[Note- The review will contain minor spoilers, any major spoiler is within the spoiler tag]
Among the fantastical creatures, vampires are the ones I'm least fond of. They just don't excite me anymore since most popular media have produced some sort of vampire related works. So, as expected I didn't fully care for Mars Red either. But with the finale I can say that I didn't despise it either. While for most part it is flawed, it still had its moments and the potential was there.
I'll start with the drawbacks: The story of recruting vampires as a military branch to eradicate the others was intriguing, but sadly it doesn't go beyond that. We don't understand much of what Nakajima's plans are or why he deployed the troops on the civillians by introducing that vaccine. The case of vampires is also still a mystery, not a single one except for Kurusu gets much backstory and it truly hampers the connection the audience would build up with those said characters. Also, the arrangement of events is messy; scenes transition from one to another in the blink of an eye and confuse us further regarding what the story is trying to show. The pacing is awful, a lot of the early episodes are uselessly spread out without any important information or character moments to demand the need of such scenes. And as it is an adaptation of a stage play, we can also notice the mistranslation in transferring the story between the media. The overdramatic dialogues and continuous references to popular plays become a little too much to handle. Then there is the romance aspect of the show, where except for a few situations doesn't really pay off. Spoiler, click to viewAnd the whole Maeda going on a killing spree after being turned into a vampire was the biggest mistake the show could make, if it was done right there would be no complaints but he disappears for most part and appears only in the last episode, we do get a backstory but it still doesn't make sense why he would go after code zero members given he knows that they aren't like the other vampires, especially Kurusu. But I'll admit the dream sequence was done right, and him turning into ashes right where Misaki died was beautifully poetic. Then there are missing plot points which have impact on the story but we are never shown.
As for the good, most of it revolves around Kurusu. Yup, he is the only reason that I kept on watching the show despite my disinterest in some stuff. His va is a major reason for that. The va (who also voices Reki from sk8) brings this form of allurement to kurusu's character, you can't help but want the best for him. In fact the story shines the most when it is solely focusing on kurusu (with Yamagami at times). He is detached from the whole disgusting plan, and even towards the end he tries retain his kind hearted nature. I don't think he is an exceptional character, but he is enjoyable to watch, he has led to some of the most enjoyable moments in the show for me. Spoiler, click to view Yamagami and his wife's reunion only happened because Kurusu asked the former to talk to his wife, that was the first time that I was really engaged with the story (even if the forced poetic dialogues did ruin some of the mood created). Moriyama's death because of Kurusu being soft hearted was painful to watch but it led to his character development. And then his tale with Aoi, it was the only romantic subplot that truly paid off. Not gonna lie the last scene between them actually had me in my feels; by giving that strong final scene the story actually managed to improve its impression on me. That particular scene was beautifully done, loved the dialogues shared between them. It truly felt like a tragedy at that point, one that could rock you to your core. "Whether human or vampire, I fight because I want to protect my humanity" and then them parting ways was sad but beautiful. If I were to revisit Mars red, I would do it for the sake of kurusu. The Misaki subplot was also well done, it is more than what you expect at first, it is what connects all the characters. I enjoyed Misaki's improvements in acting, you could hear it in her delivery. Also, one particular thing that I liked about Mars Red is that it treats the vampiric situation as a tragedy and doesn't romanticize it. Throught Deffrot, Kurusu, and those kids we do see the frailty of their lives despite having long lives, even if the show lands halfhartedly on the tragedy bit.
As for the characters, like I said before Kurusu is my favorite, he sees decent development. Aoi is alright too, and Maeda isn't bad either. Deffrot was the most interesting character, while he wasn't used to his full potential, whatever we were shown regarding him was satisfying enough. Him being the narrator of the story makes sense at the end, and does tell for why the storytelling feels so dramatized. However, there are also missed opportunities. Rufus' arrival or the concrete reason for him overtaking are only hinted at, but he doesn't make for an appealing antagonist, he lacks an unique personality and is your typical drama villain. Suwa and Takeuchi are misses, as we hardly learn anything about them, and all the subplots with them don't make much sense as you don't see how they reached that point.
If there is one thing that Mars Red is consistently good at, is its visuals and music. The ost is gorgeous, the lush strings and symphonic arrangemnts take the scenes to a different level. The opening sequence is good, may not be an outstanding musical piece but when paired with the visuals does capture the feel of the show. The ending song on the other hand is a huge miss, its electronic sound just doesn't fit with the show, it is way too glossy for its own good. The artstyle is quite simplistic, though at times it becomes difficult to distinguish between characters and the art isn't really always expressive. The aspect ratio does add a theater feel to the show, which I'm quite fond of. There is apparent cgi which at times distracts from otherwise beautifully drawn and animated backgrounds. There is a lot of visual symbolism, which were cleverly used to get the messages across. Usage of colors is also done well. There are a few action sequences, and they had decent animation.
Overall, while having a strong finish, it becomes quite difficult to ignore the early parts of the show which are very messy with slow pacing, and non-linear plotpoints that have no lead up or foreshadowing. Many subplots are discarded, but when it lands Mars Red does make an impact. And as it boasts a good production value, it would all come down to one's preference. This is hardly a show that will appeal to most, so anyone who is interested in it, should decide for themselves what they think of it.
