Customer Reviews

Mars #1

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was a little skeptical. Here I was an adult reader checking out a high school romance manga? That was when I picked up the first volume of MARS, Fuyimi Soryo's 15 volume manga series. The verdict? By the end of reading the first I couldn't wait to find the second. To date I have the first seven volumes and am eagerly awaiting the eighth.

The basic storyline is pretty familiar: Kira Aso is a shy, but talented art student. Rei Kashino, a motercycle-racing, wild-living bad boy. The two are about to meet. But if you think this is a plain bad boy- good girl romance with a cast populated by light-hearted high schoolers, think again. This is no sitcom school story, and doesn't read like one. Kira's emotional intensity strikes an unfamiliar chord in Rei, one that he is drawn to. The bond between them is based on something that their peers can't begin to comprehend, leading to anger and violence. Both Rei and Kira have their personal demons to deal with, and their relationship is not an easy one.

If you don't have any interest in romance or manga, MARS probably isn't for you. But for what it is, this series is exceptional. I wouldn't recommend this for very young readers, since the violence is at times intense-although not graphically so, and the sexuality of the characters is defined for a teenage maturity. The artwork is amazing --combining a compelling sense of movement and moment with beautiful imagery and simple structures. The artist moves from multiple boxed images on a page to single breath taking pictures. The smooth and consistent quality here is one of my appreciations of the series. I will admit, the eyes are overly large in this manga, but that is artistic style and I found it easy enough to accept once I fell into the story.

For those unfamiliar with the traditional manga format, this series reads from right to left and can be a little disorienting for those not used to it. Check the back of the volume for the chart provided on how to read the manga page in this form. I personally prefer this format over for manga over the westernized (left to right) publications, it simply feels truer to form and style.

While there is no fantasy, tech, or sf involved, the story is a complex read and the graphic quality of the manga is excellent. Readers who have encountered and enjoyed shoujo manga series such as Paradise Kiss and Peach Girl, will definitely want to give this a try!

Happy Reading! ^_^ --shanshad

I picked this up after reading a lot of positive reviews and overall I was pleasantly suprised. Although you wonder what good-girl Kira sees in bad-boy Rei, the first volume quickly dismisses those easy steorotypes. Even though Kira is shy and rather withdrawn, after a hazing incident she shows she has more mettle than you might think and Rei, for all his rebel ways has more going for him than he or indeed any of his friends think. Brought together by a chance meeting in a park these two very opposite yet equally wounded people recognize a strength in the other that they would like to have in themselves. Without even being aware of it, they are drawn into a friendship, supporting one another, especially as this out of the ordinary relationship causes waves in school and at home. Their budding friendship is tested as the girls harass Kira and Rei uses violence to solve his problems.

Mars v.1 sets up the story and the main protagonists nicely. You know things won't be easy for these two and Soryo plants the seeds of future storylines with throw away comments that hint that both these teeneagers have plenty of past secrets yet to be revealed. Whether they can use each other's strengths to overcome their demons, or whether their pasts will drive them apart remains to be seen. I was impressed that although some of the events seemed slightly outrageous, I thought the overall level of realism was a strong foundation for what otherwise could have been a cookie cutter high school romance. Teachers who sexually harrass their students, hazing, violence, cliques, and dysfunctional family relationships sound pretty par for the course.

In addtion, I found the artwork rather pleasing. I enjoyed the more realistic, sketchy quality of the artwork, i.e. the hair is flowing, the noses and chins less rigidly pointed. There isn't a lot of background clutter either which makes for easier reading. Lots of intense emotion is conveyed through the large (and large-lashed!) eyes. Still, it's easy to tell what the people are like just based on their posture and dress. Kira's shy status is easily discerned by her refusal to look anyone in the eye and her conservative wardrobe with lot's of long-sleeved shirts and long dresses. Rei is confident and slightly dangerous,wearing ripped jeans and t-shirts with his long-hair. He smiles readily, walking with confidence and riding a motorcycle.

With 14 volumes yet to go you know that there is going to be some ups and downs for these two, as well as the revelation of painful past secrets. Despite their cliched exterior, discovering what makes Rei and Kira unique individuals is what makes this an above-average story. I recommend staying with this series as it's only going to get better.

From the beginning to the end of this long 15 volume series and 1 gaiden (extra novel), you are completely wrapped up in the lives of the heroine and her anti-hero boyfriend. I totally recommend it for shojo addicts like myself. Not only is Rei a hot badboy, but he also has real issues that not only make him dark and dangerous, but also more identifiably human. Definitely one of the better manga out there on the shelves. Buy it today!

This 15 volume manga by acclaimed artist Fuyumi Soryo is my favorite. Kira(lead girl) and Rei(lead boy) deal with real life problems. If you are looking for a fantacy romance, don't real this manga. If you want to read a real engrossing, well written, and beautifully illustrated manga, buy Mars. You will be subjected to the joys and horrors of high school romance at it's finest. Soryo is a talented artist and the plot is wonderful.

There are many twists and turns in this manga that will keep you coming bck for more. Prepare to be blown away by amazing art, a dark and beautiful plot, and unforgetable characters. Mars one of few mangas where the plot is as great as the art. Don't hesitate to buy this manga. It won't dissapoint.

Caution: There is violence, sex, and serious teen situations in this manga. I don't reccomend kids under 13 reading it unless the parents approve. There is nothing too hard core, or grotesquely violent in this manga. This is merely a warning for those of us are more conservative.

There is also another book by Fuyumi Soryo called Mars Horse With No Name. It is a sort of backround volume that answers some questions about the characters. Happy Reading!

This is my favorite manga to date. With clean and simple lines, the artwork is very appealing. Soryo conveys the gamut of emotions... her facial expressions are the best I've ever seen. The story, too, has a rare depth. There's a hint of Romeo and Juliet here for main characters Rei and Kira, drawn to each other despite being polar opposites. With a refreshing approach, they are never broken up by trivial events (such as jealous rivals). Each has a layered, troubled past, and Soryo lets you see one bit at a time through the 15 volumes. She handles serious issues with a grace that makes them real, sometimes heartachingly real, but that realism never degenerates into an obsessive gloom: it is what makes the characters who they are, and they react appropriately to that history. And when they have each other, Rei and Kira can surmount the odds.

In this first book, Rei and Kira meet, become friends, and start to develop an unrealized attraction as rivals try to push them apart: the delinquent playboy who has always had a thing for older, sexier women and the withdrawn artist who fears men. The awkward couple...

This is the first book in the 15 book shoujo manga series from Japan. It features Rei, the bad boy who's a motorcycle racer, and Kira, the quiet artist who strays away from boys and attention. And of coarse, opposites attract.

Rei asks Kira, one day, for directions to a hospital that his friend is at. Kira says nothing, then gives Rei a map that she just drew. On the back is an amazingly beautiful picture of a mother holding her baby. Rei takes the picture to his heart since his mother died when he was about 5.

Rei and Kira end up in the same class and she tries to ignore him, but he won't let her. Rei ends up modeling for Kira and he says he will pay her by protecting her. At first this works, until Harumi, a girl that Rei went out with that still loves him, tells Kira to stay away from Rei. Kira doesn't listen and Harumi almost breaks Kira's fingers. Rei comes and all is good, til' the next book.

MARS is a beautiful and touching manga. The story follows shy and reserved Kira, who in the beginning of the story is the outcast, and Rei, one of the most hottest, and baddest boys in the school. Rei is oddly touched by a drawing he has of Kira's and when he realizes he has the same class with her, he's determined (much to Kira's dismay) to get to know her better. But his sudden interest in her, however innocent, ruffles a few feathers amoung the "popular girls." Rei and Kira's respsective pasts soon comes back to haunt them, and they both have to relive the horrors of it, will they lean on each other for support or will their demons prove to much for either of them of them to handle. Throughout the duration of the 15 vol. Rei and Kira are drawn to each other, and the closer the get, the more the dark secrets of the past come to the surface. I loved this manga more than words can express. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

This manga is the best romance manga! I have read every single one of them and they are funny, sad, and romantic! I can read them over and over!! If your looking for a great read I suggest you buy all fifteen volumes.

I truely recommend this manga, the story is wonderful and the charcters are very well developed. You won't be able to drop down the book for even one second! The art is beautiful and different from others I've seen so far.

If you like romance, this is a must. I really loved it and can't wait for the next item to come out. ^_^

I knew about Mars a long time ago, but back then it was only available in Japanese book stores. I wanted it so bad but sadly, I can't read Japanese (not yet anyways). But then I went on tokyopop.com and I was so excited because they're releasing it here in the United States. This series is so heart-warming. Well you probably already have an idea what the story is basically about from reading the editorial review. It revolves around Rei and Kira, the two people who are from totally different worlds. Kira is an artist who doesn't talk much, not because she was shy or guy-phobic, it's just she thinks the world is a strange place and somehow she doesn't belong here. However, Rei has the totally opposite personality from Kira. She's a motorcycle rider, who puts his life at risk for a thrill. Rei is very good at speaking his mind and he's a friendly, funny, and happy person (or he appears to be happy and smiley all the time) But it is so magical how these two are drawn to each other. This series is not the typical she-has-a-crush-on-him-and-they-fell-in-love sort of manga. It's lot deeper than that. You just simply can't put it down. I'm so anxious to find out when the next volume will come out! If you're into shoujo manga then this is a must have. This is even better than Peach Girl. It's a more mature shoujo manga and it's definitely worth your time and money.