(Note: This show has a complete first season [13 episodes] with a second season that’s been announced. They are available through Funimation both subbed and dubbed.)

I started this with a vague curiosity and a huge helping of apprehension that the main character was going to be a stereotypical Main Character Boy Who Saves Us All (and is likely a disappointment to me). However, I was delightfully surprised by the characters, which are the real focus of this show after the delightful concept that the creators obviously had fun playing around with. In general, I’d recommend this show (especially if you enjoy anime such as Psycho-Pass).

The main plot is that there is a “Brilliant Detective” who is able to jump into the psyche of serial killers using traces of psycho-mumbo-jumbo and use that to find who the killer is and ultimately how to find them. There’s a support team outside the psyche that tracks the Brilliant Detective in the psyche and does detecting and leg work to solve the cases (so it’s not just BD being amazing, which I appreciated).

There are a variety of strong characters (men and women), and it’s a curious look at psychology and the urge to kill in both negative and positive lights. There is a fair bit of violence, obviously, but I didn’t find anything too gory (although take that with a grain of salt!).

This is one of those shows that you just go along for the ride, enjoy the visuals and the characters (and the opening and closing theme songs!), and let the story unfold.

SPOILERS AHEAD

While I found the characters and concept to be pretty cool, and the visuals are great, the plot is not the strongest. I saw the “twist” coming from a mile away (and while I won’t say what it is, I think knowing there is a twist will make it pretty obvious what the twist is). However, knowing the “twist” didn’t really diminish my enjoyment, because it was clear why the cast wouldn’t have been able to figure it out earlier.

The resolution works for the story, but while I was eager to see how things unfold, I don’t think I was particularly engaged or on the edge of my seat, breath held. Again, this didn’t really ruin the show for me, and I look forward to rewatching it.

There’s been a second season announced, and the concept definitely leaves that open at the end. I think they could definitely do a lot more with the story, although it does seem questionable how many serial killers are wandering around town! I think they’d need to adjust the parameters to more general murder solving for it to continue.