Manga is a massive part of Japan's culture and makes up a large part of its storytelling. Manga tells stories of all types, and mystery stories are definitely a big part of the medium. Famous mystery series like Detective Conan are massive franchises with incredibly long lifespans.
Whenever a manga gets big enough, adaptations usually get brought up, with anime adaptations being the most common (and most popular) option. However, there are a lot of manga that don't get anime adaptations, whether it be for one reason or another. Here are some great mystery manga that happen to not have anime adaptations.
8 The Summer Hikaru Died
In a small rural village, Yoshiki and Hikaru are the best of friends. They have been inseparable since childhood, and despite their differences, their friendship is steadfast. However, one day, Hikaru changes, having been replaced by something unearthly, and Yoshiki is forced to come to grips with the fact that the person he once called a friend is gone.
The Summer Hikaru Died is a relatively new series that started serialization only last year. The series mixes mystery and tragedy with cosmic horror, with Yoshiki being forced to contend with the horrific and world-bending events that threaten his village.
7 The Summit Of The Gods
In 1993, Makoto Fukamachi discovers the camera of George Mallory in an antique shop. A mountaineer who went missing on Mount Everest, Fukamachi believes the camera may hold the truth about George Mallory's disappearance. This question will bring him face to face with the very mountain that George Mallory once climbed.
The Summit of the Gods is a manga based on a 1998 novel and couches its intriguing mystery in real historical events. While the mystery of George Mallory's fate is secondary to the adventure of climbing the iconic Mount Everest, it is still an essential part of the story.
6 The Cain Saga/Godchild
The mysterious Earl Cain C. Hargreaves wanders London, solving the various murders that he comes across. His past is dark and full of sinful secrets, while malevolent forces in the darkness conduct horrific experiments to bring back the dead.
The Cain Saga is an old mystery series from the 90s that takes place in historic Victorian London. It is followed up by the sequel Godchild, which continues to follow Cain Hargreaves as he continues to confront the dark forces working in the shadows of London.
5 Billy Bat
In 1949, Japanese-American cartoonist Kevin Yamagata discovers that his popular comic book character Billy Bat was accidentally inspired by an image he saw while serving in Japan. He decides to head to Japan to get permission to use the character from its original creator but gets embroiled in a series of crimes and investigations that all seem to lead back to the iconic character.
Billy Bat is one of Naoki Urasawa's works, a manga master who primarily writes mystery stories. The story combines conspiratorial intrigue with the incredible character drama that Urasawa is so known for.
4 Do Not Say Mystery
Totono Kuno is just an average college student whose morning routine is interrupted by police, who inform him that he is a prime suspect in the murder of one of his classmates. Totono's situation worsens when more evidence placing him at the scene appears, but his surprisingly strong deductive reasoning skills may be able to get him out of the situation.
Do Not Say Mystery is another relatively recent manga series, having come out in 2017. Totono Kuno's character is a large part of the series' appeal, with his ability to dismantle a person just by observing their actions and deducing their background.
3 Homunculus
Susumu Nakoshi is a homeless man living in his car, desperate to separate himself from the other homeless. A young medical student offers him money to drill a hole in his head, and Nakoshi eventually agrees. The procedure initially bears no results, but soon Nakoshi begins to see "homunculi," distortions present in everyone he sees.
Homunculus is a mystery series that delves into the occult and the supernatural. It's a much darker read than most manga, with some parts creeping into psychological horror, but the subject matter that it dives into is certainly fascinating.
2 Pluto
In a world where robots have nearly reached a state approaching humanity, one of the World's Greatest Robots has been killed. Gesicht, a robot detective who is himself considered one of the World's Greatest Robots, is put on the case, and he discovers a deadly conspiracy that puts into question the relationship between robots and humans.
Pluto is another manga written by Naoki Urasawa, and it is based on a storyline created by the legendary godfather of manga Osamu Tezuka for his landmark series Astro Boy. Urasawa's unique storytelling touch transforms this story into a mystery full of intrigue and tragedy.
1 20th Century Boys
Kenji Endo is a middle-aged man who once dreamed of becoming a musician but now works at his family's store while taking care of his niece Kanna. After hearing about the death of a friend, Kenji learns about the mysterious existence known as "Friend," a cult leader gaining influence. To his surprise, Friend's symbols and actions remind him of the games he and his friends used to play as children.
20th Century Boys is yet another of Naoki Urasawa's many mystery works, and possibly his most epic. The story delves into science fiction and the occult, while the mystery of Friend's identity continues to build intrigue.