October 7 is “Mystery Anniversary”.

It was established after the death day of Edgar Allan Poe, the original creator of “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”, which is said to be the first mystery novel in the world.

The mystery is one of the popular genres of anime. Mystery stories are packed with exciting factors such as horrible cases, unbelievable tricks that mislead detectives, and criminals that no one can expect. Among such anime, which one is the most popular among the Anime!Anime! readers?

Anime!Anime! conducted a reader survey titled “What Is Your Favorite ‘Mystery’ Anime ?” for the first time in two years. During the survey period from September 22 – 29, a total of 192 responses were received. For the gender ratio, the females were the majority with about 80% while the males were about 20%. For the age distribution, we received the majority of responses from the young readers: about 55% were from teens, and 25% were from those in their 20s.

■The titles released in 2021 have been ranked in!

1st Place

1st place went to “Detective Conan”. The support rating was about 50%, and it is topping the list following the previous survey.

“It is a long-standing mystery anime that continued from 1996, and is the most famous mystery anime in Japan, isn’t it?” As the comment shows, this anime has won such a high support rating due to its overwhelming popularity.

The received comments include, “I was drawn into the tightly plotted episodes and the story about the Black Organization gradually developing”, “As the original creator Aoyama Gosho-sensei calls it a ‘murder love comedy’, I like the romantic factors being depicted a lot. Various relationships have my attention”, and “The artists that are in charge of theme songs are gorgeous, so the stylish opening and ending anime are also the points to pay attention”. As well as the mystery-solving, many other factors attracted the fans.

2nd Place

2nd place went to “Hyouka”. The support rating was about 10%, and it came in 2nd place following the previous survey.

This anime is popular for its own unique mystery story where no one dies, and the received comments include, “The protagonist Oreki Hotaro, who is living with eco-friendly as his motto, gets more involved in his high school life while being swayed by mysteries that happen in his school life and the members of the classic literature club. The story is so much fun” and “I like stories that depict mysteries in everyday life. The scenery is beautifully depicted, and the characters are pretty”. Some reader seems to be interested in the romance, saying “I am curious about the relationship with the heroine Chitanda Eru!”

3rd Place

3rd place was shared between “Pretty Boy Detective Club” and “Moriarty the Patriot”. The support rating was about 5%.

The comments for “Pretty Boy Detective Club” include, “This is a beautiful school mystery written by Nisio Isin. The combination with the animation studio Shaft, which has been in charge of ‘Bakemonogatari’ and other works created by Nisio, is perfect!” and “In addition to the leader having fun solving the cases, other members of the Pretty Boy Detective Club are cute. I was also attracted to the beautiful footage and scene cutting with at a good tempo.”

The comments for “Moriarty the Patriot” include, “I was surprised to see that William, who is in the shadow, was selected as the protagonist instead of the renowned detective Sherlock Holmes. The interactions between the two are so funny” and “This story added new interpretation to the original ‘Sherlock Holmes’, and gives a glimpse of struggles of the villain’s part. The refreshing depiction of the scene where the mystery was solved was wonderful”.
3rd place was shared between the titles released in 2021.

■Let’s introduce other comments!!

“The Kindaichi Case Files”
“I like tricks, but rather I was moved by the motives of the criminals. Some of them attempt to take revenge on those who hurt their beloved ones. Such dramas are wonderful.”

“Id:Invaded”
“The anime takes place in a dream, so neither the detectives nor we viewers understand what is happening. Such a plot makes me feel as if I were solving the cases with the characters, and I really like it.”

“The Detective Is Already Dead”
“As the title suggests, the story also depicts the story about the detective Siesta, who is already dead, and battle actions, as well as the mysteries being solved. I never get sick of it.”

“ODD TAXI”
“The story begins with a high school girl disappearance case, and I was thrilled by an unpredictable development every time. The dramatic finale that brings everything together gives me goosebumps.” The hottest title from this year has been ranked in.

In this survey, the titles with various highlights other than solving mysteries, such as a depiction of school life and an ensemble, are standing out.

■Ranking Top 10

－What is your favorite “mystery” anime?－
1. “Detective Conan”
2. “Hyouka”
3. “Pretty Boy Detective Club”
3. “Moriarty the Patriot”
5. “The Kindaichi Case Files”
5. “Bungo Stray Dogs”
7. “The Detective Is Already Dead”
8. “Vatican Miracle Examiner”
9. 『Another』
9. “Id:Invaded”
9. “ODD TAXI”
9. “Shadows House”
9. “Joker Game”
9. “The Millionaire Detective Balance: UNLIMITED”
9. “Erased”
（Survey Period: September 22 – 29, 2021）

*This survey is intended to research the readers’ “interest in anime and characters today”. It is not intended to discuss the relative merits of each character nor work. I would be glad if this article can help you develop an understanding and interest in anime and characters.