Here’s my honest confession about the Mars Red manga – I totally forgot about its existence until recently.
Funnily enough, I knew about it when I stumbled upon the manga on Amazon when the anime was still on air.
The manga was available for pre-order on Amazon back then.
But I didn’t buy it since I planned to buy the manga in print elsewhere.
Despite forgetting about the manga for a long time, I eventually managed to buy the manga in print.
What’s more, I managed to get all three volumes too.
Yes, the manga is indeed short. And that makes it even more pressing than ever to get them as soon as I can.
I failed to get the ID Invaded manga in print. But thankfully, I’m not too late to get all Mars Red manga in print.
What the Mars Red manga is all about
Here’s the book description that I got from Bookwalker.
Aoi is an enterprising young journalist living in Taishō era Tokyo. Though the city is thriving, a string of murders have left people shaken. As Aoi investigates the crimes, she sees her old friend Shutaro. But Shutaro died years ago, didn’t he? What Aoi doesn’t know is that Shutaro is a vampire, working for the government as part of an elite unit. Can he protect Aoi from the dark forces battling for the city’s soul?
What got me to read the manga
Well, it’s no secret here that I enjoy watching the Mars Red anime. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that I will certainly want to get my hands on the manga as well.
But even if I didn’t have any exposure to the anime, I would still be buying the manga since military-theme story is my kind of story.
Not going to lie that I’m not a fan of anything mythical such as vampires considering that it’s a prominent theme in Mars Red.
But I guess I’ll let it slide for once since the story takes place in Japan during World War I.
So, the story itself isn’t entirely fantasy which is acceptable enough for me.
Another reason that got me to buy the manga is that I’m a fan of Karakara Kemuri manga.
For those unfamiliar with Karakara Kemuri’s work, she’s the mangaka for Laughing under the Cloud manga or Donten ni Warau for those familiar with the Japanese title.
If you have read the manga before, then I’m sure you already know how gorgeous her art style is.
So, you can expect to see the same art style in Mars Red as well.
It’s no wonder I would want to get the manga in print when the digital version won’t do her beautiful art style any justice.
While it’s sad that I can no longer buy Laughing under the Cloud manga in print, at the very least I can still get the digital version of the manga on Bookwalker.
Well, that’s the only manga by Tokyopop I know that is available for purchase in digital considering that the manga they published in the past went into the ether along with the company.
What makes the Mars Red manga worth reading
For those who are already familiar with the anime, then you already know that the story in the anime begins with Colonel Maeda’s point of view.
But in the manga, the story now revolves around Aoi, a friend of Shutaro and one of the members of the army special unit, Code Zero.
You can guess how the story will turn out when the story revolves around a different character.
Not only that some parts of the story differ from the one you see in the anime. But you’ll get to see more of Code Zero members in action and learn about their backstory too.
One of them is how Suwa becomes a vampire.
Yes, you probably hear a brief explanation of how Suwa becomes a vampire from Takeuchi in the anime.
But we don’t know the exact details of how he ends up becoming one.
Of course, some parts of the story aren’t much different from the one you see in the anime.
Things like they receive a mission to find the culprit who spreads the V-virus vials to the larger population and their meeting with Tenmanya.
But the only difference is that the culprit in the manga isn’t the same as the one in the anime, though.
Is the story just as good as the one in the anime now that the story revolves around a different character, you ask?
Well, I would say it is.
In fact, I will say that I prefer the story in the manga a lot more than the one in the anime.
It’s shorter and more on-point too.
What I didn’t expect when I read the manga
If you’re familiar with the anime, then you’ll know how serious the story in the anime is for the most part.
And let’s not forget how the anime begins with a heartwarming reunion between Maeda and his wife-to-be who he has never met until that fated day.
If there’s one thing that caught me off-guard about the anime, I will say it will be that episode.
While the story in the anime seems to be filled with tension for the most part, the story in the manga has a lighter vibe instead.
Yes, the story in the manga is as serious as you can imagine.
But unlike the story in the anime, you’ll get to see the banter among the Code Zero members which is something you don’t get to see much in the anime.
And their banters are hilarious too.
With how the story is progressing, it also makes me wonder if it’s even possible for the story in the manga to wrap up in three volumes.
Well, the good news is the story does wrap up nicely.
Even better? It doesn’t feel like you’re in a fast lane too even as the story moves towards the end.
Who should read the manga?
If you already watched the anime and you enjoy it, then it’s obvious that you should give the manga a try too.
But if you don’t, then fret not.
You can jump straight to reading the manga without having to watch the anime.
It’s not the same as the ID Invaded manga where you have to watch the anime first before reading the manga.
The only thing you need to keep in mind is that some of the scenes in the story can be grotesque to some people.
Well, that’s expected considering we’re dealing with vampires here.
You don’t expect a story that revolves around vampires and the military to be wholesome, do you?
Where to buy the manga
As always, you can buy the manga digitally or in print on Amazon. You can get the manga in whichever format you prefer right here:
Just so you know you can also buy the manga on Bookwalker. But you can only buy the manga digitally on Bookwalker, though.
If you’re fine with it, then you can get the manga right here:
Buy Mars Red manga on Bookwalker
Want to read the manga in Japanese? Well, you can get the print version of the manga on CDJapan. You can get the print version of the manga in Japanese right here:
Over to you
What do you think about the Mars Red manga? Are you interested in reading the manga after reading about it on my blog?
Let me know in the comments.
P.S. If you’re looking for a story that is in the same vein as Mars Red but takes place in Tokyo in the near future and has no vampire involvement whatsoever, then have a look at my thriller light novel, Trigger Locked.
Interested in knowing more about the series? You can have a look at the first book of the series right here on my Payhip store. Use the coupon code SEKINAMAYUBLOG to get 25% off on your purchase.
I'm an author who writes thriller and suspense light novels. But when I'm not writing a book, I love to blog about books that I enjoy reading. Some of these books also become the inspiration for my novel as well.
Most of the books that I talk about on my blog tend to be manga and light novels, with nonfiction books in between. If you're looking for interesting books to read, then you will certainly enjoy reading my blog. 