Oshiri Tantei 9th Season

A detective whose face literally looks like a butt solves crimes with impeccable manners and a tiny dog sidekick. That's the premise of Oshiri Tantei, and somehow it works way better than it has any right to. This ninth season from Toei Animation picks up with the Butt Detective and his assistant Brown getting pulled into a missing persons case tied to an idol contest on Stardust Island, which spirals into a conspiracy involving something called the Phantom Thief Academy and their leader, Phantom Thief G. The show is based on a picture book series and aimed at kids, but the mysteries have this cozy, genuinely clever structure that makes them satisfying even if you're way past the target demographic. Think of it like a gentler Detective Conan where nobody dies, or Lupin III if Lupin were extremely polite and shaped like a rear end. The comedy leans into absurdity without being obnoxious, and the episodic format across 15 episodes means you can drop in without much commitment. Each case introduces weird characters and settings that keep things fresh, and there are enough recurring gags and villains to reward anyone who sticks around. If you liked Kindaichi Case Files for its puzzle-box mysteries but want something you can watch with your brain on relaxed mode, this is a solid pick. It's strange, charming, and genuinely funny in a low-key way.