Mars by Souryo Fuyumi Review

Its Nadeshiko-chan <3 Been a while since I've posted huh? But I'm back! And with another amazing shoujo manga!

Mars follows the story of Kira and Rei, two teens who seem to be from different worlds; the artistic, shy, and quiet Kira is ostracized from the rest of her class while Rei is the center of attention as the school’s popular and lovable bad boy. But they are strangely drawn to each other, even though they don’t accept the fact right away. As the story continues, it is revealed they’re both dealing with major psychological traumas. Kira with her father dying in a car accident and her fear of men, rooted from the years she spent with a sexually abusive stepfather. Then there’s Rei with his complex childhood and the blame he puts on himself for his twin brother’s mysterious suicide. On top of that, there’s his love of racing motorcycles, which constantly worries Kira. Both characters are complex, realistic, and live in the gray zone of society, but they look at each others wounds and accept each other, doing what every they can to comfort and heal the other. The plot is captivating, the art makes it even better; I just love classic 1990s manga art, its simple charming. Souryo Fuyumi really knows how to express emotions like pain, fear, love, and happiness. You can truly understand what Kira and Rei are feeling and the pain they've experienced through her art. I highly recommend this 1990s classic, its story and characters both unique and in no way a cutesy little shoujo manga, not by long shot with its dark pasts, violence, suicides, and psychopaths