Mars review: Exploring an epic story and profound themes

The full story and appeal of Shinseikiden Mars

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

October 31, 2002 - February 6, 2003
AT-X October 31, 2002 to February 6, 2003 (Episodes 1 to 13) Every Thursday 9:30 to 10:00

■Broadcasting station

Broadcast: AT-X

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 13

■Original Story

・Original work: Mitsuteru Yokoyama

■ Director

・Director: Yoshitaka Fujimoto

■ Production

Animation production: Plum, Studio Guts Production: AT-X, MEDIA NET, New Select, Tsuburaya Eizo

■Works

©2002 Mitsuteru Yokoyama, Hikari Productions, Kami Seiki Den Mars Production Committee

■ Story

A boy awakens from a long slumber with a message for humanity...

The year is 2002. An undersea volcano erupts, creating Heisei Shinjima. There, reporter Iwakura discovers a young boy named Mars. In fact, the gods of the Milky Way have entrusted Mars with the mission of blowing up the Earth. Touched by the kindness of the people, Mars begins to question his own mission, but...

*Quoted from Bandai Channel

■Explanation

In 1981, screenwriter Keisuke Fujikawa made some bold changes to the original work to create the TV anime series "Godmars: Six Gods Combined," which became a huge hit and continues to have many fans to this day. Now, 20 years later, Keisuke Fujikawa, who knows everything about "Mars," is back in charge of the series composition and scriptwriting.

※Quoted from d Anime Store

■Cast

Mars / Tomokazu Seki, Muse / Yumi Kakazu, Harumi / Yuki Masuda, Professor Yokoyama / Hikaru Hanada, Reporter Iwakura / Takehito Koyasu, Hazard / Kazuhiko Takamatsu, Hopper / Junpei Morita, Elint / Hajime Koseki, Block / Koji Tobe, Axel / Kazuya Ichijo, Rush / Jouji Nakata

■ Main staff

・Original story by Mitsuteru Yokoyama・Planning by Kazuto Imanishi and Akira Tsuburaya・Director by Yoshitaka Fujimoto・Series composition and script by Keisuke Fujikawa・Character design by Tomoaki・Mechanic design by Koji Ito・Art director by Eiji Iwase・Sound director by Hiroyuki Hayase・Director of photography by Takanori Muramatsu・Editor by Jun Takuma・Color design by Tomoaki Nakano・Music by Hiroshi Motokura and AMAZeus
・Music Producer: Yuichi Orimoto ・Executive Producers: Akinobu Yamamoto, Akira Sugiyama, Tomoyuki Imai ・Producers: Kenji Fujimoto, Tetsuya Dobashi, Kazuhisa Nakata, Takashi Kasakura, Koki Okagawa ・Animation Production: Plum, Studio Guts ・Production: AT-X, MEDIA NET, New Select, Tsuburaya Eizo

■ Main Characters

・Mars, Muse, Harumi, Professor Yokoyama, Reporter Iwakura, Hazard, Hopper, Elint Block, Axel Rush

■Subtitle

Episode 1: An early awakening Episode 2: The sealed oracle Episode 3: A deadly battle in a snowstorm Episode 4: The Sphinx runs through the hot sand Episode 5: The thunder-roaring mountain area Episode 6: Sniper!
Episode 7: Mars is cornered Episode 8: The legend of the Milky Way star god Episode 9: From Hell to Hell Episode 10: Tokyo Crisis!
Episode 11: The Earth is in Danger Episode 12: A Magnificent Mistake on the Red Planet Episode 13: Farewell, Earth

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Hanazono Cinema・1～13
・Lyrics by HAKUEI
・Composer: PENICILLIN
・Song: PENICILLIN

・ED1
・An eternity
1 to 13
Lyrics: Miyu Yuzuki; Composition: Hiroshi Motokura; Arrangement: AMAZeus
・Song: ALLEY:A

The appeal and reviews of Shinseikiden Mars

"Kami Seiki Den Mars" is a TV anime series based on the original work by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, and was broadcast from 2002 to 2003. This work depicts the story of Mars, a young boy who holds the fate of the Earth in his hands, and is characterized by its profound themes and epic scale. Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and evaluation of this work.

The appeal of the story

The story of "Kami Seiki Den Mars" begins with the discovery of a young boy named Mars on Heisei Shinjima, a planet created by the eruption of an undersea volcano. Mars is entrusted with the mission of blowing up the Earth by the gods of the Milky Way, but when he is touched by the kindness of the people, he begins to question his own mission. This setting provides an opportunity for viewers to consider the universal theme of "mission and individual free will."

In addition, each episode features a different setting and enemy, so viewers will not get bored. For example, episode 4, "The Sphinx Runs Through the Desert," is set in the Egyptian desert, while episode 5, "The Thundering Mountains," depicts a battle in a mountainous region. These episodes are visually beautiful and tense.

Character Appeal

The main character, Mars, is portrayed with realistic emotions as a boy struggling with his mission, thanks to the acting skills of Tomokazu Seki as a voice actor. In particular, the scene where Mars is touched by the kindness of the people and begins to question his mission really touches the hearts of viewers.

Other characters, such as Yumi Kakazu who plays Muse and Yuki Masuda who plays Harumi, are also unique and attractive. Muse is Mars' emotional support, and Harumi plays an important role in bringing out Mars' humanity. The relationships between these characters deepen the story and allow viewers to empathize with them.

The appeal of production

Plum and Studio Guts are involved in the production of "Kamisekiden Mars," and it is characterized by its high-quality animation. In particular, the work of Koji Ito, who was in charge of the mechanical design, is superb, enhancing the power and beauty of the battle scenes. In addition, the background art by art director Eiji Iwase also realistically recreates the setting of each episode.

Musically, the background music by Hiroshi Motokura and AMAZeus enhances the atmosphere of the story and draws out the emotions of the viewer. The opening theme "Hanazono Kinema" is performed by PENICILLIN, and the ending theme "an eternity" is sung by ALLEY:A. These songs have a strength and beauty that symbolizes the theme of the work.

Ratings and Recommendations

"God Mars" has been highly praised by many viewers for its profound theme, epic scale, fascinating characters, and high-quality production. It is a must-see for fans of science fiction and robot anime in particular. In addition, the story, written by screenwriter Keisuke Fujikawa from a new perspective 20 years after "God Mars", has a fresh appeal even for existing fans.

Here are some reasons why I recommend this film:

• Deep Themes: The film explores universal themes of mission and personal free will, providing thought-provoking material for the viewer.
• Epic Scale: Each episode features different settings and enemies, making for visually stunning and tense action.
• Attractive characters: Unique characters such as Mars add depth to the story and help viewers empathize with it.
• High-Quality Production : The production is of high quality, with animation by Plum and Studio Guts, mechanical design by Ito Koji, background art by Iwase Eiji, and music by Motokura Hiroshi and AMAZeus.
• Screenwriter's Perspective: Fujikawa Keisuke's story, set 20 years after "Godmars," is told from a new perspective and has a fresh appeal even for existing fans.

"Kamisekiden Mars" is a work that is recommended not only for sci-fi and robot anime fans, but also for viewers who want to enjoy deep themes. Please watch it once and experience its charm.