Title: 一撃殺虫！！ホイホイさん (Interceptor-Doll Hoihoi-san) LE
Artist/Author: 田中久仁彦 (Kunihiko Tanaka)
Book Size/Pages: A-5, 156pp., w/o furigana
Volume: 1/1
Original Serialization: Monthly Dengeki Daioh 10/01-10/04
First Printing: 9/30/04
Rating: 4/4

I really liked this manga. It's unfortunate that it's only one issue, but it's been running for the past three years so I guess all things have to come to an end. The format of the manga is similar to a 4 panel comic, but each "episode" is one full page. Some stories are multiple pages. Despite being disjoint though, there's a cohesive plot that prevails throughout the book very much like Azumanga Daioh.

The limited edition comes with a 10 minute anime. For $30, it's kinda expensive, but the anime is hilarious, mostly because it follows some of the funniest moments in the manga. The book also has a full complement of design sketches and color illustrations.

This story revolves around 油壺 (Aburatsubo), a typical otaku who spends all his money on these little dolls, Hoihoi-san and Combat-san who are programmed to kill bugs (mostly roaches). The store where he frequents for his addition is a pharmacy with a clerk, 出羽きみ子 (Kimiko Dewa), who also likes cute dolls, but doesn't like Hoihoi because of the bugs it kills. Lastly, the third focus is with the owner of Mars Pharmaceutical, the creator of the Hoihoi-san doll and competes with Kinryu, the people who create Combat-san.

The plot is simple, but would take forever to explain. Some of my favorite story arcs are when Kimiko puts a "reserved" sign on the last Combat-san she has in stock, thus fending off Aburatsubo from purchasing it and buying it herself. Of course, Combat-san is a bug-killing machine and she ends up becoming afraid of it too. He manages to sell her returned item to Aburatsubo. I also liked the the arc where she goes with her friend Mutsumi to Doll-ke (Doll Market Convention) and she has to deal with all the otaku there and meets Aburatsubo. And of course, the "romantic" ending topped it off perfectly.

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