Since it would be too difficult to differentiate between a crime anime and a detective anime, I decided to put the two together into one category. My Top 10 in reverse order:
10. Noir. Professional assassin Mireille takes on a talented protégé named Kirika, as the hunters become the hunted. This would have ranked higher, but I felt it really did not have a payout.
9. Psycho-Pass. I can only go by season one, having not seen season two. But season one is a killer! Law enforcement now has a tool which enables the police to determine on the spot who is a threat, and eliminate them immediately. Of course, it is not that simple.
8. Master Keaton. A half-English, half-Japanese archeologist, college professor, and lecturer doubles as an insurance investigator. His adventures take him around the world, sometimes placing him in danger. But no suspect can put one over on Master Keaton.
7. Gungrave. Two friends get together to join the mob. One rises to the top, and the other gets wasted -- but he don't stay dead. This was a pretty good crime anime until the sci-fi part got in the way during the second half. Still the first half was good enough to still get this anime on the list.
6. Mouse. During the day, Sorata is a mousey student art teacher at an all girls’ school. At night he is the fearless master thief known as Mouse. The spawn of a long line of master thieves, he is assisted by three hot females who will do his every bidding – whether he wants them to or not. There is nothing Mouse can’t steal. More comedy than action, and not for kids.
5. Great Pretender. Makoto is a small time conman who falls into the big time. He would like to get out, but he is continuously pulled back in in this comedy adventure.
4. Death Note. Light becomes the greatest murderer of all time when teamed up with the Shinigami Ryuk. Can he match wits with master detectives L, Mellow, and Near?
3. Durarara and DurararaX2. You have street gangs, but they are nothing compared to information broker Izaya Orihara, whose customers include the mob. In DurararaX2’s first season, the mob figures in heavily. Celty is hired to find Akane, the missing granddaughter of an yakuza boss, not knowing the little girl is also being sought by a team of Russian assassins. When we finally meet Akane, she tries to kill Shinzou at Izaya’s suggestion. Then it gets weird.
2. Monster. Japanese doctor Kenzo Tenma, working in Germany, becomes a murder suspect. He begins a long chase throughout Europe trying to find the real killer, a total psycho named Johan, while being pursued by the determined and untiring Inspector Ludge.
1. Baccano. Practically everyone is a criminal in this dark comedy adventure, from the psychotic Ladd Russo, to the Gandor brothers, to the clueless Issac and Miria. And some of them are immortal.
Honorable Mention:
Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom
MFKZ
Hero/Mask
B: The Beginning
Coyote Ragtime Show
Tiger and Bunny
Your turn. Got any to add? Tell us about them.
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