Fuyumi Soryo

It’s nice to meet Kira and Rei again

This is shaping up to be a very good manga. The storytelling transitions so seamlessly between scenes and POVs, and the art is awesome. There is more focus on Kira and Rei in this volume, all the other characters are background noise. I don’t mind, I just enjoy following the shy artist and the biker boy.

Kira decides to enter an art competition and paint Rei, while he is preparing for a prestigious race. I liked the scene with Kira seeing Rei race for show more the first time, it was wonderfully done. We also learn more about the darkness in Rei’s past.

I love their way of being vulnerable together. Let me read more... show less

A very emotional journey!

I knew of this manga’s existence, but I didn’t know much beyond “I’ve heard the name, it’s famous.” When I saw that there was a 30th anniversary edition of volumes 1-2 on NetGalley, I impulsively pushed that button. No regrets!

Rei Kashino is trouble, he is a “bad biker boy”. Kira Aso is a shy loner - ”she draws all the time and doesn’t talk to anyone”. There is an accidental meeting in a park, then they end up in the same class in the second show more year of high school.

There is a lot of teenage frustration and trying to understand who you are. Maybe love is being born. We see sexual abuse, terrible mobbing, violence, suicide, dark pasts. I couldn’t look away from the characters and their emotions. I couldn’t look away from the art - it's awesome. Consider me hooked.

I need to try to find volume 3...

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-book! show less

Two outsiders with traumatic pasts forge a strong relationship.

God, this is like peak 90s' teen melodrama. There is so much drama, angst, and floppy hair that I felt like I was mainlining Dawson's Creek.

Kidding aside, this is actually pretty good. The characters have depth and experience growth, and the art is strong. If you're looking for a well written book or just some 90s nostalgia, give Mars a try.

Received via NetGalley.

We finally get what is going on with Kira. There is a lot of heavy stuff going on in this volume. Kira talks about being raped repeatedly by her stepfather, her mother leaving him over it, but now he is back and says he is sorry. That makes Rei lose it. He does not believe that her stepfather is really sorry or would never do it again. I think that the subject of rape is handled well. Kira is shown to still have pain over it but she is also shown that there is life after. I wish that Soryo show more would put Kira in therapy like she did Rei over his brother's death but I think being willing to talk about rape at all is a big step. Of course the drama is high with all that happens over the course of this volume. It end with them breaking up but that's just the cliffhanger for this volume. Rei does make one very good point, that Kira's mother is choosing her own personal comfort over her daughter's safety. Again a big issue and I am just going to have to see how it is handled. More drama next week.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money so long ago. show less