Saturday AM's “The Massively Multiplayer World of Ghosts” launched last year with its first volume, which blends speed and thrilling manga action with some of the tropes of video games. In this series, teenager Nirei (“Nil”) tries to solve the mystery of her missing mother, Dia, but becomes drawn into a secret society of players who can control avatars called Ghosts. But this is more than just a game. Nil and his Ghost Viper Neo quickly realize that this is a life-or-death battle with very real consequences.
The second volume in the series, once again created by author Frederick L. Jones and artist Oscar Fong, will be released this June. The new book picks up the story where the first volume left off, with Nil intensifying his journey to find Dia, making new allies along the way. This is an even bigger and more exciting production, and Jones says there's more pressure on the teenage protagonist as he ventures deeper into the world of ghosts. We spoke to Jones and Fong to find out more.
Newsarama: Frederick and Oscar, how would you describe the massively multiplayer world of Ghosts for those who missed Volume 1?
“Frederick L. Jones: Massively Multiplayer World of Ghosts'' is a Yu-Gi-Oh!-style adventure manga series that removes the concept of games and makes it a secret society called Players with Power (similar to the Illuminati). Summon ghosts and use their powers to rule the world. Although we ordinary people (NPCs) cannot see the presence of these ghosts, we can still be affected by them.
We see this through the eyes of Nirei, or “Nil,” who loves video games. He has acquired a magical item that allows him to summon ghosts. Now he has to deal with dangerous people who want to kill him and take his device. The problem is that the whereabouts of his long-lost mother are connected to this device. Therefore, Nirai refuses to give up without a fight and in the process becomes the kind of man his parents want him to be.
Oscar Fong: It doesn't help that Nirei is the worst gamer, but with the help of Viper Neo, one of the strangest ghosts, and the strongest Daedalus Bon, Nirei must cheat or hit her way to victory. All to find out what happened to her mother. Ghosts are all unique, so similar to Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and other popular anime, the designs and powers of these beings are really cool and unique.
How will this story develop in Volume 2?
Frederick: This production introduces more ghosts into the mix and builds on the idea that this secret society exists. That means anyone can be a threat, including friends and family. Nilai has to go through another crucible to save his mother. Similarly, we learn more about his parents' past in this world and the relationship between humans and ghosts. So we decided to make it bigger and more epic than the first volume.
Oscar: Personally, I think Volume 2 is just as hearty as Volume 1, introducing more ghosts, allies, and enemies, and placing a heavier burden on Neo as he comes into his own as a player. I think it will happen. We also get into the past of Nirei's parents and see how they dealt with ghosts.
What new challenges and enemies will Nirei face in the new volume?
Frederick: The first volume was more of a thriller, and I think it shocked many people. Whereas most of his YA graphic novel series are that kind of “Harry Potter” style (aka magical boy), Nirei is a normal kid. He is lazy sometimes. He loves video games. he gets impatient. he is not popular. He is a first generation South Asian living in North Carolina. So his one of the conflicts he faces is with his own cultural connections and his very upbringing in America, becoming a teenager (and thereby becoming himself), and his mother's disappearance. It is sadness for
In Volume 2, I wanted to explore more of his nervousness about things changing and his struggle to define himself in this chaos. He's feeling even more pressure now. He struggles to master Daedalus Bon, the most powerful ghost, and for the first time in his life he has to actually train and get better at something. Similarly, he feels pressure on his cultural identity when he meets another South Asian character and faces new threats from forces targeting his ghost and magical devices.
Oscar: One of the main challenges Nirei faces is having to deal with everyone's expectations of him. Throughout the volume, we see allies and enemies telling Nirei what it means to be a player in this dangerous ghost world and what she must do to survive. It's up to Nilay to decide what type of player and person he will become.
The first book ended with the hint that Nirei was looking for allies to help him on his quest. Will we encounter any of these in Volume 2?
Frederick: I'll let Oscar answer this one. He did a great job designing these characters and ghosts.
Oscar: In fact, we get to meet some new companions in this volume that help Nirei on her journey. One of them is a young Indian girl named Trisha Sidhavani, a smart and short-tempered girl who thinks she is a much better player than Nilai. The second player is Xavier Brooks, an African American and established player who is Trisha's mentor and an old friend of Nilay's father Anil. He maintains a calm demeanor and has a talent for getting the information he needs, even if he has to be ruthless to get it.
Will this volume reveal more mysteries about what happened to Nirai's mother?
Frederick: That's the big part of these first few volumes, so yes, we're going to learn more about Dia. As Oscar said, we learn more about his parents in this volume, and it's a really fun and eye-opening story.
Oscar: We continue to expand that story, and through it we see what this world looks like to people who grew up aware of it, unlike Nirai, who just discovered it at age 13. Masu. Dia's story, like his father's, provides the reader and Nilai with some important details about the world.
MMWOG is heavily influenced by video games. Are there any specific titles that directly influenced the series?
Frederick: In my case, it's mainly Yu-Gi-Oh! But that wasn't the only influence. I've always asked Oscar to bring me the games that inspired him. I want to know what he is – I'm sure Pokemon is one of them! Am I right, Oscar?
Oscar: Surprisingly, Fred, Pokémon aren't among them. There is another game series that I consider to be a strong influence on his MMWOG, the Mega Man Battle Network series. Apart from the similar theme of bonds between humans, NetNavi, Digimon, etc., Battle Network has a unique battle system that combines action and strategy, allowing even players who are not good at action games to rely on strategy to win. Ta.
Battle Network is probably the only card game that utilizes a type of real-time gameplay system rather than turn-based. MMWOG characters also use cards in battle, so I wanted to capture that in MMWOG's action scenes. Compete against ghosts and other players.
What about other manga? What influences you?
Frederick: For me, “JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' has been my favorite work since the 90s. MMWOG is actually very inspired by the concept of secret societies, secret powers, and enemies that are invisible but known to exist. I thought it was a really cool concept, especially from a kids perspective. That's where the inspiration came from.
Oscar: I can list many manga and comics that have influenced me, but one of them is [creator] In particular, Ken Obata, who worked on “Bakuman'' and “Death Note,'' is attracting attention. He is definitely an artist who inspires me to be more dynamic with my compositions and art style.
Is this a series you plan to develop over many years?
Frederick: absolutely! But first we need to make sure this book is a success. So please buy it.
But yes! When I first came up with this story and these characters, I had long wanted to expand the world and tell the story from different perspectives. In other words, how do players impact the world politically, economically, and culturally? This book explores some of that, and we'll dig deeper as you read. That said, in this first arc, the main characters of this story are Nirei and her family, and I think such a personal story was a great way to introduce this world.
Oscar: I'm currently planning a third volume in hopes of finishing the current chapter. From there, we hope to expand on his MMWOG world and show a larger story that reveals more secrets about the world the characters live in. But for now, our attention is focused on whether Volume 3 can provide a proper conclusion. .
Massively Multiplayer World of Ghosts, Volume 2: New Challengers will be available by Saturday morning, June 25th.
If you're looking for more great reads, check out our recommendations below. best manga of last year.
