I Was Sold Dirt Cheap, But My Power Level is Off the Charts, vol. 1 | Review

Disclaimer: I have a love/hate relationship with isekai. 

So when I received an advanced copy of Dirt Cheap from One Peace Books, I was really scared to try it out due to it being an isekai manga. But I trusted their judgment and gave this manga a shot. 

I think the crew of One Peace Books know my tastes, because what a way to sell an isekai story to a critic like myself by adding two manga tropes I absolutely love…

Underdogs reaching their true potential and MECHA!

Now we’re talking. 

The story starts with a school trip (already we know these kids are in trouble. I remember Battle Royale). Yuta is ready to confess his feelings to Yui, the most popular girl in his class. Backing him up is his best friend, Nagisa, who secretly has feelings for Yuta. Without warning, Yuta and his class are transported to another world, where war is waged by using humanoid mechanical battle suits (think Evangelion and Gundam, those are the battle suits). These battle suits are piloted by “Ludea,” a power that is intrinsic at birth. So when Yuta and his class are summoned for battle, it’s because people from Earth have high Ludea rates.

Except for Yuta, whose Ludea level is only 2. 

As his classmates are auctioned to high ranking classes, Yuta is sold into slavery for next to nothing, and forced into his new life of mistreatment, work, and little food to eat. But in this new normal, Yuta discovers that things are not what they seem, especially his power level.

While there is a scene of non-graphic nudity involving Yuta giving a young slave girl a bath, it’s very harmless as Yuta and the young girl, Nanami, view each other in a brother-sister relationship. I will tell you that there were parts in this manga that had my blood absolutely boiling. When Yuta is mocked and mistreated due to his low Ludea level, it feels too close to my own personal experiences of being looked down upon and mistreated by those who think they’re superior due to privilege and race. However, for Yuta to find others who were cast aside and/or hidden due to situations beyond their control, it’s a great example of finding your tribe which makes Dirt Cheap a great engaging story.

There are side stories in Dirt Cheap involving Yui and Nagisa each pleading their case to find Yuta, and the war they have summoned to fight in. How will they adapt to their new normal? Will each student give in to a battle fighting someone else’s war? It’s a lot to take in, and I’m all for it. I can’t wait to see how this story develops. Will the students find each other and get out of this environment to return home? Or are they ready to fight back against a system that was forced upon them?

Can’t wait to read volume two to find out.

Filed under: Graphic Novels, Manga, Reviews, Young Adult