Soryo Fuyumi - Mars, vol. 01-15 (Eng. trans.) (reread)

[oyceter]

Mars is one of the earlier shoujo series I read, and it's one of the earlier shoujo series to be brought over to the US in translation. This was my first time reading the English translation, but the language of the Chinese translation I originally read and the language of the English translation are both fairly unremarkable, so I didn't have as varied of an experience as I did with, say, Angel Sanctuary.

Aso Kira is quiet, terminally shy, and devoted to her art, but she's also bullied by the girls at school. Kashino Rei is just the opposite in personality, although equally as devoted to motorcycles and motorcycle racing. They meet-cute in a park, and while Kira is terrified of talking to him because of his bad-boy reputation, she uncharacteristically overcomes her shyness and ends up asking him to model for her.

This series is an odd combination of quiet character moments and Gothic romance/horror, which Soryo mixes together more successfully with her later series Eternal Sabbath (ES). Even so, I ate this up with a spoon the first time I read it. There's revelation upon revelation about Rei's past, along with a few psychopaths, mental trauma, and parental disapproval. My favorite things about the series is how Rei and Kira actually talk to each other, how Soryo doesn't forget about Rei's friendship with Tatsuya and Kira's eventual friendship with a girl in her class. I also like the explorations of hate and anger, particularly with Kira.

My biggest beef with the series (aside from now rolling my eyes at some of the subplots, particularly the early one about Rei's old girlfriend) is similar to my problem with many shoujo series. Rei's story eventually eclipses Kira's; he not only gets more angst and action and stuff to do, much of the focus ends up being on what he feels and why, with Kira there to provide support only. We don't even get much of Kira's POV on being the support, particularly near the end. Kira does get some angst later on, but it's pretty telling that the last shot of the series is of Rei alone, looking up to an empty sky. (I think? I returned it to the library so I can't double check.)

Still, I like that Soryo is committed to portraying the two in a working, evolving relationship, as opposed to drawn-out misunderstandings and other reasons to keep the couple apart. I especially like watching Kira grow throughout the series; Rei does give her strength, but a lot of what she accomplishes is on her own terms, even though it's often sidelined.

Please put any spoilers in the comments in <span style="color:#333,background:#333">spoiler text</span>!

Comments

[magicnoire.livejournal.com]

I once had a discussion with someone who started reading Mars but stopped after the first volume. When I asked her why, she said she didn't see the point of reading a shoujo romance series in which the couple gets together at the end of volume 1. And I think that crystallized why I like Mars so much. I've said I'm a shounen girl in the past and part of that is because many shoujo romances I've attempted to read depend on contrived storylines and misunderstandings to keep the couple apart, and I don't like contrivance. I liked the fact that Mars is less a story of how the couple gets together, and more a story about how the couple stays together.

I do agree, though, that majority of Mars is All About Rei.

[oyceter]

I liked the fact that Mars is less a story of how the couple gets together, and more a story about how the couple stays together.

Yes, exactly! Not only are the contrivances annoying, they also make me wonder if the couple will actually stay together, given that they're usually so quick to distrust each other. That's actually one reason why I like Coffee Prince so much; there's a lot of postponing of the relationships, but there's also a lot of examination of how couples negotiate and communicate and compromise.

Er, sorry! My obsession is spilling over into everything.

But yeah, I really wish more shoujo (or romance novels or romantic comedies and etc) would look at how relationships work, because that's the part I actually find interesting. Also, I thought it was the part of the series that held up very well; the Gothic horror stuff doesn't really once you know what's going to happen, but the character moments still ring true.

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

… and I see no point in reading 20 volumes of manga to have the couple get together in the last chapter. *shudder*

Some of the twists of Mars are indeed irritating (fortunately it was also one of my first, so I was more tolerant), but it's great to see two people working on a relationship.

[oyceter]

I was really happy to see how well Mars held up to a reread! I was scared that I originally liked it only because it was one of the first shoujo series I've read, but aside from the Gothic melodrama, I do really like Soryo's portrayal of Rei and Kira's relationship.

[fourthage.livejournal.com]

it's pretty telling that the last shot of the series is of Rei alone, looking up to an empty sky. (I think? I returned it to the library so I can't double check.)

The last double page spread is of the motorcycle track with Rei's voiceover, and the actual last page is looking up at the signal at the track with the sky behind it. So yes, Rei-focused.

I only picked up Mars to begin with because it was one of the first titles in Tokyopop's experiment in not flipping artwork and I wanted to encourage that. I got addicted pretty quickly for all the reasons you mentioned.

The only part that really made me want to pull out my hair was the bit with Kira's mom. In a series where most of the characters were growing, that stuck out as such a step backwards. I don't know if it was supposed to show the difference between the older and younger generations or what, but I grit my teeth every time I re-read those chapters.

[oyceter]

Ahhh yeah. Very Rei-centric indeed. And I hadn't realized it was one of the first unflipped titles, yay!

Yeaah, I was really frustrated by the Kira's family storyline. It felt like her mom in particular got jerked around by the narrative, given her two really big changes of mind in the series.

[fourthage.livejournal.com]

Yep! Mars and the second half of Cardcaptor Sakura and Marmelade Boy. All shoujo, which makes me absurdly happy. Tokyopop built up a lot of goodwill with me in their early years for the unflipping, the lower price tag, and the willingness to publish shoujo.

I have to say, I still don't get Rei's blow-up about that whole situation. I mean, I get that he'd be upset about Kira's decision and he was right, but it was the opposite of helpful. And he gave up way too quickly.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Believe it or not, they actually manage to make the boring subplots last twice as long and and be even more boring in the live action version.

And ah, the eternal problem of so much shojo "It's for girls, so lets make it ALL ABOUTTHE GIRL SUPPORTING THE BOY THROUGH HIS PROBLEMS!" Sigh...I remember getting more and more frustrated, the more it was about Rei's problems, and the less it was about Kira's problems. Still, it's one of the best straight up romance shojos, and one of the few I made it all the way through.

[oyceter]

Ha! Ok, I'm definitely not watching that then.

Oh shoujo, whyyyyy? I read you precisely because you are all about the girls, or are supposed to be.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

The drama is actually good, and is the asian drama gateway and favorite of many. Then again, so is Goong, which gives me hives. They just drag things out. My main problem with the drama is that they changed the romance from "friends who are SO going to get together, they just don't realize it" to "epic love from the start," and part of the appeal on the manga to me was that it was friendship as much as romantic love that healed them. Most prefer the instant epic love version.

Ithink that, with a few exceptions, I've given up on shojo being about the girls. Chika Shiomi's stuff(Night of the Beasts and Canon) are all about the girls, though. NotB even has the heroine on a quest to save the hero...and the world from the hero.

[oyceter]

Hrm, trying to think of other shoujo manga series about the girls -- all of Yazawa Ai's stuff is female-centric, and Nana in particular is great about it. I think it's one of the only series I've seen in which the female friendship is the central relationship of the series. I like Emma so far, though it's not published as shoujo in Japan -- there is the focus on romance, but we basically see everything through Emma's eyes, and she's definitely the main character. So far Tramps Like Us focuses most on Sumire, though there are bits of Momo in there.

Darn. I wish I could think of more!

[(Anonymous)]

Skip-Beat is pretty female-centric, and the heroine's rival and eventual friendship with another girl has, so far, been given precedence over the slowly(very slowly, but it should be, given the age difference) developing romance. In addition, the rivalry has nothing whatsoever to do with boys(and neither does the friendship.)

But yes, they're sadly very few and far between.

how'd I get logged out?

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Skip-Beat is pretty female-centric, and the heroine's rival and eventual friendship with another girl has, so far, been given precedence over the slowly(very slowly, but it should be, given the age difference) developing romance. In addition, the rivalry has nothing whatsoever to do with boys(and neither does the friendship.)

But yes, they're sadly very few and far between.

Also, while I haven't read the Tramps Like Us manga, I have seen the live action, and remember it being mostly focused on Sumire, too(unfortunately, I disliked both Momo-who came across as a user to me-and the guy she liked, so I haven't read the manga.)

Re: how'd I get logged out?

[oyceter]

Yay! I finally got vols. 1 and 2 of Skip Beat from the library!

I like the Tramps Like Us manga much more than the drama, though I've only seen up through ep. 5 or so of the drama. But some of that may be because I just did not like the guy who played Momo in that role, and because I like the art of the manga so much. I also feel we get to see Sumire be slobbier and weirder in the manga, but that might just be my impression and it could change in the drama.

Re: how'd I get logged out?

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I hope you like Skip-Beat. Most I know seem to start out loving it, then get bored when it doesn't turn all OTP centric.

I actually really like MatsuJun(the actor who played Momo) but that's the only role I haven't cared for him in.