is a Japanese
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
series written and illustrated by
Fuyumi Soryo
is a Japanese manga artist.
Life
Soryo was born in 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 ...
. Initially serialized in ''
Bessatsu Friend
, formerly known as , is a Japanese Shōjo manga, manga magazine published by Kodansha, aimed at teenage girls. It was originally conceived as a , or companion magazine, to ''Shōjo Friend'', which is no longer published. ''Bessatsu Friend'' i ...
'' from 1996 to 2000, the series spans 15 ''tankōbon'' volumes. It follows the teenage romance between Kira Aso, an introverted artist, and Rei Kashino, a troubled playboy who is a professional
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
racer. A single volume prequel, ''Mars: A Horse With No Name'' was released in 1999.
The manga is licensed for an English language release by
Tokyopop
Tokyopop (styled TOKYOPOP; formerly known as Mixx Entertainment) is an American distributor, licensor and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa and Western manga-style works. The German publishing division produces German translations of licensed J ...
, which has published all 15 volumes plus the prequel. The series was adapted into a 21 episode Taiwanese television drama in 2004. A
Japanese television drama
, also called , are television programs that are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, jidaigeki, thriller ...
series adaptation titled was broadcast on
Nippon TV
JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed su ...
from January 24 to March 27, 2016 and a
live action
Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ga ...
film adaptation
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
of the same name was released in Japan on June 18, 2016.
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 harassing 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. Thus beginning a relationship that is opposed by the world in general. They draw on their love for each other to heal the wounds the world has left on them; Rei, the scars from his twin's suicide for which he blames himself, and Kira, her hatred of men due to her stepfather having raped her when she was in middle school.
Characters
* is a 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 happened, she separates from her husband and begins living alone with Kira.
* is an 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 tries to kill Kira's step-father, which was not his first attempt to mess with someone. While living in Los Angeles he attempted to shoot a boy that had been bullying his brother (the gun was not loaded). He also threatened to cut up (and later kill) the English teacher who had molested Kira.
* 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 she 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 either one of them (Rei and Sei)".
* is an effeminate
sociopath
Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been u ...
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 he also claims to have a crush on Kira.
* Sei Kashino is the younger twin brother of Rei, he was an artist like Kira and was timid and always bullied, having to have his brother stand up for him. He was the one that found out that their father was not their real father. In junior high, he committed suicide by jumping off the school building killing himself right in front of Rei, leaving Rei with very deep emotional scars. Sei told his brother in his suicide letter that he wanted to leave those scars and that he had a darker mind then he thought because he wanted Rei to kill someone.
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by
Fuyumi Soryo
is a Japanese manga artist.
Life
Soryo was born in 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 ...
, the chapters of ''Mars'' were serialized in ''
Bessatsu Friend
, formerly known as , is a Japanese Shōjo manga, manga magazine published by Kodansha, aimed at teenage girls. It was originally conceived as a , or companion magazine, to ''Shōjo Friend'', which is no longer published. ''Bessatsu Friend'' i ...
'' from 1995 to 2000.
They were collected and published in 15 ''
tankōbon
is the Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...
'' 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 (styled TOKYOPOP; formerly known as Mixx Entertainment) is an American distributor, licensor and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa and Western manga-style works. The German publishing division produces German translations of licensed J ...
. The first five chapters were serialized in ''
Smile
A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile.
Among humans, a smile expresses ...
'' starting in the October 2001 issue, and running until the March 2001 issue. which published all fifteen volumes from April 23, 2002 through November 2003.
[ ][ ] It released ''A Horse With No Name'' on July 2004.
Both titles are now considered "out of print" by Tokyopop.
Live action television series
In 2004, a twenty-one episode
Taiwanese drama
Taiwanese drama (, also known as T.W. drama) refer 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 hav ...
based on the manga series was broadcast on
Chinese Television System
The Chinese Television System Inc. () is a terrestrial television station in Taiwan and was founded in 1971. Recent milestones of the network are in sports events, including having the distinction to offer exclusive coverage of the 2017 Un ...
starring
Vic Zhou
Vic Chou () is a Taiwanese actor and singer. He is a member of the Taiwanese boy band F4.
Career F4
Chou rose to fame for his role as Hua Ze Lei in the highly popular Taiwan television series '' Meteor Garden''. At the conclusion of the series ...
&
Barbie Shu
Barbie Hsu (; born 6 October 1976) is a Taiwanese actress, singer, and television host. She is best known for her leading role in the television series ''Meteor Garden'' (2001).
Life and career
Hsu was born in Taipei, Taiwan on 6 October 1976 ...
. In
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
() the characters names were changed to Chinese names for localization, but it otherwise follows the manga's general plot. Another difference between media is that Rei Kashino drives a Ducati Monster motorcycle in the manga while Ling Chen drives a Yamaha Fazer in the drama. 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
Alan Ko (), also known as Alan Kuo or Alan Ke, is a Taiwanese singer and actor.
Career
Ko is the son of the late Taiwanese stuntman/actor, Blackie Ko Shou Liang and his wife Sung Lai Wah. For his father, he had written two songs, each in one of ...
is used for the opening, while "Rang Wo Ai Ni" by
Vic Zhou
Vic Chou () is a Taiwanese actor and singer. He is a member of the Taiwanese boy band F4.
Career F4
Chou rose to fame for his role as Hua Ze Lei in the highly popular Taiwan television series '' Meteor Garden''. At the conclusion of the series ...
&
Barbie Shu
Barbie Hsu (; born 6 October 1976) is a Taiwanese actress, singer, and television host. She is best known for her leading role in the television series ''Meteor Garden'' (2001).
Life and career
Hsu was born in Taipei, Taiwan on 6 October 1976 ...
is used for the ending.
In 2016 NTV aired a new television drama adaption named Mars: Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru! (Mars: But, I Love You! Japanese: MARS〜ただ、君を愛してる〜 ) which premiered in January, starring
Taisuke Fujigaya as Rei Kashino and
Masataka Kubota
is a Japanese actor.
Filmography
Films
* ''Boku no Hatsukoi o Kimi ni Sasagu'' (2009)
* ''Kyōretsu! Mōretsu!! Kodai Shōjo Doguchan Matsuri Special Movie Edition'' (2010), Makoto Sugihara
* ''Gachiban Series'' (2010–2014), Yūto Kuronaga
* ...
as Makio Kirishima. Both actors are listed as "double stars" of the series.
Marie Iitoyo
is a Japanese actress and fashion model.
Filmography
Film
Television
Video on demand
Japanese dub
Publications
Fashion Magazines
* ''Niko☆Puchi''(April 2009 issue - June 2011 issue) - Exclusive model
* '' Nicola''(June 2011 is ...
plays Kira Aso. The series will conclude its story with a film which will open in theaters throughout Japan on June 18, 2016.
Film
A
live-action
Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ga ...
film adaptation
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
and finale for the
Japanese television drama
, also called , are television programs that are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, jidaigeki, thriller ...
series was released on June 18, 2016.
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
transvestite
Transvestism is the practice of dressing in a manner traditionally associated with the opposite sex. In some cultures, transvestism is practiced for religious, traditional, or ceremonial reasons. The term is considered outdated in Western c ...
s, 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 Journal
''Library Journal'' is an American 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 prac ...
'', Steve Raiteri considered Soryo's artwork "clean" and felt it did an expert job in "
ortrayingShiori'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
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."
Further reading
*
References
External links
*
Official GTV ''Zhànshén Mars'' live-action series
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mars (Manga)
1996 manga
1999 manga
2000 comics endings
2004 Taiwanese television series debuts
2005 Taiwanese television series endings
2016 Japanese television series debuts
2016 Japanese television series endings
Chinese Television System original programming
Fuyumi Soryo
Japanese television dramas based on manga
Kodansha manga
Taiwanese television dramas based on manga
Manga adapted into films
Manga adapted into television series
Nippon TV dramas
School life in anime and manga
Romance anime and manga
Shōjo manga
Tokyopop titles