MPD Psycho

Title: MPD Psycho
Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Language: Japanese
Duration: 60mins (6 episodes)
Director: Takashi Miike

So I’m bending the rules a little (or outright breaking them if that’s your stance) by including what is technically not a film, but rather a made-for-TV mini-series co-written and directed by Takashi Miike, based on the Manga of the same name. If ever lived a man better suited to bringing the ultra-violent manga to the screen, I’ve yet to discover them, for Miike is renowned for his unconventional dark humour, ability to make you feel the fool as you struggle to keep up with the plot, and his unwillingness to shy away from violence. In fact, on that last regard this mini-series contains some of the most depraved and twisted concepts conceived, from taking the term ‘Flower Children,’ a little too literally to hypnotising mothers to perform their own Caesarean Section, and that’s just in the first third of the series.

Following the story of detective Yosuke Kobayashi, brilliant at profiling suspects but discharged from the police force for mental instability, following the tragic murder of his wife he emerged as a new character, the cold and calculating schizophrenic Amamiya who dominates this series. Working closely with the reclusive chief of police he struggles to track down the elusive and mysterious serial killer Shinji Nishizono; the man responsible for his wife’s death. This killer is closely tied to the equally mysterious bar-coders (so called for the bar code tattooed to the base of their eyeball), terrorists carrying out the wishes of a notorious terrorist, known only as ‘Lucy Monostone,’ a radical revolutionary ex-rock musician, who took to the streets in the 70’s to forcefully enact change, he has long since gone but those he inspired continue his work.

As confusing as all that probably sounds, this only scratches the surface of the depth and detail prevalent here, as we uncover truths about their origins, as well as how each relates to each other. If there was one major complaint about how all this information is conveyed it would be in its inconsistency. In the first part of the 6-part saga we are bombarded with such a wealth of information that keeping track requires intense concentration, and for the rest of the series delivered in small teasers leading up to the final reveal. Each episode follows its own individual story, a small part of the big picture capable of standing alone as an interesting story until the eventual dénouement. Furthermore, much of the gory scenario’s felt limited to the first couple of episodes, not necessarily ceasing altogether afterwards but certainly seeming toned down by comparison.

The acting felt fairly strong, in particular the overlooked role of the young ‘geeky’ assistant to the police chief, with his unconventional misplaced enthusiasm he acts as the perfect counter for the world-weary chief and cold-toned Amamiya, providing a healthy dose of comic relief when the plot seems to be getting too morbid. The use of effects, considering this as a made-for-TV series was effectively utilised to create uncompromising scenes of gore, frequently shot in a familiarly convincing and realistic manner. The dialogue too often felt carefully worded, even if the overall pace over the course of the mini-series felt rather discontinuous.

Fans of Takashi Miike of often been treated to a wealth of ideas and excellent direction from his works, but even of the greatest directors come some performances that fails to meet their impeccable standards. Unfortunately, MPD Psycho fits this description, still not bad but rather disappointing knowing the potential there was here. This often unnecessarily confusing 5 ½ hour saga is not the best place to begin your exploration of his works, but ‘gore-hounds,’ as well as fans of the ‘mindfuck’ genre in same vein as David Lynch, may do well to seek this out, with the reassuring knowledge that as confusing as it all gets, everything is rather neatly wrapped together by its conclusion; something which rarely happens in such films.