You and I may never be fortunate enough to experience a naked ghost girl suddenly appearing in our homes to request our help, but don't worry -- that's all being covered by Psycho Busters' Kakeru.
Kakeru has been in a rut, finding pleasure only in video games. Everything else in this fifteen-year-old's life has been boring and disappointing, and it isn't until his sisters head off to vacation (his ticket was lost) that he gets some time alone with the tissues and his dad's top-notch porn collection. It's too bad that naked ghost girl had to pop in at the wrong time and ruin his "vacation." Kakeru is then possessed and whisked off by psychic babe Ayano, who uses her ghost-making skill of astral projection to bring him to a group of other teen psychics that are being hunted. Apparently Kakeru is the only one who can save them.
Hit the jump to read more on Psycho Busters Vol 1.
Psycho Busters Vol 1
Manga by Akinara Nao, Story by Yuya Aoki
Published by Del Ray, Released October 2007
If you "know this story," you'll know that Kakeru is a knucklehead that feels like he's just along for the ride, but he sometimes shows hints of some latent special ability. Of course, he has no idea what is going on. Kakeru and the other psychic kids are immediately surrounded by some mysterious government group at their initial place of meeting and are quickly sent on the run, seeking other psychic help against people they call "farmers."
Kakeru and Ayano join Xiao Long, a master of Qigong, and Jôi, the leader who insists that Kakeru is the one who will save him. They later meet Kaito, a firestarter with an attitude. The story pits these few against the world, with other less-natural (read: test subjects) "category one" psychics also hunting them down. And while the other kids are quite powerful in their own way, it seems that the seemingly talentless Kakeru manages to defeat enemies without fail. Maybe there's something to what Jôi has been saying.
The "talented teen" stories are "in" right now, and while you may have heard this one a few times before, Psycho Busters is unapologetically simple and fun. It makes for a fast-reading hit of battles, fun humor, and a touch of fan service. It's a bit of a letdown that it feels like you know the group's enemies better than you know the main cast, but this is still the first volume, and it may just be that character development has been saved for later. Volume 1 is packed with enough big-paneled battles, two-page explosions, surprise brawl conclusions to keep those pages flipping, and you'll find yourself wishing you had the psychic ability to somehow read the second volume.
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