Soul Transference Goes "Bonk"

See, right there, like the title says.

So, since I somehow managed to entirely bork my sleep cycles in the span of one weekend, I'm wide awake at 3 a.m. and typing this post as I try to stay awake until Monday night and sleep at a proper time. It's going to be a spectacular day for work today!

Anyway, I bought both volumes of Sekihiko Inui's Murder Princess manga because I bought the anime last year, and it left me with a lot of unanswered questions. So I figured hey, maybe the source material would fill in the gaps.

It does not.

Volume 1 finds the kingdom of Forland being under siege from one of its chief scientists, Professor Akamashi. As the panels above explain, he didn't get funding for his Deathpuke Madness, and so rather than pay lobbyists to bribe congressmen for preferential legislation, created two android children and some chimeras to kill the royal family and take over the country. At least his artificial humans seem completely loyal, puts him one up on Dr. Gero from DragonBall Z.

The princess, last available member of the royal family, escapes, but while running through the forest, trips and falls off a cliff. She collides head first with a bounty hunter named Falis, and it's Freaky Friday all o' the sudden. Or the Prince and the Pauper, but with more giant mutated wasps getting chopped in half.

Since the concept of any form of government besides monarchy is beyond these schmucks, Falis has to act as princess, while Anita pretends to be a servant and the daughter of the chief butler. Who also seems to be the only form of counsel to the royal family. Unless you count the Fortune Teller Google. Yes, that is the character's name. Inui gets a little humor out of the straightforward, mannerless bounty hunter posing as royalty. Personally, I thought her coronation speech was excellent. She kept it short and promised security and prosperity so people could start celebrating. What the hell more do you want?

The volume ends with Anita's brother returning is ominous looking armor with vague intentions revolving around a key of some sort, and beating Falis in a fight. So, that's the main problem established for the second, and final, volume.