Tajuu Jinkaku Tantei Psycho (MPD Psycho)

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Multiple Personality Detective Psycho

Japanese: 多重人格探偵サイコ

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Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 24

Chapters: 155

Status: Finished

Published: Dec 26, 1996 to Mar 4, 2016

Genre: Mystery

Themes: Detective, Psychological

Demographic: Seinen

Serialization: Young Ace

Authors: Tajima, Shouu (Art), Otsuka, Eiji (Story)

Statistics

Score: 7.62¹ (scored by 5,091 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #2222²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #642

Members: 30,506

Favorites: 633

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7.62

Ranked #2222Popularity #642Members 30,506

MangaYoung AceTajima, Shouu (Art), Otsuka, Eiji (Story)

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Volumes: /24

Chapters: /155

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Synopsis

The main character is a detective, Kazuhiko Amamiya, suffering from multiple personality disorder. Starting out as a violent detective series with a twist (the twist being the variant personalities that take over Detective Amamiya at various intervals), the series evolves into an exceptionally complex and involved sci-fi conspiracy story.

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Background

Tajuu Jinkaku Tantei Psycho has been published as MPD Psycho in English by Dark Horse Comics since June 12, 2007. It has also been released in German by Carlsen Verlag under its Hayabusa label since September 17, 2022.

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Characters

Amamiya, Kazuhiko

Main

Nishizono, Tetora

Main

Isono, Machi

Main

Isono, Miwa

Main

Sasayama, Tooru

Main

Zenitsu

Supporting

Monostone, Lucy

Supporting

Tenma, Uran

Supporting

Toguchi, Kikuo

Supporting

Inuyama, Inuhiko

Supporting

Reviews

Feb 1, 2011

drnyet

Recommended

Preliminary (23/155 eps)

This is not for the squeamish, the easily frightened, or those looking for a light manga to read. It is dark and often brutal. The complexity of the plot had me wondering if I should be taking notes, and I actually did end up writing down some details, like the protagonist's personalities, to keep track. That said - if you like both psychological horror and violence, this fits the bill well.

Something needs to be said about the nature of the crimes. These are not straightforward homicides. They are grotesque and morbidly fascinating. Oftentimes the victims are tortured in the most creative ways before being killed. ... There's something bordering on erotic about some of these killings, as well, and that can be even more disturbing to the reader. If you want to venture to the dark side, though....

The story has its bloodshed, but also its moments of slow building unease, and it's highly psychological. The personalities of detective Amamiya are locked somewhere inside his mind, triggered by unknown sights and sounds. It gives a lingering feeling that something bad could happen at any moment. The art balances the mood superbly. Amamiya's expressions are subtle but effective. You can see the horror on his face as he learns what exactly his alternate personalities have done, as he can feel one approaching. You can also learn to tell, just through expressions, when he's switched to a much more dangerous version of himself. The fear that builds then is palpable.

Besides the mastery of expressions, the art is notable for leaving the characters recognisably Japanese. It's certainly all professional and clean, with highly detailed backgrounds and excruciatingly rendered corpses. I'm not an expert on comic styles, but if I'm using the right terms, there's an abundance of high contrast noir influence to be found. I appreciate it for the depth it adds. At the same time, the number of pages that have no screentones, and are therefore simply high contrast black and white, are a bit harsh.

Character - definitely very complex. It takes a while for the personalities to become apparent, but that's a rather endearing quality for me, as I'm very tired of mangas that have such flat characters that you know them right away. This isn't one of those. It makes it all the more rewarding when you discover a new clue to the true character of someone. Also, the criminals are very interesting. I love seeing psychotic minds at work, and this gives me the perfect window to it. Expressions, dialog, actions and movement, they bring you face to face with the essence of insanity. Seeing it made my breath catch more than once, and I was left staring at a page pondering what I had seen too many times to count.

There are some traits, beyond the obvious violence, that would make this manga unenjoyable to some. Mainly, it's very dry. By that I mean - very minimal comedy, no comic relief characters or clueless sidekicks, mostly a dark and technical atmosphere. It's also an involved read, no mindless sitting by and watching things happen. You need to sit down and read it like you would a serious novel.

But if you do decide to go ahead and read it, despite the dryness, despite the crimes depicted... you are in for a treat.

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Dec 3, 2024

javitaxy

Mixed Feelings

Preliminary (59/155 eps)

I'll be real with you. I still don't know how to feel about this manga. It's engaging, the artstyle is really good and the characters are interesting, but the pacing is really weird for me. It's definitely not an easy read, and it's right in the middle of "this is too much exposition" and being so interesting that you just want to keep reading.

However, MPD Psycho starts shifting it's story away from what it was first set up to be. I'm not sure if it ends up being a wasted potential, but it does change as the story goes on. I'm sure that when it ...

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Sep 30, 2010

arimakenshin

Not Recommended

Preliminary (Unknown/155 eps)

This manga is boring. It's nothing more than a poor attempt to shock the reader. I cringe sometimes when I remember some of the things I have read, such as Ichi the Killer but this manga is nothing more than showcase of various self mutilation or play with corpses. The artwork is uninspired.

Having read Death Note before this manga, despite it being released years before Death Note, they share similarities. It's as if Light suffers from multiple personality disorder and is also a psychopathic detective.

There is so much potential to come across as a shocking piece of work that pushes people out of their comfort ...

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Recent Forum Discussion

Poll: Tajuu Jinkaku Tantei Psycho Chapter 155 Discussion Bulma777 - Jul 13, 2024	2 replies	by FNH04 »» Dec 29, 2024 9:50 AM
Is Mpd Psycho translated to english from volume 12 onwards? 1629lyk_ - Jul 19, 2020	9 replies	by Mike_Castle »» Dec 19, 2024 6:52 AM
I have the last 2 volumes in Spannish AngryASpaceship - Nov 2, 2022	0 replies	by AngryASpaceship »» Nov 2, 2022 9:08 PM
MPD psycho has been picked up again at chap 101 _Ace-kun_ - Nov 28, 2021	3 replies	by katharsis_3173 »» Apr 7, 2022 7:31 AM
Thoughts on the ending? NinoHaruhara - May 12, 2021	2 replies	by NinoHaruhara »» Dec 5, 2021 5:33 AM

Tajuu Jinkaku Tantei Psycho
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