MAR, short for Marchen Awakens Romance is a Japanese manga and anime. The manga ran from 2003-2006, while the anime ran from 2005-2007, made up of 102 episodes. A sequel was made named MAR Omega.

Story
The story is about a Japanese boy named Ginta who journeys into a world named MAR Heaven, which is like a fairy tale. Here, magical items known as ARMs are used to perform different tasks. Ginta meets a witch named Dorothy who wants to find a powerful ARM called Babbo. Ginta and Dorothy find Babbo, but find he is alive and can talk, which other ARMS can't do. Babbo has no memory of who he is other than his name and becomes Ginta's friend.

Ginta travels around MAR Heaven, forming a group of friends which he calls Team MAR. Team MAR fight the Chess Pieces, an evil group of people who wish to turn MAR Heaven into a nightmare. Team MAR is forced to fight in the War Games, a fighting tournament, to defeat the Chess Pieces. Ginta also wishes to return home, looking for the ARM that brought him to MAR Heaven in the first place.

It is revealed near the end of the story that the King and Queen of the Chess Pieces are Ginta's father Danna controlled by an evil spirit called Caldia's Orb, and Dorothy's older sister Diana. Team MAR battles Caldia's Orb, Diana and the leader of the Chess Pieces' Knights, Phantom, in the floating Lestava Castle, and win, saving MAR Heaven. Ginta and Danna return home at the end of the story.

Characters

Team MAR
Team MAR is made up of the main heroes and characters of MAR. The team's goal is to defeat the Chess Pieces and save MAR Heaven from destruction. The members are:
Ginta Toramizu: The main character and leader of the team. Ginta is from Tokyo, Japan. He has a strong imagination and becomes a great fighter in MAR Heaven. He lives with his mother and missing father.
Babbo: A talking ARM who has a human soul. He appears as a ball and chain with a hammer-shaped handle at the end. He has a pointed nose and a moustache. Babbo is very proud and calls himself a "gentleman". Babbo, being an ARM, can change into stronger forms using magical orbs. These forms include a hammer/sword weapon, a gun that can fire exploding bubbles, a winged monster named "Gargoyle", a woman named, a forcefield, a Puss in Boots-like cat, and a powerful attack that can bring back the dead.
Dorothy: A pink-haired witch who searches for powerful ARMs. She flies on a broomstick and is a skilled magician. She comes from a land called Caldia, where her older sister Diana turned against her people and turned evil. She searches for powerful ARMs to use against Diana when she must fight her.
Jack: A boy who resembles a monkey. He lives with his mother on a farm growing vegetables for a living. He uses a shovel-shaped ARM and can grow plants to use as weapons. His father was killed in the first War Games, and Jack wants to be stronger than him and then grow a beanstalk that will grow above the clouds.
Snow: A young princess who is the rightful ruler of Lestava Castle. She and her servant Edward ran away from Lestava when Diana became the Queen, and they later joined Ginta's group. Snow is very polite and kind, but can be hyperactive and strange at times. She uses ARMs that can fire out ice attacks.
Alviss: A young man who summoned Ginta to MAR Heaven. He is cursed with a Zombie Tattoo that will cause him to die if it covers his whole body.
Nanashi: The leader of a group of thieves called Luberia, Nanashi joins Team MAR to avenge a large number of thieves who were killed by the Chess Pieces. He can be lazy and flirts with women when not fighting.
Alan: Snow's protector, Alan fought in the first War Games but was cursed to share a body with Edward. He is later freed from the curse. He is calm and a good battle, but is allergic to cats.
Belle: A fairy who is friends with Alviss.
Edward: A dog who wears glasses, Edward is Snow's servant. He is cursed to share a body with Alan, but is later freed.

Supporting Characters
Koyuki: Ginta's friend in Tokyo. She looks a lot like Snow and dreams of Ginta's adventures from Snow's point of view.
Danna: Ginta's father. He fought in the first War Games, but died when fighting Phantom. His body was taken over by Caldia's Orb, until its death, bringing Danna back from the dead and allowing him to reunite with his family.
Ginta's Mother: Ginta's unnamed mother. She writes fantasy novels.
Jack's Mother: Jack's unnamed mother who runs a farm with her son.
Gaira: A man who fought with Danna and Alan in the first War Games.
Pozun: A purple, pointy-earred creature who acts as a referee for the War Games.
Caldia's Grand Elder: An old man but a powerful wizard who is the leader of Caldia.

The Chess Pieces
The Chess Pieces are the main villains of MAR. They want to turn MAR Heaven into a nightmare. They are in groups named after the pieces of a chess game. The King and Queen, Caldia's Orb and Diana, are not in groups.

Caldia's Orb: The King and creator of the Chess Pieces. Caldia's Orb is made up of evil creatures sealed inside a glass orb. He at first had control of Babbo's body but later changed to take over Danna's body.
Diana: The Queen of the Chess Pieces. Diana is Dorothy's older sister. She left Caldia after turning evil, becoming the Queen of Lestava but planned to kill Snow to have full power. She collects powerful ARMs and is greedy. Dorothy wishes to kill her for turning against her and Caldia.
Phantom: Leader of the Thirteen Zodiac Knights. Phantom lives in the floating Lestava Castle. While he is kind and caring, he is also a cruel person and hates humans.
Peta: Phantom's close friend. He killed Luberia, causing Nanashi to join Team MAR.
Halloween: A Knight who is named after Halloween. He wears a large pumpkin as a mask and has a tombstone attached to his back. He was once Alan's friend but was bullied until he found an ARM that could create fire. He is cruel and scary.
Chimera: A mysterious Knight who wears a skull-shaped mask and does not talk much. Chimera is really a scorned woman named Eileen who was left as a widow when her husband was killed. She uses Ghost ARMs.
Rolan: A friendly man who sees Phantom as a dear friend. He can sprout bird wings and fly.
Weasel: An old man who has a tree growing out of his head. He is 84 years old. He can use plants as weapons, and killed Jack's father in the first War Games.
Ian: Ian was first a Rook, but later became a Knight. He is in love with Gido, a Pawn, who is cursed by Chimera, leaving Ian vengeful.
Magical Roe: A clown who cheered up Snow when she was younger. He is a servant of Diana and captures Snow during the War Games. He turns against Diana to save Snow but dies in the process.
Galian: The former leader of Luberia, who he left to join the Chess Pieces.
Ash: A cheerful man who loves children. He wears a skull-shaped mask that has its tongue poking out.
Candice: A woman who is in love with Phantom. She enjoys both giving and having pain.
Pinocchion: A living toy puppet named after Pinocchio. He was built by Diana, at first as a present for Dorothy. His nose grows when he lies until it turns into a cannon.
Rapunzel: A cruel and insane woman who likes killing people. Ian kills her to earn a spot in the Knights.
Kouga: A large Knight who hides his ugly face under a mask. He believes his ugliness is his best strength.
Chaton: A girl who has the ears, tail and personality of a cat. She is very playful and falls in love with Alan.
Aqua: A mermaid girl who is always smiling, even when hurt. She is horribly killed by Rapunzel.
Loco: A girl who uses voodoo-like ARMs. She is cursed whenever she uses a certain ARM, causing her to get younger until she turns into a baby. Her ARMs are placed in a suitcase.
Pano: A young green-haired girl who falls in love with Jack.
Garon and Leno: Pano's father and older brother.
Gido: A Pawn, and Ian's lover.

References 

Anime