Why did I even put myself through this…? Why am I hurting my own feelings? Should there be a space between the word Rain and Hard or no?
Rain Hard is a one volume spin-off of Terra Formars, focusing on Adolf Reinhard’s secret mission just before going to Mars. He meets his childhood friends and reflects on many things about life.
So I found this book walking through Asia Comic Con the other day and gave it a try since it’s on sale, forgetting that I had a hard time getting through Adolf’s arc in the anime because it was so friggin’ depressing.
This manga just brings everything back.
What I like most about Rain Hard is that it makes a likable character even more likable. Adolf, on the surface, is your standard cool guy brooding type of character, but this manga shows the care he gives to his crew and family. It digs into his mind to tell us why he did what he did and how he got where he was. And not to mention his fighting sequences were awesome. I’ve always been a fan of characters using daggers and this guy just added some electricity to top that off.
The plot is really standard and predictable. There’s a kid in a lab, that kid had a friend, the kids got abused, the kids got separated, one of them unlocks special powers, the kids got reunited, and one of them died. Since this is just 5 chapters long I can’t really blame them for not having something more original, but somehow that standard plot works because…well, Adolf’s childhood friend understands him so well, because of this guy’s insight, we also understand Adolf more. I’ve always felt that the anime didn’t really do Adolf justice (only having seen the first season, just to clarify), so I’m glad this manga exists.
Aside from Adolf’s standard abused-lab-kid childhood, what really made this sad is…Rosa and Adolf’s relationship. From the anime, we know that Rosa seemed to initially like him, but because Adolf is away on his job so much she cheats on him and just keeps him for the salary. And then this manga comes along and slap some more sad things on top of that. After finishing this manga I really want to slap Adolf and Rosa in the face. I get why he chose to stay with her, but still!
Another amusing thing is Eva and Adolf’s first meeting. All I remember of Eva is that she’s a planaria hybrid and she keeps screaming ‘ADOLF-SAN!!!’ in the anime. The short three or four pages scene made that thing in the anime more understandable. I don’t know if I’m imagining this but Eva looks better in Rain Hard than in the later chapters of the main story.
Overall, this is a great Gaiden chapter. Although the plot’s not anything novel, because this is Adolf and Adolf is a great guy, it was enjoyable and did expand on our beloved electric eel. If you like Adolf from the main story, you would appreciate this. For those who haven’t read or watched Terra Formars, this is still understandable for you.
Yes, this review was biased and I’m sorry I made you sit through it.
bonutzuu 
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