, also known as Boogiepop Dual: Losers' Circus, is a manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 by Masayuki Takano (author of Blood Alone), an offshoot of the Boogiepop series

Boogiepop series

The of Japanese light novels is written by Kouhei Kadono and illustrated by Kouji Ogata. It includes titles from different media, each connected by repeating characters and related plots...

, a series of young adult novels by Kouhei Kadono

Kouhei Kadono

is a Japanese author, best known for the Boogiepop series, which has also been adapted as a live action movie, two manga and an anime.- Biography :Born December 12, 1968, he graduated from Hosei University...

. This work suggests that Toka Miyashita is not the only Boogiepop, and that there are many.

Takano closely recreates the atmosphere created by Kouji Ogata

Kouji Ogata

is a Japanese artist, character designer, and manga artist best known for his work on the Boogiepop series and Gin-iro no Kami no Agito. He was born on December 14, 1970. He has another pen name .- External links :...

, who illustrated the original novels and manga, though it is not known whether Takano is employing his natural style or simply imitating Ogata in the interests of continuity. His plot structure and twists are sophisticated, reproducing the interweaving of past and present that characterize Kadono's original.

It is published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment

Seven Seas Entertainment

Seven Seas Entertainment is a publishing company located in Los Angeles, California. It was originally dedicated to the publication of original manga, but now publishes licensed manga and novels, as well as select webcomics...

, in French by Editions Ki-oon, and in German by Tokyopop

Tokyopop

Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...

.

Plot summary

When a female student is abducted and on the verge of being raped, Boogiepop rushes onto the scene just in time to save the day.
But Boogiepop's new male alter-ego, Akizuki Takaya, finds himself in the middle of a crime wave with ties going back to the previous owner of the Boogiepop mantle.

Characters

: A teacher and substitute nurse at a high school. Although she was once one of the Boogiepops, she currently lives a normal life, while giving assistance to Akizuki.
: A high school student boy who must come to terms with being an incarnation of Boogiepop. : An enemy from Igarashi's past who has the power to drive others mad with his words, and to avoid defeat if his opponent has a memory of losing or a thought that they might lose. : A teacher from when Igarashi was a student. He dies in the first explosion of the school's science lab.