume 11. The anime adaptation is directed by Hirotaka Mori and airs from April 2023 to June 2023 on Hulu and Disney+.
Denpa has licensed the manga in English and describes the story as:
Within the safety of the walls, youth are raised in a robotic nursery-style setting. Although life there seems stale on the outside, the children are full of potential and curiosity. In many ways, it's like a slice of paradise. The outside world is a hell. It is almost completely devoid of anything mechanical and is now inhabited by bizarre but powerful supernatural creatures.
Maru, with Kiruko's help, is out there everywhere in Tokyo's former paradise. But after so much searching, perhaps paradise is just an unrealizable dream rather than a potential reality.
3rd place – Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 (Vote: 18.53%)
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Taking third place for Best Mystery/Drama Anime of 2023 is Studio Bones' Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5. Bungo Stray Dogs is a manga series written by Kafka Asagiri and illustrated by Sango Harukawa currently published in Young Ace magazine. The ongoing manga series currently has 24 volumes published and no release date has been announced for Volume 25. Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 not only earned the series third place for Mystery/Suspense Anime best of which the series also won Anime of the Year 2023. All seasons of Bungo Stray Dogs are available to watch on Crunchyroll, along with the movie Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple.
Following the last season of Bungo Stray Dogs which aired in Winter 2023, Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5 focuses on the Armed Detective Agency as they continue to be on the run from the Hounds. Detective Rampo Edogawa plans to prove the Agency's innocence and save the world from chaos by doing one thing: capturing Kamui, the leader of the Angels of Decay. Rampo and Agency colleague Atsushi Nakajima enlist the help of Hound Team Captain Ouchi Fukuchi, hoping his past with their president, Yukichi Fukukawa, will help them. However, Fukuchi may not be who they think.
2nd place – Heaven and Hell (Vote: 18.72%)
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Studio MAPPA's Hell's Paradise took second place for Best Mystery/Suspense Anime of 2023. The anime is based on the manga series written and illustrated by Yuji Kaku that has been serialized on the Shounen Jump+ app from January 2018 to January 2021. A total of 13 volumes were also published by VIZ Media. The anime adaptation is set to air from April 2023 to June 2023. Luckily, Hell's Paradise is not over yet as its second season has been announced.
Crunchyroll is streaming the anime and describes the series as follows:
Gabimaru reigns as the strongest and most ruthless assassin in his village. But now he finds himself on death row—with only one way out: retrieve the Elixir of Life from a sinister island. Yearning for freedom, he accepted the challenge. But with fellow prisoners vying for the reward and demonic monsters lurking, how will Gabimaru survive this harrowing mission?
(Fans in Asia Pacific can watch the series on Netflix.)
Rank Number 1 – Apothecary Diary (Votes: 18.85%)
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Finally, ranked as the Best Mystery/Drama Anime of 2023 is The Apothecary's Diary by Toho Animation and studio OML. Apothecary's Diary is a light novel series written by Lucy Hyuga and illustrated by Toko Shino and published by Shunfunotomo. There are currently 14 volumes published for the light novel (10 volumes in English). It inspired two manga adaptations titled The Apothecary Diaries (13 volumes, 10 in English) and Mao Mao no Koukyuu Nazotoki Techou (17 volumes). The anime ran for a total of 24 episodes over two courses starting in October 2023 and ending in March 2024. With each episode filled with suspense and mystery, it's no surprise that it keeps popping up in the Anime Corner's weekly Top 10 polls.
Crunchyroll is streaming the series and describes it as follows:
Maomao lives a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she was sold as a lowly servant to the emperor's palace. But she has no intention of living a life of royal compliance. So when the royal heirs fell ill, she decided to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official, who promotes her. Now, she's making a name for herself by solving medical mysteries!
Best mystery/mystery anime results of 2023:
Below is Anime Corner's complete list of the best mystery/mystery anime of 2023:
We thank our fans for voting for the Best Mystery/Suspense Anime of 2023! We have been treated to amazing shows in 2023 in the mystery and suspense genre that it's hard to choose! Let's hope that this year we get to see even more great shows with loads of mystery and suspense. Also, be sure to check out Anime Corner's other results and rankings:
Thumbnail image via Crunchyroll
©Natsu Hyuga, Shufunutomo/“Kusuriya no Hitorigoto” Production Committee
