[1] It is a gender-reversed take on science fiction stories that Hagio had read where women disappeared, leaving an all-male world.

[1] Prior to the beginning of the story, the number of children from Mother has been decreasing, leading to anxiety among the men.

"[3] The men of Earth only live to about 30 years old due to "defective genetic traits" It is later discovered that Earth is an experiment run by humans who live on Mars, who have men and women, and that Mother is also a man who has his mind controlled and has had organ transplants.

Mother is a ruse by the experimenters to camouflage the true source of the boys, they are genetically engineered on Mars.

[4] Serialised in Petit Flower between August 1985 and October 1987,[6] Marginal was collected and released by Shogakukan as a series of five volumes from July 20, 1986 to November 20, 1987.