The picture is the Malay-language illustrated of the Malaysian version of the design.
In Malaysian language, Bully is spelled Buli and has the same meaning.
My guess is that this is a fairly new manga since it's yet to become popular. From my internet browsing, there is little information about this very wonderful manga. I believe an OVA have also been produced.
The basic storyline is this. Each chapters in each volume of Ijime is about the bullied, the bully and the one witnessing bully.
It is mostly set in junior high all-girls school. The mangaka beautifully illustrated the many situational perspective of bully cases.
My guess for the reason why the mangaka chose to use bullying among girls as the main atmosphere and overtone is because girls use a different kind of bully. Namely mental abuse and verbal abuse.
We girls can sometimes be so vile and vicious. It is easy to take down a girl. Just say something that will lower her self-esteem and you win tenfold. A girl's emotion and self-image is a fragile thing - and who knows it best but girls themselves?
Often times, it can a good tool of empowerment. In many cases, a powerful weapon of destruction.
The manga explores and illustrates the many forms of bullying:
a) Ostracism - it is when a victim is singled out. She is ignored, taunted. Many times, her peers think it's a fun game to play on the victim.
b) Physical - this is kinda rare but extremely severe. It involves beating up, cutting up hair, injuring the victim in any form with clear intention to hurt the victim.
c) Verbal abuse - this involves name-calling that intents to put down the victim, make the victim feel bad about themselves and the core reason for countless suicides.
d) Murder - this is the most severe form of all. It really needs no explanation. But in the manga, a few popular girls locked up the victim in the school storage and she was found dead the next morning from suffocation. Another time, this girl was taunted and bullied to the point that she committed suicide. This is also murder, mind you.
On a more personal note, as I read this manga a lot of it stuck deeply to my heart as I was also a victim.
AND A BULLY.
As I read this manga, there were parts of the story where I cried because I was in the exact same situation and I cried like a motherfucking bitch. I also cried that because I was also a victim, I displaced my anger and helplessness by bullying another poor girl.
I hated the fact that I should have known better not to have been the low-life that was my bully. But no, I was the exact same low-life. I should have known better not to have inflict the kind of hurt and pain I received to someone else. I should have helped instead of passing on the 'Bully Legacy'.
But it's too late now, is it?
The girl I bullied probably will never forgive me. Just like how I never actually forgave my bully. It's an endless vicious cycle.
It also made me realize the one bullies is often times victims themselves.
Which is why this book is amazing. In the sense that it teaches the victim to stand up for herself and to show the bully what she's doing to this other person.
I just have one question to ask bullies: does it make you feel strong and powerful to hurt others? Does it make you feel good to see others in pain? As the victim, I felt terrible and thanks to you - I attempted suicide many times. Up till my college years, I was still bullied. Verbally.
But remember this: people who bully others... usually have nothing in their life.
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