▪	RELEASED BY:		DIGITAL MANGA PUBLISHING
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		EIKI EIKI
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / B&W
		▪	PAGES:		200
		▪	RATING:		M
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		10/31/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		11/30/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

Dear Myself was a moving story about an amnesiac fighting to maintain the life he has and the love he’s gained. In World’s End, the long anticipated sequel, find out what’s happened over the years with the recovering Hirofumi and his dark lover Daigo.

The love they share is a tremulous, slowly blooming bond, but things aren’t going smoothly. Hirofumi is haunted by nightly dreams of losing his memory of the past two years with his beloved Daigo. He is so certain that it will happen that he sets into motion a desperate plan to ‘trap’ his other self should he forget. They couple deals with that insecurity but another arises. And this one may have dire results. Living together, attending university, Daigo has never been happier. But that happiness feeds the awful fear of being abandoned. It is a terror sown long ago from Daigo’s tragic past. When the worst nearly happens after a second car accident with Hirofumi, Daigo takes matters to an extreme. He locks Hirofumi in the apartment to keep the man he loves safe and Daigo secure that he won’t be left behind. Suicidal, they both could lose their sanity, even their lives in the events that follow under the emotional duress and mental strain of their harbored fears and anxieties. Oddly though, despite such dire circumstances, the story manages to not get too mired down in that terrible head space the men are suffering in, instead it creates a deeper dramatic challenge for the couple, one that they must overcome in order to free themselves of the fears that bind them and finally find true happiness with each other.

The sequel shows the layers of the trauma both men suffered as boys and how that affects them so heavily in the present. This creates immense personal challenges for both of them. However, there’s also one from an unlikely encounter during a class reunion when Hirofumi meets a female classmate who seems to be interested in him. As Daigo’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic and frightening, will he drive Hirofumi into a woman’s arms?

The manga is very emotionally compelling with lovely art. This sequel focuses more strongly on Daigo’s psychology despite much of it being from Hirofumi’s point of view. It delves more deeply into his psyche as well as exploring the lasting trauma that haunts Hirofumi. These are both fragile people who strive through their love to escape the horrors of their past. In doing so they unfortunately seem trapped by their fears and might just destroy the fragile happiness they’re building together. It’s a moving story. It stands out from the more formulaic and less involving yaoi manga with its more serious story and layered character development. The pretty art style accentuates it very well. Anyone familiar with the first story and the poignant art will be impressed with the equal if not greater illustrations in these pages. However, if you’re not familiar with the first story, you may feel a little lost by some of the connections and references made. If you haven’t read the original yet, you may want to do so in order to be able to enjoy World’s End to its fullest potential.

 Extra stories include a comedic honeymoon tale and the comedic “Papa’s 18” about a twenty year old who’s mother remarries and it’s to a young and handsome eighteen year old man! The son gets a little hot under the collar in more ways than one. The short story plays up the comedy of the situation to make for an amusing read.  It is quite unlike the dramatic main story but makes for a nice way to lighten the mood and introduce some fun.

IN SUMMARY:
World’s End is the sequel to Dear Myself. It holds a compelling and intense psychological story that is both moving and reflective.