Mecha Manga Series “I Was Sold Dirt Cheap” Volume One Review

Following the trend of long titles, I Was Sold Dirt Cheap, But My Power Level Is Off the Charts is an isekai mecha manga with an interesting beginning that sucks readers in. Released earlier this month on October 8th, the English edition is published by One Peace Books. The original story is by RYOMA, brought to life with fantastic illustrations by Cambria Bakuhatsu Tarou and Susumu Kuroi in character design.

It’s summarized as such:

In another world, war is waged through battles of humanoid mechanical “Magic Suits.” These suits are piloted with power called Ludea, intrinsic to each human from birth. One day, Yuta and his whole high school class are summoned to fight. Why? “People from Earth have high Ludea Rates.” So they say, but Yuta’s Rate was only 2? As his classmates are auctioned off for fortunes, Yuta is sold as a slave for next to nothing. But before long, an encounter with a mysterious white Magic Suit sets him on the path to awaken his hidden strength!

 

Mecha combat in another world–let the battles begin!

Continue reading for a (99%) SPOILER FREE review.

The majority of Volume One of Dirt Cheap prepares the reader for the world that Yuta, his peers, and his teacher have been transported to. There’s a decent amount of info-dumping that happens even within the first few pages, explaining where they’ve landed and what Ludea and Magic Suits are. As someone who hasn’t consumed a lot of mecha content, and more recently in the science fiction genre, these early explanations helped me establish a basis for the story. They aren’t only in the beginning either but sprinkled throughout the chapters when something needs further clarification.

The art style is pleasing and fun to examine; I looked over different panels many times even after finishing the dialogue. I loved all the details in the architecture, especially when mansions or homes were drawn. The Magic Suits all being slightly different from each other was an amazing detail as well. It not only sets apart the different characters’ suits but also shows uniqueness and creativity in storytelling and art style.

As for the plot itself, I became easily attached and hung onto every next action. It was fast-paced (a bit to its detriment), jumping from one scene to the next. The shifts in perspective between the characters were a very welcome addition too. Readers see what the main character Yuta is getting up to, but also what is happening to his best friend, Nagisa, his crush, Shirayuki, and his teacher. I’m looking forward to being able to follow all of these character plots, especially considering how they’re treated in different countries and situations. It’s clear they will intersect in the future and until then, having separate storylines will be fun.

While I won’t spoil it, I can tell this manga isn’t going to shy away from the repercussions of war and unbalanced society. From slavery and discrimination to senseless violence from the military and government, I hope that this relatively easy-going series will continue to have serious moments.

As for tropes, a potential love triangle is being set up. Though Yuta never gets to confess (being transported to another world and sold as a slave does that) to Shirayuki, it’s revealed through her point of view that she harbors feelings for him too. Unsurprisingly, Nagisa reveals she’s also always liked Yuta. It’s not really a plot I’ll care much for myself, but I am intrigued to see how it impacts the story as a whole.

I’m also already loving the main trio, Yuta, Nanami, and Falma. They have a good dynamic as a group and a close bond. I think Falma’s appearance is a little out of the realm of society so far, which is the main point of her character, but I am hoping it’ll have more relevance in later volumes. At least show more cat-ear characters!

The only hiccup when reading was the non-sexual nudity scene between Yuta and Nanami. Their relationship is a brother-sister one, and Yuta even mentions how he thought Nanami was much younger than she is, but still. While everything is a censored “blank” nothing, I thought it was weird to include. I wouldn’t say it was out of the ordinary for Japanese manga though. If anything, I was merely glad to see it wasn’t sexual and instead played off as a silly mistake.

I find myself wondering what’s next. Will our main characters eventually be forced to fight one another? How will the teacher protect her students? Who will Yuta pick, if anyone? And who else will die?

For a fun, easy read, I’d give I Was Sold Dirt Cheap five out of five stars.

To get this graphic novel, go to https://amzn.to/4e77iLA

I’m looking forward to Volume Two coming out on December 3rd of this year. 


About Hailey Watkins

Hailey is a self-proclaimed bookworm and writer. While she loves to read fantasy or slice-of-life the most, their heart belongs truly to the Warrior cats book series. She has collected and read all of the books in the nearly 100-book-long (and counting) series. She's also a fan of reading Webtoons, graphic novels, and manga, as well as watching anime. When they're not writing about fandom, their day job is as a substitute teacher.

View all posts by Hailey Watkins

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