Mars (Taiwanese Drama)

MARS - the manga had been my all time favorite. It was the best Psychological story I have ever read. I was actually bowled out by this Manga when I read it.

Unfortunately it took me a few years to find out that the manga was adapted in to a Taiwanese Drama. But as soon as I found that there is this drama, I didn't waste time to watch this, and the drama didn't disappoint me even on bit. It kept full faith to the Manga, and brings out all the goodness of it.

There is a sentence in the Drama where a character says "in fact, what really moves people isn't beauty and gentleness. beauty and gentleness can certainly move people; but the feelings won't last. Instead, sadness and anger leaves inerasable traces in people's hearts. Even after wounds are healed, people still can't completely forget the pain."
It states that pain is the strongest emotion that will leave it's impact co
mpletely on some person, and that is why MARS becomes such a great story(and drama), because we can never forget the pains in MARS's story. It just leaves that inerasable traces on all the readers/viewers. It stays in our mind for a long time where as all the other happy stories disappears away.

MARS is about pains, and emotional traumas. Psychological twist and about abnormal, mentally sick people. Exceptional characters.
To tell in one word, it just blows us away.
I actually doesn't know in what words I should praise this story. Coz it's that good.
I just feel a bit unfair that more people in the world doesn't know this story, just because it was a Manga. The writer Fuyumi Souryo should actually get more recoganation for creating this all so terrific story and characters. Story of MARS should be more awarded by the world. (That's what 'I' personally believe.)

Story of MARS is more than just any love story. It's how two people becomes emotional support for each other. It shows how they two free themselves from the traumas of the past. That too, some major traumas. It's painful, and hurting. Still life is happy when they are all together.

Then there is the character of Thongdao('Masao' in Manga). The psychopath who is trying to find justice in his crimes. His questions and theories puts us in confusion. Is he right or wrong? Can't he be viewed as right too? And his hunger to prove Ling('Rei' in Manga) is the same as him is the key point. Is Ling the same?
it's one terrific psychological dilemma.

Another Key point is that the traumas and the mysteries of the past only unfolds slowly throughout the story. We get the full idea of the past only at the final parts. Full facts of Sheng's death, and Ling's mom, remains secret till the end. And once they are unfold it actually grips us tightly.

Now talking about the transformation from a Japanese Manga to a Taiwanese Drama. Hats off to character of Chen Ling. He just upgraded the male lead, Rei, by a few levels. Rei is actually a cool guy, bad boy type with all popular air about him. Vic Chou as Chen Ling, added some sort of an innocence to that character and hence the character got more lovable. It added some sort of charm to the whole character. And hence Chen Ling became so lovable. All other characters have been done well too.

Characters

Vic Chou as Chen Ling : A professional motorbike racer. He is the most popular guy in campus, and is famous for being a big time playboy. But Ling is a gentle and sweet guy. He is under trauma of the death of his twin brother Sheng. Because of that he can't look at mirrors and often suffers from going in to a dead state, where he faints and stops breathing. Ling had been in a Psychological Hospital before.
(Name in Manga : Kashino Rei)

Barbie Hsu as Han Qi Lou : A shy and reserved girl. her dream is to be an artist and she is in the painting club of the university. Qi Lou had suffered from sexual harassment while she was younger and hence she has a phobia of men. She generally doesn't talk to males and is scared of them. Still Qi Lou is actually a strong willed girl.
(Name in Manga : Aso Kira)

Xiu Jie Kai as Da Ye : Ling's best friend. He had attended same high school as Qi Lou, and had a crush on Qi Lou since High School. But he soon gives up, when he realize Ling and Qi Lou's feelings for each other.

(Name in Manga : Kida Tatsuya)

Megan Lai as Qin Mei : She had a crush on Ling. She even try to force Ling and Qi Lou apart. But she gives up after seeing Qi Lou's sincerity. Qin Mei later becomes Qi Lou's best friend.

(Name in Manga : Sugihara Harumi)

An Jun Can as Tong Dao : Tong Dao had killed a guy and he was found as mentally unstable. So Tong Dao was in Psychiatric hospital. He is obsessed with Ling, and his goal is to prove that Ling is the same as him and his crimes are justifiable in some sense.
(Name in Manga : Kirishima Masao)

Xiao Xiao as Sha Zhi : A girl from Ling's past. She has never officially dated Ling. The one she officially dated was Sheng. But according to Ling, he stole Sha Zhi from Sheng. And Sheng was hurt by that. Sha Zhi is a cute spoilt selfish girl who likes to take advantage of the fact that everybody loves her too much.
(Name in Manga : Sakurazawa Shiori)

Vic Chou as Chen Sheng : Ling's identical twin brother. Two years back, he jumped off the school building and died. Sheng had a personality that is really opposite from Ling. Sheng was shy and reserved and liked to paint. Ling goes in to trauma after Sheng's death.
(Name in Manga : Kashima Sei)

Story Line :

Ling is a professional motorbike racer. He is the most popular guy in campus, and is famous for being a big time playboy. But Ling is a gentle and sweet guy. He is under trauma of the death of his twin brother Sheng. Because of that he can't look at mirrors and often suffers from going in to a dead state, where he faints and stops breathing. Ling had been in a Psychological Hospital before.

Han Qi Lou is a shy and reserved girl. her dream is to be an artist and she is in the painting club of the university. Qi Lou had suffered from sexual harassment while she was younger and hence she has a phobia of men. She generally doesn't talk to males and is scared of them. Still Qi Lou is actually a strong willed girl.

One day at the park, while Qi low is sketching in her sketch book, Ling comes to her and asks for directions to a hospital. Qi Lou just draws a map on a paper and gies to him, as she hates to speak to people. Ling finds the hospital with the map, but later saw the sketch of a mother and a child drawn on the other side of the paper. He gets touched by that sketch.

Later at the university as the new semester stars, Ling and Qi Lou becomes in one class room. Ling keep trying to talk to her, and even if Qui Lou is timid, she slowly opens up to Ling's cheerful character.
Ling finds out more about Qi Lou, and how she fears males, from his best friend Da Ye. Ling saves Qi Lou from a sexually harassing teacher, and also various times from his fan girls who likes to pester Qi Lou. Ling agrees to model fro Qi Lou too.
Slowly Qi Lou also comes to know about Ling's past, about Sheng's death and Ling's trauma of it etc.
As both of them becomes a couple, they support each other as the traumas from the past unfold.

My Ratings of this Drama : 10000/10