MÄR

Märchen Awakens Romance, officially abbreviated as MÄR, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuyuki Anzai, serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday from January 2003 to July 2006, with its chapters collected in 15 volumes. The story follows 14-year-old junior high student Ginta Toramizu who is transported into a fantasy-based world known as MÄR-Heaven. As Ginta ventures in the world of MÄR-Heaven, he encounters allies and antagonists.

A 102-episode anime television series adaptation, titled in Japan as MÄR Heaven, was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 2005 to March 2007.

In North America, Viz Media has licensed both the MÄR manga and anime for an English-language release. The manga was published between July 2005 and June 2007. The anime aired first in July 2006 on Toonami Jetstream, an online service from Cartoon Network, and then on the network itself, as part of the Toonami programming block in December 2006.

A manga sequel, MÄR Omega, written by Anzai and illustrated by Kōichirō Hoshino, was published in Weekly Shōnen Sunday from September 2006 to June 2007, with its chapters collected in four volumes.

Plot

Ginta Toramizu, a 14-year-old Tokyo junior high student with poor eyesight and a passion for fairy tales and video games, is unexpectedly transported to the fantastical world of MÄR Heaven. In this new realm, his physical limitations vanish, granting him enhanced strength and perfect vision. He encounters Dorothy, a 16-year-old witch who introduces him to magical artifacts called ÄRMs. Together they retrieve the sentient ÄRM Babbo, which Dorothy reluctantly gives to Ginta after deeming it too troublesome.

As Ginta explores MÄR Heaven with companions like farmer Jack, he discovers the world's darker aspects when targeted by thieves coveting Babbo. He later meets Alviss, who reveals having summoned Ginta using the Gate Keeper Clown ÄRM to combat the resurgent Chess Pieces organization. This group, led by King Orb and Queen Diana, previously attempted to conquer MÄR Heaven six years earlier. The narrative follows Ginta's growing involvement in the conflict against Chess Pieces while balancing his desire to return home.

Characters

• Ginta Toramizu (虎水ギンタ)
• A second-year student who yearns for a fairy-tale world. Transported unexpectedly to MÄR Heaven, Ginta is an optimistic but impulsive boy who searches for a way home. After encountering the rare talking ÄRM Babbo, he journeys across MÄR Heaven and witnesses conflicts caused by the militant Chess Pieces. He forms Team MÄR with fellow travelers to oppose them, ultimately joining the War Games to confront their leader, Phantom.
• Princess Snow (スノウ)
• Princess Snow, heir to Lestava in MÄR Heaven, is Koyuki's counterpart and Dorothy's step-niece. Her fragile appearance belies her fierce combat skills, known only to close allies. She fights using Ice ÄRM and develops strong feelings for Ginta. After fleeing her stepmother's assassination plot with Edward, she seals herself in ice, ordering him to return with a Fire ÄRM. Years later, Ginta melts the ice, freeing her, and their accidental kiss marks their first.
• Babbo (バッボ)
• A sentient, mustachioed ÄRM resembling a, sealed inside a treasure chest. With no memory of his past, he joins Ginta to recover his identity. Capable of six transformations, he maintains a gentlemanly demeanor.
• Alviss (アルヴィス)
• A Cross Guard member who summoned Ginta to MÄR Heaven. Cursed with Zombie Tattoo by Phantom during the First MÄR Heaven War, he harbors intense hatred toward the Chess Pieces' commander while fighting alongside Team MÄR.
• Jack (ジャック)
• A farmer from Badurika Island] who wields the earth-controlling Battle Shovel. After Ginta saves his crops from bandits, he joins the journey as Ginta's closest friend.
• Dorothy (ドロシー)
• The 16-year-old princess of Caldea, a powerful witch and younger sister of Diana, the former princess. As Snow's step-aunt, she is bound by Caldea's laws to stop Diana's actions. A collector of rare ÄRM, she favors Guardian and Wind-types in battle. Her demeanor shifts between gentle and merciless, showing no hesitation in eliminating foes. She develops a strong infatuation with Ginta, often showering him with affection, which frustrates Snow.
• Nanashi (ナナシ)
• The amnesiac leader of the Rubelia Thieves Guild, nicknamed "Nanashi" ("Nameless"). A flirtatious yet chivalrous fighter who wields lightning-based ÄRM such as Electric Eye.
• Alan (アラン)
• Alan, a veteran of the previous MÄR-Heaven War, fought Halloween to a draw despite their former friendship. Cursed into Snow's guardian dog Edward, he required dangerous sleep cycles to transform until Ginta permanently separated them. This left him with a fear of cats.
• Diana (ディアナ) / Queen (王妃)
• Diana, a noble witch from Caldia, trains her sister Dorothy in magic and creates dolls. Driven by greed, she betrays Caldia, freeing Phantom and stealing 798 magical ÄRMs, including Babbo. After becoming the Queen of Lestava, she gains Snow's affection while secretly leading the Chess Pieces as their Queen, granting Phantom immortality with a Zombie Tattoo. She manipulates events from the shadows, waging war to conquer both MÄR Heaven and Ginta's world. When she captures Snow to further her plans, Dorothy confronts and kills her, though Diana briefly regains her true self before dying.
• Phantom (ファントム)
• The undead commander of the Chess Pieces' elite Zodiac unit. Killed in the First MÄR Heaven War, he was resurrected through Zombie Tattoo, becoming a living corpse.

Media

External links