Accel World...

Recently, I picked up Accel World...

Volume 1
The year is 2046. Portable devices known as Neurolinkers have enabled mankind to oversee their daily life within virtual reality networks. But the advancements in technology have yet to provide a solution for the growing number of victims of bullying.

Haruyuki Arita is one such student who finds himself on the lowest social rungs of his school. Ashamed of his miserable life, Haruyuki can only cope by indulging in virtual games. That all changes when Kuroyukihime, the most popular girl in school, approaches Haruyuki with a cryptic proposal: to "accelerate" further, and beyond.

Haruyuki is introduced to a mysterious program called Brain Burst and a virtual reality called the Accel World. Learning its secrets, Haruyuki musters the courage to accept Kuroyukihime's proposal and to fight alongside her as her knight.

Volume 2
Haruyuki Arita has come a long way since his days as the helpless bullied kid in school. Reborn as Silver Crow, he now fights to realize his master Kuroyukihime's dream of uncovering the secrets of the Accelerated World. But after suffering a humiliating defeat from Nomi Seiji, a new kid who misuses the power of Brain Burst for personal gain, Haruyuki faces the risk of losing everything dear to him, including his friends and even Kuroyukihime.

Guided by the wisdom of a legendary Burst Linker, Haruyuki must now acquire new powers to stop Nomi before his malice can bring an end to the Accelerated World.

Plus, follow the misadventures of Kuroyukihime and friends as they go totally out of control in the mini-series Acchel World.

On its face, Accel World seems to combine the school yard conflict genre with the virtual reality genre a la Sword Art Online. I thought Accel World might be something that I might like... To emphasize Haruyuki's low standing, he is portrayed as a ridiculously short and fat kid -- the depiction reminds me a lot of Eric Cartman from South Park. Of course, in the virtual world, Haruyuki is nothing like his real self. Naturally, when the coolest girl in school invites our intrepid meatball-shaped hero to accelerate, things get a bit more interesting...