Top 10 Mystery Anime of 2021

1. Link Click

In a corner of a bustling city, there is a small shop called "Time Photo Studio" operating as usual. Although the entrance looks abandoned, it's actually run by two men with special abilities: Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang. In order to fulfil customers' requests, Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi work together and use their special abilities to enter photos. However, things don't go as planned...

(Source: bilibili, translated)

Note: The final episode aired with a runtime of ~31 minutes.

2. The Founder of Diabolism: Final Season

The third season of Modao Zushi.

3. ODDTAXI

The taxi driver Odokawa lives a very mundane life. He has no family, doesn't really hang out with others, and he's an oddball who is narrow-minded and doesn't talk much. The only people he can call his friends are his doctor, Gouriki and his classmate from high school, Kakihana.

All of his patrons seem to be slightly odd themselves. The college student who wants the world to notice him online, Kabasawa. A nurse with secrets named Shirakawa. A comedy duo that just can't catch a break named the Homosapiens. A local hoodlum named Dobu. An idol group that's just starting out named Mystery Kiss... All these mundane conversations somehow eventually lead to a girl who's gone missing.

(Source: Crunchyroll)

4. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Train Arc

It is the Taisho Period in Japan. Tanjiro, a kindhearted boy who sells charcoal for a living, finds his family slaughtered by a demon. To make matters worse, his younger sister Nezuko, the sole survivor, has been transformed into a demon herself.

Though devastated by this grim reality, Tanjiro resolves to become a “demon slayer” so that he can turn his sister back into a human, and kill the demon that massacred his family.

(Source: Crunchyroll)

Note: The first episode is entirely anime original. Episodes 2-7 are a re-edited version of the movie featuring new scenes and music.

5. Moriarty the Patriot Part 2

The second cour of Yuukoku no Moriarty.

In the late 19th century, the British Empire nobility reigns while its working class suffers at their hands. Sympathetic to their plight, William James Moriarty wants to topple it all. Frustrated by the systemic inequity, Moriarty strategizes to fix the entire nation. Not even consulting detective Sherlock Holmes can stand in his way. It’s time for crime to revolutionize the world!

(Source: Funimation)

Note: The anime received a special premiere on Funimation on March 28, 2021.

6. Dou Po Cangqiong 4

7. LINK CLICK Episode 5.5

Extra episode of Shiguang Dailiren, taking place between episode 5 and 6.

In order to marry Ouyang, the daughter of the master of martial arts, Siwen commissioned the Time Photo Studio to help him crack the master's unique martial arts.

(Source: Funimation)

8. The Case Study of Vanitas

It’s 19th-century Paris, and young vampire Noé hunts for the Book of Vanitas. Attacked by a vampire driven insane, a human intercedes, rescues Noé, and heals the sick creature. Commanding the book and calling himself Vanitas, this doctor tempts Noé with a mad crusade to “cure” the entire vampire race. Allying with one who wields arcane power so easily may be dangerous, but does he have a choice?

(Source: Funimation)

9. BEASTARS Season 2

"Beastar"—a title awarded to beasts who prove their excellence through fighting inequality to unite carnivores and herbivores in an anthropomorphic animal society. Cherryton Academy has gone five years without one such leader. However, following the murder of an alpaca within the school boundaries, the growing tension between the different species poses a greater need for a Beastar to ensure peace and harmony.

When Louis, the prime candidate for this prestigious role, rejects the offer and leaves the academy, the student council declares to honor any student who captures the culprit of the aforementioned murder as Beastar. Meanwhile, Legoshi's sense of duty as a strong wolf who must protect the weak pushes him to investigate the incident. To further complicate his life, he struggles to manage his complex feelings for the white rabbit, Haru.

(Source: MAL Rewrite)

Note: The first episode had an early delivery on Netflix Japan on January 5, 2021. The regular TV broadcast started on January 7, 2021.

10. Sonny Boy

It’s an ordinary summer vacation...except for the fact that Nagara’s high school has mysteriously drifted into another dimension. As the students begin to develop strange new powers, will they work together to survive the alien environment and find a way home, or will their newly formed factions and rivalries turn on each other?

(Source: Funimation)

Note: The first episode received an advance release on YouTube on June 19, 2021. The regular TV broadcast started on July 16, 2021.