Mars Red | A Theatrical Anime | Pinnedupink.com

Mars Red

What was it like in the Military systems of old? They were far different from what we have now and operated based on many different principles. Values and beliefs change drastically over time and what people fight for never stays the same either. Anime can present such Historical situations to us in various ways, along with some Supernatural elements to boot. Sounds like the components of a promising series? Well, let's take a look and find out!

Mars Red is a 13 episode TV Anime series that aired from the 6th of April until the 29th of June, in Spring 2021. It was produced by VAP, Yomiuri TV Enterprise, Pony Canyon Enterprise, D-techno, and Nihon Keizai Koukokusha, licensed by Funimation and brought to life by Studio Signal. MD.

The primary Staff behind it include Sadamitsu Shinya as Director, Fujisawa Bunoh as Sound Director and Original Creator, Hatano Kouhei also as Director and Episode Director, and Fujisaku Junichi on Script and Series Composition. It collectively features the genres of Action and Supernatural, alongside Historical, Military, and Vampire themes. It received a rating of PG-13 for teenagers 13 years or older.

Mars Red is based on the 2013 Dramatic Stage Reading of the same name, written by Author Bunoh Fujisawa, the same figure who handled the sound directing for the Anime. It was also adapted from the MARS RED Manga, which spanned three volumes from the 5th of November 2019 until the 5th of July 2021.

Done by Author Bunoh Fujisawa and Artist Kemuri Karakara, the series was serialized in Comic Garden and targeted at the Shounen Demographic. It has been published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment since the 13th of July 2021. A Side Story titled “Mars Red: Zero Kikan Nippou” (Code Zero Daily Report) was released in a 5 episode ONA series, each one minute long. From the 24th of November 2020 until the 23rd of March 2021, this Mini Web Anime streamed online, leading up to the Mars Red TV Anime premiere, and was centered around Comedy.

The story is set in the historical year of 1923 when a Vampire crisis had taken Tokyo city by storm. The reason behind this outbreak is the illegal trade of "Ascra," an artificial blood source, which causes the vampire population to increase within the city rapidly.

Under the orders of Lieutenant-General Sounosuke Nakajima, the Special Forces Unit 16 now gathers vampires within the military to create a new undercover Vampire-Hunting Unit, termed Code Zero. Colonel Yoshinobu Maeda is tasked with leading this peculiar unit and locating the very source of the Ascra trade.

In addition, they must capture and kill vampires, putting him under extreme pressure to produce fruitful and significant results amidst the growing criticism that threatens to decommission the unit itself.

However, it gets worse as the vampires forming the unit are also struggling to grasp their newfound powers and identities, seeing that they are no longer humans. With seemingly the whole world against them, the unorthodox members of Code Zero must somehow find a means of curbing the crisis or would otherwise fall victim to their own demonic natures…..

Mars Red is a very serious depiction of vampires in which theater director and writer Bun-O Fujisawa tells the tale of vampires living in the Taisho era of Tokyo. From the first episode itself, viewers can see his trademark in the "recitation drama" of Salomé, and Mars Red effectively uses this trope and expands it in a way that seems both familiar and different.

Vampires are portrayed as vulnerable people in society rather than powerful monsters and serve to show how both humans and vampires possess their own strengths and weaknesses.

The main appeal lies in how vampires have two contrasting elements: superhuman powers and significant deficiencies. This series focuses on their flaws the most, as seen in their weakness to sunlight, inability to swim, and need for blood.

Their heightened senses also make industrial Japan's foul odors and noise pollution more painful to bear. Vampires born into this time of booming modern science and industrial revolution can try to make up for their weaknesses more effectively but still cannot do anything about the matters of the heart in the face of immortality.

Mars Red is like a classic modern story with a unique flair and feel, portraying a compelling and moody story. The story features a lot of symbolism and subtleties, all neatly encapsulated to give a new meaning to the theater act.

The synopsis only scratches the plot's surface, put in place to progressively unveil the much more profound underlying story. Episode 1 is one of the best introductory episodes out there and will easily rope viewers into the series, acting as one of the three most pivotal episodes that could make or break the whole show. From there on out, the Characters take the reins of the story.

The Characters of Mars Red are cleverly deployed to develop their own small side stories, which will eventually converge to paint the bigger picture with theatrical screenplay and prominence. The script itself is arranged in a way that follows the source material.

The characters Kurusu, Yamagami, Maeda, Suwa, Takeuchi, Deffrot, Nakajima, and Aoi all have their own story developments and make for a very engaging cast. As such, characterization and development are in no way lacking.

To add more dynamism as a series, they use the theme of how “the weakness of vampires is the strength of humans.” The narrative is subtle, compelling the viewers to truly comprehend the time era this show is based on and why the dialogue is mentioned in such a manner. There is no right or wrong answer in the finale, and whatever answers the viewer arrives at while watching this Anime are all valid.

The Art and Animation of Mars Red follow the theater playstyle; as such, the 21:9 cinematic letterbox scaling is no surprise. Visually, this series is dark, somber, and mirrors a play that is 13 episodes long, something any viewer who appreciates theater and musicals would really enjoy.

This composition adds an edge to the series, and together with the unique storytelling elements, it gives off a movie-like feel. There is nothing spectacular about the character designs, but this is per the themes. The Animation is an absolute masterpiece of shot composition, which expertly utilizes the wide aspect ratio for grand panoramic views and pensive camera pans. It epitomizes the art of visual storytelling near perfectly and is not to be missed!

The Sounds and Music of Mars Red are incredible. The lifting iconic orchestra plays and musical references go with the show's theatrical themes so well. The Opening theme is "Seimei no Aria" by Wagakki Band, and the Ending theme is "ON MY OWN" by HYDE, an unexpected and entertaining pairing worthy of praise.

The prior uses a unique mix of rock music with traditional Japanese musical instruments, while the latter is a banger that could be listened to on repeat. The OSTs are all superb, unique, memorable, and fitting, making the Audio an experience of its own. Voice Acting is also on the ball, as the entire cast leaves nothing to be desired.

Mars Red is a series that got lost in the ocean of great shows of Spring 2021, and this is incredibly unfortunate. This Anime is severely underrated; it deserves so much more recognition and love for its uniqueness, complexity, and mastery of the mediums. This convoluted yet easy-to-understand plot requires some understanding of the theatrical arts to fully enjoy, which is possibly why it isn’t as popular.

This show is not for everyone. Instead, it caters to more specific and distinguished tastes in the best way an Anime could ever hope to. This refreshing spin of vampires possesses its own charm, and it would be a shame if you can’t appreciate the enamor. If everything you’ve read so far appeals to you deep inside, in some unexplained way, then watch this show right now!