My Dearest Self with Malice Aforethought

Shota Ito drew the art while Hajime Inoryū crafted the story for My Dearest Self with Malice Aforethought, a psychological thriller that first appeared in Kodansha's Weekly Young Magazine on May 7, 2018. The narrative centers on two high school boys whose lives become inextricably linked through a shared obsession with murder mysteries and a twisted codependency. Readers followed their descent across eleven collected volumes as the plot moved from serialized chapters to the Comic Days digital platform in August 2019, allowing the creators to finish the tale without weekly deadline pressure before concluding in September 2020.

Kodansha USA released the English translation digitally starting in February 2021 under the title My Dearest Self With Malice Aforethought. The series features an intense atmosphere focusing on the psychological deterioration of its protagonists rather than traditional action sequences. While some critics argue the heavy reliance on plot twists occasionally sacrifices deep character development, the manga maintains a dedicated following among fans of the genre. It has appeared on multiple lists highlighting mystery and psychological horror works, including Screen Rant's 2021 roundup of new series featuring split personality themes.

A live-action television drama adaptation announced in July 2022 brought the story to a wider audience. The production cast Rina Kawaei and added more actors by August 2022, with the theme song performed by Hey! Say! JUMP. This adaptation cemented the series' popularity within the Japanese entertainment landscape alongside its manga format. [edit]