Madame Otaku

Cy-Believers, volume 1
Shioko Mizuki
Go! Comi
Rated 16+

No, this isn’t a cool cyberpunk adventure manga.  Damn.  It’s actually a very weird mix of Miki Aihara-type shojo (now with more assholes!) and random humor, with a bit of “are-they-gay-maybe!” posturing.  In the hands of a more competent writer, this could’ve been cool.  Instead, it’s a bit of standard-shojo-fare that tries a little too hard to be edgy and offbeat.

Rui is a teenaged girl who’s just transferred to this school, Domus Somethingorother; I don’t remember the school’s full name, except that it’s Latin and very, very annoying and really pointless.  She’s there to meet her fiance, some guy who’s name starts with N (I forgot it already; that says something about this manga).  She’d thought he’d be a total sweetheart, based on his emails – but he’s actually a semi-rapist-ish, pigheaded jerk who delights in disbanding all other school clubs.

There’s also two guys who may or may not be gay.  One of them may or may not be a robot.  It’s effing weird.

In short: a very weird, forgettable manga with some nice art moments and an all-over-the-place plot that’s too faux-weird for it’s own good.  Try it out yourself and form your own opinion.