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In a future where insects are impervious to all known pesticides one pharmaceutical company has found the answer - a 10.5cm tall, gun-toting doll called HoiHoi-san .

If the following description of Kill HoiHoi-san sounds weird, then may I direct you towards some other series. If on the other hand you're still reading this and want to learn more, then carry on reading...

Originally a manga series published in Dengeki Daioh (of Yotsuba&! and Gunslinger Girl fame) in 2004, before being adapted into a PS2 game and released in the west via infinity studios in 2007 , HoiHoi-san takes a stab at the commercialism. It addresses the inherent need of fans to collect every last piece of merchandise and accessories in an insane grasp to either keep with the Jones or out of sheer impulse buying – an act that, as we see with the lead character and incurable HoiHoi fan Aburatsu, usually leaves him out of pocket (sounds like me after a trip to a convention dealers room).

And its understandable why he's so penniless. In each chapter we seem to see an ever increasing amount of add-ons that Aburatsu splurges on – from extra outfits and a remote control unit, to excessively over the top weaponry – portable laser rifles anyone? Obviously there's some tough insects in Japan.

One of the upsides for this series is that, because of it being a one shot manga, the humour and the characters remain entertaining and fresh. My hat off to the creators for resisting the urge to sponge this series for all it was worth. The art is clear and excellently detailed as well, plus, along with the writing, enable the story to be told clearly and without causing any confusion or disruption to the pace of the story.

Another major plus is that along with the colour section at the back of the book (which includes artwork originally only available in Japan>), Infinity Studios has published everything from the original Japanese edition. I think it adds extra value to this book, even though it's slightly pricier than standard manga books available in the west at this time.

All in all, I'm both sad and grateful that HoiHoi-san is not a real product – I'd probably be fighting people to death for the last one in stock!