Aria GN 1

Studio - ADVManga
Age - All Ages
By Kozue Amano
ADV Manga Staff
Translator - Kay Bertrand
Lead Translator/Translator Supervisor - Javier Lopez
ADV Manga Translation Staff - Amy Forsyth, Brendan Frayne & Eiko McGregor
Publishing Editor - Susan Itin
Assistant Editor - Margaret Scharold
Editorial Assistant - Varsha Bhuchar
Graphic Novel 1
I checked it out in the dictionary, the term "Aria", and found this.
Aria (n) - A vocal piece with accompaniment sung in solo; part of an opera.
Perfect for the title in my opinion, and I'll go into that abit more as we roll along.
One hundred and fifty years have passed since terraforming of the planet Mars has turned it from a stark lifeless desert into a water world where 90% of the surface is covered with oceans.
How did that come about? Who would have thought Mars had ice to spare! Once the polar caps melted it turned a majority of the world into a water planet, hence why the world was eventually named Aqua (the world of water). Life eventually flourished in the form of immigrants from Earth, and a human world abit primitive in comparison to life on Earth took root.
Now, at the 150 year anniversary in the year 2301, in a city called Neo Venezia, the story begins.
This is the story of young Akari Mizunashi, and her dream to become a full fledged gondolier (known on this world as "Undines") navigating the watery canals of Neo Venezia on her gondola working for the Aria Company (seemingly from what I can see of it a small but hard working gondola company in Neo Venezia).
The info on the back of the book, however, is misleading in a few points.
Point 1 - It claims she is alone, but she'll never be alone as long as she has her friends.
First there is Alicia, her instructor and mentor, who guides her through the paces on her quest to become a full fledged Undine. Then there's her best friend Aika, who works for a rival company, who also helps her but in a different way than Alicia (who Aika looks up to and admires since Alicia is one of the best Undines on Aqua). Finally there's company mascot "President Aria", the blue eyed cat like creature that is the company mascot. All Undine companies in Neo Venezia have a blue eyed cat as a mascot, and the mascot is always named "President (company name)", hence "President Aria".
And of course there's the citizens of Neo Venezia, as well as those just visiting, who also for brief moments give her company as they board her boat and pass in and out of her life as briefly as a short rainstorm.
Hence why the term "Aria" suits this book best if I got the gist of the term right. Like an Aria, a vocal piece sung in solo with accompaniment, thus is the life of trainee Undine Akari Mizunashi.
It is her solo life, but it is made brighter and more complete with the "accompaniment" of friends, co-workers and the people she meets each and every day she lives and works in Neo Venezia.
I don't know if I got that right, but it seems so right to me at least.
Point 2 - Abit of emphasis on how "primitive" Aqua is.
Well if you want to fixate on how Neo Venezia doesn't look like a set piece from Star Trek-The Next Generation that‘s all well and good, but as you read the book you don't think as much about how "primitive" Neo Venezia is (in comparison to the futuristic floating cities high above that regulate weather on Aqua keeping it perfect year round, or what the Earth must look like), you think more how beautiful it is. Every page there's something to see, and the whole city just spreads out as a wonder to behold rather than a symbol of "primitive life".
If this is the "simple life" than FOX should get the rights to show Aria on primetime because this is truly a simple life worth watching, and reading. Beautiful, attention grabbing, and just something you have to see.
And see you will see lots in this first Graphic Novel.
Travel the canals of Neo-Venezia as you watch Akari help a man find his daughter and her husband, and ultimately maybe find abit of himself in the process.
Watch gondola washing day, and meet Aika (Akari's friend) for the first time.
Wait on a bridge with Akari for Aika, and meet Akari's first customer who has "affectionately" nicknamed her "pigtails"…. though affection doesn't seem to play into it since he seems obsessed with yanking on said pigtails constantly. Stop it!
Visit an island with a Japanese shrine on it's shore, and behold the Wedding of the Inari Fox!
Finally take a trip once again through Neo Venezia on the Vogare Longa, and see how Akari deals with this event, which is rumored to be a "test" of would be Undines who want to become full fledged in their art.
From beginning to end it's a beautiful, quiet yet intense, interesting and simple read that flows with beautiful artwork, a lovely enticing story, and just plain goodness from beginning to end.
Breakdown coming, and you won't be disappointed!
Aria Breakdown the 1st
What's Hot? Sometime ago at CWN I did a review of Kaleido Star episode 1, and noted how beautiful it was because of it's simplistic styling and the purity of it's lead character's dream (to star in the circus that she has been fascinated with since childhood).
Well, if that was beautiful and pure, then this even more beautiful because it's far more simple and pure than that! The dream to become a full fledged Undine, and row the canals of Neo Venezia forever is the dream of our heroine, and it even beats out the dream of Kaleido Star because in that one she wants to be a circus star while here our heroine just wants to be the best she can be and live her life doing what she loves.
That, in my opinion, is truly a pure and beautiful dream which is embodied well in the well crafted artwork, the lovely storytelling, and the overall package that flows like a softly running river with it's beautiful dream from beginning to end of Graphic Novel 1.
It makes me want to just run out and get Graphic Novel 2 because it's so well done. Kudos to Kozue Amano who did an excellent job on Aria. Well done.
What's Not? Nothing. It's excellent.
Moments to Remember? From beginning to end it's all memorable. Sometimes even heartwarming and funny and just plain good. It's all good.
What to Ignore? Nothing… well, MAYBE the hair pulling first customer. Geez! You have something for her you don't have to yank her hair like that! As adorable as it may be try not to be so touchy pully! Sheesh!
Overall? A beautiful dream, written and drawn to reflect the beauty of that dream.
From beginning to end of Graphic Novel 1 a visual treat, and a quiet yet enjoyable read that flows as quietly and calmly as the canals of Neo Venezia, promising a trip that takes it's time, and is beautiful because it does take it's time and doesn't rush it. A must read in my opinion.