Kuriyama Renji & Kamiyama Yahiko | Appli trap (R+)

Japanese: アプリトラップ

Synonyms: Application Trap

Type: Manga

Volumes: 2 +

Chapters: 2 +

Status: Publishing

Published: Mar 27, 2015 to ?

Genres: Game, School, Shounen, Psychological

Authors: Kuriyama Renji (Art), Kamiyama Yahiko (Story)

Serialization: Comic REX

Synopsis: In an experimental school in Japan students are instructed to download a mobile app named TROIA designed to improve their education, enhance their interpersonal skills and encourage social activities by completing 'Quests' that are randomly sent to each student. 

Sounds like a bit of fun but there is a catch, the bottom ranking student each week gets expelled and soon students find out that the 'Quests' are not as innocent as they appear nor strictly bound by rules.

Friendship, trust, respect, knowledge, skills, every student will be tested to their limit as failure is not an option!

Source: MAL Manga info, Baka updates, Bato.to (ESP)

Side notes: The idea for this manga was okayish and I liked how the story started moving on. The theory of the game and its psychologic impact is interesting in educational/ sociological ways but how it affects one's personality... zero points. This same game based plot type is already much used so readers that have made progress with this genre may already feel that there is nothing new left. I just hope that it doesn't go towards gore and bare skin to keep readers interested. 

On with the Art next. I's ready for some fanservice [Looks the cover image with a heavy sigh] though I'm not happy with it. Some fanservice seems to be must nowadays but this had to be topped with a naked girl to make a point that this is manga for teenage boys (Blaah). Well aside that minor distraction the art is good and even great depending how much one likes the style.

Main character

Homare Kanzaki, blunt personality.
Has some traumas due of
childhood abuse. Good memory.

Shinonome Yuzuki,
Homura's childhood friend.

Meiko,
Homura's and Shinonome's childhood
friend. Loses her stuff easily. Very sociable.

Natsume Hikari,
Homura's classmate and rumored seducer.
Has a bad temper and acts easily like a
delinquent. Smart but bad with machines
(computers etc.)