ARIA

アリア [Aria] #3

by Kozue Amano

The snow has melted and the blossoming cherry trees welcome Akari to another springtime on the planet Aqua. Her determination to become a great undine is unwavering, and while this girl may have rivals in the world of gondoliers, that doesn't mean she can't be friends with her competitors! The discovery of an ancient treasure map sends Akari - along with her fellow undines - on a scavenger hunt that is sure to yield the endless treasures of her beloved town of Neo-Venezia.

Genres: Manga, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Slice Of Life, Comics, Fantasy, Young Adult

Paperback

About the author

Kozue Amano (天野こずえ Amano Kozue) is a female Japanese manga artist. She is widely known as the creator of Aria, which proved to be a best-selling hit, and was adapted into an anime television series consisting of 3 seasons and an OVA.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume either introduces Alicia's catch phrases, or the Tokyopop translator started translating them in line with the English version of the anime. I'm not sure which.

Oh my!
Ha ha ha!
Oh dear!

They make her come across as way more brainless than she did before, especially when they form a decent majority of her dialogue here in v. 3 of Aria. Both she and Akari break out mildly insightful (and/or embarrassing) lines now and then, so maybe they're like male ginger cats--or, more accurately, how male gingers are stereotyped on the internet--that they share a single brain cell between them, and only one of them can use it at a time.

The art seems more hard over than it was before on emphasizing the girls' uniforms being very snug on their butts. I've certainly seen lewder art than this, but the butt topography is frequent enough that I'll call it fan service. This one's for the butt fans out there, I suppose. :D

This volume introduces Akira and Alice, who are blustering and stoic respectively. It was nice to see a couple of new character types being added to the mix, especially since we have a pretty high ditz factor with Alicia and Akari.

This volume's a spring-themed one. There's a spring flood (Akari and Alicia having to do mold prevention on their home afterwards is elided), and a day of red roses (marginally more convincing than chocolates, on a terraformed Mars), and a treasure hunt, and other low-key adventures.

There isn't enough narrative friction in this for my taste, and the characters are rather one-note, but it's nice to soak up some sunny vacation vibes with a couple of Aria volumes now and then. The art is quite good at evoking a feeling of exploration and wonder in a mediterranean-like setting.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is a pleasure. We got some fun spring-time adventures with lots of flowers, and a chapter with the city flooding! My favourite so far was Akari and Alice going on an adventure to find "Spring" in a place Alice loves, but getting lost and finding their own new fun along the way. It's a calming series to read, with low stakes and a fun message. I love how Akari often gets side-tracked, by flowers or trees or some stranger she wants to talk to, and usually ends up finding something new and exciting like a new friend along the way. It's really about savouring every moment and finding an amount of joy in the world around you that lifts your spirits, and the spirits of everyone else.

[Iminie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Citation 🌊🌊
"- Elle a le don de tout prendre du bon côté... quoi qu'elle fasse elle s'amuse !
- c'est ça le secret ? (...)
- c'est aussi simple que ça !
- mais comment on fait dans les moments difficiles ?
- Hé bien on se dit qu'il faut traverser quelques épreuves pour mieux apprécier la vie ! Il est nécessaire d'apprendre à déceler la magie du quotidien.. car après tout c'est merveilleux d'être en vie !"

Voilà un extrait de la beauté de ce manga ❤❤

[vanessa♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this series makes me so happy

[Sav · Rating 5 out of 5]

This I think has been my favorite of them all so far.

[The Poor Person's Book Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd year of spring training begins, we get a really cool treasure hunt, and more back stories for the 3 fairies. All no risk

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Completely cute and tame. Adventures all around Aqua!

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is awesome. I like the prequals to!

[The Third Place A Teen Library]

F AMA
aria
vol. 3

[chris gaskill · Rating 4 out of 5]

great aswell!

[Selena Pigoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully drawn manga, and I just adore all the characters.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm starting to really enjoy this series. It's a bit slow, but the art gets more beautiful with each volume.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

So gorgeous. Read every single volume just for the art.