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GATSU
Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 15611
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Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 11:04 am
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When it comes to ES versus Mars, I'm afraid I was more disappointed with the former than the latter. The characters are not quite intriguing enough for me to have an investment in the story. Plus, unlike Death Note, they never really fully explore the concept like they should. It's not a bad read, but it could be more worthwhile.
Quote: | Japanese Wikipedia says the brain-diving imagery was influenced by Tron, but to me, while we're speaking of ‘80s movies, it feels much more like David Cronenberg's good-psychic-vs-.evil-psychic movie Scanners. There's also one visual swipe from the movie Species (volume 1, page 50), and the idea of evil super-psychics who can control people's minds and possess their bodies reminds me of Dan Simmons’ awesome novel Carrion Comfort, although I really doubt Soryo read that book. |
There's this Robert Cormier book it made me think of, but I'm not sure if it's widely read.
Last edited by GATSU on Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:12 pm; edited 1 time in total
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wandering-dreamer
Joined: 21 Jan 2008
Posts: 1733
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Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:14 pm
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Huh, this sounds interesting, only read the first volume of Mars since that's all my local library had but I'll have to look into both of them now.
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naniwhale
Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 24
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Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:31 pm
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I read both series I find I like ES way better then mars by a long shot. It has a much better storyline and it grabs you from the get go. It makes you want to read the whole thing in one day without breaks.
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Crisha
Moderator
Joined: 21 Apr 2010
Posts: 4290
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Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:38 pm
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Wow, this series sounds really intriguing. I'm going to have to look it up now.
*looking at Amazon* Oh good! It's all in print and only 8 volumes. Great, I'm gonna start picking it up. Yay, a career woman who enjoys and is fascinated with her work - I always appreciate that.
One of my friends was obsessed with Mars during our teens. She ended up buying the entire series, but I wasn't interested at the time and so skipped it. I wonder if she still has it? I'd be interested in reading it now, especially Soryo's artwork. I don't know how I'll get it considering we live 5 hours away. Maybe the local libraries near where my parents live will have it (one has a LARGE manga collection).
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zawa113
Joined: 19 Jan 2008
Posts: 7358
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Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:53 pm
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I first rented this from the library and when the chance came to get the first three volumes of the series at $5 a pop, well I couldn't pass that up now could I? Got the rest off TRSI that same month. I really liked it when I rented it from the library, I rent tons of stuff from the library and a lot of times I go "that was meh" but every so often I read the first volume, maybe two and go "I am going back there right now to get the rest!" and then I usually end up buying those series anyway.
Anyway, I read this before Mars, my friend had (most) of Mars (I helped her find volume 15 for $5 since she adored Mars so much and not having the internet, she waited all those years until I found 15 to read the ending) so yeah, I've borrowed it from her (and she's read plenty of my personal manga library), but it really didn't do it for me like ES did. Not sure why, but I just didn't much care for Mars, I think maybe being 15 volumes didn't help, came off as being too long that's for sure. Ok, Maison Ikkoku is a 15 volume romance, but it also takes place over the course of about 8 years in the characters' lives, so it feels more spread out and not scrunched into a few short years of high school. Still, that seemed one of the few times I was ok with a romance taking 15 volumes, I find I usually want them to take 10 volumes or less. I dunno, I guess I just didn't like the two leads in Mars so I didn't find their romance interesting either. I much preferred the two leads in ES even though they weren't doing anything romance most of the time.
But yeah, glad to see ES shown! Another manga that's on my shelf (still waiting for Banana Fish to make its showing on here, hint hint)
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sepherest
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Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 2:28 pm
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I remember finding the first two volumes of ES at a used book store a few years ago.
Reading this I kind of regret not getting them, but that was also when I'd go there to buy Pet Shop of Horrors and Basara...
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Graceful Nanami
Joined: 24 Aug 2011
Posts: 303
Location: United States
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Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2012 3:24 am
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I sped through all the volumes of this series lightning fast. So good.
Mars is better, though. Even if they're very different series on the surface.
Soryo is one amazing mangaka, though.
Kumiko's death made me burst into tears. Oh my god. Such a real, everyday character.
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marie-antoinette
Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 4136
Location: Ottawa, Canada
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Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2012 6:59 pm
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It's been awhile since I read this series but I have my books in a box somewhere (most of my manga is boxed atm due to moving back in with my parents ). I definitely remember liking it and should probably re-read it again.
I do definitely prefer Mars though, which I have re-read in its entirety, despite it's length (I've re-read just the first volume even more than that, it's such an excellent start for a series). Sure, it can be melodramatic and silly but it just has the storyline that was more touching for me. And thus it's also the one that I remember events quite clearly, which I admit is not the case with ES.
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Mr. sickVisionz
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 2175
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Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2012 8:52 pm
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Nice read. This is one of my favorite manga series.
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vashfanatic
Joined: 16 Jun 2005
Posts: 3495
Location: Back stateside
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Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2012 10:37 pm
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I like ES more than Mars too, mostly because Mars got way too long and way too bogged down in multiple repressed childhood memories. Bizarrely, though, I actually own Mars but not ES. Hopefully that will be remedied someday by me selling the former and buying the latter
Meanwhile, what will it take for her most recent work Cesare to be licensed?
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