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Mars [マース] #7
Mars, Vol. 7
A bad boy can change a good girl forever. Kira and Rei are made for each other... but no one said love was easy. Masao directs his violent temper at Kira. When Kira's mother is unexpectedly hospitalized, Rei and Harumi offer their undying support. Masao, who hates seeing Rei's sensitive side, is outraged and attempts to put Kira out of the picture... forever. As murderous plots are hatched and hidden secrets revealed, Kira and Rei must fight for each other - and for their lives.
169 pages, Paperback
First published May 13, 1998
61 people are currently reading
395 people want to read
About the author
Fuyumi Soryo
149 books351 followersFuyumi Soryo (惣領冬実) is a Japanese manga artist from Beppu, Oita, Japan. She is a graduate of the Oita prefectural Geijutsu Midorigaoka High School.
She was born into the home of a master of the Kanze school of Noh. In her childhood she liked to draw pictures of horses and things but had no special interest in manga. While enrolled in fashion college, she happened across Shogakukan's Rookie of the Year Contest and applied to raise money for the Sōen fashion contest. There she received an honorable mention, and debuted with "Sunspot Visitor" (Hidamari no hōmonsha) published in the April 1982 edition of Bessatsu Shōjo Comic (now Bestucomi).
Her works translated abroad include Mars and Eternal Sabbath. In 1988, she was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo manga for Boyfriend. Currently her last manga series is Cesare which centers around the infamous Borgia family of the Italian Renaissance and Cesare Borgia himself.
She was born into the home of a master of the Kanze school of Noh. In her childhood she liked to draw pictures of horses and things but had no special interest in manga. While enrolled in fashion college, she happened across Shogakukan's Rookie of the Year Contest and applied to raise money for the Sōen fashion contest. There she received an honorable mention, and debuted with "Sunspot Visitor" (Hidamari no hōmonsha) published in the April 1982 edition of Bessatsu Shōjo Comic (now Bestucomi).
Her works translated abroad include Mars and Eternal Sabbath. In 1988, she was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo manga for Boyfriend. Currently her last manga series is Cesare which centers around the infamous Borgia family of the Italian Renaissance and Cesare Borgia himself.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
July 6, 2022
This is really heavy—I'm actually prepared for this!
This was very challenging. And you thought you'll only feel rainbows and ponies and butterflies in your bellies whenever you read shojo manga, right? Well, treat this one differently. This series is pretty heavy, dark, and thought-provoking. I've been typing this review and constantly taking it down. I can't seem to put my mind to it. I need some alone time. And the cliffhanger about Kira's dark past didn't help to ease this horrible feeling in my chest. That poor girl was ravaged, no wonder she detested men at the start of the story. And she never let Rei touch her intimately.
This was very challenging. And you thought you'll only feel rainbows and ponies and butterflies in your bellies whenever you read shojo manga, right? Well, treat this one differently. This series is pretty heavy, dark, and thought-provoking. I've been typing this review and constantly taking it down. I can't seem to put my mind to it. I need some alone time. And the cliffhanger about Kira's dark past didn't help to ease this horrible feeling in my chest. That poor girl was ravaged, no wonder she detested men at the start of the story. And she never let Rei touch her intimately.
July 6, 2008
Mars continues to be one of my favorite mangas, for the simple reason that while set in that most typical of shojo placements, a school, and featuring two of the most stereotypical shojo characters--the good girl and the naughty boy--it uses this material in different and superior ways. I mean, how many volumes of a shojo manga open with one of the main characters throttling someone to death?
If that doesn't jump at you, don't bother going back and reading the rest of this series because you obviously aren't interested in good mangas. If you are, however, and haven't gotten to this point yet, back up and start from volume one. Once you get here, you'll see the strings tightening about Rei and Kira, as their pasts start once again to collide with the present. The results are potentially deadly and Soryo places both of her protagonists in danger several times over the issues collected here.
There's an unusual amount of action this time, as Rei, Kira, and Masao face off against one another in a nerve-wracking battle of wills. Who will be strong enough to survive, and even if they do, will the past finally be enough to split them apart forever?
Just a great series, you really should be reading this one if you haven't already. (Library, 07/08)
Trebby's Take: Highly recommended! Keep on reading!
If that doesn't jump at you, don't bother going back and reading the rest of this series because you obviously aren't interested in good mangas. If you are, however, and haven't gotten to this point yet, back up and start from volume one. Once you get here, you'll see the strings tightening about Rei and Kira, as their pasts start once again to collide with the present. The results are potentially deadly and Soryo places both of her protagonists in danger several times over the issues collected here.
There's an unusual amount of action this time, as Rei, Kira, and Masao face off against one another in a nerve-wracking battle of wills. Who will be strong enough to survive, and even if they do, will the past finally be enough to split them apart forever?
Just a great series, you really should be reading this one if you haven't already. (Library, 07/08)
Trebby's Take: Highly recommended! Keep on reading!
May 1, 2025
Kira really seems to be changing Rei for the better. He’s been opening up so much lately, and he has been showing his vulnerable side to her and his classmates more often. And Rei is changing Kira as well. She’s really come out of her shell since starting to hang out with Rei.
One of my favorite things about these two as a couple is their ability to communicate with each other about anything they are going through and feeling. Even the dark stuff. They are always there to comfort and reassure one another.
Masao says that having two murders on his record would look bad, but killing Kira would be so much worse than his first one. The first time, he could easily claim it as self defense. If he killed Kira though, he wouldn’t be able to use the same excuse.
One of my favorite things about these two as a couple is their ability to communicate with each other about anything they are going through and feeling. Even the dark stuff. They are always there to comfort and reassure one another.
Masao says that having two murders on his record would look bad, but killing Kira would be so much worse than his first one. The first time, he could easily claim it as self defense. If he killed Kira though, he wouldn’t be able to use the same excuse.
March 1, 2022
The one thing that really stands out to me in this volume is Masao's insistence that Rei is like him, that they're cut from the same cloth with the same twisted, evil desires at heart, the lack of compassion for humanity. But Kira knows that's not true. Because she knows that Rei is a complexity of rich, vibrant colors. It's how she was able to paint her picture of him that won her the award. But Masao, well, painting him would be easy, because she would simply paint everything black.
Rei undergoes a bit of a crisis in this one. There's a huge confrontation with Masao that also involves Kira, and there's Rei's confession to Kira about something he tried to do when he and his twin brother, lived in California as children. We also start to put the pieces together about Kira and her past and the reasons why she balks at any act of sexual intimacy with Rei. Not so much the thought of it, but the touching one another.
This is a great volume, one of my favorites. The ex-girlfriend Shiori isn't in it, and we have some important conversations and comparisons and contracts that happen. Rei, no matter how much darkness he thinks he has, is not like Masao. The reader knows that, just like Kira knows it. But now we have to unlock Kira's secrets so she can move forward in her relationship with Rei and not allow fear to hold her back.
Rei undergoes a bit of a crisis in this one. There's a huge confrontation with Masao that also involves Kira, and there's Rei's confession to Kira about something he tried to do when he and his twin brother, lived in California as children. We also start to put the pieces together about Kira and her past and the reasons why she balks at any act of sexual intimacy with Rei. Not so much the thought of it, but the touching one another.
This is a great volume, one of my favorites. The ex-girlfriend Shiori isn't in it, and we have some important conversations and comparisons and contracts that happen. Rei, no matter how much darkness he thinks he has, is not like Masao. The reader knows that, just like Kira knows it. But now we have to unlock Kira's secrets so she can move forward in her relationship with Rei and not allow fear to hold her back.
November 11, 2022
VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/1L5Z0wV0UwQ
To say that I am deeply relieved that Masao is no longer in the picture is an understatement. I don't think a character has made me as anxious/nervous as him.
While I strongly disliked his character a lot, I do think he created an interesting conversation/questioning in Rei about laws and justice that I found very intriguing. I do feel this volume was extremely critical for Rei in that this is a turning point for him and that he's not going back to who he use to be. That's not to say he doesn't struggle and voices things that sometimes make me uncomfortable, but I feel there was a lot of growth in him in this volume.
I really admire Kira's courage in standing up to Masao and sharing her thoughts with him (including her confidence that if something were to happen to her, Rei wouldn't change back to who he use to be), especially when she tells him the colors she sees in him and in Rei too. However, one of my favorite parts is when she tells Rei this:
"People keep changing as long as they live."
Beautiful line and really resonated with me! That a very great conversation!
I feel we are going to be diving into Kira's past and really nervous about what will find out.
To say that I am deeply relieved that Masao is no longer in the picture is an understatement. I don't think a character has made me as anxious/nervous as him.
While I strongly disliked his character a lot, I do think he created an interesting conversation/questioning in Rei about laws and justice that I found very intriguing. I do feel this volume was extremely critical for Rei in that this is a turning point for him and that he's not going back to who he use to be. That's not to say he doesn't struggle and voices things that sometimes make me uncomfortable, but I feel there was a lot of growth in him in this volume.
I really admire Kira's courage in standing up to Masao and sharing her thoughts with him (including her confidence that if something were to happen to her, Rei wouldn't change back to who he use to be), especially when she tells him the colors she sees in him and in Rei too. However, one of my favorite parts is when she tells Rei this:
"People keep changing as long as they live."
Beautiful line and really resonated with me! That a very great conversation!
I feel we are going to be diving into Kira's past and really nervous about what will find out.
November 12, 2015
Rei is the type of guy that Kira couldn't stand; flirty, reckless, and a biker. When a chance encounter leads to Rei saving Kira from a teacher with bad intentions, neither of them know the extent to which the other will impact them.
On the outside, MARS is a typical coming-of-age story centered on the relationship between good girl and a bad boy. But underneath the romance lie stories of suicide, rape and murder; the idea that everyone has a secret to hide, even those who seem most innocent. When the dark pasts of Rei and Kira come to light, they struggle to keep their relationship together.
This is definitely one of my favorite manga series out there, I highly recommend it for the shoujo fan! :)
On the outside, MARS is a typical coming-of-age story centered on the relationship between good girl and a bad boy. But underneath the romance lie stories of suicide, rape and murder; the idea that everyone has a secret to hide, even those who seem most innocent. When the dark pasts of Rei and Kira come to light, they struggle to keep their relationship together.
This is definitely one of my favorite manga series out there, I highly recommend it for the shoujo fan! :)
June 20, 2017
Y como si la antagonista no hubiera sido tan mala ahora se hace amiga de Kira para luchar con otra enemiga todavía mas manipuladora para jugar con los recuerdos de Rei
December 2, 2021
I get that it's a drama but literally there is always something going on. Everyone is either crying or pondering murder.
January 5, 2024
What a rollercoaster
July 21, 2024
This only gets deeper and deeper.
December 5, 2020
Reread - Lots of dumb plot points in this one, like who would logically go see a murderer on a rooftop?? Not I...
December 10, 2022
this just gets darker and darker.
February 25, 2024
Seingatku kalau di drama, chapter sama Masao ini chapter final. Tapi di versi manga-nya enggak, ya. Masao nyaris ngebunuh Kira kalau saja Rei nggak segera menghentikannya.
Masao bikin Rei menganggap dirinya sama psikopatnya kayak Masao. Kira mati-matian bilang kalau Rei nggak sama kayak Masao.
Chapter Masao diakhiri dengan bagaimana anak itu bikin ulah dengan mendorong seorang cewek di eskalator sampai menyebabkan kecelakaan beruntun cuma gara-gara kakinya diinjak sama cewek itu. Masao dikeluarkan dari sekolah dan dimasukkan ke RSJ lagi.
Tapi konflik berikutnya adalah Kira yang sepertinya pernah jadi korban perkosaan. Waktu Rei menyentuhnya, dia langsung histeris.
Masao bikin Rei menganggap dirinya sama psikopatnya kayak Masao. Kira mati-matian bilang kalau Rei nggak sama kayak Masao.
Chapter Masao diakhiri dengan bagaimana anak itu bikin ulah dengan mendorong seorang cewek di eskalator sampai menyebabkan kecelakaan beruntun cuma gara-gara kakinya diinjak sama cewek itu. Masao dikeluarkan dari sekolah dan dimasukkan ke RSJ lagi.
Tapi konflik berikutnya adalah Kira yang sepertinya pernah jadi korban perkosaan. Waktu Rei menyentuhnya, dia langsung histeris.
November 4, 2017
This one was really dark, which I don't mind, but in a romance, not so much. The plot is good, as is the art. The characters continue to grow, and the past become clearer. A good series so far, but not my favorite.
March 25, 2021
Whoops, I forgot I had this series on Kindle 😅
Anyway it was really easy to slip back into it. Masao and his drama get out of control...Rei is as angsty as ever and Kira is balancing trauma. I really enjoyed this drama filled volume
Anyway it was really easy to slip back into it. Masao and his drama get out of control...Rei is as angsty as ever and Kira is balancing trauma. I really enjoyed this drama filled volume
January 3, 2022
Masao is really crazy, I can’t believe he would do something like that just because they step on his foot by accident. and what happened to Kira that made her snap like that and scratch Rei? it’s pretty cool to see the struggles that they have. but i really want to know more lol
January 15, 2022
yyyyy masao otra vez volvió a irse a los extremos, hasta el punto de querer herir a rei y kira; literal en cada volumen sale alguien peor que el anterior; y ahora está el pasado de kira, el cual parece que no le quiere revelar aún a rei…
April 25, 2024
Ay, me da cosita Rei y todo ese cuestionamiento de su moral, porque es algo que no es poco comun, el cuestionar si realmente eres buena persona o si solo estás sienso retenido para no hacer lo malo.
Y yo bien estúpida que comencé esta serie creyendo que era un shojo.
Y yo bien estúpida que comencé esta serie creyendo que era un shojo.
November 20, 2025
That dude is crazy. God this is a hot mess but I liked it. Where is racing at even anymore. And then the ending??? Dude another traumatic thing. These kids need serious therapy. But these kids are always there for each other. Crazy crazy love
October 15, 2020
This volume was really dark(plot wise)
December 16, 2020
another 4/5 for murder. the drama of it all
August 18, 2021
Speechless
How dare this person hurt her like this, that's no way to treat someone. I want to know how it will go from here
How dare this person hurt her like this, that's no way to treat someone. I want to know how it will go from here
August 21, 2021
I'm still curious about Masao and Kira so I don't have anything to say about this volume because I can't wait to start read the next volume to know the truth.
September 8, 2021
More violence blah blah. More trauma...Rei's a psycho and he knows it..yeah...oh and we have a sneak peek at perhaps Kira's trauma? Sexual abuse???
January 20, 2022
3 stars. This is where we are introduced to a new character who is obsessed with Kira and Rei. It takes a darker tone and shifts the direction of the series overall.
July 20, 2022
We have found out a little big more about Kira's past.
November 30, 2022
im a little fustrated but im glad the pyscho is gone
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews