Smitten with Kevin Gifford's translated chapters of Japanese serial novel The Phantom of Akihabara: GAME OVER, I've kept an eye out for more Japanese publications with a video game theme (but not with a video game setting) lately, which is how I came across Kurosaki Rendou's Hougako Play, or After School Play.

It's a romantic comedy manga series, each scene split into four panels, featuring a young couple -- a video game otaku and his tsundere girlfriend with a habit of kicking her partner -- who meet after school to play and argue over games, both too shy to kiss each other.

The two don't just talk about whatever titles they happen to be playing, like Monster Hunter and Mystery Dungeon (I'm pretty sure no American comic has ever name-dropped Shiren!), but also about lewd mousepad pack-ins for game magazines, and about how PS2 releases hardly get any shelf space at game shops anymore.

Though there are no plans to release Houkago Play in the States, you can find translated scans for the manga online (just ignore that raunchy fourth page).