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Mars (manga)
Encyclopedia
Mars is a Japanese manga
series written and illustrated by Fuyumi Soryo
. Initially serialized in Bessatsu Friend
from 1996 to 2000, the series spans 15 tankōbon volumes. It follows the disliked teenage romance between Kira Aso, an introverted artist, and Rei Kashino, a troubled playboy who is a professional motorcycle
racer. A single volume prequel, Mars: A Horse By No Name was released in 1999.
The manga is licensed for an English language release by Tokyopop
, which has published all 15 volumes plus the prequel. The series was adapted into a 21 episode Taiwanese television drama in 2004.
Kira. Rei promises to protect Kira in exchange for a painted version of the sketch that was on the back of the map. He also offers to "lend Kira his body" and she asks him to model for her.
is a extroverted playboy who rides motorcycles on the professional circuit with dreams of becoming a professional racer. Despite his dark and mysterious past, he remains cheerful and other people are easily drawn to him. After modeling for Kira, the unlikely pair begin to fall in love. In Junior high his younger twin committed suicide right in front of him leaving deep scars. He had tried to kill Kira's step-father but that wasn't his first attempt to kill someone was when he was in LA in elementary school when he tried to shoot the boy that had been bulling his brother. That is he would have killed him if the gun was loaded
is Rei's best friend who also had a crush on Kira while they attended junior high together.
is a female classmate of Kira and Rei's. She's been "in love" with Rei ever since they slept together in their freshman year. Although initially she makes Kira a target of brutal psychological attacks because of the growing connection between her and Rei, she later reforms and becomes a solid and protective friend.
is a girl from Rei's past, she was Sei's girlfriend at first, but then left Sei for Rei. She was the only girl that the two brothers both liked. She blames herself for Sei's death, and also tried to kill herself because she "couldn't live without ether one of them (Rei and Sei)".
is an effeminate sociopath
who was often bullied by his only friend, Yuji Aoki. Rei had saved Masao from being beaten to death at one point in time, but he barely remembers this event as the action was impulsive because Rei was still in shock over Sei's death. Soon after this incident, Masao kills Aoki. Masao admits to having a crush on Rei, but also claims to have a crush on Kira.
Written and illustrated by Fuyumi Soryo
, the chapters of Mars were serialized in Bessatsu Friend
from 1995 to 2000. They were collected and published in 15 tankōbon
volumes by Kodansha. The first volume was published on May 13, 1996; the last on December 13, 2000. A short prequel series, , was serialized in the same magazine in 1999, and its chapters were published in a single tankōbon volume on December 9, 1999. From October 12, 2006 through January 12, 2007, Kodansha republished the series in Japan across eight kanzenban special edition volumes, collecting more chapters in each volume.
The manga series was licensed for an English language release in North America by Tokyopop
. The first five chapters were serialized in Smile
starting in the October 2001 issue, and running until the March 2001 issue. which published all fifteen volumes from April 23, 2003 through November 11, 2003. It released A Horse With No Name on July 13, 2004. Both titles are now considered "out of print" by Tokyopop.
based on the manga series was broadcasted on Chinese Television System
starring Vic Zhou & Barbie Hsu
. In Mars
the characters names were changed to Chinese names, but it otherwise follows the manga's plot. It was voted Favorite Drama of the Year at the 40th Annual 2005 Golden Bell Awards, and was the highest rated program in 2005 when it aired on the Philippine network QTV.
The live-action series uses two pieces of theme music, one opening and one ending theme. "零" (lit. "Zero") by Alan Kuo is used for the opening, while "Rang Wo Ai Ni" by Vic Zhou & Barbie Hsu
is used for the ending.
, Steve Raiteri considered Soryo's artwork "clean" and felt it did an expert job in "[portaying] Shiori's desperation, Kira's sadness and uncertainty, and Rei's living-in-the-moment changeability". Speaking to the series as a whole, he stated that it would appeal to both teen girls and to older readers due to its "depth and quality".
Though Ross Liversidge the online magazine UK Anime Network had low expectations for the series, he found it to be "flawless". Rating it a 10 out of 10, he considered its strong points to be its "delicate and detailed" artwork and, most importantly, its "normality, stating that it "smacks of a tragedy waiting to happen, and there are times even in this first volume that things start to get serious...but its done so well, and in such an understated manner that its utterly absorbing and keeps your attention." Manga: The Complete Guide
s author Jason Thompson highly praised the work, rating it four out of four stars. Calling it a "well-written, tightly plotted romance" that successfully deals with range of "powerful issues" that avoids being "preachy or patronizing", he considered Soryo's artwork to be "clear and attractive". However, he felt the prequel, Mars: Horse With No Name, did not add much to the overall story, noting that only the title story actually relates to the series. While he still praised the artwork and rated it three stars, he also considered the stories were "pale in comparison" to the original.
Manga Lifes Park Cooper praised the original Mars, noting that they "love[d] the characters, the story, and the tension that lies within the situations", but did not recommend doing more than browsing Horse With No Name, finding it to be less impressive and unlikely to appeal even to fans of the main series. He felt the titular story, which tells how Kira and Tatsuya became friends, to be "disappointing" and did not find it to be up to the same standard as the main series. However, he praised the second story, "Sleeping Lion", as making the volume worth the purchase and containing "the type of context in the story that got me to love MARS in the first place." The final story, "A One-Carat Fruit", he considered unengaging and left him unable to connect with the central characters. Overall, Cooper noted that while Soryo's artwork was not unique, she created "incredible looking characters" and "did a great job making certain expressions of the characters feel convincing."
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series written and illustrated by Fuyumi Soryo
Fuyumi Soryo
is a Japanese manga artist from Beppu, Oita, Japan. She is a graduate of the Oita prefectural Geijutsu Midorigaoka High School.She was born into the home of a master of the Kanze school of Noh. In her childhood she liked to draw pictures of horses and things but had no special interest in manga...
. Initially serialized in Bessatsu Friend
Bessatsu Friend
is a Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Kodansha, aimed at teenage girls. It was originally conceived as a bessatsu, or companion magazine, to Shōjo Friend, which is no longer published...
from 1996 to 2000, the series spans 15 tankōbon volumes. It follows the disliked teenage romance between Kira Aso, an introverted artist, and Rei Kashino, a troubled playboy who is a professional motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
racer. A single volume prequel, Mars: A Horse By No Name was released in 1999.
The manga is licensed for an English language release by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
, which has published all 15 volumes plus the prequel. The series was adapted into a 21 episode Taiwanese television drama in 2004.
Plot
Kira Aso and Rei Kashino meet when Rei asks Kira for directions to a local hospital one day in the park, but instead of telling him the directions she draws him a map and hands it to him without saying a word. On the back of the directions is a picture Kira drew of a mother and child. On the first day of school they are both surprised to find that they are in the same class. Later Rei walks in on their teacher sexually harassingSexual harassment
Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
Kira. Rei promises to protect Kira in exchange for a painted version of the sketch that was on the back of the map. He also offers to "lend Kira his body" and she asks him to model for her.
Characters
is a timid teenage artist who lives with her mother and is Rei's love interest. Her father died in a car accident involving a motorcycle gang when she was ten years old. Her stepfather raped her when she was fourteen years old; due to the trauma caused by the experience Kira becomes a withdrawn and timid loner. When Kira's mother finally discovers what has happened she separates from her husband, and begins living alone with Kira.is a extroverted playboy who rides motorcycles on the professional circuit with dreams of becoming a professional racer. Despite his dark and mysterious past, he remains cheerful and other people are easily drawn to him. After modeling for Kira, the unlikely pair begin to fall in love. In Junior high his younger twin committed suicide right in front of him leaving deep scars. He had tried to kill Kira's step-father but that wasn't his first attempt to kill someone was when he was in LA in elementary school when he tried to shoot the boy that had been bulling his brother. That is he would have killed him if the gun was loaded
is Rei's best friend who also had a crush on Kira while they attended junior high together.
is a female classmate of Kira and Rei's. She's been "in love" with Rei ever since they slept together in their freshman year. Although initially she makes Kira a target of brutal psychological attacks because of the growing connection between her and Rei, she later reforms and becomes a solid and protective friend.
is a girl from Rei's past, she was Sei's girlfriend at first, but then left Sei for Rei. She was the only girl that the two brothers both liked. She blames herself for Sei's death, and also tried to kill herself because she "couldn't live without ether one of them (Rei and Sei)".
is an effeminate sociopath
Psychopathy
Psychopathy is a mental disorder characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness. Psychopaths are highly prone to antisocial behavior and abusive treatment of others, and are very disproportionately responsible for violent crime...
who was often bullied by his only friend, Yuji Aoki. Rei had saved Masao from being beaten to death at one point in time, but he barely remembers this event as the action was impulsive because Rei was still in shock over Sei's death. Soon after this incident, Masao kills Aoki. Masao admits to having a crush on Rei, but also claims to have a crush on Kira.
Written and illustrated by Fuyumi Soryo
Fuyumi Soryo
is a Japanese manga artist from Beppu, Oita, Japan. She is a graduate of the Oita prefectural Geijutsu Midorigaoka High School.She was born into the home of a master of the Kanze school of Noh. In her childhood she liked to draw pictures of horses and things but had no special interest in manga...
, the chapters of Mars were serialized in Bessatsu Friend
Bessatsu Friend
is a Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Kodansha, aimed at teenage girls. It was originally conceived as a bessatsu, or companion magazine, to Shōjo Friend, which is no longer published...
from 1995 to 2000. They were collected and published in 15 tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes by Kodansha. The first volume was published on May 13, 1996; the last on December 13, 2000. A short prequel series, , was serialized in the same magazine in 1999, and its chapters were published in a single tankōbon volume on December 9, 1999. From October 12, 2006 through January 12, 2007, Kodansha republished the series in Japan across eight kanzenban special edition volumes, collecting more chapters in each volume.
The manga series was licensed for an English language release in North America by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
. The first five chapters were serialized in Smile
Smile (magazine)
Smile was a magazine aimed at teenage girls. At first it was supposed to be a mainstream teen mag similar to Seventeen, but with added manga; later, it became more focused on manga and removed most of its other features. It was discontinued in 2002. It was published by TOKYOPOP.Sailor Moon, Peach...
starting in the October 2001 issue, and running until the March 2001 issue. which published all fifteen volumes from April 23, 2003 through November 11, 2003. It released A Horse With No Name on July 13, 2004. Both titles are now considered "out of print" by Tokyopop.
Live action television series
In 2004, a twenty-one episode Taiwanese dramaTaiwanese drama
Taiwanese Drama refers to dramatic programming of television programming extended stories usually dramatizing relationships through the general range of ten to forty one-hour episodes. They are produced in Taiwan and have gained increasing popularity in the Mandarin-speaking community...
based on the manga series was broadcasted on Chinese Television System
Chinese Television System
Chinese Television System is a broadcast television station in Republic of China .-History:Founded on October 31, 1971, CTS started off as a joint venture between the ROC's Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Education. At the time of its establishment, CTS was the only VHF-supported...
starring Vic Zhou & Barbie Hsu
Barbie Hsu
Barbie Hsu also known as Dà S |Mars]] with Vic Chou of F4. She has also acted in movies, her first being the Chinese movie The Ghost Inside. She also had a singing career prior to her acting career. She was in a duo group called "S.O.S." with her sister Dee Hsu. Their last album was called...
. In Mars
Mars (TV series)
Mars is a Taiwanese drama starring Barbie Hsu and Vic Chou of F4. It is based on the Japanese shōjo manga series, Mars written by Fuyumi Soryo...
the characters names were changed to Chinese names, but it otherwise follows the manga's plot. It was voted Favorite Drama of the Year at the 40th Annual 2005 Golden Bell Awards, and was the highest rated program in 2005 when it aired on the Philippine network QTV.
The live-action series uses two pieces of theme music, one opening and one ending theme. "零" (lit. "Zero") by Alan Kuo is used for the opening, while "Rang Wo Ai Ni" by Vic Zhou & Barbie Hsu
Barbie Hsu
Barbie Hsu also known as Dà S |Mars]] with Vic Chou of F4. She has also acted in movies, her first being the Chinese movie The Ghost Inside. She also had a singing career prior to her acting career. She was in a duo group called "S.O.S." with her sister Dee Hsu. Their last album was called...
is used for the ending.
Reception
In Understanding Manga and Anime, Robin E. Brenner lists the title among her recommendations for "Best Romances and Melodrama", stating that "this manga romance literally has it all: romance, motorcycle races, bullying, haunted pasts, child abuse, friendly transvestites, murder, sociopaths, and more romance." She considered it an appealing "soap opera", and praised the scene where Rei and Kira make love as "gentle, sweet, and very much focused on the emotional impact on this progression in their relationship" versus being focused on "titillating readers". Reviewing the fourth volume to the series for Library JournalLibrary Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
, Steve Raiteri considered Soryo's artwork "clean" and felt it did an expert job in "[portaying] Shiori's desperation, Kira's sadness and uncertainty, and Rei's living-in-the-moment changeability". Speaking to the series as a whole, he stated that it would appeal to both teen girls and to older readers due to its "depth and quality".
Though Ross Liversidge the online magazine UK Anime Network had low expectations for the series, he found it to be "flawless". Rating it a 10 out of 10, he considered its strong points to be its "delicate and detailed" artwork and, most importantly, its "normality, stating that it "smacks of a tragedy waiting to happen, and there are times even in this first volume that things start to get serious...but its done so well, and in such an understated manner that its utterly absorbing and keeps your attention." Manga: The Complete Guide
Manga: The Complete Guide
Manga: The Complete Guide is a 2007 encyclopedia written by Jason Thompson and published by Del Rey which provides basic details and short reviews of over 1000 Japanese manga titles that have been translated and released in English in North America...
s author Jason Thompson highly praised the work, rating it four out of four stars. Calling it a "well-written, tightly plotted romance" that successfully deals with range of "powerful issues" that avoids being "preachy or patronizing", he considered Soryo's artwork to be "clear and attractive". However, he felt the prequel, Mars: Horse With No Name, did not add much to the overall story, noting that only the title story actually relates to the series. While he still praised the artwork and rated it three stars, he also considered the stories were "pale in comparison" to the original.
Manga Lifes Park Cooper praised the original Mars, noting that they "love[d] the characters, the story, and the tension that lies within the situations", but did not recommend doing more than browsing Horse With No Name, finding it to be less impressive and unlikely to appeal even to fans of the main series. He felt the titular story, which tells how Kira and Tatsuya became friends, to be "disappointing" and did not find it to be up to the same standard as the main series. However, he praised the second story, "Sleeping Lion", as making the volume worth the purchase and containing "the type of context in the story that got me to love MARS in the first place." The final story, "A One-Carat Fruit", he considered unengaging and left him unable to connect with the central characters. Overall, Cooper noted that while Soryo's artwork was not unique, she created "incredible looking characters" and "did a great job making certain expressions of the characters feel convincing."