Boku wa Mari no Naka
Inside Mari

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For those of you who aren't looking to read an essay, I have decided to post a quick summary of the series first. This review is spoiler free (as all reviews should be). :)

Summary: Inside Mari is a captivating psycho-analytical manga, with dazzling art and a fleshed out protagonist. The premise is based off a body switching scenario in which a social outcast finds himself in the body of a popular female girl by the name of Mari. The story is thouroughly engaging and is only hindered by a few plot inconsistencies as well as the fact that it could have been condensed into fewer ... chapters. Some of the characters could have been involved and dissected a bit more, but the development of the protagonist makes up for this. The author does a good job of conveying his message to the readers, and you will be lost in thought after you finish the manga. I recommend you read the first 3 chapters and if you don't find yourself hooked by then, this might not be for you.

My rating without personal bias: 7/10

Now firstly I will say that this was an enjoyable read, certainly bing-worthy and I read it in under two weeks. This is a psychologically motivated manga, and it's concepts are explored with a dark palette of colors. It is not for the faint of heart, so if you are unable to take nudity, sexual examination, bullying, ejaculation, depression, extreme social anxiety and a lot of fucking cringe then don't read this.

The basic premise of the story is about a socially awkward hikikomori who lives off the income of his distant parents who innocently believe he is spending his days studying and making friends at college. Ironically he actually goes to college at first, but over time the social atmosphere becomes too overwhelming and he finds refuge playing games in isolation at his apartment. He is infatuated with a girl named Mari who he casually stalks with no harmful intentions. One morning he wakes up to find himself inside Mari's body, but although his former self still exists in the real world, Mari is nowhere to be found.

I gave the story a 7, due to plot conveniences involving a supporting character as well as an inability to execute on its full potential. The quality of its narrative elements remains relatively stagnant throughout the story and by the end, the manga becomes defined by the progress of its psychological components.

The art is gorgeous, and I often found myself completely dazed by the emotional expressions exhibited in the panels. Each scene is crafted carefully, and the mangaka portrays the general atmosphere in every chapter with wonderful precision. I never found myself questioning the correlation between the art displayed and the actually events taking place.

There is a clear change in the mentality of numerous characters throughout the series. In the supporting cast, we see an evolution based on dialogue, facial expression, and the portrayal of their actions.The main character differs from the others in that the development is based on introspection. You are able to see every facet of the protagonist's mind, sometimes to the point of disturbance. So, in this case, the development is driven by introspection rather than self-action, although the two sometimes coincide. This, of course, is to be expected when dealing with characters who are socially troubled.

My rating with personal bias: 8

I gave this story an 8 because I connected deeply with it. Now, something like this might be new to you, but don't be discouraged. There are a lot of scenes that are uncomfortable to read, but I think it's important to note that this is intentional. Don't just skim past those pages, instead look over them and think about why they make you feel the way you do. You might find, no relatable association to these characters but that's not a bad thing. This an emotionally fueled story based on the sentiments a lot of people have gone through in their lives. By understanding them, you are allowing yourself to understand the feelings of more people in the real world.

Here's my take after reading 80 schizophrenic chapters of Boku wa Mari no Naka (I'm inside Mari) Shuuzou Oshimi.

How would I put this... Mari no Naka is not your typical body-swapping manga since it is not a body-swapping manga. It is a story that dives into the psyche of the characters and their actions on given the circumstances similar to other of Oshimi-san's works.

In this mind-bending story, we are looking into the eyes of Mari Yoshizaki a seemingly perfect high school girl that everyone adores, and Isao Komori one particular college hikikomori (reclusive adolescents or adults who withdraw from social life) that is obsessed ... with Mari.

The story started after one incident where Mari was on her way home from the convenience store and was being followed by Isao when she suddenly passed out and woke up not Mari anymore, but "Isao" in Mari's body.

There are only a few out there that would appreciate this kind of story about deconstructing the human psyche's inner workings through the experiences portrayed by the characters. And I am one of those people, as the story for me exposes each of the character's darkest secrets truthfully in their own way.

Mari's character is one of the most interesting characters out there as she is able to create a sense of open mystery for you to uncover all throughout the story up to the last volume which held me as a reader to finish it in one go.

The supporting characters Isao, Yori, and the others complement the evolution of Mari through each chapter of your read.

As with every Oshimi manga, the art is really based on the reader's preference, but it wonderfully works for me. It is the perfect art to push the story to stand out more. But keep in mind that there is sexual content in the story so this is not for the young audience.

All in all, if you are looking for an unconventional story that keeps you hooked with the thrill of solving a mystery and not afraid to experiment with new genres. Mari no Naka is the one for you.

With that said, I give Boku wa Mari no Naka 9 chocolate bars out of 10.

This series starts out weird and suggests all sorts of strange perversions. The premise is indeed kind of strange:

Komori Isao wakes up one day to find himself in somebody else's room, but it turns out he's actually somehow in the body of Yoshizaki Mari a girl he has been hopelessly following at night. S/he and a classmate try to figure out what happened as Isao tries to maintain Mari's friendships at school.

However, don't let that stop you from reading on. In the beginning Isao is weak-willed and his behavior is cringeworthy at best, but as he sees the troubles surrounding Mari's life, he can't leave ... it as is. The mangaka begins to raise questions about identity, gender roles, friendship, and family, which I hope will make the rest of this series a worthy read.

This isn’t a “geeky guy living in an idol’s body” wish fulfillment manga. This is a horror story.



The story follows a hikikimori who was suddenly thrust into the body of a popular, beautiful high school girl. With a premise like this, you might be expecting some ecchi hijinks ala highschool DXD. However, the situation is instead approached in a raw, realistic and at times even disturbing way. I could hardly tear my eyes from the page- that is, until it became too much to bear and i needed a breather.



Multiple times i had to turn my head, close my eyes or put the manga ... down for a while on account of how jarring it can be . The situations the main character gets put through are so pathetic, so painful, so gut wrenching that it can be hard to stomach. But I believe this is the mangas greatest strength.



This story is ultimately one of empathy. It teaches you by putting you in the shoes of our main character. And it isn’t shy about the less-than-presentable aspects of the female experience. Toxic friendships, masturbation, even painful periods are presented in stark, realistic povs. As a cis man, i went into this manga hoping to I’d glean at least a little knowledge of the female experience. Lets say I got that and then some. Even though it could be painful to read at times, I’m grateful for the author spelling out everything in such vivid detail. It really broadens the mind.



The art is consistently amazing and this translates to the wonderful facial expressions. Happiness, sadness, dismay, hope, anger. These emotions always shine through clearly and speak much more than any text bubble ever could. They help convey the story, which is bittersweet at best, but mostly just bitter. But this tone works for the message of the story. It’s supposed to put us in uncomfortable situations with no easy answers.



The characters themselves are all broken in some way or another. At first, they seem irredeemable or downright unlikable, but the author does a painstaking job of convincing us that there is good in everyone, no matter how much grime you have to dredge through. Likewise, there can also be evil in everyone, no matter how sparkly and clean they may seem on the surface.



If you like psychological and existential horror, want to know what it might be like to live life as a girl, or even just want to try something unconventional that’ll get you stuck in your own head, then give this a shot. The mangaka, i believe, set out to make us as readers question our own perceptions of ourselves and the people around us. And if we change for the better because of it, or even just become a bit more understanding towards others, then i’d say its mission accomplished.



Overall rating: 10/10

This is not a regular gender bender story, is in fact a bold and extraordinary manga. That is the reason why it is a masterpiece, but also why it is so disliked by many.

Inside Mari is a story about a hikkikomori who switch sides with the girl he adores, and so suddenly sees himself on difficult situation having to live on as the girl he worships. Although, it is a simple and overused premise, it goes beyond by exploring this genre from a more psychological approach and by doing it with absolute finesse.

It's a worth looking bizarre masterpiece.

The common's person's reaction to the main character of this Manga is why storytelling is so slow to evolve. There is as much of a expectancy for male characters to be manly as there are female characters to be seductive or lady-like. Now I'm not saying that I want feminine male leads, but does every male lead need to be decisive and masculine? Can we have a weak male lead, such as Komori, without backlash and hate?

This character is so deep, and so real. A nobody in Highschool he moved to Tokyo in the hopes of starting anew. When he finds that he's been ... unable to make any connections he shuffles through life until he's taken hold of by a debilitating psycho-social disorder.

And then there's Mari, who has clearly been sexually abused. How did I come to this conclusion? The proof is subtle in some cases, but not so much in others. Probably the best argument for this is Mari's sexual promiscuity. Even for a teenage boy of her age a stash of pornagraphic material that large is a little worrying, and though the story suggests at first that the male lead is a stalker, it is actually Mari who is the stalker and Komori who is being stalked.

Another compelling argument is her family, mainly her Mother. Her Mother is clearly an un-invested parent. Mari stays out late most night, and it seems as though her mother doesn't really know anything about her own daughter's life. She reaches out, but it's hollow and unfeeling. It's the attitude of a mother that has noticed sexual abuse, but wishes to ignore it. Of course, generally this kind of behavior is only present when the father or husband/ boyfriend is the perpetrator. The evidence for this is a short but meaningful encounter when Komori/ Mari and Yori are alone. He clearly shows a lack of person boundaries, and is quickly pulled away from Mari's room by her mother.

Of course even if you don't believe all of this sublevel prediction, it's still a compelling story that has a lot of promise. It's something that I'll be sure to keep my eye on.

I'm going to be honest: I didn't have that high of an expectation for this manga, the moment I first picked it up, but since I had nothing better to do at the time, I decided to give it a shot, and boy, am I glad I did so! This manga is one of those shiny gems that you find in the middle of others that don't shine, taking a concept that has already been used a couple of times, and cleverly giving it a whole new meaning. Also, don't avoid to notice how this manga is classified as "Psychological". It certainly won't disapoint you ... in that department, as the setting is absolutely shiver enducing (specially in [**SPOILER**] chapter 33, where Isao suffers from a psychological trauma). Now, let's jump into the review itself (may contain spoilers, read at your own risk!):

STORY (10):
This is perhaps, as I've mentioned before, the most appealing part of the manga to me. Komori Isao has been a hikikomori ever since he's stopped going to University, because of his inability to make friends. His first year was sad and frustrating for him, because of that, but he kept struggling through until the beginning of the second year. If you suffer from any kind of social anxiety, you'll know exactly how he felt, as he was looked down upon by the other students, and (I'm guessing, as it's not mentioned in the manga) made fun of, as he arrived at the entrance of the University. At that moment, his feet locked on: he realized he was unable to step inside, and ran home, where he has been ever since... What is life, may I ask you? Isn't it just a countdown before death? What's the point of living, when there's nothing out there? That's what every hikikomori asks himself, and would like to shout out as loud as they could to every person who's living a "normal life". But this manga assumes something that those who live a "normal life" fail to realize: they are just deceiving themselves, trying to act differently from their usual selves in front of others, in order to keep a social status. Isn't that Hell? Is that even living a "normal life"? That's where people like Yoshizaki Mari come in. People who have realized they are in a living Hell, and have realized their lives are not any different from those of a hikikomori: they are unable to have fun, they are unable to feel any actual happiness, they are unable to extend their wings as far as the wind blows; they are stuck in a hailstorm, being forced to protect themselves with their wings. And thus, Isao became Mari, who thought and felt exactly just like him. They aren't any different from one another. Actually, they were the same person all along.

ART (8):
The art certainly wasn't bad; in fact, it was really good! Even so, it wasn't on the same level of manga like Death Note. ...But they're different genres... I guess I really don't have a lot more to say about it, other than I enjoyed it. I suppose you can say you were able to truly appreciate on chapter 33. You'll see what I mean by then!

CHARACTER (8):
Man, I kind of ruined this section of the review with the STORY... Lol. I already explained everything I had to say about Komori Isao and Yoshizaki Mari, so, I guess the remaining main character to review is Kakiguchi Yori. She's much like Isao, in the sense that she was also a stalker, her life was horrible (since she had no friends) and she also viewed Mari as her only beacon of hope, although she somehow had a much darker aura... Perhaps because she wasn't the chosen one to become Mari, since she was her crush? Whatever the cause may be, she's certainly not your average comic relief; in fact, she's the opposite, really!

ENJOYMENT (10):
It took me less than an hour to read all the already published and properly translated chapters, and in the same day, I am writing this review. It's quite clear I REALLY enjoyed this manga. Please, do read it!

OVERALL (9):
Summing up all the points I've rated it so far, my final score for Boku wa Mari no Naka is a 9! Great job, Oshimi-sensei!

ADDTIONAL NOTES:
If I was to predict a possible ending for the manga, I'd say Isao (in Mari's body) would start dating himself, as weird as that may sound; but hey, this is a Psychological manga, isn't it? Another possible ending, and perhaps the most likely one, would be everything returning to normal, and Isao would date Mari. Although, where would Yori fit in that? Maybe take advantage of the Ecchi genre, if you know what I mean? I'LL SAY NO MORE.

'Hrmmmm' is what I initially felt about pondering the question 'is this manga good?' The more I thought about it, the more I've realised, no it really isn't. It certainly has its merits,I enjoyed the mystery aspect, psychology and in general found it a weird and interesting read. But for the most part though the story was only so-so, and despite being a pretty character focused manga, I didn't like a single one, nor thought they were handled well, in terms of both their character and the respective issues related to their flaws.

Story
The story isn't too bad it mostly deals with a central mystery ... to the events which transpire in chapter one, on what exactly did happen. I liked this mystery aspect as It gives you enough to figure things out for yourself way before the manga does, i think I did around chapter 40. This meant though the twist wasn't really a twist, when they finally came out and did it, it took the characters in the manga way longer than me. But this aspect was done well enough, it really did add up with everything and make sense so I like the mystery aspect of the story.

Though the story had issues, If I was able to work out the main twist by the forties, which to me was the biggest hook this series had going for it, then what else is there to do? Just read to confirm it, I suppose, the manga for me, for not only that but its actual content got a lot more boring towards the later half, i worked out the mystery, the manga as a whole was less interesting than it was initially and I was just waiting for it to end, which isn't really a good sign, I basically lost most of my engagement by the second half.

I'm going to give this a slightly above average rating which might be a little bit generous, I did enjoy the mystery aspect of the show, it was initially engaging and interesting to me. But I dropped of towards the end, it started to get stale, I stopped caring and just wanted it to end, though it wasn't painful or terrible towards the end, I just personally had gotten bored.

Characters

My least favourite element of this show was its characters, i like very degenerate characters, one which fall into depression or ills, but I also feel like they need to have a redeeming factor, or reasons of why they're there, they sort of do in this series but not really. Most of the characters are kind of just creepy and weird and aren't really likeable in the slightest this read has its fair share of stalkers or people who are just obsessive, any character who gets focus fits into this, its okay to have this but I think they lack a counter balance to actually make them likeable and interesting. Most of the cast I didn't care for it was the mystery which kept me reading and not them in the slightest.

Lets take the MC for example he is a hikikimori neat, who hates going outside, a university drop out. The show really puts him down by making him seem pathetic, he can't talk to people he spends most of his time fapping and playing video games and he has an unhealthy obsession with a highschool girl to the point the only time he goes out in a day is to watch for her and stalk her. The psychology of somebody so degenerate could be interesting, but he lacks the balance to make us find him likeable in some way, he just comes of as a bit creepy and weird.

A lot of the cast lacks this balance I guess their interesting, but there are a lot of stalkers or obsessive people, and they're not likeable or well balanced.

Mari is another main character and well in regards to her they do go into her through talking about her interactions and what she did, but I think towards the end I would of appreciated them being more thorough and whilst I learn a lot about her circumstances I never felt I really got to learn about her.

So I'm give the cast a low rating they're all kind of creepy and unbalanced most of them lack proper development and growth and the ones who do get it, i felt like it could of been done better. i guess glasses girl gained a lot of confidence and grew as a person, but she was so unlikable, I didn't care for her. She was an obsessive stalker who was constantly putting down are main character and just whining about things. Overall for characters I can't give this a high rating, I don't really like the whole cast, the development for most of them is weak, and their specific issues aren't really dealt with that well.


The art

I'm going to give this a 8, I suppose I know its deserving of a score around there. Its high quality and clean, the panels are easy to read and its definitely good. Nothing really for me to critique here, more its just not the best manga i read in terms of art, I've had manga which really make me gush of how fantastic they look and this one doesn't really get me to do that.


Enjoyment

This series nails a few things, the mystery is interesting enough to keep you going, the psychological pressure the character goes through is something you can really feel and its initially interesting for how unconventional and weird it felt. The enjoyment gets taken away a little bit with scenes which go a bit too far, there is a scene where a character decides to watch another masturbate, that made me uncomfortable and I almost stopped, there are quite a few like this through out, i guess I can appreciate the fact that it doesn't mind being explicit so it isn't a huge minus. The Characters are unlikable, and the mystery hook and my interest in its unconventionality dissipated in the second half which was as a whole a bit boring for me. I'm going to give this an average rating, as I did like it initially.

Conclusion

This manga is interesting, its explicit, the characters are weird and it certainly is non conventional, but is it good? No not quite, but it does have its merits and its not a complete waste of time, there is enjoyment to be found here despite its faults, but its definitely not up there with the best.

Overall I'm going to give this a 6/10 its faults unfortunately hinder it from me giving it a higher score, i do like how unconventional it is, there is enjoyment to be found here, but for such a character driven manga I don't like any of them, and I don't think the story is that good either so I'm only giving it a six.

This is simply one of the most criminally underrated manga. (Like most of its author's work)

Like a good Oshimi Shuuzo's manga, this manga is all about diving into a person's emotion and feelings in the deepest way possible and Inside Marie does it quite literally by actually entering inside the body of a total different human being. That would probably be the most serious, realistic and relatable body swapping manga ever created.

As always with this author everything goes to the most absolute refined subtlety. The art, the dialogues, the pace. Everything is speaking and telling you something, giving you a feeling of an emotion. With ... the tiniest of details Shuuzo manages to give away deep and subtle emotional informations that no other manga I know has ever managed to come close of ever being possible to produce.

This manga could be compared to a poetry, the more you read it the more you can feel or picture what it is telling. It's about the beauty, it's about what it means to the reader. Even though there is a message it isn't trying to convey it so that the readers understand but for the reader to receive it and make it their own.

It is the most relatable and realistic that it is hard to read sometimes, it shows harsh and truthful realities that we go through but helps us go through them as we accept our weaknesses and receive the help from others. That's when we relieve ourselves of the burden that is over us.

It is a manga about self-acceptation and helps with depression. It deserves so much more attention, go for it, it's short ;)

The bad reviews for this manga are completely missing the point. It's as if they didn't even read to the end.

This is NOT a manga about bullshit "wish fulfillment" like most body swap stories which are basically "oh man it's so fun to be the other sex", or at best are "wow I didn't know the other sex was like this".

This is a story about the main protagonist being surrounded by a shallow life that is slowly and painfully transformed.

The most interesting thing is that this sentence "This is a story about the main protagonist being surrounded by a shallow life that is ... slowly and painfully transformed" means something completely different at the very beginning of the story than at the end.

This is a story that is about abandoning friendships that were subtly toxic. Replacing those friends with real mutually cherished friendships. And realizing how some people who say they "love you" don't.

It also makes you question who you really are and if you are being true to yourself.

And that is why I have to give it a 10/10.

good lord.... this gaves me so much nightmare fuel. It made you question your idea of self, your self image, your consciousness, your reality and your perception of the world around you and how the world sees you. This is the kind of work that evokes disturbing question to yourself.... one that gives you existential crisis.

We met a character who wasn't real, but became real over the course of these chapters. He built many relationships from the drivers seat of an unfamiliar person. In the end, he was a creation of a frightened and deeply disturbed girl who could only run away when confronting the ... hand that life dealt. When backed into a corner, even giving up her very humanity in order to escape.

In the end, we see this character, breathing with life, die. The death is unceremonious and very abrupt. It is a bittersweet end to a very sad story. Seeing that hand pulling away from Kakiguchi's shoulder is very sad to me. Too bad we never really get to see where their relationship would go, and we're left with a Mari we've only just met.

I read some of this author work and found similliar type of ending. The ending is kinda always the same and i love it. Those ending give u the feel of a "real" ending in live, it goes on, these stories are only some chapter in life and there's more to come. It's the same we found in life. One event will eventually turn into memory of the past, sometimes it change your whole world, sometimes it just another passing experience with or without continuation in future event.

came for gender bender tag got some empty feeling in the end and mental problems
But i really enjoyed a lot 8/10
characters were little meh they could have better character than yori 6 or 7/10
Binge worth manga
if have any interest in physcological ecchi gender bender things , you gonna like this sh*t

a guy has a crush on a girl that he sees come into the convenience store he works and the next morning wakes up in her body!.Pretty simple setup which is not my cup of tea but things get pretty weird or probably mind fucky.
And again I'm a bit of a sucker for body-swapping and gender-bender manga in general, but this one in particular took the formula to very interesting places.
Okay let's talk about "inside mari " this manga bought mixed emotions out of me,it touched like no other author's works did.
I don't highly recommend this series because it is not going to be ... for everyone,some might find it not an easy read maybe discomforting as well
Content/Trigger warnings!!;prob contains spoilers
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Body dysphoria
bullying
menstrual blood
implied suicide attempt
existential crisis
a graphic female masturbation scene
a less graphic male masturbation scene
kissing without consent
emotional abuse
mental abuse
female nudity
stalking
mental illness
identity crisis

Saw some people saying that this manga is waste of time, borring characters and so on..

Just besause the cake is not tasty for you its not also not tasty for others.

I personaly liked this manga quite a bit because story is not easy to predict like in many others you basicly know what next.. With is borring.
I have to admit.. till chapter 30 or so it was like meh..
But more i read more i got in to it.
If you havent read it i would reccoment and there is also live action if someone interested but it kidna skips a bit of some details.

For ... now i add to masterpiece section idk, maybe because i havent read something like that or something like that but i liked it.

THATS MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION SO TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT.

Allow me to explain why this manga is fantastic.

Boku wa Mari no Naka is, just as Aku no Hana, a psychological manga permeated by existentialism that focus on the mind of the main characters. The deconstruction and reconstruction of the characters is the guideline of the story, and it is incredibly well written. The art, just as the story does not fall to the mediocrity that most mangas suffer from, and interesting themes are brought to discussion.

It is probably impossible to say anything else without writing a spoiler, so I will finish this review with one consideration: just as Aku no Hana, Inside Mari is ... not a title any and everyone will find pleasing to read. If you like psychological stories, read inside Mari, for it's an incredible story.

If you read the manga, I recommend you read the analysis of Boku wa Mari no Naka on the blog “Hana ga Saita yo”.

I binged this manga in Just 2 days. This is how thrilling and interesting in was to me. I will not bore you with one more summary of the story. However I will state this while trying not to spoil the story : one of the genres listed in the description page is misleading. I won't say more and will let you enjoy the discovery of which one it is.

One thing I would like to mention is that one of the top reviews with a very negative score is quite inaccurate in how it describes the story, as well as the reason why the reviewer ... does not like in the manga. I cannot tell you exactly where as it will spoil a big element of the plot but it is telling that the top negative review failed to grasp the twist. It tells me that the reviewer did not actually finish reading the 80 chapters.

I would say that if you enjoyed the Flower of Evil by the same author, you will probably enjoy this book as well. I feel like the art is one notch better in "inside Mari". The author changed his style in some drawings but you will find the same beautiful lines and flow as his usual self.

On the minus side, I wish some side characters were more explored. The brother and his relationship with Mari, Yori's sister, but I guess it would have distracted the viewer from there main story line .

Story : 7
Art : 7
Character: 8
Enjoyment: 8

I usually don't usually read much manga outside of shounen but this one caught my eye. The story was a unique take on the gender-bender genre and I would highly recommend reading it. The story is very fast-paced and the chapters are short. You can finish this manga quickly as there are only 80 chapters.

The story is an emotional rollercoaster with so many unexpected twists, especially the ending. The story deals with themes like figuring out who you really are as a person and also about everyone has a secret side to them. I also really loved that there were so many hints about the ... true nature of Komori's body swap.

The art in the series is extremely good. The characters and environment look so realistic. The facial expressions of the characters are amazing as well. Although be warned as the series is very not safe for work at times.

The characters are great and are easily the best part of the manga. They feel so real and believable, unlike most manga/anime I've read.

Even though I enjoyed reading the manga, It's not everyone's cup of tea and it is easy to find the main character annoying nonetheless, I loved this manga and really recommend it.

This is my first manga review. I just finished this yesterday and spent literally all day damaging my eyes finishing this piece. Was it worth it? I'm not even sure.

Ever since I finished Aku no Hana a few weeks ago I've set my mind on reading all of Shuzo's works. I've noticed that it has a few similarities to the former- this one character in this manga looked like a perfect copy of Kasuga, Aku no Hana's main character. And yes, I'm still hung up on Aku no Hana.

If you read the story with the mindset beforehand of the possibility of DID in Mari, and ... that there were no supernatural aspects, it would change your POV drastically.

I had a lot of fun and excitement reading this- at times it made my heart race! But it was glaringly slow-paced. This manga has been dragging for so long, we finally got to the actual conflict like 60 something chapters in. Some scenes were pretty much redundant anyway, like the interminable disputes with side characters.

I respect the storyline for it's psychological facet, what with the whole double personality stuff and how masterfully it depicted DID. Although, that excluded, upon further thought, it wasn't all that special (not that I'm implying that it's mediocre). It was just missing something, not to mention how dragged out it was.

Same with the characters, I appreciate their psychological implications on their disposition and mentality, how got my brain turning its gears in an attempt to understand Mari. The characters were unlikeable but I don't hold it against them- some stories just don't prioritize that and couldn't care less about their characters being likable. And isn't that a good thing? You get to be uncomfortable and unbiased.

The art was also very similar to Aku no Hana. It's gorgeous. I love how when things picked up in the end, the panels started to darken, and the usual shading was replaced with harsh lines, like in Chi no Wadachi. It added to the overall creepiness.

I see a pattern in Shuzo's works now- they may start fucked up at first and make you think, "What fuck am I reading?", but when you persist to finish it nevertheless, you realize they end non-tragically in a melancholic and abrupt conclusion. A review of this manga confirmed this belief along with mine. This manga isn't an exception either. The ending was perfect and sad, and it made the whole story worth it.

You should read it. It's interesting.

Read this in three hours. Safe to say it was worth it.

Plot: 8/10 - Great plot with an amazing plot twist. The story allows you to slowly figure out the plot twist from clues before it's explicitly stated, which I liked. However, after you figure out the plot twist, it does get kind of boring as you know how it's going to end.

Characters: 7/10 - The characters were written too creepy and degenerate-y to the point it made the characters just uncomfortable to read. I know that the characters were supposed to be creepy in how they acted, but some of the scenes ... were over the top for no real reason. None of the characters were really enjoyable to read and I didn't care much for the character development of Yori or Komori as it felt a little forced. The mystery and the plot carried this manga for the most part.

Art: 8/10 - The author is great at drawing. His panels are all drawn well and super clean, while the transitions between panels were very easy to follow, making it a fun reading experience overall. The author also made many important scenes more dramatic through the usage of facial expressions and eyes, like the flashback with Mari's mom, that made these scenes much more impactful.

Overall, 8/10. The plot and art were great, but the author could work on making the characters more enjoyable and interesting. However, it didn't take away from my experience too much so I'll still give it an 8. Read it!

What if you swapped bodies? What if you found yourself in the body of the person you most admired, the “angel-like” school idol who you pass every night (and possibly stalk)? Well that’s what life has install for Komori Isao, a hikikomori who lives for no one else but himself, playing games and masturbating endlessly on repeat. Until he becomes Mari of course. Oh by the way, I forgot to mention that "Mari" is nowhere to be found, and Mari-Isao has a stalker, a shy, unpopular girl who is totally devoted to Mari.

If anyone has heard of Oshimi Shuuzou, it’s undoubtedly for his notorious manga-turned-anime ... Aku no Hana. So don’t be surprised about the fact the Oshimi Trio are back again- angel, devil and the boy in the middle of nowhere- potentially to take apart the idea of a perfect angel, once again. Although I wouldn't put too much emphasis on these tropes, as the characters and plot do significantly depart from that of Aku No Hana.

Oshimi explores gender expectations, and the complex fabric of social hierarchy and friendships, which Komori must now maintain as Mari. Moreover, Oshimi utilises the “body swap” to question the idea of self- at one point the protagonist admits they are no longer either Isao or Mari, but Mari-Isao. A character with both the memories and minds of Isao and Mari. Through the double lens of Mari-Isao, the original “Isao” is able to gain deeper insights into the world and into relationships, that they would not have been able to make, if not for the unbelievable situation.

Inside Mari is an interesting twist on the body swap trope, that provides commentary on social and philosophical issues. However, I would warn readers that it contains nudity, sexual scenes and suggestions of abuse, in case that is something you would like to avoid.

This is one of those stories that you think about for a while afterwards. The plot was engaging but what I really enjoyed was just looking at the art, the close-ups of faces, the highly animated expressions these characters make in reaction to what happens. There were some parts that were done in watercolor, and a number of the chapters start out in full color which was very cool.

Of course it would be nice if there was a bit more complexity to the plot, which seems to be a common critique. Notably, the drama with Mari's mother feels like it comes to an abrupt halt ... after a really great montage of her mother's parenting -- probably one of my favorite scenes. Despite these critiques I feel like the manga was strongly entertaining and also moving. Definitely recommend.