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アリア [Aria] #2
Aria, Volume 2
Akari Mizunashi continues her training to become an undine on the terraformed planet Aqua (formerly called Mars). The story takes place during Akari's first winter on Aqua. She experiences new things, such as playing with snowbugs and going to a hot spring with her friends. But things get interesting when she encounters a trio of Gnomes, the underground dwellers responsible for maintaining Aqua's artifical gravity, and even gets a tour of the facilities!
194 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2003
4 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
Kozue Amano
153 books70 followersKozue 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.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 15, 2024
The King of the Cats gives this story a feeling more like a supernatural story than sci-fi, and that's why he's one of my favorite parts of this series. The gnomes might as well be using magic to create gravity on Mars, too. This isn't a complaint, by the way! Trying to impose hard SF onto this fanciful take on life on Mars would do it a disservice.
Though one hard SF thing I wonder about is: if a Mars year is just about twice as long as an Earth one, and the salamanders can change the weather on Mars at will, why not change it in line with an Earth year, i.e. seasons of 90-ish days, that its (invading) flora and fauna have evolved to thrive in for thousands and thousands of years?
Though one hard SF thing I wonder about is: if a Mars year is just about twice as long as an Earth one, and the salamanders can change the weather on Mars at will, why not change it in line with an Earth year, i.e. seasons of 90-ish days, that its (invading) flora and fauna have evolved to thrive in for thousands and thousands of years?
September 5, 2011
WOW!!!!! How can a series get any better than this one. Detailed, g-rated-well drawn. Great sci-fi plot-mixing old with new. YES!! I know "Hello Kitty" stickers, that I swiped from my poor deprived not spoiled at all, only child daughter of mine. Each page, that has that vilely drawn furry pig-I put a sticker over it's disgusting image. :)
With this issue, the series enters the winter. Ah, it just makes almost wish that was a nip in the air now. The hot springs story line was so coolth. It actually explained that there are several types of hot springs-8 in fact. I want plain spring water please. No nudity-just a great story line, that gives you a little hope to your soul, after working 12 hours-each minutes someone nipping away at mine.
We meet the gnomes--they in underground and create the gravity of Mars. They as humans that work underground. Just as those, who work in the sky-control the weather. Why they are called salamanders--I do not understand.
The last story in the book-well they just do not make enough Hello Kitty stickers to it!
Adorable girls learning the trade of the gondolas.
With this issue, the series enters the winter. Ah, it just makes almost wish that was a nip in the air now. The hot springs story line was so coolth. It actually explained that there are several types of hot springs-8 in fact. I want plain spring water please. No nudity-just a great story line, that gives you a little hope to your soul, after working 12 hours-each minutes someone nipping away at mine.
We meet the gnomes--they in underground and create the gravity of Mars. They as humans that work underground. Just as those, who work in the sky-control the weather. Why they are called salamanders--I do not understand.
The last story in the book-well they just do not make enough Hello Kitty stickers to it!
Adorable girls learning the trade of the gondolas.
March 17, 2019
Kozue Amano knocks it out of the park with another volume of his magnum opus, but I've definitely reached a point where I cannot ignore this obvious pattern...
As of both volumes of Aqua and the first two of Aria, Akari has still not rounded out a whole year living on Planet Aqua. As such, there are more things for her to see of the culture of Neo-Venezia. As such, there are more things for Amano to show the reader in the guise of Alicia, et al., showing Akari. As such, each chapter begins with Akari being told of some heretofore unsaid element of Neo-Venezian culture, then she gets excited to learn more, then Amano gratuitously telegraphs scenes where the reader sees Akari express awe in the final panel of one page, only to turn the sheet and see a large, highly detailed vision of some beautiful what-have-you. Always, these vistas are stunning, for Akari and for ourselves, but it is so incredibly predictable. I began reading this series because I'd heard great things about it, and by now it seems I will continue because I know there will never be a dip in quality; Amano's found a formula that cannot yield shittiness. This almost makes it hard to -truly- enjoy the series, because it feels we can only go so far with the predictability of its wonder. Kind of a weird thing to say, but it is what it is.
This volume sees the dawn of winter. Aqua's yearly cycle, being twice the length of that of Manhome, accounts for six months of winter. Six months which pass by in the course of one tankoubon.
The little snow bugs were cute. The introduction of "Gnomes" was neat, adding more sustainable world-building, insofar as we can imagine Al becoming as semi-significant as Akatsuki [I'd half-forgotten Al's name, and coincidentally/conveniently opened the volume right to the page he introduced himself!].
Cait Sith returns, from the Aqua manga. This is most definitely the highlight of the volume, in my opinion at least. This is a wonderful sci-fi world, yet oddly I find myself most attracted to the fantasy elements. The foxes in the previous volume, the cats here and in Aqua.
I also like the color illustration of Aika in the Chinese-inspired clothes on the table of contents page. Those spats...!
As of both volumes of Aqua and the first two of Aria, Akari has still not rounded out a whole year living on Planet Aqua. As such, there are more things for her to see of the culture of Neo-Venezia. As such, there are more things for Amano to show the reader in the guise of Alicia, et al., showing Akari. As such, each chapter begins with Akari being told of some heretofore unsaid element of Neo-Venezian culture, then she gets excited to learn more, then Amano gratuitously telegraphs scenes where the reader sees Akari express awe in the final panel of one page, only to turn the sheet and see a large, highly detailed vision of some beautiful what-have-you. Always, these vistas are stunning, for Akari and for ourselves, but it is so incredibly predictable. I began reading this series because I'd heard great things about it, and by now it seems I will continue because I know there will never be a dip in quality; Amano's found a formula that cannot yield shittiness. This almost makes it hard to -truly- enjoy the series, because it feels we can only go so far with the predictability of its wonder. Kind of a weird thing to say, but it is what it is.
This volume sees the dawn of winter. Aqua's yearly cycle, being twice the length of that of Manhome, accounts for six months of winter. Six months which pass by in the course of one tankoubon.
The little snow bugs were cute. The introduction of "Gnomes" was neat, adding more sustainable world-building, insofar as we can imagine Al becoming as semi-significant as Akatsuki [I'd half-forgotten Al's name, and coincidentally/conveniently opened the volume right to the page he introduced himself!].
Cait Sith returns, from the Aqua manga. This is most definitely the highlight of the volume, in my opinion at least. This is a wonderful sci-fi world, yet oddly I find myself most attracted to the fantasy elements. The foxes in the previous volume, the cats here and in Aqua.
I also like the color illustration of Aika in the Chinese-inspired clothes on the table of contents page. Those spats...!
July 27, 2008
The sci-fi slice of life continues in this next volume. When I heard how slow and relaxing its pace was, I already had bad feelings. True, it doesn't have an overarching global plot, but it still engages the reader by focusing on the characters.
I especially liked how old Japanese and Italian themes were merged with high technology. Both old and new culture live together in ways that would not incense a Luddite. One example is a gravitational control system linked to an organ piano. Compared to your usual keyboard, this instrument belies the seriousness of the physics at work behind the scenes.
Even though I see myself as a hi-fi person, loathe to live a country bumpkin life, I can't help but think that I would enjoy a few months on Aqua...
I especially liked how old Japanese and Italian themes were merged with high technology. Both old and new culture live together in ways that would not incense a Luddite. One example is a gravitational control system linked to an organ piano. Compared to your usual keyboard, this instrument belies the seriousness of the physics at work behind the scenes.
Even though I see myself as a hi-fi person, loathe to live a country bumpkin life, I can't help but think that I would enjoy a few months on Aqua...
January 22, 2022
Aria is a slice of life at heart. We learn the story takes places hundreds of years in the future after humans had to vacate Earth to other planets. It follows a young girl from Mars in her quest to essentially become a gondolier on Aqua.
For the longest time I silently wondered what people were enjoying about this manga. For one I didn’t fully know the alien planet part, but I also couldn’t find anything interesting about a girl on a boat.
After reading Aria I can see the magic others find in the story. The art is so clean and crisp. The story flows nicely and the characters are incredibly likable. I feel like an absolute idiot for missing out.
I’ll be grabbing the next vol when I can!
For the longest time I silently wondered what people were enjoying about this manga. For one I didn’t fully know the alien planet part, but I also couldn’t find anything interesting about a girl on a boat.
After reading Aria I can see the magic others find in the story. The art is so clean and crisp. The story flows nicely and the characters are incredibly likable. I feel like an absolute idiot for missing out.
I’ll be grabbing the next vol when I can!
March 24, 2024
It's winter! Time for cool seasonal things. Hot springs to warm up in the cold! Festivals! New Year's Eve! I like the different cultures blending into Neo-Venezia, incorporating Italian elements with the rest of the Japanese influence makes for a neat setting. Also this series is so cute and warm and fun!
June 21, 2021
Some interesting ideas and beautiful moments, very chill, but I wasn't super interested in the characters, maybe because I haven't read the first volume. It was a little bit boring. The art is very pretty, though, and I did like the twist with Casanova.
April 7, 2021
J'ai beaucoup aimé ce deuxième volume, on en apprend toujours plus sur les coutumes de Neo-Venise et j'aime beaucoup cela! Je conseille!
July 4, 2023
me and the aria world are like this 🤞🤞
August 30, 2023
I loved this book as much as I did the first. Still my favorite series so far. I can't wait to read the 3rd book!!!!
October 14, 2023
this was cute
May 6, 2024
On the planet Aqua, where the year is 24 months long. We just finished a fun and relaxing winter, with slice of life stories revolving around New Years and Carnival.
March 30, 2025
Completely cute and tame. Adventures all around Aqua!
December 26, 2025
Beautiful book, Akari learns more about the world of Aqua with her friends and President Aria.
February 19, 2017
I have a hard time thinking of a good way to write a review about this series, simply because I can't think of a reason why I like it. I just do. It's not something I would normally like. Romantic girl friendships set amidst a fantasy sci-fi water city? That doesn't even really seem to have a central ongoing story? Normally, I would say "No thanks." But for some reason I care. I care about whether or not Akari will advance in her career. I care about her relationships with Aika and Alicia. (And I'm hoping that eventually she and Aika will confess their love and get married and adopt adorable babies, but I'm not holding my breath for that.) It's a story about a journey and that's exactly how it feels. There's no overarching plotline or (seemingly) end game. Akari is just on a journey through this phase in her life and you're tagging along. Which, like I said, normally would not be something I care about in the slightest. So I think it's a good sign that I'm so into this.
September 22, 2008
again i liked it , kazue did a really good job on keeping the readers interest ! ! ! !
and yes great manga
and yes great manga
Read
June 3, 2010F AMA
aria
vol. 2
aria
vol. 2
July 24, 2011
Buku komik/manga paling indah yang pernah aku baca.
June 20, 2013
Another wonderful couple of Akira stories. I will never get tired of her!
February 25, 2009
Another beautiful volume of a beautiful manga. I can't get enough of this!!!
February 15, 2011
great book!
May 3, 2013
Beautiful. Just beautiful.
December 31, 2013
much like the first one, but the stories start exploring to hang the characters on.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews