30 years ago, a large earthquake called the Great Fall struck Tokyo, leveling the entire city. A new capital city called Shinto was built in replacement, next to the old capital's ruins. Now called Kyuto, the old city was all but abandoned and forgotten, save for a few locals that manage to hide there. However, this is also the home to many supernatural occurrences known as "phantom cases", which the police can never solve through conventional means.
However, this ruined city is also the home of Mayuki Hyuuga, a young boy almost mistaken for a doll. Throughout his life, he has been sheltered by his big brother, yet has a strange power to visualize things no one else could. For that reason, he has been helping the police solve numerous "phantom cases" that were actually cleverly thoughtout crimes disguised to look like them.
Eventually, two investigators have enough of the anonymous tips and decide to meet the boy and witness his special power. In addition, students from the nearby academy end up stumbling into his mansion as well after hearing rumors of it being haunted. The collision of events prompts Mauyki to leave the house, attending school while going to the investigations himself. Little does he know that he's luring himself into a new set of trials that could endanger his new friends.
Fantastic Detective Labyrinth, also known as Lovely Detective Labyrinth or Suteki Tantei Labyrinth, is a manga series published by Kodansha and released in Magazine Special. It was later adapted into an anime series by Studio DEEN in 2007, already famed for its adaptation of Fruits Basket and Fate/stay night.
Trope Examples
- 20 Minutes into the Future: Even though it takes place 30 years into the future, people use technology that exists in the early 2000s.
- Adaptation Distillation: Because it started before the original manga finished, the anime covers six of eight volumes.
- In the manga, an aquatic type of Aya named Suiren appeared and was another Aya of the Big Bad. She was also the one attacked Hatsumi and Sanae, which lead to Seiran turning them into his Aya. In the anime, she has become an army of water sprites that have occupied a nearby forest and pond, where they attacked, commanded by Byakko.
- Nayuta only appears in the final episode of the anime, ending before her role gets expanded.
- A God Am I: The main goal of the Big Bad.
- And the Adventure Continues: The anime ending. The Big Bad is defeated and Shinto is saved from destruction. However, the series ends with Mayuki coming to school again, only to meet another girl who looks and behaves exactly like him.
- Badass Normal: Miyako and Inogami is more than able to take care of herself with ease despite being in a world where Ayas exist with magically empowered fighting capabilities. The second episode features her taking down a hypnotized terrorist with ease that impresses Mayuki.
- Can't Catch Up: Despite being a capable combatant, Miyako is still outclassed by Ayas and their Doll Masters. During her encounters with Byakko, the white-haired Aya easily wipes the floor of her. Inogami even admits how the powers behind the scenes are far beyond their level for them to do anything helpful.
- Benevolent Boss: Seiju takes care of Byakko, even when she undergoes a Villainous BSoD. Probably because of how the Hyuga treated Aya in the past.
- Benevolent Conspiracy: The Hyuga clan is in charge of safekeeping the Shinchi, a Magical Eye with incredible power. While the Big Bad is responsible for the latest cases, the clan covers tracks of the incident to keep even Mayuki from finding out about the power he inherited, protecting him from it as well as those who want it as well.
- Big Bad: Seiju Shinano, also known as Masaki Hyuga, the father of Mayuki.
- Brains and Brawn: Mayuki is the most intelligent among the cast even without extra-perceptive power. However, he relies on his friends and family for the more physical ability. Of course, that does not mean his attempts to try sports turn the girls away even one bit.
- Bodyguard Babes: Hatsumi and Sanae as the Aya Souka and Yuuhi respectively. Yoko is also one, as well as Byakko.
- By the Power of Grayskull!: Seiran calls out Hatsumi and Sanae's Aya names as his dolls to transform them into his fighters.
- Catchphrase: Mayuki when he uses his power unconsciously.“I found the path that leads to the Labyrinth’s exit.”
- City of Adventure: The Urban Ruins of Tokyo, known as Kyuto, which are known for having supernatural phenomena called phantom cases.
- Cool Big Sis: Sanae plays like this for Minori, even when she is one of Seiran's Aya.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: A two-episode section features one as a Monster of the Week who owns an ore mining plant that causes Yaya to have allergies. Her older brother is trying to take him to court with thugs trying to silence him.
- Crazy-Prepared: Seiju has a large number of tools prepared at his disposal, including self-destructing robot dummies to cover his tracks, and mastering the Dangerous Forbidden Technique of the Shinano clan in a more perfect manner.
- Deadly Upgrade: The Shinano Needles used to create Aya can also be applied to the Shinano clan themselves. However, the surgery is risky and the power can cost the patient his life. And while Seiran is able to do it, Seiju was able to master it himself.
- The Dragon: Byakko, to Seiju.
- Floral Theme Naming: The Aya have a floral theme, which matches the marks on their bodies.
- Yuuhi - Seto-no-Yuuhi, a type of hydrangea flower
- Souka - Soka, also called Asoka
- Byakko - Polygonatum Odoratum
- Yoko - Yoko Ono
- Suiren - Water Lily
- Kaede - Nomura Kaede
- Forgotten First Meeting: In the last few scenes of the manga, Detective Inogami remembers that he met the Hyuga and Shinano family long ago when he was young, never realizing how important he was until these adventures.
- Genre Roulette: Comes out as combination of an Occult Detective, Magical Girl Warrior, and a friendly kid adventure series.
- Genre Throwback: The series plays a lot with what was popular in the 90s, including Shoujo and Magical Girl series like Cardcaptor Sakura and Sailor Moon, complete with a Transformation Sequence at some point, and even the The X-Files.
- In the Name of the Moon: By Hatsumi/Souka and Sanae/Yuuhi: “Those who threaten our master shall be torn apart!”
- Invincible Villain: Seiju, compared to Byakko, as she fouled even by Mayuki’s friends. He never displays his true fighting ability, but when he does, he beats Shien to a pulp and takes down Seiran with a more perfected version of his Deadly Upgrade. And he was possibly able to alter reality and the earth itself. The only reason he loses is because Mayuki is unable to obtain the Shinchi rather than him.
- It's All My Fault: Mayuki has this mindset whoever something disastrous occurs that endangers his friends. It results in a Heroic BSoD near the end when she realizes he wields the Shinchi.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Subverted. Mayuki already tells the two investigators and his new friends in the very first episode how his special power helped the former solve unexplainable cases, but even he does not know the circumstances. Double Subverted it turns out everyone including Seiran are in the dark, with Shien and Kaede knowing the truth.
- Played straight as Minori is unaware about her Cool Big Sis really being an Aya to protect Mayuki.
- Loved by All: The popularity Mayuki get extends to pretty much everyone around him, kids and adults.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: The Big Bid Seiju is Masaki Hyuga, Mayuki’s father. He is also a brother of Seiran and Shien who was exiled after failing to become the main clan.
- Furthermore, Seiju is also his actual name, being the eldest brother of the Shinano clan.
- Magical Eye: The Shingan, which is proof of inheritance in of the Shinchi.
- Magical Girl Warrior: Has shades of this regarding the Ayas used by the Doll Masters. Mayuki himself may also qualify as a magical boy.
- Magical Girl Genre Deconstruction: What is turns out as the Magical Girl Aya. They are rather Manchurian Agent puppets with their alter egos rewriting their original personalities made to transform young girls in ruthless killing machines. The only source of their humanity relies on both the fact they do not recall anything form their fight after transforming back and on the personality of their Doll Masters.
- Man Behind the Man: A mysterious man is shown to be behind the numerous cases the Mayuki solves for the first half of the series. The one pulling the strings happens to be Seiju.
- Manchurian Agent: How the Ayas work. When under a Doll Master, their original personality is rewritten and they do not recall anything after control wears off. There are exceptions, however, with Byakko maintaining free will as an Aya.
- Meaningful Name: Byakko is named after the white tiger of the Chinese constellations. She has white hair, uses claws for attacks, and has a qipao as part of her outfit.
- Missing Mom: Mayuki never knew his mother, and his mother has been in Switzerland for several years by the time the story starts. Like a number of series, there is a reason for this.
- Monster of the Week: The starting episodes feature this with Byakko or Seiju hypnotizing people or using contacts to create phantom cases. These had a purpose to have Mayuki awaken his powers.
- Mushroom Samba: Sanae undergoes one while in the forest. Cue a public warning in the intermission warning to pick mushroom under the guidance of an expert.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Seiju gives one to Seiran and Shien during their confrontation.
- Occult Detective: Mayuki investigates strange phenomena, including ones that don't turn out to be supernatural at all, while using the supernatural power to foresee such occurrences himself.
- Polar Opposite Twins: Kouta and Rakuta Koga love very alike and dress the same way. However, one is more energetic and brash, while the other is more cautious and pragmatic.
- Police Are Useless: Defied with Inogami and Tomaru who are more than competent cops. They are just dealing with cases that are above average, as well as paranormal dangers behind their comprehension, which is why Seiran and the others are keen on keeping them in the dark about everything as well as out of danger.
- Justified with the rest of the police force. They are either collaborators of the Big Bad or deliberately keeping things in the dark to prevent even Mayuki himself from learning about his power.
- Post-Victory Collapse: After his confrontation with his father, Mayuki collapses for an entire month before he wakes up again.
- Power of Friendship: Mayuki manages to control his powers by having them save his new friends.
- Prehensile Hair: Hatsumi's method of attack as Souka.
- Redemption Rejection: Mayuki asks for Seiju with all of his heart to not let himself die in the upcoming pillar of fire. He and Byakko instead let themselves get incinerated.
- Red Herring: Seiran starts off behaving like he knows more than he lets on. However, it is Shien who knows everything and has kept even his younger brother, let alone Mayuki, out on a lot of important things. Two of them are the Big Bad being their eldest brother and the Shinchi being what made Mayuki the head of the Hyuga clan.
- The Scully: Detective Tomaru has her skepticism at first, wondering exactly how Mayuki solves the strangest cases and superhuman perception. She warms up to him later.
- Secret-Keeper: Minori and Sanae’s mother hides more than she lets on. That is because she is a former Aya of Seiran and knew the secret of Mayuki, at least until her oldest daughter got caught up in their fight.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Mayuki enjoys numerous different types of teas. A different one appears in just about every case.
- Urban Ruins: The remains of Tokyo, now called Kyuto, which is the home of many supernatural cases.
- What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Why Seiran was reluctant on the Manchurian Agent technique the Shinano uses, since Ayas are basically tools for Doll Masters.
