8 Crime anime to watch if you miss Ballard

Crime anime delivers the kind of tense, morally complex storytelling that fans of Detective Renée Ballard’s cold case work crave. It sets a relentless pace where every clue matters, and Ballard resonates by blending gritty procedural elements with character-driven drama. Renée Ballard's meticulous pursuit of buried truths mirrors the relentless chases and moral ambiguity that define the best animated investigations.

Detective Ballard’s knack for unearthing long-forgotten secrets echoes in Dr. Tenma’s hunt in Monster and Akane Tsunemori’s battle against systemic corruption in Psycho-Pass. From the Mafia-ruled streets of Prohibition-era New York in Baccano! to the time-twisting stakes of Erased, each entry here channels the dread, shocking revelations, and emotional weight that make crime anime so addictive.

Disclaimer: The article solely reflects the author's opinion and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

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Chasing shadows: crime anime that grip your mind like Ballard’s cold cases

1) Erased

Still from Erased (Image via A-1 Pictures)

In episodes 4 to 6, Satoru Fujinuma is pulled back into his childhood through a strange time-rewind ability, this time to try and prevent the murder of a classmate. Nothing about it feels clean or simple. Every little action carries weight, and the dread builds slowly. This crime anime doesn't just focus on solving a mystery, it lingers on the frustration of not knowing what will work or if anything will.

Satoru moves through school life with this heavy awareness, watching the people around him more closely, especially the adults who seem off. Its emotional payoff echoes Ballard’s most wrenching breakthroughs, proving that even supernatural twists can enhance gritty detective work.

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2) Monster

Still from Monster (Image via Madhouse)

Dr. Kenzo Tenma’s pursuit of the enigmatic Johan Liebert spans Europe, unraveling a conspiracy that destroys lives like a contagion. The Salzburg Paradigm episodes (44-48) strip away every illusion of safety, revealing the monstrous origins behind seemingly ordinary people.

Tenma’s dogged investigation and the haunting fallout mirror Ballard’s own scars from cases that never truly close, and the series’ relentless build-up of dread leaves viewers shaken long after the credits roll.

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3) Psycho-Pass

Still from Psycho-Pass (Image via Production I.G)

In a future where justice is algorithmic, Inspector Akane Tsunemori’s rookie arc (episodes 1-11) exposes the cold logic behind predictive policing. Her standoff with Shogo Makishima, whose crimes evade the Sibyl System, feels like Ballard’s clashes with superiors who prioritize protocol over victims.

This crime anime’s sterile cityscapes and philosophical stakes cut deeper than most live-action thrillers, illustrating how data-driven law enforcement can become more monstrous than the criminals it hunts.

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4) Death Note

Still from Death Note (Image via Madhouse)

Light Yagami’s descent begins when he claims the Death Note’s power to kill. The L-Kira Confrontation arc (episodes 19-25) traps two brilliant minds in a suffocating battle of wits, each lead and near-miss ratchets tension and paranoia.

This crime anime refuses clear moral lines; Light’s vigilantism and L’s ruthless tactics bathe every decision in gray, reflecting Ballard’s ethical minefields, where cutting corners can save lives at the cost of one’s own conscience.

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5) Perfect Blue

Still from Perfect Blue (Image via Madhouse)

Pop idol Mima Kirigoe’s off-stage life becomes a waking nightmare. The Idol Murder arc doesn’t go where most expect. It starts with this surface-level obsession, but slowly pulls viewers into something messier, media pressure, blurred lines between what's real and what’s imagined. As the story moves forward, things stop adding up. Witnesses say different things, and none of them really fits cleanly.

That’s what makes this crime anime stick, it doesn’t hand over answers. The tension keeps building, not loud, just constant. And when the truth finally comes out, it’s rough. Not dramatic for the sake of it, just cold and final, like a gut punch that keeps echoing after the credits roll.

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6) Black Lagoon

Still from Black Lagoon (Image via Madhouse)

Roanapur’s criminal underbelly thumps with gunfire in the Hotel Moscow arc (episodes 7-9). Revy and Dutch navigate Russian hitmen and local crime bosses with grim pragmatism, showing how survival in a lawless land demands broken morals. The volatile alliances and ethical compromises echo Ballard’s moments of doubt when working with informants whose loyalty always feels earned, not given.

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7) 91 Days

Still from 91 Days (Image via Shuka)

Set in Prohibition’s shadow, Avilio Bruno’s vendetta unfolds across seven gritty episodes. The Night of the Long Knives arc (episodes 5-7) plays out like a dark chess match, where every toast conceals betrayal and every ally might be an enemy.

This crime anime dissects how the thirst for revenge corrodes the soul. Avilio’s hollow triumph reminds viewers of Ballard’s toughest moral dilemmas, where catching the culprit doesn’t guarantee justice or peace.

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8) Baccano!

Still from Baccano! (Image via Brain’s Base)

On the Flying Pussyfoot, things spiral fast, alchemists, gangsters, and immortals all thrown into one chaotic mess. Episodes 7 to 11 follow the train heist arc, but the story keeps shifting angles. No single viewpoint holds steady. Every scene peels back another layer, alliances between rival mafia families, sudden betrayals, gunfights that come out of nowhere, and leave real damage behind.

This crime anime doesn't bother with clean-cut heroes. Everyone’s hiding something. And staying alive? It usually means getting your hands dirty. The constant backstabbing and last-second twists feel like flipping through Ballard’s most confusing case notes, nothing's clear, and trusting the wrong person might cost everything.

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Final Thoughts

These eight crime anime demonstrate that animation can match, and often surpass, live-action in delivering tense, emotionally charged investigations. Each series brings a unique spin on crime storytelling, whether through supernatural elements, time travel, or unflinching realism.

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