Some children born on Mars developed genetic mutations giving them parapsychological powers, which became more potent across subsequent generations of Martians.

[3] Sei ultimately dies, but her consciousness survives in a sort of limbo; there she meets various spirits with vague sexual identities, which allow her to be reborn as a sixth generation Martian.

[4] Star Red was conceived after Hagio's editor at Shūkan Shōjo Comic suddenly asked her to create a new manga, and informed her that she had three days to produce a full-color ad page promoting the series.

[7] To create the Martian landscapes, Hagio used photographs taken by NASA during the Viking 1 Mars exploration mission as reference material.

[9] Because of its rapid production schedule, the series began publication before Hagio had planned its ending; this is why the character of Yodaka, who gives birth to Sei, changes sex from male to female over the course of the story.