It's one of those odd friendships that you got no idea how they can really be friends you know? But you can see that like Kira that was developed Tatsuya also get this. I appreciate it when characters are developing with the plot.
I would like to mention the other cast but honestly, we don't have enough to go with since this is just the first volume so for first time introduction it's very good. You can tell from the artwork and the dialog that both parties are drawn for one another but yet not labeling what they are. Are they just friends? Friends with benefits? That's what I find appealing about it. It's fresh, like real life romance. It just started, like volume one, and just like the characters themselves we will have to see for ourselves where this will be leading.
She established good characters , that are still developed, and with her writing and pacing she managed to craft this beautiful plot that will keep surprising you in each flip of a page. It isn't progressing fast on to your face like many Shojo mangas I know do but it is just steady.
From the way Kira and Rei meet, to Kira's hesitant reaction to Rei, to Rei's interest in Kira, it all been presented very good. The pacing just know where to work and where to lead, and Fuyumi Soryo is rolling with it. Like us, a watcher anticipating for the next volume to come. As for her artwork, aka the big reason we are all here, my god , what is this?
This is just marvelous. Her artwork reminds me of bit of other good shojo mangas I know in terms of characters portraits especially the boys like, Boys Over Flowers and Ouran High School Host Club. Fuyumi biggest strength is through her more, serious and grimmer scenes, such as I mention before above, but also in her gentler moments and romantic ones.
She has this way to make the characters come to life, each expression is never the same, it always a new one you not expecting to see. It's so wonderful to see that in a new manga. I always enjoy a good artwork, and god her close up faces are killing me. Mars was completed years ago and has 16 volumes.
Plenty to read, if you are a completionist just like myself you are so going to enjoy this series. It has good characters, amazing artwork, the romance isn't bad, and there's a lot of room to cover.
I will be reading the next volume when I could buy it, but in the meantime, I got my copy of Mars Vol 1. And I am going to keep it close to my heart for now on. I recommend you do the same ; View 2 comments. Mar 08, Arminzerella rated it it was ok Shelves: relationships , manga , high-school , young-adult-fiction , shoujo , borrowed-from-the-library , romantic , chick-lit.
Kira is a quiet, shy, artistic girl who never stands up for herself - not that she's needed to. Everyone pretty much ignores her.
Until this bad boy on a motorcycle shows up. She hates him on principle, but then is drawn to his beauty and the tenderness that she senses in his character he asks to keep one of her drawings for sentimental reasons. She uses him as a model for her drawing, and he takes her for a wild ride on his motorcycle.
Although their apparently opposite natures should repel them, instead they are drawn to one another, perhaps by what each keeps hidden inside. Kira needs to get her butt in gear and fend for herself. She allows so much to just happen to her, and then the guy has to rush in and save her. Now that would be something. View 1 comment. Jun 11, Starbubbles rated it it was amazing Shelves: manga. I must have been in a bitter and angsty mood lately because I was expecting there to be more angst in this.
This series in almost its entirety has been in my possession for over a couple of years now. I have been avoiding it because I had known from the time I was in high school its premise and that it was more dramatic than Peach Girl.
In some ways, I would have to disagree. With practically every breath, Momo was facing something else dramatic and torturous. Mars did not hold that same intensi I must have been in a bitter and angsty mood lately because I was expecting there to be more angst in this. Mars did not hold that same intensity. That isn't to say that there wasn't real-life and dramatic happenings that took place.
There was, and plenty of them. I can see the appeal of this series, and how it became so freakishly popular. With the artistic stylings and violent-temperament similar to the other freakishly popular series Boys over Flowers , I can see how both would help pull each other into even more popularity. It even had the familial drama of Kare Kano. Or maybe it's the other way around? Anyway- I enjoyed this far and beyond more than I thought I would. I was right to wait to read this one though.
It is not one I can or could enjoy over and over again, or at any time I felt like reading. This one requires a particular mood to permeate through your being to be able to fully enjoy. Jan 19, Sunny rated it really liked it. I love the art style of this, as well as the story. A good start to what seems to be leading up to a great manga. Aug 09, Ross Wilcox rated it it was amazing. I loved this! For so much of my life, I have been a closed minded douchebag guy when it comes to romance.
I thank the heavens that this is no longer the case and that i am now open to romance and romantic comedies. They are so much fun! So titillating! This manga is from the late 90s and although there are lots of cliches and some stuff hasn't aged that well, I did not give a fuck. The story is a hot, melodramatic mess. I loved this volume for its strengths and its flaws. I'm reading it strictly I loved this! On the back of my copy, the manga is described as, "An epic romance that spans 15 volumes, MARS is one of Japan's most popular comics for teen girls ever.
Jan 11, Mir rated it really liked it Shelves: ya , graphic. Not actually anything to do with the planet Mars, and not the sort of manga I normally read. Not my preferred art style, either. I was surprised at how the characters grew on me. It's befitting Also, as I'm writing this review in October , all 15 volumes are available to read for free for Amazon prime members through the Prime Reading program and I believe i A bad boy can change a good girl forever. Also, as I'm writing this review in October , all 15 volumes are available to read for free for Amazon prime members through the Prime Reading program and I believe it's also part of the Kindle Unlimited library note: these two programs aren't the same thing, it's just that sometimes titles are available in both Like all my comic reviews, this will cover all 15 volumes and may contain spoilers as a result.
My first experience with this story was, like with many other series, through its live action adaptation. The Taiwanese drama of this story was an amazing series that I still love many years later. It follows the manga incredibly closely, with only a handful of changes and areas of rearrangement.
For example, in the drama, Rei and Kira renamed Ling and Qiluo are college students instead of high school students, which is a pretty common theme for most live-action adaptions of manga in Taiwan. The series also got a reboot as a Japanese drama in like with a TV show and a movie. The story follows a quiet, reserved young girl and a delinquent playboy who come together by happenstance one day and very realistically go on a journey of self discovery and healing because of each other, overcoming the traumas they've endured and the internal conflicts they've come to harbor.
There's something really masterful about this story. The characters, their growth, their relationships, the conflicts, they all are so well done that there's never a moment that feels like it was tossed in because a conflict was needed at that moment or because it would drag things out if something happened at this moment.
There's a real believable growth and development between Rei and Kira that gives this manga a lot of depth and emotion. It's very mature and insightful. I enjoyed our leads personalities a lot; Rei stands out for his life as a racer and this complex balance of carefree playboy and young man handling serious trauma and self doubt while Kira is this gentle artist who is so insightful and worldly yet relatable with her fragility and concerns I really enjoyed having them in the story and feel the author really crafted likeable, complex characters that pop off the page.
In my opinion our supporting female lead, Rumi, was somewhat done dirty by initially being really violent and petty towards Kira for having Rei's attention she threatens to smash Kira's hands and cut her face and what not , but since she abandons this peronsa quickly to be more of a supporting friend figure who legitmately likes and supports Kira and Rei, I won't harp on her too much.
I think perhaps it was just a rocky start because the series thought it needed "jealous girl" conflict to be kind of violent and edgy to show off Kira's grit, but I did want to mention.
Kira is a survivor of rape that occured when she was 14 and within the story at age 16 she is harassed a few times by a teacher and some random guys. The story doesn't make Kira's assault the focus, but rather, it pays attention to how it's made her feel, how it affects her, and on her healing without her entire character being that of "rape victim.
I think it wasn't the best move for Rei to pretend to continue progressing with physical intimacy to confirm his suspicions that someone had raped Kira and that was why she reacted the way she did whenever he tried to go beyond a certain point during their intimacy, but in the 90ss with the perception of rape and how most victims felt compelled to keep it locked up, I suppose it makes sense that the author would have had to put forth a situation where Kira would have to open up about it and would have to openly show how strongly the trauma affected her.
Probably not the best way to convince someone to own up to a traumatic event by pushing them like that, but it could have been worse. I appreciate that the way Kira's assault was handled wasn't to blame her or make it seem like she was dirty or unworthy; Rei immediately feels sad and angry that Kira endured what she did and he even feels some self-loathing because he can't help but think that his own desire to be intimate with Kira is as terrible as whatever possessed her rapist into doing what he did.
It's not the most well-handled thing, but I've seen far worse, so I commend a story this old being able to have a rape victim not be framed just for her trauma, learn how to grow and overcome it, not be blamed or demonized for what happened to her, and be able to have a loving, sexually free relationship with someone.
Now, on this note, I want to discuss someone who just really dropped the fucking ball. Kira's mom. The mother is awful for allowing her daughter's rapist back into their lives for financial reasons and because she felt lonely.
I don't care how rich a man is or how nice he can act or what promises he makes, if I had kids and someone touched them, there's no way I would allow them near my child, let alone allow them into my life and into my child's life, and if the person who hurt my kids was stupid enough to be close enough to make that I could get my hands on them or throw something at them or shoot them, you'd best believe I'd be attacking them with the powerful rage of a mother bear protecting her babies.
I understand the struggle to want someone to rely on, but Kira's mom was totally on board with selling out her daughter for some financial support and some company because she was lonesome and overworked. Don't know about anyone else, but my child's rapist, even if they were my husband first, would in no way, shape, or form ever be someone I want to lean on for support or have as my partner or friend ever again. Like, I'd honestly rather be in a prison cell or live in relative poverty and squalor than ever consider living with and deriving any sort of companionship or support from someone who could, not only rape, but rape a CHILD.
The only saving grace the mom has is that she blesses Kira's relationship with Rei and doesn't put up any resistance to Kira leaving for good that second time. Like she's fucking awful still because she still chooses to stay with the man who raped her child how can she be okay with that; not only is he a rapist he's the rapist WHO HURT HER CHILD , but at least she had the eventual sense to realize that her daughter needed to leave and be away from her rapist and that things were never going back to the way they were.
And on the subject of the things that weren't so great. There's some transphobia; there's a character, Violet, who is a transgirl and while she's ultimately a friend and well liked by our cast, there's some weird "she's actually a man" kind of stuff despite Violet saying she's a girl there's the insinuation that having a penis makes one a man who just has the wrong body. I think it was done for a little comedic relief, but I don't think transpeople should be a punchline soooo The side characters are more accepting of the idea of a gay person, so that was nice.
This manga is, again, from the 90ss so it's not especially strange that these things are in there, but I do want to mention them. Outside of these things, however, I do still really like this series and find it both well written and well drawn with a very attractive style that balances out the more stylized elements of manga with a more realistic approach to anatomy and what not. It's very pretty and I like it a lot. If you're after a more mature, emotional story with some interesting themes and ideas that has a psychological edge to it, I highly recommend MARS.
I also recommend the Taiwanese drama because it's a fantastic watch; the quality of the film isn't the best because it's a foreign TV show shot in the early s, but watching the story unfold on screen is just a great experience. Someday I'll watch the Japanese remake too hope it's as good! Mar 28, Gary Butler rated it really liked it Shelves: manga. Number out of on my all time book list. Oct 04, Fiona rated it really liked it.
I'll start off by stating that this is a review of the series, not of this one volume. While Mars undeniably falls victim to a few of the classic romance manga cliches, I found it quite easy to overlook its flaws.
Sure the "shy girl meets bad boy" dynamic is something that has been done before horridly overdone, really , but it's what S I'll start off by stating that this is a review of the series, not of this one volume. Sure the "shy girl meets bad boy" dynamic is something that has been done before horridly overdone, really , but it's what Soryo does with this dynamic that makes Mars such a special story that stands above the rest.
But it never conveys the actual emotional repercussions of such things. Mars never once falls victim to that. It treats trauma the way it should be treated, with the absolute respect and significance that it deserves.
There are consequences. That in itself amazed me. Regarding other reviewers who say that the protagonist, Kira, is too emotional, too timid, or cries too much, I'm sorry, but that's the reality of these things. Kira is a damaged person and she needs to be given time to allow her wounds to heal.
Soryo never rushes her, and for that I have utter respect for her as a writer. Each page is treated with love and reverence. Aug 02, Summer rated it it was amazing Shelves: romance , manga , contemporary-romance , contemporary. Words cannot describe how much I love Mars. It's your typical bad guy meets shy girl, bad boy helps girl overcome shyness, they fall in love but not without their share of problems.
But it's sooo much more than that. The characters heal each other in their relationships and overcome some serious issues. I love this manga so much I have the really cheesy Taiwanese tv drama based on it. Before I nerd out any more over this series I'm just going to end by saying it's one of my favorite manga series Words cannot describe how much I love Mars. Before I nerd out any more over this series I'm just going to end by saying it's one of my favorite manga series. Although, I do warn that the last But the majority of it is excellent if you like shoujo.
Jun 03, beth f. Amazingly done. I really liked this one!! I liked the art student aspect of it! Side Note: this is really bugging me and you all probably know this, but they said that kissing is just an everyday thing in America that family and friends do. That is so incorrect. We are kind of the opposite. Aug 09, pluma rated it it was amazing. I don't know. I'm a sucker for 90s manga. I enjoyed this quite a bit more than I thought I would.
It's a bit cliche of course, but it's heartfelt and the art is really pretty. I'm kind of curious to see where this will go. Apr 12, Meepelous rated it really liked it Shelves: manga , manga-shojo. Looking at Fuyumi Soryo's wikipedia page, it was interesting to learn about some of her work that has yet to be translated into English, including her most recent work Cesare which centers around the infamous Borgia family of the Italian Renaissance and Cesare Borgia himself.
As if we don't have enough pop culture about the Borgia! The breadth of her work is actually quite large, considering her first two series were both shojo manga centered around romancing delinquent male youth, her third tit Looking at Fuyumi Soryo's wikipedia page, it was interesting to learn about some of her work that has yet to be translated into English, including her most recent work Cesare which centers around the infamous Borgia family of the Italian Renaissance and Cesare Borgia himself.
The breadth of her work is actually quite large, considering her first two series were both shojo manga centered around romancing delinquent male youth, her third title Eternal Sabbath is a futuristic seinen title that is all about genetically engineering humans to be immortal. I did actually pick up a volume or two of Eternal Sabbath as well when I was really into genetic engineering back in High School, but I had no money and a horrible library selection so didn't get very far.
But circling back to the volume at hand, the goodreads' summation of Mars Vol. I mean, the terms "bad boy" and "good girl" alone really make me want to run for the hills, and doesn't really describe Rei and Kira anyway. OK, maybe a little bit, but does Rei really count like a "bad boy" if he's actually a really nice guy?
Despite being a reckless young man who doesn't always act in the most respectful way, in this first volume in particular he is set up against a clean cut teacher who is actually a predator praying on our vulnerable main female character. Of course, the main male character being nice to main female character is kind of necessary for things to progress, and Rei really shouldn't get points. It's not an uncommon balancing act, but I do think it leans a bit too far to the Rei is a nice guy side complicated guy but nice to just label him with the hot button keyword "bad boy".
Another romance cliche that I don't like, and this volume certainly played with, is the boy saves girl from herself trope. I wanted to name that right up front because I do think that's what it will be for some people, and maybe even me too if I continued to reread the series.
As it is I can brush it away by some vague idea that they save each-other from different things throught the series, perhaps in a gender essential sort of way Not perfect but not something that my nostalgia goggles can't overcome - I was much more invested in binary genders at the time of my initial read sowhat can I say.
I wouldn't turn down a gender swapped or gender queered version. What does help me appreciate this reread more now is that I'm trying to create more space in my life to appreciate romance and wish fulfillment sorts of romance stories in particular at this time.
As I believe I have outlined in a previous review, it is my perspective that media geared towards what the market thinks of as "female" is lesser in so many ways. Since I now see love as such a necessary but also dangerous thing, I think having stories that fulfill this longing I and many other people feel at various times in our life is a beautiful thing.
Especially as more and more affirming romances that tell people on the outside of the mainstream that they are OK is produced. Not that I enjoy everything that falls within these parameters but I certainly question when I don't and really try to figure out what is bothering me in particular, assuming that we have to like everything at any given time for it to be good.
I also don't like the woman on woman drama, especially because it centers around who has access to a man. Thankfully the characters are a bit more complicated then Atlas Shrugged so I can deal. But it is a cliche that should be pointed out whenever possible so it can die as quickly as possible.
That said, switching from the defensive to the offensive I guess there were things I just liked about this first volume and not just in response to things I noticed might be "problematic": A I enjoy love stories, not really will they won't they dramas unless they are cute and funny, but stories about people coming together and caring for each-other.
B I like male identified characters who are comfortable enough in themselves that they can play with gender expectations. I've possibly never been so turned on by a man on manish thing kiss. C Shy girls in high school gets the hot guy. What can I say, I was a walking but not talking cliche in high school and even more of a doormat then Kira. D Did I mention I like guys with long hair?
E A bit redundant but lonely people finding each-other! If this reminds you of anything you've read recently, especially if it's Manga, let me know please!
That said, if you didn't catch it earlier - flipping back through the book to be sure I covered everything - there is an overstepping of physical boundaries in this first volume and threat of rape and some flashbacks to this event later on in the story.
There's also a point where one woman threatens another with physical violence and gets very close to following through. So if this sounds like something that you don't want to see for sure do not check out this somewhat dated and cliche book that I still find room in my heart for. As I've outlined before this is a pretty hetero-normative romance book, even if there is a touch of bishounen which is maybe playing with gender in a way?
Race in this comic is fairly standard for manga I guess - if you have articles or books or thoughts on race in Manga feel free to share. While it's hard to say off of just this one volume, I think that class does come into play a bit, or at least there is some concern about money so yay?
May 08, Pauline rated it it was ok Shelves: graphic-novels , manga , read , reviews , young-adult-fiction. If I could give stars just for the art work, I would give "Mars" volume one four stars. I mean the bad boy even rides a motorcycle, which of course the good girl has never ridden on one before she met him.
I did love the emotions shown through the art work and the story was strong enough for me to want to finish the book and continue on to read volume two. Overall I found the book too predictable and If I could give stars just for the art work, I would give "Mars" volume one four stars. Overall I found the book too predictable and in some parts I found it disturbing.
Oct 31, M. Like with other mangas, I buy just the first one of a friend recommends it to me, or I read her manga. So I read her Mars vol 1, and was hooked. Since then I have bought the entire set for myself. The story of Rei and Kira is fascinating and exciting, along with some rather dramatic moments.
Wonderful manga! Sep 19, Lauren rated it it was amazing Shelves: manga. I did not know what to make of the characters when I first started reading the series. Overtime I grew to love them and went through their ups and downs and all the drama they faced.
I ended up loving the series! Oct 13, Dennise rated it it was amazing Shelves: favorites. Dec 13, MissFede rated it it was ok Shelves: manga. Almost love at first page and a weak female character Feb 16, Silvia Gutierrez rated it it was amazing Shelves: manga-and-anime , romance-sex-and-cocks , favorite-manga , urban. Read this if you haven't, forget all the Shoujo you have read before. This is not a light read. View all 7 comments. When I was first getting into manga in middle school, this series was always on the shelf, and always advertised in other books I was reading.
However, I was focused on collecting other series, and none of my friends had it, so I never got around to it. I think Mars has a lot of typical shoujo elements to it, namely the j When I was first getting into manga in middle school, this series was always on the shelf, and always advertised in other books I was reading.
And we also have the main character being quiet and shy and no one really liking her. That being said, it differs in a lot of ways, too. It's not common for shoujo to address death the way this one does.
Rei talks about it a lot, pretty flippantly. He's not particularly suicidal, but he's a bit indifferent to the fact that his adrenaline-seeking hobbies could end badly, even when his friend is seriously injured.
I didn't intend to read this entire volume when I clicked on it last night. I'm in the middle of several other series that I've been collecting, so I'll probably wait before coming back to Mars.
But I'm pretty sure I'll come back to it. May 04, Chelsea Gouin rated it really liked it Shelves: manga. I somehow skipped this series in my manga rush as a pre-teen However, I didn't real get those vibes in volume 1, Peach Girl was much more adult and I read that like there was no tomorrow. Mars is about a "bad boy" named Rei who rides a motorcycle and races and has every girl in school fawning over him. Aveva infatti realizzato fino ad allora solo qualche illustrazione.
Sempre in questo anno muore suo padre. Dopo aver letto alcuni shoujo per studiarne il funzionamento e le basi, decide dunque di intraprendere la carriera di mangaka lavorando per la Shogakukan. La Souryo infatti ammise di essere stata spinta al disegno solo per una questione puramente di denaro. Di non divertirsi molto nel farlo, e di considerarlo semplicemente un lavoro come un altro.
Sembra che il suo vero sogno fosse infatti quello di lavorare per il cinema, in veste di sceneggiatrice, ma il maschilismo che regna in Giappone in quel campo le ha chiuso ogni porta. Un tratto piuttosto originale e innovativo, dunque, che anche negli shoujo si discosta dai precedenti, dove era predominante l'uso di rose e fiori per sottolineare una scena romantica.
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