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Hajime Kindaichi is a high school student with a
reputation for laziness and sloppiness and an IQ of 180. The grandson
of a famous detective, Kindaichi's sharp intuition and excellent
memory are only used when his interest is piqued by crime and mystery.
His two catchphrases - "The mystery has been solved" and "The killer
is among us" - come up at the end of each story when he announces to
the other characters in the drama and the readers of the comic that he
has figured out who did it and why.
This series established a new genre called "mystery manga." From its
launch in October 1992, over 60 million copies have been sold in book
form in Japan; making it is one of the best selling mangas of the
1990s. The appealing artwork and simple structure is undoubtedly
responsible for its broad appeal with readers of all ages from
elementary school students to housewives. Indeed, Kindaichi's success
can be seen in its rich combination of all the essential ingredients
of a good mystery: breathtaking twists, surprising truths, detailed
logic and reasoning, compelling motives for murder and, of course, a
charismatic detective.
This series has been novelized, dramatized and animated for TV and
movie release, all of which have been big hits. This comprehensive
mediamix has also strengthened sales of the original manga series. The
manga has also been translated in various languages and published
around the world, especially in Asia.
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