The Mizuhanome System. An incredible piece of technology that allows people to enter the very mind of a murderer. Deep in the subconscious part of the mind known as the Id, the Mizuhanome System enables people to experience manifestations of the mind of a murderer; however, one can only enter another’s Id if they have killed someone themselves. A police force known as Kura, assisted by the brilliant detective Narihisago “Sakaido” Akihito, makes use of the Mizuhanome System to put together the clues left behind in the psychological landscapes of criminals in orders to solve cases.

A moment very early on but very important nonetheless is the moment after the Pyrotechnician case is resolved and Sakaido is sent back to his cell. He’s placed close to the Pyrotechnician and drives him to committing suicide, which drives home the point that Sakaido’s ability to use the Mizuhanome System comes from the fact that he has killed before but can still be ruthless.

Youkai exist in the world, although under the veil of everyday reality. They have an amicable relationship with humans; however, some youkai threaten the peace. Iwanaga Kotoko is a girl who bears the title of the youkai’s “God of Wisdom”, so she deals with the issues that youkai may face in their relations with humans and each other. Kotoko meets university student Sakuragawa Kuro at a hospital after his long-term relationship ends and she’s smitten, but she can also tell that there’s something different about him. To see if her instincts are correct, Kotoko enlists Kuro’s help in her various dealings with the youkai.

Iwanaga Kotoko’s deductions in In/Spectre are a very interesting element of the anime because of their uniqueness. Kotoko allows her mind to wander; to use and create subtext in the analysis of the various subjects in the cases that she works through, but particularly with the Steel Lady Nanase case. The case begins as the urban legend formed around the death of an idol but it takes strange and sinister turns when Kototo reports her experience of combat with the apparition. When the website hosting the forum turns out to be the point of origin, the story of In/Spectre truly opens up the floor to some expert deduction from our wise protagonist.

Kamone Academy has various rumours making the rounds about the school’s Seven Mysteries. One of these mysteries is regarding Hanako-san, a ghost said to be occupying the third stall of the third-floor girls’ bathroom in the old school building. Hanako has the ability to grant any wish when he is summoned. When Yashiro Nene, a girl highly interested in romance and the occult, heads into that third stall, she meets Hanako, but he’s nothing like anything she has ever imagined.

Yashiro looks into the origins of Hanako as one of the supernatural features of Kamone Academy. To do so, she has to enlist the assistance of the Kamone Academy Seven Mysteries’ Fifth Mystery: the 4’o’clock Library. This area is a special region containing books from the past, present and future on every single member of the school. Through looking at her own future, Nene sees herself finding out Hanako’s real name: Amane Yugi. However, as Nene reads the pages, they turn red, indicating that they are forbidden texts of the 4’o’clock library. At this point, the Hanako-kun anime has created an incredible amount of enigma around the titular apparition, but this also continues to cement the developing motif of the Seven Mysteries of Kamone Academy.

In this fantasy world, human beings have been driven to the point of extinction by more powerful races. Now the world is ruled by all kinds of mythical creatures. One day, a golem finds a little human girl alone and in shackles and from then on, the two form an uncommon bond–that of father and daughter. Realising that he is reaching the end of his lifespan, the golem travels with Somali, hoping that the pair will find her parents before his time runs out.

When Somali and her father arrive at a library run by witches, one of them tells the story of when she was saved by a human village when they considered her to be human. Feodora Nebsolv lived a peaceful life in the village and grew to love the villagers; however, her perception of them changes when they mob together to murder a monster, or a “Grotesque”, as they say. The story explores an element to the Somali story that hadn’t been developed prior to this point–humans and their attitudes towards the other races in this world where they have been driven to the brink of extinction.

In the dark and dreary district known as Hole, lawlessness is rife. People living in Hole are subjected to terrible conditions; however, the presence of the Sorcerers makes their lives a living Hell. Sorcerers use Hole and its residents as test subjects for their strange abilities, leaving Hole’s hospital perpetually packed. For some reason; however, people like Caiman are able to stand their ground against the Sorcerers. Suffering from nightmares, Caiman is on a hunt for the Sorcerer responsible for giving him a reptilian appearance, sifting through Sorcerer after Sorcerer to find the one who can reverse Caiman’s accursed fate.

After the day dedicated to the morbid event of zombies overrunning Hole, Caiman and Nikaido’s run-in with Sorcerers of En’s consort puts them in pretty bad shape. At this point, Caiman is passed out and Nikaido is pressed to take on multiple opponents in combat, so she summons a door and heads to safety—just like the Sorcerers do. As it turns out, Nikaido is one of the Sorcerers, a fact she is keeping from Caiman due to his resentment towards them. The entire situation simply leaves more questions about Caiman’s identity surrounded by a fog of uncertainty.