Mars: Vol. 1

by Fuyumi Souryou (Soryo)

Synopsis(from the back of the book)
Kira and Rei might as well be from different planets. She's a shy art student, afraid of boys and hated by her classmates. He's a rebellious motorcycle racer with girls dropping left and right just to talk to him. Their lives become intertwined when Kira asks Rei to model for her and, to everyone's surprise, he agrees. As these two battle their personal demons and the pressures of their classmates, they learn to not only love each other, but themselves.

Review
The synopsis is a bit misleading, I think. I don't think they're from different planets at all (har har, get the Mars reference?). They're both outcasts, or maybe more like oddballs who don't really fit into the world they find themselves in. Rei might be more popular, but it's clear that the women who want to date him just want him for his looks or his coolness, not because of who he really is. In fact, they seem to belong together, because neither is really what you'd discern from the outside, and only they seem to have the courage to see each other as they truly are.

I personally found this volume to be very intriguing. There's very little in the way of action, but yet it still holds your attention fast. I instantly liked both characters right away, and I love to seem them interacting with each other. When they're together, it's like nothing else matters, and they don't talk about superficial things, their conversations are always deep and insightful. I love that.

Of course, nothing can be perfect, and there will be obstacles to overcome. In this volume they have to deal with a rather bitchy girl who thinks that Rei should be hers, since she's been waiting the longest. She even goes as far as to want to inflict physical violence on Kira. In a way, I felt bad for her, but couldn't help thinking that she was wasting her energy being mad at the wrong person. (I tend to feel the same about women who blame the "other woman" for their spouse cheating, but I digress.)

I also think that this series is very refreshing. I didn't really encounter the types of cliches that I usually encounter in romance series, and the characters, as strange as they are, felt more real to me than even some people in real life. I can wholeheartedly believe in characters such as these. They're fascinating, the story is great, and I can't wait to see where it goes.

Final thought: I have to get the whole series!