Terra Formars is a manga that is rather off the worn and well-beaten path of shounen manga. It’s a lot grittier – favouring the stylistic approaches to action like those of Gantz or Shingeki no Kyojin. And it starts off on a pretty interesting, albeit peculiar, premise. Mars has finally become habitable in the year 2577, and the nations of the world are working together to cultivate this new space. But while this sounds like a great idea for the poor, overcrowded denizens of Earth, it turns out that the uninhabited planet isn’t so uninhabited after all. Cockroaches are the dominant species, evolving into buff, caveman like creatures with incredible intelligence and adaptability. Their solution? Sending a spaceship full of scientifically altered bug-people to combat the giant pests.

Yes. You heard it here - buff cockroaches versus bug people.

Sounds weird? You better believe it is! But hey – it’s actually a half-decent series if you’re willing to stick it through all the weirdness.

Story: 5/10

As you’ve probably realized, the plot of Terra Formars isn’t exactly a conventional one. ‘Buff cockroaches versus bug people’ is not a defined storyline - it’s only an idea, but Sasuga Yu really seems to think he can get away with just that. As a result, the plot tends to drag on around a monotonous process of rinse-and-repeat – particularly before the death of the character in question. There’s a 90% guarantee that when the character gets a quaint little flashback, they’re next on the hit list. So it burns down to waiting to see which minor characters make it (the main cast is, of course, untouchable) and what sort of new roach will show up.

It isn’t entirely the fault of the author – the desolate environment the story is set in contributes significantly. And although the story bounces back and forth between the survivors on Mars and the political struggles on Earth, it’s all bogged down without any interest in the world around them. Earth appears to be a little more crowded, a little more advanced, but otherwise the same. Mars is a near wasteland filled with cockroach people. But nothing really happens, if you get me? Sure, the plot progresses with a certain level of intrigue, and this can be pretty interesting at times. But there really isn’t any meat to the plot, and thus it scores pretty low in the grand scheme of things.

There’s also the weird omnipresent voice of the narrator that loves to cut in, even for the most minute of things. Like, you know you’ve got a problem with your narrator when they cut in to give you a monologue about a net. A net. It’s almost like there’s this smug little voice walking you step-by-step through the whole story. The roach-men do not know what lightning is! The roach-men have advanced very quickly! The roach-men are attacking in groups! Amazing. The author really tries to stress how much humanity is similar to the roaches, but it honestly just comes off as patronizing and repetitive. Plus the tendency to drop in Old Testament references which are, absolutely, out of place in regards to the rest of the series. (Did somebody say something about a Rahab?)

Art: 7/10

Yeah, the art is pretty good. Sometimes even above and beyond, but it maintains a fairly average level. Character designs are actually quite interesting, and varied enough that there’s no confusion as to who is who, but there does tend to be a bit of stiffness in the character’s physique. Like strange, paneling side-shots where the characters have enormous necks and shoulders, whereas in others they are shown to be a little more slender. The variance can be amusing, and I found it especially so when Akari just whips off his jacket and his muscles grow twice the size (that is one slimming jacket!). But overall the art is reasonable, and the action is both dynamic and enjoyable.

Characters: 8/10

What the series does well is in capturing the individual feelings and personalities of even minor characters. Starting strong with a false protagonist, the series draws the reader close to all of the experiences correlated with each demise. Yes, the constant use of flashbacks before death can get pretty tiresome, and it basically is just a summary of their reasons for joining the mission to Mars. But although I have qualms with the method, the backstories are done very well. It colours in each person in a very individualistic way, and avoids stepping into stock types with a diverse cast of ambitions and desires.

Diversity is also something which Terra Formers both excels and fails at. A few strong female characters who aren’t used to feed the plot with their deaths, and most of the males keep from falling into the typical shounen roles. There’s also a pleasing incorporation of characters from different backgrounds and different cultures, and this gives the series a breath of fresh air. The author, however, also seems to have a peculiar sense of stereotypes in mind. There are a few things said or done that border on racism. The Chinese really get the short stick in this, portrayed as villainous and conniving. But it isn’t just them – there are a number of little things passed around in dialogue that imply no short amount of intolerance and poor research. It’s also a little short on comedy, which is actually unfortunate because the character dynamics really shine in those brief interactions.

At the end of the day, though, the characters are really what shape Terra Formers as a whole. Without an engaging cast, it wouldn’t be what it is.

Enjoyment: 6/10

Fighting cockroaches with eight-packs really only goes so far. Seriously. In the process of waiting to see the next muscular bug, there’s more than time for a yawn. The action itself is fast paced and enjoyable, but tends to drag out till the point of weighing down the series. The gang defeats a roach, but is ambushed by a new one! They defeat this new one, and another appears! Repeat x2 and then something or someone comes in to move the story along.

I know I’ll be sticking around until the end, though, for despite it’s many flaws, there are actually a few interesting elements. A few things curious enough to keep the readers waiting.

Overall: 7/10

Terra Formers really isn’t bad. Sure, it sounds pretty weird and yes, it really can be, but it’s actually worth reading for the characters themselves. Plus the Reinhardt arc was awesome.