Bug Ego, Vol. 1

バグエゴ [Bug Ego] #1

by ONE, Kiyoto Shitara (Artist)

世界には虫が有る。青春には我が要る。
親切な転校生・羊谷は、孤独な同級生の黒堂に学校や生活で役立つ、便利情報やテクニック、ライフハックを教える。すると黒堂もウラワザを教えようと羊谷を学外に連れ出す。黒堂のウラワザ。それは、一見すると何の役にも立たない現象を起こす不思議なワザだった。ウラワザを役に立たない妄想という羊谷に黒堂は言う「もし1％でも僕の言葉を信じてくれるなら、試してみない？　本物のウラワザを。」

Genres: Manga, Comics, Horror, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Friendship

216 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2025

About the author

Manga creator ONE first created One-Punch Man as a web comic, where it quickly went viral, garnering over 10,000,000 hits! Along with One-Punch Man, ONE also writes and draws another series called Mob Psycho 100.

Reviews

[alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

[volumes 1-2, chapters 1-9, ongoing] Charming! I was charmed! Definitely Dandadan-adjacent in that it’s two dumb teens investigating local phenomena together, but unlike Dandadan, I was completely sold by the end of Bug Ego’s first chapter. ONE has such a good handle on narrative power-scaling at this point that the pacing is super satisfying, and I love the mini arcs of every side character

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Thanks to Edelweiss and Viz for an ARC of this manga in exchange for an unbiased review.]

A classic cautionary tale about not messing around with things you don’t understand, this sometimes frustrating, frequently creepy, new manga takes a look at the idea that reality is more malleable than it first seems.

Hitsujiya thinks he’s cool because he has plenty of life hacks to make both his school life and his friend Kokudo’s easier to manage as they navigate the perils of bullies and generally being outcasts.

Except Kokudo has found ways to alter reality, with such silly results as causing umbrellas to appear or ants to levitate. Perfectly fine and not harmful at all, just a little distraction that brings the two boys closer.

Until it becomes clear that not following the precise instructions for making these little hacks occur can lead to disastrous and horrific results. Hitsujiya tries to reverse time and his failure sets into motion a grim and catastrophic chain of events.

That’s just the start of this story that might be a little scattershot at times but delivers when it comes to that nice, creepy horror feeling you want from something like this. It’s got that off-kilter vibe, right down to the art.

Hitsujiya and Kokudo are both painfully flawed characters in their way. Hitsujiya is way too interested in these reality hacks than he should be, while Kokudo worries that he’s being used for his access to the hacks in general.

While nothing especially compelling, the two of them working to overcome their issues and meet as actual friends makes for a good concept to hang the story on. Hitsujiya absolutely pays the biggest price in the first hack that goes wrong, but Kokudo was hurt by it too.

Later events will involve a lucid dreaming hack that turns into something entirely more sinister and truly grotesque (and a resolution that is both clever and cringe in one). Another at the end of this volume recalls a twist in the horror game masterpiece Soma.

The art and characters are not what I typically look for, but they absolutely work here. The scenarios are the main draw and they work really well - the way that dream sequence goes from feel good to body horror is very well done.

This reminds me a lot, conceptually, of Nio Nakatani’s short, but very fun, series, God Bless the Mistaken, which featured innocuous intrusions on reality. That story embraced the whimsy of this idea, while this one is all about the perils of it.

I think I prefer the more whimsical version, but this has a lot to recommend it, especially if you’re a horror fan. It knows how to do both the grotesque and the existentially terrifying very well. It won’t keep me up at night, but it knows how to nail the vibe it’s going for.

3.5 stars - I’m absolutely going to get the second volume because I am dying to see what happens with the last story, so that’s a good recommend. It has potential and, while I don’t think it will be a personal favourite, I can see it being worth sticking around for due to its clever ideas and atmosphere.

[Michael (Mai) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I read this in English

Weird but interesting read. It leans a little into cosmic horror, and honestly, the horror elements are really creepy. I think I'm going to really like the later volumes, but this first volume seems strung together oddly, which makes it, at times, a little hard to read. My guess is this isn't a problem in later volumes.

It's a really unique premise, and I'm definitely going to continue the series.

[Nathaniel Eberlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s something really unique happening here with children discovering a way to enchant the world but it’s coded through the language of digital technology. What starts as the original discovery of children slowly bumps up against a wider, hidden from view, dark world of adults and other powers that also interact with the enchantments. Maybe this is analogous to kids getting onto an online forum, but I think its application will become more relevant as the distinction between irl and vr becomes more blurred.

[Lillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story. I will probably not read the rest of this series but it was ok.

[Apple · Rating 4 out of 5]

the art is spectacular. Like SpongeBob when they zoom in it gets serious and when it wants to be scary IT WILL BE SCARY. No this is INSANE . I love this too much ONE is a genius his works are so unique omg, with verusss too. He takes mundane situations and presntd them with a super twist with a good message.The hoovering hack is crazy 😭😭😭😭 the poo going back to its of owner 💀. AND THEN THIS GUY RIDES THE POO?!?!? OMG I love them . Gorrila is a bully who was bullied didn’t listen to the MC got himself trapped and the mc came back just incase to free him awww. Otherwise what a cruel fate AHHHH THIS IS TOO GOOD THE ART THE STORY AHHH
Bruce Lee shot when it comes to rice eating for a fight 😭 BUT HE CANT DO IT CUS HES SCARED OF PEAS 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 Attention please! Why is the teachers art done like he is a holy being HES WEARING A WIG . The exploding girls art is spectacular bahahahabhes WEARING a diff wig . I love the study explosion girl arc . A sad memory the MC forgot was him hitting his head as a baby when his ma jump him up and down 😭 canner and the mc 💔
This photo is for demonstrative purposes only. Ingredients may be substituted in the actual dish. The penalty for failing the challenge
is five thousand yen! IS BEING BROKE GOING TO HELP YOU EAT THOSE
PEAS?!
But I’m only 9… NINE?! THAT'S 52 IN
DOG YEARS! YOU'RE ALL
GROWN-UP!

LIFE
HACK: SUMMON
THE PO-PO. (REPORT YOURSELF
A VICTIM OF A CRIME
WITHOUT DELAY.)

BORING STUFF, EXISTS TO MAKE OTHER
THINGS FUN... ...JUST LIKE HOW THE STUFF YOU HATE EXISTS SO YOU CAN LIKE
OTHER, STUFF. THAT'S WHY EVERYTHING YOU FEEL 1S
IMPORTANT.

[Goatllama · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that we're not living in a simulation is that if we were, some organism would have learned to exploit its glitches." -- Janelle Shane, You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It's Making the World a Weirder Place

(I take no responsibility if the preceding quote is a spoiler for this story, as as I am writing this it is an ongoing series that has given me no reason to doubt that everything within is taking place in reality... aside from the idea presented in the quote. 🤔)

Strange and beautiful, Bug Ego burst onto the scene in 2023. I thought it was just going to be a ONE-shot (or two, really) but now it's a full series, and what a series it is. ONE's creativity is something else.

[Darren · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The world is full of life hacks where if you perform a very specific sequence of seemingly random actions then a (sometimes impossible) outcome will occur". I managed to sum up the premise of this manga in one sentence yet somehow the book spends three quarters of it's chapters running around in circles explaining a relatively simple concept. Even if the premise falls flat the book can be carried by unique, exciting, likeable characters which are unfortunately absent from here. The friendship doesn't feel organic and I don't particularly care what happens to anyone. The instructions for the "hacks" come from a found magical notebook with no explicable origin, which sounds awfully familiar. An origin I expect will be looked in to later when the writer decides on one. The first 80% of the book could have been collected as a quirky self contained short story, but then the final chapter gives a Dandadan style tease for what the next arc is to do. Ok, I'll bite and buy the next volume in case the world establishing first volume was just a false start. There's certainly potential here. It gets one more chance to impress me.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wild and whimsical journey by the author of One Punch Man. Hitsujiya's world is turned upside down when classmate Kokudo shares a remarkable discovery: a mysterious notebook filled with instructions capable of rewriting the fabric of reality. The two friends can't resist putting these "hacks" to the test, and for a while, the possibilities feel thrilling. Then Kokudo attempts to use a hack to rewind time, and the whole adventure takes a sinister turn. Bug Ego moves between mystery, horror, and absurdity. Shitara's art harmonizes perfectly with the storyline. I don't doubt that many students are going to love this new series.

[Avery Clason · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like DanDaDan and One Punch Man then this manga is definitely for you!

I really enjoyed the silliness of this manga as it follows two teenage boys who navigate and investigate cosmic mysteries and curiosities. I knew this was going to be something fun and goofy when I found out the author was ONE because One Punch Man is equally silly but has a wonderful plot.

I had no expectations before going into this manga, but can confidently say I am excited to continue reading the volumes as they release!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of this volume!

[Helena Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so insane, but already I'm very impressed by both the concept and what I assume the emotional arc of the story will be. It seems like this story will probably cover themes of authenticity, friendship, and life which I would be super into. I'm very invested! I am knocking down a star because of the weirdly prevalent nudity of high school characters. It's not necessarily graphic, but I don't love that it keeps showing up. Excited to keep reading, though!

[Julius Spin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny book a decent looking book, but also much more shallow than I hoped it would be. Its more of a surreel-gag short stories opportunity.

Imagine Saiki with a more serious although absurd tone, a little less funny but conceptually stronger and more explicit at times.

Im not pursuing the whole series. It seems more of a fun sidequest for ONE, than it seems to be a serious ambition to step out of his (ab)normal superhero success. Although it has a crazy amount of potential.

[SummerRae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise with fantastic art. Main issue is it lacked cohesion in the plot. Like they were in too much of a hurry to show off the premise they forgot that it does have to come together in the end. I might come back to it, not sure.

[Leeara Borg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Idk what this was but It wasn't for me, the idea sounds Interesting and the art is phenomenal, but I didnt like the way they played out the idea. Would read if it wasn't weird but it just wasn't for me.

[Ampion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possibly the wildest start to a series I've ever seen. One remains at the top of his game

[DD · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is amazing

[Jeff te cuenta · Rating 4 out of 5]

una historia que me ha impresionado para bien, creo que captura muy bien el espíritu de Jojo con las cosas que le pasan al protagonista de la historia.

[Sarah Szeszol · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC new manga, I'm obsessed.

[D0sg3_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanto como el arte y la historia son magníficos, creo que es una de las mejores historias hechas por ONE

[Annasara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this was unsettling. 10 out of 10.

[Alberto · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Xirimoya · Rating 4 out of 5]

se nota la influencia de dan da dan y el dibujo es graciosisimo

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hacks in the real world, a gamers dream. Takehiro and Makoto have to discover is there a point to the hacks, who else knows about them abd is their friendship just about the hacks?

[ash ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

probably some of the weirdest manga i've ever read. i'm sure someone likes this but it's def not me haha

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Juliette · Rating 4 out of 5]

nani the fuck

[Dan P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and episodic. The friendship story is more interesting than any of the sci-fi shenanigans, which are almost too random at times

[ounaïssa ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

C’était divertissant mais jsp trop où ça va

[pedro el conejo · Rating 4 out of 5]

story takes time to get going but the art is so stunning and jarring and weird in the best way

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was weird. It reminds me a bit of House of Leaves.