Me2, v.1

By Sho Murase
Published by Tokyopop

Slugline: (cue Queen music) She’s going slightly mad… she’s going slightly mad… it finally happened, happened…

Nominating this one for “OEL That Looks Most Japanese, 2008”. Even though it reads left-to-right, this volume is full of goth-y sensibilities, ornate details, Japanese names, and mean bullies. Like Boogiepop Phantom or Chevalier d’Eon, there is a channeled protector and/or budding multiple-personality disorder in Aki, school outcast who recently lost her older brother. Thanks to the bullying of the mean girls and semi-clueless parents, Aki is starting to experience “lost time” when her ass-kicking, suave and mysterious defender starts appearing.

The volume looks great, reads well, and had me stopping and asking “Is this a backwards manga? A manhwa? It’s really an OEL?” even though the story and the characters are rather familiar. Some people don’t read OELs because they’re not “authentic” – well, this one sure does feel authentic.

Me2, v.1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

-Miranda