Inside Mari, Vol. 7

ぼくは麻理のなか [Boku wa Mari no Naka] #7

by Shuzo Oshimi

There is no turning back now, "Mari" has said good-bye to the person she knew as Isao Komori. But now this Mari must fully commit and accept the past of the body she inhabits. That includes the pain and the memories the Yoshizakis have been suppressing for years.

Genres: Manga, Comics, Mystery, Seinen, Drama, Graphic Novels, Romance

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 9, 2015

About the author

Shuzo Oshimi (押見修造, Oshimi Shūzō) is a Japanese manga creator.
Drawn in a realistic art style, his comics tend to be psychological dramas exploring the difficulties in human relationships and often touching on disturbing situations and perversions.
Oshimi debuted in 2001 with the manga series Avant-Garde Yumeko, appeared in Kodansha's 'Monthly Shōnen Magazine.' Most of his works since then have been published by Kodansha and Futabasha.
Among his first successes the single volume manga Sweet Poolside (2004), later adapted into a live-action film, and the series Drifting Net Café (2008–2011), also adapted for TV.
Oshimi reached international acclaims with The Flowers of Evil (2009–2014) and Inside Mari (2012–2016), both adapted into successful anime. Other notable works are Blood on the Tracks (2017–2023) and Welcome Back, Alice (2020-2023) .

Reviews

[Keiko, the manga enthusiast ♒︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What the hell?! I'm shaking from all the revelation. And what happened to Mari's consciousness? And Komori finally came back to his own body!! Lol, he looked younger and more decent (with cleaner apartment) I did not recognize him!!

[Urbon Adamsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

With only two more volumes to go, we're approaching the conclusion of this series.

The whereabouts of the real Mari and any connection Yori may have had with her remain unanswered.

However, there are a few intriguing revelations to come.

[Brianna Jo♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

So we find out what happened with "Fumiko" but I'm unsure what's going on with Mari and Isao. The disappear scene was so strange. Has Mari returned after all???

I absolutely love the relationship between Yori and Mari (Isao). It's so strange yet so alluring.

This volume has some of the most mesmerizing illustrations in the series to date. I definitely looked a little longer at every panel.

[isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

im so curious

[47Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yori is still hurt by recent events, but at least Isao convinces her to return home. Isao also confesses her love for Yori, so that could have helped. The next day she is cheerful again and ready to look into the Mari's childhood photo that Isao found. It's one made in a fun park, so they visit the place together. The memory of the day the photo was taken comes flooding back suddenly, along with other moments featuring her grandmother and parents. Mari's grandmother chose the name Fumiko for her, but her mother didn't like it. After the grandmother passed away, her mother forced the name Mari onto her. It's something that traumatised Mari deeply and made her hate her mother.

Upon arriving home and seeing Mari's mother, Isao falls ill. She refuses to say a word and only eats when fed.

[Sai Fighter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review for the whole series:



I read this series because of a video essay by ceicocat called "The Incel to Trans Pipeline and Inside Mari" which I highly recommend.

I read "Welcome Back, Alice" first, which I am glad I did because it really helped me understand the author's ideas about gender before diving into "Inside Mari." Inside Mari definitely feels like a gender exploration manga, but it isn't as straight forward about it as Oshimi's other manga.

This isn't your typical situational comedy gender swap manga (Ex. Ranma 1/2). This really feels like a more nuanced exploration of what it would really means to swap bodies with a teenage girl and all the stuff that would naturally come with it: complex female relationship dynamics, unwanted advances of men, social pressures of filling the role of a woman, school pressures, menstruation, etc. Not to mention at one point, it starts to feel somewhat like a trans narrative. The main character Isao Komori is struggling to decide if he wants to save Mari, be Mari, or just wants her sexually. It really reminds me of another manga, Until I Become Me by Satou Hatsuki which is another gender swap manga that slowly starts to take on a more trans story line. But Inside Mari feels a lot more abstract. The ending is honestly, ambiguous, and has more of a DID vibe which I didn't really enjoy. I would have rather it stayed more on the trans narrative track, but I also get that Welcome Back, Alice fills that narrative a little better so at least there is that. The "mystery" of where Mari is gets solved but its still pretty confusing.

This is definitely interesting. Not totally sure I would recommend but still pretty good.

[Kastie Pavlik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I binge read volumes 2 - 9 so this is a generalized review until finale. The story was weird, and uncomfortable and funny at times. The eros commentary at the end of earlier volumes was probably creepier than any single moment in the books. The first volume described this series as having a "scifi" twist, but every volume after that stays a "dark" twist. There is no sci-fi. That mischaracterization made me form a theory that was way off the mark, but I caught the change early and let my imagination take over. I tried more to enjoy the story rather get than figure it out. Without spoiling anything, I did enjoy the entire series, am glad I opted to collect the effort series, and and satisfied with the conclusion.

[The Wrath of Eleny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I TAKE BACK EVERYTHING MEAN I SAID, THIS SERIES IS ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD. Okay, Maybe I don't take back everything, some of that stuff was still super perverted and creepy but everything makes sense now. I mean what I really liked was the bonding between the two girls, we learn so much and it's beautiful how their relationship grows... doesn't change the fact that technically Mari is a dude in uni but he's also a teenage girl, which is interesting? This volume is kinda like one of those things where everything makes sense but you don't understand why. One more to go!

[Bonnie_Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is when we start getting answers about why Mari has been dealing with her identity crisis - her mother literally implanted an identity crisis into her daughter because she was jealous of her father's mother. This is the highest climax of the series and characters are undergoing serious changes - poor Fumiko has gone mute (her personality and identities have shattered into pieces) but Komori seems to have undergone a positive development - his apartment is clean, he has cleaned himself up, and he is forcing himself to integrate back into society.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ooooh so not we're having mind games? Mari goes on a little date with her friend to try and remember thinks for Mari. Oh if you haven't been reading someone is inside Mari. To be exact a older guy is in her. And now his memories are fading, and it's becoming harder to be in control, while the more he remembers about Mari. It's still intriguing, but how is this gonna wrap up in just two more volumeS?

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok...yes...I skipped volume 6 and went on to 7 because I needed to know what happens and volume 6 won't get here until next week. But...wow...I loved this! I'll have to pre-order volume 8...it will be a difficult wait but I'm sure I'll survive. This was so slow to start but it really picked up and I'm so into it now.

[Thomas Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

oooKAY, now the plot's back and it's a lot. I shouldn't be so surprised there's hella repressed childhood trauma, but Oshimi makes it hit pretty damn hard, and the aftermath is going to be really interesting I hope.

[Fabiana Valentino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Se revelan los secretos del pasado de Mari, y el desdoble de su personalidad dará lugar a una trama interesante. Cuál es la realidad? Quien es uno realmente? Este manga trata, entre muchas cosas, de la identidad.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Glory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the fukashi thing

[Alex Fyffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Jillian -always aspiring- · Rating 3 out of 5]

2020 Read #554

And the web continues to unravel at warp speed...

[Joss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tremendo volumen. El arte y la historia es de primer nivel. Se está volviendo de mis mangas favoritos

[Sanne Blomme · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the wheels come down, when the wheels touch ground, And you feel like it's all over...there's another round for you.

[Valerio Amanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finalmente torna un Oshimi all'altezza delle sue potenzialità

[AB · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe I am actually enjoying something by Shuzo Oshimi. This is probably the best work of his I have read so far.

[Valerie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review is gonna be on the volume 9 log lol

[KarleeXx0 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been my first Shuzo Oshimi series I've read and I will absolutely be picking up more when I finish Inside Mari. The way this volume ended has me NEEDING to know what is going to happen.

[Derv]

ups

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yoooooooooooop

[Ivy~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone in this needs therapy.

[Nix012 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I swear the author has some unresolve mommy issues.

[Shizeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG QU'EST-CE QU'IL SE PASSE AHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!! J'ADORE

[Xirimoya · Rating 5 out of 5]

shuzo oshimi y su trauma con las madres..... te entiendo tanto

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yori and Isao’s dynamic is so goated