Mars

"Mars" by Mitsuteru Yokoyama is a short, underappreciated classic.

I will avoid spoilers, but the story starts off slow but gradually gets faster in pace until it gets out of hand before the abrupt, but satisfying, end. Mars' dilemma and the morals all perfectly tie together, and with the ending make it an overall sad, but fun read.

The art is simple, but extremely expressive. Robot design is exactly what to expect from Mitsuteru Yokoyama, rounded and simple, and very shiny. The character design is fun, Mars with his flowing hair, the middle aged reporter, and all the crusty old men villains are pretty good.

Overall I think this manga is a very enjoyable read, and a pretty quick one at that. Check it out whenever you can, you'll have a fun time. Now, if only it could have a complete, accurate anime adaptation, eh?

I first picked up Volume 1 at my local library, but I was putting off reading it. The only reason I actually picked it up was because I thought the art was good. I read the first 15 pages and then... I just couldn't stop. Kira and Rei are so relatable. I read the whole series in about 4 or 5 days because I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen next. The art is amazing, I've fallen in love with it. Even though the story line isn't something I've never seen before, It just touched me. A love story about a bad boy with a love for bikes, and a shy girl with a love for art. But, the story goes so much deeper than just that. And thats why I love "Mars".

Well, my English isn't excellent, and many times I'm not good with the words, but I'll try to write my first review, about Mars, one of my favorite mangas.

I almost havent't words to say how amazing is this manga.

The author portraits with mastery the universe that we confine inside ourselves, and with extreme accurateness, she captures the subtlety of the nuances of a human soul... Our fears, our desires, the secrets we don't confess even to ourselves; our selfishness, our lack of humanity and our need for love and salvation.

When I started to read this story, I got deeply attached to the main characters, a kind soul and a troublemaker: the perfect couple. We might think at the beginning that Rei is the one protecting Kira, but when you read this manga, you realize that Rei is the one asking for redemption.

It's pure love from the beginning to the end.

I dont know what to say about this manga except that it is AWESOME! I definitely give this manga a perfect 10. There so many surprises and twists to the story that I couldnt keep my mouth closed when reading it. Once i started reading i couldnt stop. It just so exciting and it kept my attention the whole time. This is an absolute master piece. The way the author showed all the hardships of life. The story is so realistic. must read!

At first glance, Mars seems like your typical shoujo - shy girl somehow charms the Most Popular Boy At School - but don't be fooled. This manga's a soap opera through and through. If you're looking for standard shoujo - a bunch of highschoolers hanging out complete with the Valentine's Day arc, Christmas arc, White Day arc, "we're graduating" arc - you really won't get it here. This manga's a lot more serious than the usual lighthearted slice-of-life romcom.

The thing about this work is that it feels dated, and it's not just the art. Kira, the female protagonist, is the ingenue of ingenues; so demure and innocent she feels unreal, speaking and acting in the odd way people from old teen movies do. This isn't limited to her, though; Rei seems like he rolled out of a 80s movie, too. The most noteworthy thing about these characters is that, as well-fleshed out as they are, they never feel truly organic. But it's not as big a flaw as it seems.

Kira threw me off initially because she's inexplicably too detached, in a Hirunaka no Ryuusei sense. You don't really feel like she's a person who exists, and for a long time, you really don't understand why she is the way she is. But the manga corrects this in the most effective way, giving us a very valid explanation and it lets us see her change into something real. Even if it's a little delayed, that only makes the twist sweeter.

Kira's great development aside, Rei's the real star of the story. In the beginning, he seems to just be the refreshing type, and while he never stops being nice to Kira, as the story goes on, it becomes clear that he's more than that. Because it's the backbone of the manga, there's uncommon care put into his character and his backstory, and it's done mostly effectively and objectively well. Though I can't say I was super enthralled by him, I honestly feel like it's just a personal preference thing, and it's not like I disliked him. He's a well-done character.

The romance is something that finds its way into itself later. At first, it's kind of stilted and informed; suddenly, only a week or so after meeting him, Kira admits to herself that she's in love with Rei, and Rei is fascinated with her for seemingly no reason. Why they fell into each other so quickly is clear in hindsight, but you feel detached while you see it happening, kind of like "alright, I guess this is a thing now." But as their relationship progresses, you start to feel how much they care about each other, and it's pure and sweet love, the way they're constantly there for each other and open about their feelings.

Honestly, this manga isn't as good as people say it is, and it's definitely not realistic (in general, the relationship development is normal to good), but it's not bad, either. It's a soap opera, and while it's not handled quite as well as, say, Fruits Basket, it's a good soap opera. Even though there are going to be times where you go "holy shit, why is she doing that" or small arcs or plot points you just can't get with (you cannot pay me to care about motorcycle racing) and the story needed a bit more direction (the climax arc was clearly jammed in there and didn't stand up well to the rest of the series), when it's good, it's good. My mind was blown a couple of times, and the nuance in characters and backstories and inter-character relationships was, on the whole, really well done. As well as that, there's something to be said for Kira and Rei's character growth throughout the series.

So it's a soap opera; a good one, but take it at face value. While this probably won't become your all-time favorite romance, it's engaging and well done for what it is. Give it a try and keep in this mindset, and I bet you'll like it.

I got so into the story that I finished it in one night, each of the fifteen volumes are very compelling and give the characters more and more depth.Throughout the story there are many plot twists, even though it does rely on more traditional shoujo tropes. I wish this manga was more known, even though I haven't heard the fandom really talk about it. I would highly recommend it, if you're looking for a beautifully well done and illustrated story. The only problem I had with it as a whole is the rushed feeling of the last couple chapters. 9/10.

OMG OMG OMG.
So like I'm not good with words, and this is my first ever review on MAL, but I don't even care.
This is the best Shoujo manga I have ever read!!!
If you like romance read read read read this! OR ELSE! D:<
The main guy (Rei) is damn hot he is my ideal man soo freaking uhh I don't know fergalicious I'm in luuurve with him, he's a sex god! and the girl is really sweet! I can't help but love her, she can be such a crybaby at times but I don't mind because I love her!
Ummm yeah, if you like romance you'll definiitely love this underrated manga, I've read this manga more times than I brush my teeth in a week! (Omg and like I'm totally OCD with teeth brushing, so it's not like I brush my teeth once a day, I brush it like 3 times a day!).
Sooo Sooo Sooo great! Awesome romance, great characters, great story!
I hope I managed to convince you to read this suuuper fun freaking tastic manga!
If not then Boohoo! (T_T)
If I did then yayy! You're welcome, you're very welcome.

Just just just do yourself a favour and read this 'k???

Maybe you would say, she didn't even finish it, why the hell she's writing this? and I would say you are absolutely write, but I thought 10 chapters is enough to make a review on this Manga, because it's simply magnificent.
Mars, the goddess on earth for both the characters and the readers. I read a lot of mangas that goes with the same story, the bad guy who fall in love with the sweet girl and bla bla bla. this is your first impression when you start this manga, BUT it's not that simple. no it's not an ordinary story and you are not used to this kind of characters. it's when you start questioning why the hell we don't have that kind of boys in real life, he is an angel with some devilish actions aggressive behaviors and killing attentions. yet you'll fall easily in the charm of my lovely Rei. at first he is that handsome guy, the girls go crazy for him, but he's after the only one who ignores him. it's really very weird relationship and target to achieve, he likes challenges, but for him it's worth it. the story is well done and a lot is going on so it never gets boring, but sometimes you could feel it lost for a minuet. Fuyumi Soryo is one of my favorite manga artists, her draws are beautiful and you'll feel comfortable watching it, she made handsome people like Rei.
After that the story gets the them of the painful love, where as a girl really enjoyed to feel the chemistry and the electricity between kira and rei. it was full-of-life, when they kiss, the look to each other and express the love, even in making love, Fuyumi Soryo did a great work on making her manga believable. it's almost real and touchable. everyone who'll read the manga is going to be fascinated by how much this is so alive. I felt the pain with Kira, and the sadness with Rei, I live it with and laughed with them.
The theme of the motorcycles and races is just amazing, and I think Fuyumi Soryo did an amazing job by adding all of these details, as she did with every manga she wrote.
If there's manga to be THE MANGA, this is it for the Shoujo lovers.

Mars was an enjoyment to read. The story was amizingly well written.

Mars is about a youn girl named Kira. Kira is a shy student who belives that all men are dirty. Thanks to that she stays away from her classmates, and hides in her art.
Then she meets Rei who is an arrogant, rebelliuos and violent playboy. They are the exact opposite and yet when she see Rei kiss a statue of Mars the fighting god she becomes a little brave and ask him to model for her. They hit of on a good start but then they get to know each others secrets and they get involved in more complicaded stuff like.

I liked Mars beacuse it was a very realistic story. I dosen´t happen to just anybody but some may have had to put up with some of the stuff in the manga. Mars is a very psychological story. It´s a weird romance in the book but I was happy with the end.
The art is simple yet beautyful.
Well I hope that you will read it to beacuse it was the best manga i ever read.

i have first encountered this through watching its live action Taiwanese counter-part, and i loved it!!..although the love story is great it doesn't only focus on that. The characters grew as individuals and the conflict was well stirred up.

Okay, so, when I first started reading this manga, I was kind of expecting what I was used to: A predictable story line. But I like those, so I was okay with it. In the beginning, that is what it seems like, too. But I was so wrong.

This is one of the best shoujo mangas that I have ever read. Honestly, there were points in time where I had no idea why it was even being called a shoujo manga anymore. It managed to capture so many different genres, I am sure that there are a lot of people out there that will like it.

The character development was some of the best that I have ever seen, I have to say. And this story has so many unexpected plot twists! The depth of this story is unbelievable, too. It shocked me, but I am shocked very easily, so.... Anyway, this manga is most certainly very unpredictable. Not what I am used to, but I still loved it. No matter how extreme it became, it had enough romance in it, even though it was a very small undertone some of the time, to keep me, a shoujo-addict, interested.

The art wasn't that good, I have to say. I mean, I have seen worse, and it wasn't horrible, it just... Well, maybe it's just not what I was used to. But I did love the way the eyes were drawn.

The only reason I wouldn't give this a 10 is because there were a few parts in the story where I just didn't feel like turning the page. Some boring segments here and there. But those boring segments are very short-lived, so don't worry. And it's good to have a break from all the intensity this story holds.

So, all in all, if you are looking for the typical shoujo romance, this may not be for you. But if you are ready for some slice-of-life shoujo that will make you want to read the whole thing in one sitting, can be very intense, extreme, and emotional, and is about so much more than just love and relationship drama, then this is the manga for you. It was amazing, that's all I can say.

There are already a ton of revies about this, so ill keep this as short as possible. I was wandering around Mars since its been published in my country, however i avoided reading it when i was a teenager as at the time it wasnt my main interest. I had heard good and bad things about it, but i never really bothered.
Now roughly 15 years later, i am looking for good josei and come across this one again and i decide to give it a go.

Honestly, i didnt expect too much. I was pleasantly surprised however, (and ended up bingeing the whole manga in 2 days) as the story gains some traction around book 3 or so. It starts out really cliché bad boy meets good girl and it seems pretty predictable. however as the story progresses, and more background is uncovered it gets interesting.

I didnt expect the manga to reach to those levels of psychologic entrapments or situations. Although never explained scientifically but rather understandable for teenage readers, the main focus is healing from difficult experiences and learning to cope. it shows different approaches to how people handle their respective experiences and for a manga that has romance as a genre its surprisingly deep and more faceted than some other josei ive read. it is also fairly well done, the characters still seem believable and quite authentic with their respective problems/past. it is also visible how their past experiences influence their daily behaviour. Although you might have to read quite far into the story for some people to make more sense, since some past events get uncovered fairly late.

The characters -although flawed (main hero is overly brutal, main heroine cries wayyyy to much) are still progressing and evolve to cope with their past experiences all the while some quite standard romance genre stuff happens.

All in all i can recommend you give it a try, the art is very nice -90s style but quite clean and not loaded with effects. The story is good overall, and gets better the more you contiune reading. the end was a little short or rather abrupt for my tastes, i like full closure and the good chapter "some years later".

i will give it an overall 8 rating, as it is for the genre still exceptionally good. The focus being mainly romance though and some minor flaws that make me give it not the full 10. It is however a very good josei and im sure it deserves its place in the top 5 of josei.

Do i even have to write a review? this is the best thing i have ever read in my entire life. If you dont read this is really dont see the point in existing.

This manga's been in my "plan to read" list for so long, and after rereading one of my favorites manga for the 5th time i decided to change it up a bit and read Mars. It saddens me to say that i was truly disappointed.
Maybe i just had really high expectations for it, cause of all the amazing reviews, but at the end of the day it did not blew me away...
The story starts off very interesting, the quiet artist and the bad boy, but i started to lose interest by the 3rd volume. Yes, this story is darker than most shoujo mangas, but at some point, for me, it was overdramatic, and sometimes not even believable. While reading the 90 chapters i felt like the whole story could've been easily resumed to 30.

About the main characters:
- Kira: at the begging i thought kira would the surprise of the whole thing, she's a painter, she would have personality, but as i read she just turned out to be the typical shoujo leading lady. This also had one of things that really dislike in mangas of this genre: oportunities for her to be the victim and cry! Besides that, the fact that this was story about a painter and that by the end of it she only had 1 finished painting was a bit annoying.

- Rei: Rei was what saved this manga for me, i kept reading to find out more about him, and his past. He's a free soul and so passionate that sometimes i would envy him a little bit. Besides that he reminded me of my idol in the racing world, to be honest, it actually made me a bit emotional, when i realized how alike they were.

I guess i would've rated this manga higher if it wasnt a romance, if it was a drama story based on rei, i could've overlooked a lot of these things, but for a love story, by the end of it, i was still searching for the love...

I just finished reading Mars and i had to write a review. I am happy to say that this manga was far from what i expected. This story was intense, loving, and amazing. The depth this story had was incredible and i can't help but want to read it all over again.

Story: I gave the story a 10. This was by far the best manga i have ever read. The story had so much depth and heart that i finished it all in one day. This story caught me off guard. Not knowing how it was going to end, will they stay together? Will they break up? Will they get past their serious issues? These thoughts kept crossing my mind as i intensely read it from beginning to end.

Art: I gave the art a ten because i thought in it's own way it was beautiful. Just they way it fits with the characters and the story, it was one of the things i loved about this manga. That everything about it has more than what it seems. Sure the art isn't the best in the world but once you get in the story and fall in love with the characters it just seemed liked so much more. (That is just my opinion though)

Characters: i gave the characters a 10 because they were nothing what i expected. They were more, much more. In a typical romance shoujo manga it usually goes like this: A pretty, ordinary girl has two guys that are in love with her, one is a good guy and the other is a bad boy. The good guy seems to understand the girl from the outside but the bad boy understands who she is deep within." I thought that's how that characters were going to go. I thought the main character Kira was going to be a nice, calm ordinary girl that doesn't stand out to much and not have much more than that. But i was wrong. The author really gave the main characters a lot of issues, i don't really know how to explain it but the author also put so much more into the characters than any other manga i have read and for me it took my love for characters to another level.

Enjoyment: I gave the enjoyment a 10. Reading Mars was like i was on a roller coaster. I have never been so engrossed in a manga before, i mean their were times when i wanted to bust out in tears from joy and sorrow because i felt what the characters felt. At least for the parts i could relate to. This manga always kept me on the edge of my chair and i loved every second of it.

Overall: Overall i gave it a ten. This was by far the best manga i have read so far. I loved every bit, and every character. I highly recommend this manga. You will not be disappointed. I know i wasn't.

(Taken from my blog at http://ritsuinfigureland.wordpress.com)

Mars, by Souryou Fuyumi, ran from 1996 to 2000, which justifies it’s dated (yet astoundingly beautiful) drawing style.

Like I’m never tiring of saying, all my posts contain spoilers. You were warned.

Story: Aso Kira is a very shy teenager who rarely speaks to anyone and prefers keeping to herself doing what sets her free – drawing, which she is exceptionally good at. One day, while drawing at a park, she’s intercepted by Kashino Rei who asks her for directions. She draws him a map without saying a single word and walks away. She knows about Rei: he’s the best-looking guy at school and a rebel of sorts, passionate about motorcycles and not giving a damn about anything or anyone. Her total opposite, the one who could intimidate her the most. As for Rei, he never noticed Kira before but something about the way she gave him the map arose some curiosity in him – especially the image drawn on the back of the sheet: that of a mother holding a child. They meet at school the next day and Rei is quite persistent in talking to Kira. She slowly opens up to him and gathers up all of her courage to ask him to model for her. He accepts. And so these two complete opposites start getting closer and closer together, learning more about each other, caring for each other and realizing that sometimes what we need is someone different from us to complete what we’re lacking. The story follows the couple’s development as they learn about each other’s personal tragedies and how they choose to cope with them and with the world around them.

Kashino Rei: Rei is a twin. His brother, Kashino Sei, comitted suicide when they were attending junior high and Rei never stopped blaming himself for what happened. Little does he know about his twin’s true identity, which Kira slowly starts to comprehend. The reasons for Rei’s guilt are gently shown to the reader (and to Kira): either the fact that he took his brother’s girlfriend from him, the fact that he was always defending Sei from his bullies making Sei feel weak or, above all, the fact that he told Sei that their father wasn’t their real father. But the real truth is something completely different, something relating to Sei’s true self, which is a surprise to everyone. This is his personal tragedy. After his brother died he turned more of a rebel, leaving his father’s safe house to live alone in squalid conditions and dedicating himself to racing, his biggest passion, something he devotes himself to almost recklessly – that is, until he meets Kira. Kira tames the rebel in him, bringing him back to life and to life’s responsibilites. Making him want to feel responsible for someone for the first time after Sei’s death. Apart from all the guilt, Rei also has to deal with his feelings towards his ex-girlfriend, the one he took from Sei, who still has feelings for him and keeps stalking him wherever he goes. This plot occupies several chapters, with Rei trying to decide between past and present, real and fantasy.

Aso Kira: After Rei’s past is revealed and dealt with, Kira’s darkest secret comes to life. Rei had always found it very strange how she coiled away from him when he kissed her more passionately, or the way she always ran away from sex, despite telling him he loved him all the time and always being there for him. One day he decides to test if his theories are correct and indeed they are: Kira was raped as a child by her stepfather and this is what made her shut herself from the world all this time, pouring her soul on her drawings. Kira tells Rei that her stepfather doesn’t live with them anymore but the minute she says this he returns home, telling Kira’s mum that he’s all different now and promising economical stability to their family, which Kira’s mum gladly accepts. Rei feels infuriated by Kira’s passive attitude right after her mother chose stability over her daughter’s safety and even more so with Kira’s naïvety in believing that her stepfather really had changed. So he breaks up with her which is the worst thing he could do, but well, this is a dramatic manga so there had to be some sort of situation like this. Luckily the break-up is short and serves to show Rei how deeply he loves Kira and how he can’t go back to the one-night-stand way of life he led before. And all in good time, since Kira’s stepfather tries to abuse her again. She runs away from home, moves in with Rei, they finally have sex and Kira discovers a whole new way of life.

This is melodramatic manga at its best. In fact, I think Mars is everything NANA wanted to be but failed at. And I’m a hardcore NANA fan, so it must really mean something if I’m saying something like this. The difference is obvious: Mars knows where to stop the tragedy. Sure, that last episode was a bit too unecessary but since it all ended well and contributed to move the story even further it doesn’t make much damage. With NANA, Yazawa didn’t know where to stop. The tragedy kept coming, and coming, and coming, never stopping, and it has now come to a point where I truly believe she doesn’t know what to do anymore. I know she had her health issues, but she’s been working on song lyrics for a while now, leaving NANA completely behind. So yes, I really feel she does’t know what to do with the plot she created anymore, which is a shame. I might be wrong. I want to be wrong. But Mars completely wins over simply because of this. There’s nothing unecessary. Everything’s in its right amount. Drama, romance, tension, everything. And guess what, Yazawa? Everyone does live happily ever after.

I give this a 10/10. It’s undoubtedly a masterpiece I strongly recommend.

I liked this manga especially, actually it's the best manga I've ever read. It's very hard to read a whole bunch at a time though, the story plot is intense, dealing with morals, and of course, love. Though if your looking for a cute story like a naruto/sakura childish crush manga sor of thing, this isn't for you. great story. I highly recomend it. You can never tell whats going to happen next, but even though the story is complex, the writer (fuyumi) puts it in an easy sequence and format thats very easy to understand; and very friendly. I hope you will love it as much as I did.

(p.s: this is a rare manga, meaning its very hard to find another story plot like this out there.)

Mars is a story about the schools ‘tough boy’ who one day, was asked by the teacher of the classroom to change seats so that he now sits next to the artsy silent girl that people have a tendency to forget about. Guess what happens? Suddenly, they fall in love and then! She gets bullied from keeping the schools ‘hotty’ to herself. I honestly don’t want to go on.

The story is just a seating change, make-out sessions and ultimately sex with a virginal girl by a player. Yes, the author tries to add depth to the story but it’s so obvious where the story was heading that the author might as well not have bothered because it doesn’t make a noticeable difference. And the thing is, it’s not like they TALKED before getting serious (because the lead girl is apparently too shy for coherent speech), it’s just ‘oh! He talked to me today about the directions I gave him!’ and then ‘I think I love him!’.

And to Blackbird fans, I know you will be disappointed because Harada, Misao isn’t the only girl on the block who’s clingy beyond reason and worse for the fans, Misao unfortunately isn’t the only one who holds the honorary Boo-Hoo-Cryin-For-No-Reason Award. Aso, Kira has this disgusting habit of trying to water the neighbourhood’s plants with her tears; for free ofcourse (seriously, man, the crying was too much). I started wondering if she had to take medication to stop fungus and bacteria from growing near her eyes because her crying would most definitely create a breeding ground for mould. However, the author tries to give reasons for some of the crying, you know like ‘he made me feel courage’ which is obviously a very reasonable reason to cry buckets of tears all the time.

Now that that’s over, let’s look at Kashino, Rei, other than his ‘looks’, he plays ‘cool’ like he’s a macho macho man: his ambitions are to party, have sex with as many of the opposite gender until he dies of AIDs and be popular (this was actually based on his answer to a teacher). Wow, he must have won the Mr. Universe award with that speech. Other than his suicidal tendencies, which naturally Kira reforms, there isn’t much to him except his obsession for motorcycles which would have been cool… If it weren’t for the nauseating plot.

The art was the saving grace for the plot, yes, I agree with you that the characters looked like white coloured bed sheets with black pen drawings for eyes and facial features however, the eyes were VERY detailed. I think the illustrator had to put ice on their knuckled after drawing some close-ups of a character’s eyes. On the other hand, although I said the eyes were detailed I never supposed they were realistic, in fact they don’t even have pupils (yes, very scary).

In conclusion, what were you THINKING when you thought that you MIGHT want to read this. Please, readers, I know you want to entertain yourselves but don’t waste your time: there’s a big difference between time wasting and enjoying yourself. If you care for sanity, logical sense and just sense, don’t read this. Read a Manga with a plot that gives an actual realistic cause for a relationship not just a seating change (it even sounds sad) and check if the author had remembered to draw pupils for their characters before starting to read.

Mars... I loved it!!!! I really enjoy the dynamic between Kira and Rei, and how they interact with one another. I enjoyed the fact that Rei was not just, "a bad boy," from the start, where we see him interacting with Kira in a totally innocent way. It was refreshing that even though Rei is characterized as a bad boy, he has more to him, making him a character with depth. Kira also has her own personality, and i liked that, unlike some other stories out there, she does not change her personality, but merely adds to it through the course of the story. As the story progresses, Kira displays parts of her personality that have always existed, but been over looked by others.

i loved this manga one of my fav manga's out there .The art was amazing fuymi soryo does an amazing job with the art style and story was also something to look forward to you completly enjoy yourself in the story and the characters to make you immersed in the story.One of the best shoujo mangas out there .It deals with certain issues that really exsist in the society like mental health,depresion,suicide ,domestic abuse . The romance is paced at a good rate
and the growth between their relationship as time progresses is also highlighted
perfectly .overall this is must read for people love romance manga