Mars (manga)

Mars (Japanese: マース, Hepburn: Māsu) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fuyumi Soryo. Initially serialized in Bessatsu Friend from 1996 to 2000, the series spans 15 tankōbon volumes. It follows the teenage romance between Kira Aso, an introverted artist, and Rei Kashino, a troubled playboy who is a professional motorcycle racer. A single volume prequel, Mars: A Horse With No Name was released in 1999. The manga was licensed for an English language release by Tokyopop, but now Kodansha USA will put out a new hardcover eight-volume edition-for the series' 30th anniversary-in 2026. The series was adapted into a 21 episode Taiwanese television drama in 2004. A Japanese television drama series adaptation titled Mars: Tada Kimi wo Aishiteru (MARS～ただ、君を愛してる～) was broadcast on Nippon TV from January 24 to March 27, 2016 and a live action film adaptation of the same name was released in Japan on June 18, 2016. The main series was very well received by critics, who praised its sensitive coverage of a wide range of intense topics, and its excellent romance. A prequel series was released, but critics considered it inferior to the main series.