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Kindaichi Case Files - some old anime nobody remembers.
a month ago
Okay, so I fell down a rabbit hole, and friends, I have zero regrets. The rabbit hole’s name? Kindaichi Case Files — aka The File of Young Kindaichi, aka Kindaichi Shōnen no Jikenbo aka that anime that wants you to question why you ever trusted anyone, ever.
Here’s the deal: I found this because the main character is literally the grandson of Kosuke Kindaichi, the OG “Japanese Sherlock Holmes” from like seventy books back in the 1940s. That’s seventy mysteries, people. SEVENTY. And because I have a weirdly specific craving for locked-room murders and traumatic backstories on a Wednesday night, I was like “yes, inject this directly into my bloodstream.” I almost went with Detective Conan (aka Case Closed), but that one’s a little more candy-colored, a little more ‘Saturday morning cartoon where people die politely.’ I wanted a darker flavor. I wanted screaming. I wanted the trauma. And oh, my god, did this deliver.
I thought I was signing up for a chill little ‘teen solves murder’ show. Nope. This thing went full horror vibes from the very first case. Corpses in ritual poses, heads missing, suspects dying in increasingly dramatic ways — all wrapped up in 3-episode arcs, which makes them perfect bite-size little doom-nuggets for your evening binge-watch.
And oh, it was a nightmare trying to find watchable copies of this. I swear I felt like I was committing an actual crime just trying to track this show down, but listen — worth it. 100% worth it. Has anyone else even heard of this show? Because I feel like I’ve uncovered buried treasure and I want to drag everyone else into the pit with me.
SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST FOUR MURDER CASES (aka, why I’m never going to camp again)
School’s Seven Mysteries Murder Case (Episodes 1–3): High school urban legends but make them murdery. We’re talking severed hands in the print room, cursed staircases, ghosts in the biology lab — the full horror starter pack. Hajime Kindaichi and Miyuki Nanase get recruited by the Mystery Club (adorable) and immediately have to deal with dead classmates being staged like spooky art installations. And then the body disappears. AND THEN REAPPEARS. And the killer is cosplaying as the “Afterschool Magician.” It’s equal parts Scooby-Doo and Se7en. The whole thing traces back to a 30-year-old pharmaceutical cover-up, because apparently the school used to be a human-testing facility and somebody decided the best way to keep the secret buried was to hang teenagers from ceilings. 10/10. Traumatizing. Loved it.
Broken Heart Lake Legend Murder Case (Episodes 4–6): Murder. At. The. Lake. Hajime and Miyuki join a group trip to a resort, and boom, there’s a killer in a hockey mask beating people to death like it’s Friday the 13th. The gore levels? High. The body count? HIGHER. The twist? Every single guest survived a cruise ship sinking a year ago, except the killer’s sister-lover (yes, it’s that kind of story) who died because someone saved themselves instead of her. So he invited them all to his murder lodge for vengeance. It’s part tragedy, part slasher film, and part “okay but did we really need the incest reveal in the last five minutes?” Still, very fun, very campy, very much makes me want to never accept a free vacation ever again.
Wax Doll Castle Murder Case (Episodes 7–9): We’re in full-on Clue territory now. A remote castle. A creepy collection of wax dolls of all the guests (because apparently red flags are just home décor now). Someone named “Mr. Redrum” starts taking people out one by one — a detective, a criminal psychologist, a critic. The wax figures are used for body swaps and alibi trickery. I guessed the method halfway through (because clearly I am a genius), but the WHO was such a satisfying reveal. Plus, this story introduces Kengo Akechi, a young hotshot police detective who exists purely to rival Hajime and make him sweat. The tension is immaculate.
Murder by Gentleman Thief (Episodes 10–12): This one SLAPS. Gentleman Thief shows up to steal paintings from a famous artist, except surprise! Murders start happening mid-heist. Hajime and Miyuki have to work out whether the charming Lupin-style thief is actually a murderer (spoiler: nope, she’s just here to have a good time and steal some art). The real culprit is Sakura Gamo, the artist’s fake daughter, who’s been plotting revenge because the guy literally stole her real father’s work. It’s one of those “ohhhh” reveals that makes every previous scene click into place. Loved every second.
I’m honestly obsessed. There are something like 140 episodes of this, plus spin-offs, plus movies, plus a manga backlog so huge I may never sleep again. My only gripe so far? The introductions are sometimes a bit rushed — there’s always at least one suspect where I go “wait, who even are you again?” — and the animation is very ‘90s budget TV. But the voice acting? Phenomenal. Carries the whole show. I’m absolutely watching the next case, preferably with the lights on because wow, these stories do NOT hold back.
Here’s the deal: I found this because the main character is literally the grandson of Kosuke Kindaichi, the OG “Japanese Sherlock Holmes” from like seventy books back in the 1940s. That’s seventy mysteries, people. SEVENTY. And because I have a weirdly specific craving for locked-room murders and traumatic backstories on a Wednesday night, I was like “yes, inject this directly into my bloodstream.” I almost went with Detective Conan (aka Case Closed), but that one’s a little more candy-colored, a little more ‘Saturday morning cartoon where people die politely.’ I wanted a darker flavor. I wanted screaming. I wanted the trauma. And oh, my god, did this deliver.
I thought I was signing up for a chill little ‘teen solves murder’ show. Nope. This thing went full horror vibes from the very first case. Corpses in ritual poses, heads missing, suspects dying in increasingly dramatic ways — all wrapped up in 3-episode arcs, which makes them perfect bite-size little doom-nuggets for your evening binge-watch.
And oh, it was a nightmare trying to find watchable copies of this. I swear I felt like I was committing an actual crime just trying to track this show down, but listen — worth it. 100% worth it. Has anyone else even heard of this show? Because I feel like I’ve uncovered buried treasure and I want to drag everyone else into the pit with me.
SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST FOUR MURDER CASES (aka, why I’m never going to camp again)
School’s Seven Mysteries Murder Case (Episodes 1–3): High school urban legends but make them murdery. We’re talking severed hands in the print room, cursed staircases, ghosts in the biology lab — the full horror starter pack. Hajime Kindaichi and Miyuki Nanase get recruited by the Mystery Club (adorable) and immediately have to deal with dead classmates being staged like spooky art installations. And then the body disappears. AND THEN REAPPEARS. And the killer is cosplaying as the “Afterschool Magician.” It’s equal parts Scooby-Doo and Se7en. The whole thing traces back to a 30-year-old pharmaceutical cover-up, because apparently the school used to be a human-testing facility and somebody decided the best way to keep the secret buried was to hang teenagers from ceilings. 10/10. Traumatizing. Loved it.
Broken Heart Lake Legend Murder Case (Episodes 4–6): Murder. At. The. Lake. Hajime and Miyuki join a group trip to a resort, and boom, there’s a killer in a hockey mask beating people to death like it’s Friday the 13th. The gore levels? High. The body count? HIGHER. The twist? Every single guest survived a cruise ship sinking a year ago, except the killer’s sister-lover (yes, it’s that kind of story) who died because someone saved themselves instead of her. So he invited them all to his murder lodge for vengeance. It’s part tragedy, part slasher film, and part “okay but did we really need the incest reveal in the last five minutes?” Still, very fun, very campy, very much makes me want to never accept a free vacation ever again.
Wax Doll Castle Murder Case (Episodes 7–9): We’re in full-on Clue territory now. A remote castle. A creepy collection of wax dolls of all the guests (because apparently red flags are just home décor now). Someone named “Mr. Redrum” starts taking people out one by one — a detective, a criminal psychologist, a critic. The wax figures are used for body swaps and alibi trickery. I guessed the method halfway through (because clearly I am a genius), but the WHO was such a satisfying reveal. Plus, this story introduces Kengo Akechi, a young hotshot police detective who exists purely to rival Hajime and make him sweat. The tension is immaculate.
Murder by Gentleman Thief (Episodes 10–12): This one SLAPS. Gentleman Thief shows up to steal paintings from a famous artist, except surprise! Murders start happening mid-heist. Hajime and Miyuki have to work out whether the charming Lupin-style thief is actually a murderer (spoiler: nope, she’s just here to have a good time and steal some art). The real culprit is Sakura Gamo, the artist’s fake daughter, who’s been plotting revenge because the guy literally stole her real father’s work. It’s one of those “ohhhh” reveals that makes every previous scene click into place. Loved every second.
I’m honestly obsessed. There are something like 140 episodes of this, plus spin-offs, plus movies, plus a manga backlog so huge I may never sleep again. My only gripe so far? The introductions are sometimes a bit rushed — there’s always at least one suspect where I go “wait, who even are you again?” — and the animation is very ‘90s budget TV. But the voice acting? Phenomenal. Carries the whole show. I’m absolutely watching the next case, preferably with the lights on because wow, these stories do NOT hold back.
