Mars Volume 1

by Fuyumi Soryo

Book Overview

Kira and Rei might as well be from different planets. She's a shy art student, afraid of boys and hated by her classmates. He's a rebellious motorcycle racer with girls dropping left and right just to talk to him. Their lives become intertwined when Kira asks Rei to model for her and, to everyone's surprise, he agrees.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1931514585
• ISBN13: 9781931514583
• Release Date: April 2002
• Publisher: TokyoPop
• Length: 1 Pages
• Weight: 0.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 7.4"
• Age Range: 13 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 8 to 12

Customer Reviews

awesome manga

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!

THE best romance manga.

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!

Great series

This is a great series. Kira is a shy girl and Rei is an outgoing guy. When they meet and fall in love, they get into a loving relationship which changes everything. Kira gets bullied when people notice her relationship with Rei and Rei rescues her. After they kiss, they become a couple and go through many challenges. When Kira was young, she was raped by her stepfather and ever since then she's been shy in social situations. When Rei was young, his twin brother committed suicide and he feels that he's to blame for it. Kira and Rei go through many obstacles and confrontations from the past as their relationship is stronger then ever.

Star-Crossed Romance--Manga Style!

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

simply incredible...

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...