Release Date(s): March 6, 2012 – September 6, 2016

Inside Mari Review

Whew. Bit of a mind-fuck, this one. While reading Shūzō Oshimi‘s Inside Mari, I picked up a lot of different themes, but as new details behind the mystery unfolded, I began second-guessing the nuances of the characters and what the author was trying to say. Upon finishing, I’m too overwhelmed to coherently string anything together.

Which isn’t to say that I think Inside Mari is a noncommittal mess. Rather, it just tackles a lot of different subjects when it comes to gender identity and roles. All of which shift as constantly as one’s perspective does, via the story’s multiple plot shifts.

Inside Mari Verdict

The majority of those themes work quite well, but there isn’t one unifying topic throughout the entire manga and its the plot that glues it all together. Said plot has a tendency to go in circles at times, taking back information we thought was important and reaffirming certain thoughts and characterizations too much, but it remains an engaging read, regardless. A refreshing take on the gender swap premise that ends up manifesting said concept in a variety of ways.