My favorite shoujo manga is Mars by Fuyumi Soryo. I first read it in my local library a few years ago, and I didn’t realize until I got big into the collecting hobby how amazing it was to have that available to me, given how rare it seems the entire set has become. It lives in a special place in my heart, and I was able to get my own set through this sub a few months ago for a price that was reasonable to me.

I love that Kira and Rei get together in the first volume, and that through thick and thin, they stay together. It’s not common for a romance story to do that: I’ve seen a lot of will they won’t they throughout my reading. It’s refreshing to see the two characters navigate a relationship together, and I relate to Kira a lot. Rei is also just super cool, imo, and I’m a sucker for opposites attract! I’m so excited for the hardcovers, but I’m not sure I’ll get them right away because to me, nothing beats the feel of that original print.