MAR: Volume 1

by Nobuyuki Anzai

Book Overview

Ginta Toramizu is a 14-year-old kid who doesn't have a lot going for him: he's near-sighted, doesn't do well in school, sucks at sports, and to top it off - he's short! But Ginta is a dreamer and has... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 159116902X
• ISBN13: 9781591169024
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: Viz Media
• Length: 194 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 14 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 9 to 12

Customer Reviews

THE DREAM IS REAL

14-year-old Ginta Toramizu has had the same dream 102 times! Well, not exactly the same dream, but the same setting: The fantasy land of Marchen, where he lives a sword and sorcery fairy tale with him as the hero and his real-life friend and classmate Koyuki as the damsel he protects. In reality Ginta is a kid who daydreams too much, can't see without glasses, and is bullied and ridiculed by most of his peers. It doesn't help that his chain-smoking mother, who also happens to be a fantasy writer, isn't very supportive of him, and insinuates that he's not a good son and that he needs to get his head out of the clouds. Ginta wishes he could go to the land of Marchen just once for real! The wish comes true when a ghostly figure transports him there during school. He quickly finds that Marchen works by the rules of his dream instead of reality. Here, he can see perfect and is capable of astonishing feats of strength and endurance. Right off the bat he gets into a fight with an "Arm", which is an accessory engraved with mystical powers which comes in the form of a weapon, a summoned creature, or a dimensional gateway which is controlled by the owner. The Arm Ginta defeats was one of the Arms of the witch Dorothy, who wants to get the living weapon Arm called Bebbo. Ginta agrees to accompany her in the quest if she gives him an Arm in return. Little does Ginta know what he's getting into. Mar is a series that probably would have fit better into the Shonen Jump line of manga which it falls into in terms of look and plot. Because Ginta possesses the powerful Bebbo Arm, everybody in the world who lusts for power wishes to wrest it from his possession, which means there's going to be a lot of fights in this series. I really liked the art which is very clean and the characters are very appealing in design. As for the story, it could use some work, but this isn't bad for a first volume. I think the real turning point is when Ginta realizes that even though he's having a ton of fun in Marchen, he knows in the end he can't stay there forever because his mom and Kuyuki will be worried about him. I think he really just misses them. Of course, he's going to have all kinds of adventures looking for the Arm that can transport him home. While this book will appeal more to kids it's still a pretty good read.

awsome!!!!!!

let me tell u some thing.......good manga!!!!awsome fantsy good for ages 9-18.its about a four teen yearold boy that goes in to another world!!!good pictures good plot good manga!!!! by whistle hateing,manga loveing zatch bell fan