Reread - Yep the ending was rushed...overall I still enjoyed it and it will remain in my top 10 but I didn't quite enjoy it as much as I did as a kid. A lot of illogical things I didn't notice before happened and the characters made such stupid decisions at times. However, I still loved all of them in the same way I did before.

(Reviewing the whole series)

I've always really liked Mars even if it takes 15 books to reach the end. The psychology of the main characters is fascinating and I like how they work through the problems that arise. They don't alwasy pick the best way to resolve something, but they do pick a consistent way that matches their characters. You believe that they really would do what they're doing.

Plus, as a couple they are very cute.

Series Rating- 4/5

This will be the review of the whole series. Mars is a manga series revolving around the relationship of two unlikely high school students Rei and Kira. These two people are polar opposites: Rei is a rebel, a player and has an obnoxious reputation while Kira is painfully shy and aloof and prefers to stay away from boys. Rei dreams about being a professional racer while Kira is an artist.

During a chance encounter in the park, Kira asks Rei to be a model for her and Rei surprisingly agrees. After that, they get closer and become a talk of the school due to their opposing personalities. The story depicts the struggles of the characters to understand each other and themselves while being together and enduring the grueling life of high school.

This was a fun series to read. I was expecting just a cute love story but this is much more than that. It covers the dark topics such as death, assault, trauma and much more. The characters have more depth to them so they feel real and likeable. With each volume, the story is unraveled slowly and many secrets from the past come to light. It is narrated from the perspective of both characters. The artwork is done beautifully.

Both Rei and Kira carry baggage from the past that they have to deal with and understand and support each other in the process. The development of the main characters is given attention while the side characters aren’t much explored except a few minor characters but other than that, other aspects are left untouched. Anyway, that doesn’t impact the story much.

It has some clichés that are annoying; there is angst and a lot of drama but at no point, does it get over-the-top. The cliché of a bad guy falling for a good girl is also handled well without the story coming off as shallow. I’ve seen many dramas where the story just goes so overboard that it turns unrealistic but it’s not the case here. Despite the serious topics, the story is generally light-hearted. It’s a little cheesy at times but in a good way.

The story takes place over the span of a few years and to be honest, I was a little disappointed that it ended without resolving many plot points but I’m fine with it. It’s a short read and I wasn’t expecting much from the manga but I’m pleasantly surprised that it turned out to be such an endearing story. If you’re looking for a cute romance with depth, then I recommend this manga.

Revisiting the series after not touching it since its initial 2003(?) tokyopop run:

The series as a whole held up surprisingly well! Much crying happened when appropriate.

I was pleased with how much I enjoyed it the second time around! The art was even prettier and the story far darker than I remember.

Admittedly there were bits that haven't aged well AT ALL (like there's a trans character that uhhhh isn't handled the best) but I honestly expected it to be worse.

All in all I really enjoyed the re-read!