Don't Call It Mystery

Don't Call It Mystery (ミステリと言う勿れ), also known as Do Not Say Mystery, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yumi Tamura. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's josei manga magazine Monthly Flowers since November 2017. A television drama adaptation was broadcast on Fuji TV from January to March 2022.

By January 2023, the manga had over 18 million copies in circulation. In 2022, Don't Call It Mystery won the 67th Shogakukan Manga Award for the general category.

Plot
One day in winter, university student Totonō Kunō was accompanied to the police station to be investigated by detectives from the Ohinari Police Station, who visited his apartment in connection with the murder of Sagae, a fellow student and high school alumnus. It is said that Sagae was seen arguing with someone who looked like Kuno around 10 o'clock last night. Kuno categorically denies committing the crime, and goes to question and investigate an Inspector called Yabu and his friends every day.

Characters

 * Totonō Kunō


 * Shioji Kariatsumari
 * (film)


 * Yura Akamine
 * (film)


 * Asaharu Rumazaka
 * (film)


 * Rikinosuke Kariatsumari
 * (film)


 * Neo Hahakabe
 * (film)

Manga
Written and illustrated by Yumi Tamura, Don't Call It Mystery was first published as a one-shot in Shogakukan's josei manga magazine Monthly Flowers on November 28, 2016. It started as a serialized manga in the same magazine on November 28, 2017. Shogakukan has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was published on January 10, 2018. As of June 10, 2024, 14 volumes have been released.

At Anime Expo 2022, Seven Seas Entertainment announced that they licensed the series for English publication.

Drama
In June 2021, it was announced that the series would be adapted into a drama series, starring Masaki Suda as Totonō Kunō. It was broadcast on Fuji TV from January 10 to March 28, 2022. It was directed by Hiroaki Matsuyama, with scriptwriting handled by Tomoko Aizawa, and music composed by Ken Arai. King Gnu performs the series' theme song "Chameleon" (カメレオン). The streaming service Viki added the series to its catalogue in May 2022.

Live-action film
In November 2022, Fuji TV announced that a live-action film adaptation was being produced, again starring Suda as Totonō Kunō. Matsuyama, Aizawa and Arai return from the drama series as their respective positions. The film premiered on September 15, 2023. It is based on the manga's "Hiroshima Arc". It is set to play at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival on July 26, 2024.

Reception
By July 2021, the manga had over 9 million copies in circulation; over 13 million copies in circulation by December 2021; over 16 million copies in circulation by June 2022; and over 18 million copies in circulation by January 2023.

In 2019, the manga was nominated for the 12th Manga Taishō and ranked second with 78 points; in 2020, it was nominated for the 13th award and ranked sixth with 54 points. In 2019, the series was nominated for the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category; it won the 67th award in the same category, along with Nigatsu no Shōsha, in 2022. It was nominated for the 44th Kodansha Manga Award in the general category in 2020. The manga has been nominated for the 26th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2022.

On Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga of 2019 for women readers, the series ranked second; it ranked fourth on the 2020 list; sixth on the 2021 list; and tenth on the 2022 list. The series ranked 24th on the 2019 "Book of the Year" list by Da Vinci magazine; it was fifth on the 2020 list; second on the 2021 list; fourth on the 2022 list; and eleventh on the 2023 list.

The live-action film debuted at first at the Japanese box office, earning over ¥850 million on its opening weekend. Within the first 31 days of its premiere, it earned over ¥3.76 billion, and ranked first at the Japanese box office for five consecutive weekends, becoming the first Japanese live-action film to do so since We Made A Beautiful Bouquet in 2021, a film also starring Suda. By December 2023, while still showing, it earned over ¥4.74 billion in Japan.