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アリア [Aria] #1
Aria, Tome 1
On the planet Aqua, a world once known as Mars, Akari Mizunashi has just made her home in the town of Neo-VENEZIA, a futuristic imitation of the ancient city of Venice. The technology of "Man Home" (formerly Earth) has not entirely reached this planet, and Akari is alone, having no contact with family or friends. Nonetheless, the town, with its charming labyrinths of rivers and canals, becomes Akari's new infatuation, along with the dream of becoming a full-fledged gondolier. Reverting to a more "primitive" lifestyle and pursuing a new trade, the character of Akari becomes both adventurous and heartwarming all at once.
173 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2002
11 people are currently reading
1361 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 - 30 of 100 reviews
September 1, 2011
This is alovely change of pace manga. The past in the future of Mars. We goofed, while melting the Mars glaciers, and flooded the planet. The cities are Venice like and one is built ti look like it. The tech on Mars, is 100 old year behind of Earth-no steam punk, but gondolas-with cute pilots. I like the stories, and the drawing style is love.
The reason for 4 star Noran-hey I heard they have cat mascots in the book, for the companies. You love cats. I know you sleep with the new Maru book under pillow nightly, in hopes of having sweet Maru dreams.
Well, I would rate the FOUL book 1 star, for it's drawing of cats. I thought it was a MUTANT dog thing. But so many pages it, it is a cat. My goodness-the Japanese have elevated "cute cats" to Olympian status. Oh the unbelievable horror, it is like the artist had a seizure every time they had to draw a cat. Oh the woe for me. I adore every aspect of the book and story lines. Yet mutant kitties- the HORROR!!!!
this is a book you could start a young one on. Innocent and darling. No T&A shows here guys/gals.
Oh, I should mention at I am sending Virginia off to Montessori for Kindergarten this week. My hubby asked how we were going to pay for it. I replied "I will to give up my cat collecting addiction.". I speak of real, cute live fur-balls. We lose our oldest the other month. the 4 remaining-2 showed up old on the doorstep in winter just before Thanksgiving. Lulip is the runt barn cat, forced upon me. And Greta is foster care for 2 years now, after the alley cat lady wondered into my yard, asking me to find a home for her, before Halloween Greta a stray-so friendly could have been attacked by witches on Halloween, epr crazy alley cat lady. I keep trying for a home for her--she need so much love, than she gets. I am willing to ship her, if you have an acute feline anemia case yourself.
Well I forgot 2 great things about about this book. One, the Autumn scenes at the beginning if the volume. One page has me wanting to pull my color pencils, just like "Bunny Drop volume 1".
Two, The Japanese Shrine, and the Fox wedding. Perfection of drawing skills! Can do great foxes, but still cannot cats at all!!
If you look at the autumn leaves falling--they are some Japanese tree species, even my beloved Gingko leaves! So, I will have to deal with the furry pig thingie, that they call a c-a-t!
The reason for 4 star Noran-hey I heard they have cat mascots in the book, for the companies. You love cats. I know you sleep with the new Maru book under pillow nightly, in hopes of having sweet Maru dreams.
Well, I would rate the FOUL book 1 star, for it's drawing of cats. I thought it was a MUTANT dog thing. But so many pages it, it is a cat. My goodness-the Japanese have elevated "cute cats" to Olympian status. Oh the unbelievable horror, it is like the artist had a seizure every time they had to draw a cat. Oh the woe for me. I adore every aspect of the book and story lines. Yet mutant kitties- the HORROR!!!!
this is a book you could start a young one on. Innocent and darling. No T&A shows here guys/gals.
Oh, I should mention at I am sending Virginia off to Montessori for Kindergarten this week. My hubby asked how we were going to pay for it. I replied "I will to give up my cat collecting addiction.". I speak of real, cute live fur-balls. We lose our oldest the other month. the 4 remaining-2 showed up old on the doorstep in winter just before Thanksgiving. Lulip is the runt barn cat, forced upon me. And Greta is foster care for 2 years now, after the alley cat lady wondered into my yard, asking me to find a home for her, before Halloween Greta a stray-so friendly could have been attacked by witches on Halloween, epr crazy alley cat lady. I keep trying for a home for her--she need so much love, than she gets. I am willing to ship her, if you have an acute feline anemia case yourself.
Well I forgot 2 great things about about this book. One, the Autumn scenes at the beginning if the volume. One page has me wanting to pull my color pencils, just like "Bunny Drop volume 1".
Two, The Japanese Shrine, and the Fox wedding. Perfection of drawing skills! Can do great foxes, but still cannot cats at all!!
If you look at the autumn leaves falling--they are some Japanese tree species, even my beloved Gingko leaves! So, I will have to deal with the furry pig thingie, that they call a c-a-t!
February 3, 2017
Huge thanks, De!! 
Kalo bukan karena Ade, aku....... ヾ( ^O^)ツ *lebay moment di-mute sama Ade* XDD
Untungnya, karena Ade pula, aku bisa baca Aqua duluan. Jadi bisa lebih meresapi begitu masuk dunia Aria ini~
Rasanya 3A: Aqua, Aria, dan Ade ini ga bisa dipisahkan (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)
Baiklah, kini saatnya me-review Ade.., eh, Aria (^ ^) yang dipenuhi hurup "A" juga ヽ(>∀<☆)ノ
Ini komik tipe healing banget! ╰(▔∀▔)╯
Rasa capek dan pegal-pegal bisa berkurang dengan membacanya (≧◡≦)d Dijamin!
Gambarnya lucu untuk karakter chibi, untuk karakter dalam wujud normal terlihat manis-manis, dan untuk pemandangannya sangat indah! Menggiurkan~
Pemandangannya bikin aku memikirkan ulang statusku sebagai pegawai... Rasanya pingin pindah ke tempat yang berair banyak dan mulai alih profesi sebagai tukang dayung (^-^) //woy
Ceritanya..... ( ￣▽￣)旦~~ haa~ *menyesap teh sejenak* SANGAT MEMUASKAN!
Aku mengerti kenapa di bagian belakang, Amano-sensei sempat berkata bahwa komiknya ini sering disebut "komik spiritual", sementara beliau hanya ingin menggambar dan mengisahkan hal-hal yang menyenangkan dan menenangkan.
Karena justru kepositifan, dan berbagai pandangan hidup penuh damai dengan alam dan sesama yang dikisahkan di komik ini yang terasa "menyegarkan jiwa", seakan menyadarkan bahwa rasa lelah dan negatif yang kadang dianggap "sudah biasa" itu sebenarnya bisa kita buang dan kita ganti, kalau saja kita mau...
Dan munculnya Cait Sith itu terasa memperdalam kesan ini~
Awalnya aku hanya merasakan suasana mistis yang seram-seram-nikmat tiap kali makhluk ini muncul XD
Namun di akhir...
Akhirnya, di dunia Aria yang berkilau ini, di mana kucing raksasa adalah dewa, dan para undine mendayung gondola tanpa perlu menjadi kekar dan tangannya kapalan, aku sebagai penonton merasa terhisap ke dalamnya, jatuh hati dengan dunianya, dan berusaha meresapi berbagai pandangan hidupnya yang indah, yang menikmati keindahan saat ini sebagai "saat ini", tanpa dirusuhi oleh keresahan masa lalu maupun kecemasan akan masa depan.
Kalo bukan karena Ade, aku....... ヾ( ^O^)ツ *lebay moment di-mute sama Ade* XDD
Untungnya, karena Ade pula, aku bisa baca Aqua duluan. Jadi bisa lebih meresapi begitu masuk dunia Aria ini~
Rasanya 3A: Aqua, Aria, dan Ade ini ga bisa dipisahkan (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)
Baiklah, kini saatnya me-review Ade.., eh, Aria (^ ^) yang dipenuhi hurup "A" juga ヽ(>∀<☆)ノ
Ini komik tipe healing banget! ╰(▔∀▔)╯
Rasa capek dan pegal-pegal bisa berkurang dengan membacanya (≧◡≦)d Dijamin!
Gambarnya lucu untuk karakter chibi, untuk karakter dalam wujud normal terlihat manis-manis, dan untuk pemandangannya sangat indah! Menggiurkan~
Pemandangannya bikin aku memikirkan ulang statusku sebagai pegawai... Rasanya pingin pindah ke tempat yang berair banyak dan mulai alih profesi sebagai tukang dayung (^-^) //woy
Ceritanya..... ( ￣▽￣)旦~~ haa~ *menyesap teh sejenak* SANGAT MEMUASKAN!
Aku mengerti kenapa di bagian belakang, Amano-sensei sempat berkata bahwa komiknya ini sering disebut "komik spiritual", sementara beliau hanya ingin menggambar dan mengisahkan hal-hal yang menyenangkan dan menenangkan.
Karena justru kepositifan, dan berbagai pandangan hidup penuh damai dengan alam dan sesama yang dikisahkan di komik ini yang terasa "menyegarkan jiwa", seakan menyadarkan bahwa rasa lelah dan negatif yang kadang dianggap "sudah biasa" itu sebenarnya bisa kita buang dan kita ganti, kalau saja kita mau...
Dan munculnya Cait Sith itu terasa memperdalam kesan ini~
Awalnya aku hanya merasakan suasana mistis yang seram-seram-nikmat tiap kali makhluk ini muncul XD
Namun di akhir...
Akhirnya, di dunia Aria yang berkilau ini, di mana kucing raksasa adalah dewa, dan para undine mendayung gondola tanpa perlu menjadi kekar dan tangannya kapalan, aku sebagai penonton merasa terhisap ke dalamnya, jatuh hati dengan dunianya, dan berusaha meresapi berbagai pandangan hidupnya yang indah, yang menikmati keindahan saat ini sebagai "saat ini", tanpa dirusuhi oleh keresahan masa lalu maupun kecemasan akan masa depan.
February 26, 2019
Book Reaction: https://nildivision.blogspot.com/2019...
Rating: 4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
Rating: 4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
April 2, 2017
--- ARIA : A.D 2301 The Voyage from Neo-Venezia 1-12---
Plot: Kedamaian yang penuh dengan pelajaran berarti.
Gambar: SUPERB!
Penokohan: SUPERB!
Saya sama sekali tidak merasa berlebihan jika menuliskan penokohannya SUPERB bwahaha XD/*subjektif all the way*. Ini pertama kalinya saya benar-benar menyukai seorang karakter cewek dari komik, lho. Padahal biasanya saya cuma suka dengan karakter cowok (haha).
Berawal dari membaca ilegal sampai akhirnya bela-belain ngoleksi semua sampai volume yang sekarang telah terbit... ^^ Komik ini adalah salah satu dari sekian banyak komik yang saya beli setelah baca. Rasanya saya kecewa tidak bisa mengetahui komik ini lebih cepat, tapi disisi lain saya bangga sudah berhasil mendapatkan buku ini.
Alur waktu, musim dan kehidupan digambarkan dengan begitu baik dalam komik ini. Terlalu baik sampai-sampai saya merasa ini pertama kalinya ada komik yang menceritakan tempat fiktif-nya dengan begitu indah dan detail. Membuat saya terpesona pada Neo Venzia, indahnya lautnya, ramainya festivalnya, ragam kehidupan musiman yang menakjubkan. Ya, komik ini berhasil membisikkan indahnya hal-hal itu kepada saya .
OH! ^^ Lalu tentu saja, sajian kisahnya dalam ARIA ringan dan menentramkan. Terlalu ringan dan terlalu damai, mengingatkanku dengan Unrequited Venus. Bedanya, kadar ringan di ARIA adalah ringan yang sangat membesarkan hati dengan kisahnya yang merefleksikan kehidupan. Penuh dengan pelajaran hidup dan penuh dengan kebahagiaan (dan kadang kesedihan di saat yang sama).
Ini salah satu komik yang saya paling nikmati. Begitu suka sampai saya menyayangkan tamatnya, tapi juga membuatku bisa menghargai akhirnya dan bernafas sangat lega. Komik dengan alur kehidupan, ARIA benar-benar "cangkir komikku".
[10/10]
Plot: Kedamaian yang penuh dengan pelajaran berarti.
Gambar: SUPERB!
Penokohan: SUPERB!
"Masa baru mencapai finish di senja begini? Kau mikir apa sih?
Ini mungkin tes promosi lho! Gimana kita harus menghadapi kak Alicia?"
"Kau lupa? Ampun deh".......
[Antara kita saja ya. Aku tidak lupa soal tes promosi itu.
Tapi karena lombanya sangat asyik, rasanya sayang kalau buru-buru mencapai finish.
Ya. Aku akan... menjadi undine sepenuhnya dengan iramaku sendiri.
Ya. Yang penting, senang ]. -ARIA 1 / Amano Kozue.
Saya sama sekali tidak merasa berlebihan jika menuliskan penokohannya SUPERB bwahaha XD/*subjektif all the way*. Ini pertama kalinya saya benar-benar menyukai seorang karakter cewek dari komik, lho. Padahal biasanya saya cuma suka dengan karakter cowok (haha).
Berawal dari membaca ilegal sampai akhirnya bela-belain ngoleksi semua sampai volume yang sekarang telah terbit... ^^ Komik ini adalah salah satu dari sekian banyak komik yang saya beli setelah baca. Rasanya saya kecewa tidak bisa mengetahui komik ini lebih cepat, tapi disisi lain saya bangga sudah berhasil mendapatkan buku ini.
Alur waktu, musim dan kehidupan digambarkan dengan begitu baik dalam komik ini. Terlalu baik sampai-sampai saya merasa ini pertama kalinya ada komik yang menceritakan tempat fiktif-nya dengan begitu indah dan detail. Membuat saya terpesona pada Neo Venzia, indahnya lautnya, ramainya festivalnya, ragam kehidupan musiman yang menakjubkan. Ya, komik ini berhasil membisikkan indahnya hal-hal itu kepada saya .
OH! ^^ Lalu tentu saja, sajian kisahnya dalam ARIA ringan dan menentramkan. Terlalu ringan dan terlalu damai, mengingatkanku dengan Unrequited Venus. Bedanya, kadar ringan di ARIA adalah ringan yang sangat membesarkan hati dengan kisahnya yang merefleksikan kehidupan. Penuh dengan pelajaran hidup dan penuh dengan kebahagiaan (dan kadang kesedihan di saat yang sama).
Ini salah satu komik yang saya paling nikmati. Begitu suka sampai saya menyayangkan tamatnya, tapi juga membuatku bisa menghargai akhirnya dan bernafas sangat lega. Komik dengan alur kehidupan, ARIA benar-benar "cangkir komikku".
[10/10]
October 4, 2023
5.00 / 5.00
The translation I am reading is not the best, and by no means I had ever been a big fan of mangas or comics in general; but damn still the words and philosophy of Kozue Amano touched me so much. One of the best feel-good-reads ever. The story of our protagonist Akira, working as sort of a trainee tour-guide / water-taxi driver in the Aria company, is set simultaneously in the future and the past, as humans have managed to terraform Mars but the technology there is 100 years behind of that of Earth. So what we get is a unique fantasy / sci-fi world centred around the town of Neo-Venezia, a tourist town modeled around Earth's Venice. A slice of life story that is so full of heart that it is bound to put a smile on your face.
*The first 5 chapters are covered in this volume.
~ 4 October 2023
The translation I am reading is not the best, and by no means I had ever been a big fan of mangas or comics in general; but damn still the words and philosophy of Kozue Amano touched me so much. One of the best feel-good-reads ever. The story of our protagonist Akira, working as sort of a trainee tour-guide / water-taxi driver in the Aria company, is set simultaneously in the future and the past, as humans have managed to terraform Mars but the technology there is 100 years behind of that of Earth. So what we get is a unique fantasy / sci-fi world centred around the town of Neo-Venezia, a tourist town modeled around Earth's Venice. A slice of life story that is so full of heart that it is bound to put a smile on your face.
*The first 5 chapters are covered in this volume.
~ 4 October 2023
January 13, 2011
A slice of everyday life plot; which brings us into a journey through the eyes of a very upbeat girl who could see beauty in everything. The drawing is very pretty and detailed, evoking a peaceful feeling when reading it.
February 24, 2009
A wonderful, slow-paced series with an overall positive feeling. Full of light and water... The only similar manga that comes to my mind are Yotsuba&! and Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou.
May 20, 2023
Adorable
October 26, 2023
Serie completa in 12 volumi (rilettura)
August 27, 2016
I adore this series so much. So much. The artwork is beautiful. Such a wonderful slice-of-life manga. It's a tragedy that it will never be fully printed in English in the US due to the demise of Tokyopop. (I hate you so much, Stu Levy).
*additional edit for clarity* I am aware of the English scanslations. I am also aware that under US copyright law, scanslations are not legal. As a librarian, copyright law is kind of important to me. I would love to own LEGAL English copies of the manga. I cannot.
*additional edit for clarity* I am aware of the English scanslations. I am also aware that under US copyright law, scanslations are not legal. As a librarian, copyright law is kind of important to me. I would love to own LEGAL English copies of the manga. I cannot.
April 11, 2013
DAAAAANG that was pretty. Beautiful. Gorgeous. I almost forgot I was reading a manga and got lost in Venice.
This is one of those odd works that, according to Wikipedia, is both Shounen and Shoujo, not labeled one or the other even by magazine. And I think that's what makes this work so interesting.
The story is simple enough. A girl who loves Gondolas wants to become an "undine," Mars-Venice's gondoliers. This leads to heartwarming tales that just make you smile. Nothing bad happens, but sometimes you don't need bad things to happen to make a good plot. Aria proves that perfectly.
This is one of those odd works that, according to Wikipedia, is both Shounen and Shoujo, not labeled one or the other even by magazine. And I think that's what makes this work so interesting.
The story is simple enough. A girl who loves Gondolas wants to become an "undine," Mars-Venice's gondoliers. This leads to heartwarming tales that just make you smile. Nothing bad happens, but sometimes you don't need bad things to happen to make a good plot. Aria proves that perfectly.
May 22, 2023
A nice story. Good tour of the city and showcase of the architecture. Some great tableaus.
December 24, 2025
This book is so good and it’ quirky in its own ways 🥰
I can’t wait to get onto the next series
I can’t wait to get onto the next series
August 24, 2025
Just super sweet and feel good. The story takes place in the city of Neo-Venezia, formerly Mars, now a newly terraformed and habitable planet named Aqua. The city is based on Venice, and we follow a young woman from Earth who comes to train as a gondolier and guide people through the city. A very charming slice of life read, beautiful artwork and just a very charming story. I would be interested in continuing with this.
December 16, 2007
Indonesian title : Aria, A.D 2301 The Voyage from Neo-Venezia
Genre : Slices of life, drama, futuristic
Rating : General
Alkisah di masa depan, Aqua (Mars) akhirnya bisa ditinggali oleh manusia. Orang beramai - ramai meninggalkan manhome (bumi) yang semakin sesak untuk memulai kehidupan di planet baru tersebut.
Salah satu tempat eksotik di Aqua adalah Neo-Venezia. Sebuah kota yang menghadirkan suasana kota Venezia (Italy) di mana masih terdapat bangunan - bangunan lama serta kanal - kanal air.
Suatu hari seorang gadis bernama Akari Mizunashi datang ke Aqua untuk mewujudkan impiannya menjadi seorang Undine atau pengayuh gondola. Di Neo-Venezia, Undine adalah sebuah pekerjaan terhormat. Seorang Undine bertugas mengantarkan penumpang terutama wisatawan melintasi kanal - kanal kota sekaligus menjadi pemandu wisata bagi mereka.
Selama menjadi Undine, Akari menjalani kehidupannya dengan damai, bertemu dengan banyak orang beragam karakter, dan mengalami peristiwa yang menakjubkan di sana.
My Comment
Mungkin bagi sebagian besar orang, Aria adalah manga yang membosankan. Tak ada konflik yang menonjol, dialog yang kurang berbobot, dan tak ada adegan yang luar biasa. Aria memang menceritakan kehidupan sehari - hari Akari di Aqua yang diwarnai oleh beragam peristiwa yang cenderung datar dan ringan.
Namun inilah keunikan dari manga ini. Setiap peristiwa sederhana ini memiliki filosofis hidup yang amat dalam yang kadang dilupakan oleh kita. Amano-sensei di sini menjabarkan betapa berharganya arti sebuah persahabatan dan sebuah peristiwa sederhana mengandung pengalaman yang mungkin akan dikenang dalam hidup.
Yang paling menonjol dari manga ini adalah visualisasi artwork yang sangat menawan dan mencengangkan dari Amano-sensei. Penggambaran pemandangan yang luar biasa ini sungguh memanjakan mata pembaca dan membawanya pada eksotisme Venezia dan membuainya dengan nyanyian para Undine.
Genre : Slices of life, drama, futuristic
Rating : General
Alkisah di masa depan, Aqua (Mars) akhirnya bisa ditinggali oleh manusia. Orang beramai - ramai meninggalkan manhome (bumi) yang semakin sesak untuk memulai kehidupan di planet baru tersebut.
Salah satu tempat eksotik di Aqua adalah Neo-Venezia. Sebuah kota yang menghadirkan suasana kota Venezia (Italy) di mana masih terdapat bangunan - bangunan lama serta kanal - kanal air.
Suatu hari seorang gadis bernama Akari Mizunashi datang ke Aqua untuk mewujudkan impiannya menjadi seorang Undine atau pengayuh gondola. Di Neo-Venezia, Undine adalah sebuah pekerjaan terhormat. Seorang Undine bertugas mengantarkan penumpang terutama wisatawan melintasi kanal - kanal kota sekaligus menjadi pemandu wisata bagi mereka.
Selama menjadi Undine, Akari menjalani kehidupannya dengan damai, bertemu dengan banyak orang beragam karakter, dan mengalami peristiwa yang menakjubkan di sana.
My Comment
Mungkin bagi sebagian besar orang, Aria adalah manga yang membosankan. Tak ada konflik yang menonjol, dialog yang kurang berbobot, dan tak ada adegan yang luar biasa. Aria memang menceritakan kehidupan sehari - hari Akari di Aqua yang diwarnai oleh beragam peristiwa yang cenderung datar dan ringan.
Namun inilah keunikan dari manga ini. Setiap peristiwa sederhana ini memiliki filosofis hidup yang amat dalam yang kadang dilupakan oleh kita. Amano-sensei di sini menjabarkan betapa berharganya arti sebuah persahabatan dan sebuah peristiwa sederhana mengandung pengalaman yang mungkin akan dikenang dalam hidup.
Yang paling menonjol dari manga ini adalah visualisasi artwork yang sangat menawan dan mencengangkan dari Amano-sensei. Penggambaran pemandangan yang luar biasa ini sungguh memanjakan mata pembaca dan membawanya pada eksotisme Venezia dan membuainya dengan nyanyian para Undine.
March 25, 2022
For the longest time I silently wondered what the allure of Aria was. In all honesty, I didn’t do much research, I couldn’t find the intrigue in a story about a girl on a boat. (Also, I didn’t know the story involves alien planets – which I very much dig.)
After reading Aria, I GET IT.
I’m not going to go into extreme detail, but here’s the gist. The story takes place hundreds of years in the future after humans had to vacate Earth to other planets. It follows a young girl from Mars, Akari, in her quest to essentially become a gondolier for one of three water guide companies on Aqua.
I’ve only read volume one, but it seems to lean towards a slice of life. The art is so clean and crisp, it’s really satisfying to look at.
The story flows nicely and the characters are incredibly likable – the president of Akari’s water guide company is a funky cat. Adorable, love him. (If you haven’t gathered) I’m a sucker for a well-rounded story with romance – and I’m sensing a snarky love interest [slide 1] 👏
I feel like an absolute idiot for sitting on Aria!
After reading Aria, I GET IT.
I’m not going to go into extreme detail, but here’s the gist. The story takes place hundreds of years in the future after humans had to vacate Earth to other planets. It follows a young girl from Mars, Akari, in her quest to essentially become a gondolier for one of three water guide companies on Aqua.
I’ve only read volume one, but it seems to lean towards a slice of life. The art is so clean and crisp, it’s really satisfying to look at.
The story flows nicely and the characters are incredibly likable – the president of Akari’s water guide company is a funky cat. Adorable, love him. (If you haven’t gathered) I’m a sucker for a well-rounded story with romance – and I’m sensing a snarky love interest [slide 1] 👏
I feel like an absolute idiot for sitting on Aria!
February 2, 2013
I'm into anime but not to the level of an otaku. In fact, this is my first time to read a manga and I'm still adjusting to the format. I came across this title because I'm interested in the alternate-earth, sci-fi fantasy genre and people in anime and manga forums have mentioned this. Well, this is not the typical sci-fi alternate-earth adventure trip, all right. It's more of a collection of personal anecdotes of someone who has just moved to a new, faraway place, filled with light adventures and misadventures. It's romantic Venice meets charming Japan. If you're looking for something light and feel-good to read, pick this.
January 19, 2008
Remember that theory about all good stories requiring one of the seven flavors of conflict to exist?
Kozue Amano has a different theory. A theory of gentle, meandering exploration propelled almost entirely by a sense of wonder. Virtually nothing happens in this manga. There's an entire episode devoted to washing a gondola. Not overcoming the challenges of washing a gondola mind you... just washing it. But it works! At least it did for me. It's rare to find such a unique and inspired brand of storytelling. (At least from the interior of the American marketing engine.)
Kozue Amano has a different theory. A theory of gentle, meandering exploration propelled almost entirely by a sense of wonder. Virtually nothing happens in this manga. There's an entire episode devoted to washing a gondola. Not overcoming the challenges of washing a gondola mind you... just washing it. But it works! At least it did for me. It's rare to find such a unique and inspired brand of storytelling. (At least from the interior of the American marketing engine.)
December 18, 2010
Sooo good! I just finished it. It is a graphic novel/ manga though. The reason I read it was because I just began drawing manga and wanted inspiration. I only rate this a 4 because there is no problem.
June 10, 2014
Interesting concept and I didn't realize there was a prequel. Very slice of life.
November 27, 2021
this manga is so wholesome
July 9, 2024
Oh to be a gondolier in training full of childish wonder and whimsy
July 17, 2024
sweet <3
November 25, 2018
After a change in magazine publication, Kozue Amano continues his "Aqua" story under the name "Aria." This manga picks up close to where Aqua left off, to a point where nothing is lost. Amano does well to remind readers of the basic gist of the story thus far, without making a nuisance to the existing reader-base. We understand that Akari is training to be a full-fledged Undine for Aria Company, and we understand she is friends with Aika and Alicia.
In a sense, the brevity with which Aqua is recapped kinda speaks for the possible unimportance of most of that manga's events, but this is the charm of slice-of-life manga: we can summarize the plot easily enough, but such a dismissal does no justice to the episodes themselves, and waving the plot of Aqua away in a few lines does not "ruin" the beauty of, e.g., the Cait Sith or "Aria as a superhero" stories.
This volume then continues the tradition set by the Aqua volumes, featuring a handful of mostly-standalone stories that each have their own weight without getting in the way of a Big Picture, but also while contributing to a more "atmospheric" or "ethereal" "Feeling" to the manga, rather than make the whole thing about "Narrative."
The real standout here is the "Sun Shower" chapter (Navigation 4). Essentially a spiritual successor to the Cait Sith story from Aqua, this is another tale that injects a wee bit of mysticism and fantasy to the manga's world. Alicia and Akari visit a small island in Neo-Venezia's archipelago. The island is themed after Japanese culture, and it's main point of interest is a shrine for a fox deity, with a long trail of torii gates leading to the main shrine. An old lady at a sushi stand in front of the torii path warns Akari about the fox god, who is rumored to spirit people away. Aside from the existence of a cat god earlier, we've seen nothing in the overall series to suggest fantasy elements run more rampant than the sci-fi elements, so this tale has a pleasant flavor for switching things up. There's a slight mystery to the fox god which may or may not be resolved, but the important thing is that Akari is not spirited away, and so we cannot tell if anything that appeared supernatural was actually "real," the ambiguity adding more color to the world of Planet Aqua. We've seen cat gods and fox gods, but Akari has no concrete proof, and so neither does the reader. But the existence of the supernatural is unimportant, as the little stories are meant to evoke Wonder, plain and simple, and to that effect Amano more than succeeds in his writing. If we, the Audience, place too much "weight" on the existence of gods and things in the world of Aqua/Aria, we are certainly missing the point. We can have hints at the supernatural, or we can eschew it entirely, as long as it all fits the "vibe" of what we wish for in reading this series.
Comfy as fuck.
In a sense, the brevity with which Aqua is recapped kinda speaks for the possible unimportance of most of that manga's events, but this is the charm of slice-of-life manga: we can summarize the plot easily enough, but such a dismissal does no justice to the episodes themselves, and waving the plot of Aqua away in a few lines does not "ruin" the beauty of, e.g., the Cait Sith or "Aria as a superhero" stories.
This volume then continues the tradition set by the Aqua volumes, featuring a handful of mostly-standalone stories that each have their own weight without getting in the way of a Big Picture, but also while contributing to a more "atmospheric" or "ethereal" "Feeling" to the manga, rather than make the whole thing about "Narrative."
The real standout here is the "Sun Shower" chapter (Navigation 4). Essentially a spiritual successor to the Cait Sith story from Aqua, this is another tale that injects a wee bit of mysticism and fantasy to the manga's world. Alicia and Akari visit a small island in Neo-Venezia's archipelago. The island is themed after Japanese culture, and it's main point of interest is a shrine for a fox deity, with a long trail of torii gates leading to the main shrine. An old lady at a sushi stand in front of the torii path warns Akari about the fox god, who is rumored to spirit people away. Aside from the existence of a cat god earlier, we've seen nothing in the overall series to suggest fantasy elements run more rampant than the sci-fi elements, so this tale has a pleasant flavor for switching things up. There's a slight mystery to the fox god which may or may not be resolved, but the important thing is that Akari is not spirited away, and so we cannot tell if anything that appeared supernatural was actually "real," the ambiguity adding more color to the world of Planet Aqua. We've seen cat gods and fox gods, but Akari has no concrete proof, and so neither does the reader. But the existence of the supernatural is unimportant, as the little stories are meant to evoke Wonder, plain and simple, and to that effect Amano more than succeeds in his writing. If we, the Audience, place too much "weight" on the existence of gods and things in the world of Aqua/Aria, we are certainly missing the point. We can have hints at the supernatural, or we can eschew it entirely, as long as it all fits the "vibe" of what we wish for in reading this series.
Comfy as fuck.
May 14, 2019
Rating: 4/5 Stars!
So, I read this rather quickly, under two hours, but definitely not just because it is manga. I really enjoyed the world and the cutesy, fun characters in Aria, so I flew through this book rather fast. I found myself smiling at quirky passages and even snorted at a few funny moments. I especially found the cat presidents to be rather humorous and cute. I really loved the determined, confident, cute main character named Akari. She is a great main character. She really wants to become the best undine in the Aria business. The whole manga seems to follow the mini adventures that she has, and the manga is told almost in diary style. I really liked the softness of the story, because it's something that I didn't have to invest too much into it. I could just enjoy the manga. I only deducted a star from my rating because I do believe there needs to be more world building and the storyline definitely isn't interesting enough to keep me hooked for multiple volumes onward. I think if this manga was quite a bit longer and had more world building and more of a coherent storyline, other than a girl just becoming an undine, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. I do not believe I will pick up more volumes from this manga series, but I did think this particular volume was super cute and there is still a possibility I'll pick up the second one. If I do, I will definitely do a review on that one. So far, it seems like I won't be continuing the series because it is not interesting enough to me to do so. But, if you enjoy just some cutesy characters going on mini adventures, I think you would really love this manga!
So, I read this rather quickly, under two hours, but definitely not just because it is manga. I really enjoyed the world and the cutesy, fun characters in Aria, so I flew through this book rather fast. I found myself smiling at quirky passages and even snorted at a few funny moments. I especially found the cat presidents to be rather humorous and cute. I really loved the determined, confident, cute main character named Akari. She is a great main character. She really wants to become the best undine in the Aria business. The whole manga seems to follow the mini adventures that she has, and the manga is told almost in diary style. I really liked the softness of the story, because it's something that I didn't have to invest too much into it. I could just enjoy the manga. I only deducted a star from my rating because I do believe there needs to be more world building and the storyline definitely isn't interesting enough to keep me hooked for multiple volumes onward. I think if this manga was quite a bit longer and had more world building and more of a coherent storyline, other than a girl just becoming an undine, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. I do not believe I will pick up more volumes from this manga series, but I did think this particular volume was super cute and there is still a possibility I'll pick up the second one. If I do, I will definitely do a review on that one. So far, it seems like I won't be continuing the series because it is not interesting enough to me to do so. But, if you enjoy just some cutesy characters going on mini adventures, I think you would really love this manga!
November 17, 2025
(ATY-25): 25. A book with waves on the cover
(Popsugar-25): 16 A book set in or around a body of water
(Popsugar-25): 16 A book set in or around a body of water
September 8, 2018
This was a fairly slow paced story about a young woman who is in training to be a Space Gondolier in Space Venice. It's just like being a gondolier in normal Venice, but on Mars and with fewer stripes.
Nothing about this book made me super engaged or eager to read the next volume, but it wasn't bad, just plain. Kozue Amano has a nice visual style and low stakes can be a good thing sometimes. I gave this 3 stars because while I found the overall package unremarkable, it does include a breadcrumb trail of information about Venice and some Japanese customs, as well as some fairly positive messages about dealing with people.
Nothing about this book made me super engaged or eager to read the next volume, but it wasn't bad, just plain. Kozue Amano has a nice visual style and low stakes can be a good thing sometimes. I gave this 3 stars because while I found the overall package unremarkable, it does include a breadcrumb trail of information about Venice and some Japanese customs, as well as some fairly positive messages about dealing with people.
June 23, 2019
Has Anyone finish this manga series? If so is this series a Yuri manga? Because when I read this First volume I never picked up on anything yuri in it. But now I’m coming across some things from peoples reviews on the anime and such that it is a yuri story or something. I had read this 1st volume when I was in high school. And I loved it. However recently it’s hard to find any of the other books. So I don’t know what’s going on in the story.
December 23, 2023
i watched the anime in college, and i remember it being so beautiful!! the landscapes and city of neo-venezia were so gorgeous with their big blue skies reflected in the clear water. :')) the manga has the same relaxed, slice-of-life pacing as the anime, but i really missed the bright colors. i'll definitely read the next volume, but i'll re-watch the anime too, and will probably like it a little better.
May 13, 2024
Aria continues the Venice-on-Mars idyll that started in Aqua. In this volume, newly-fledged apprentice Undine (girl gondolier) Akari learns more about the world around her, detail cleans some gondolas*, hangs out with her fellow Undines and with Akatsuki the salamander, and participates in a gondola race.
* somehow not sullying her pristine white uniform with slime and/or barnacles.
The feeling of Aqua being a kind of theme park continues, especially when we see an Italian piazza and Kyoto's shrine to Inari replicated in full on Mars, down to its stones showing the weathering of centuries. The closer I scrutinize things like this, the less sense it makes. I gather that Venice no longer exists on Earth, and Neo-Venezia is perhaps a testament to what has forever been lost. Good enough. But why the shrine? If it's on Earth, there seems little reason for it to be on Mars, too, especially since travel between the two planets is evidently trivial. Best to take it as science fantasy and enjoy the atmosphere and sense of wonder through Akari's vapidly ingenuous point of view.
I continue to have trouble immersing myself in this story, at least in part because I have the impression that being an Undine isn't a profession that a young woman can pursue forever. It's for young, attractive girls only, kind of like being a pop idol. None of these characters has talked about what they might do once they reach retirement age of (probably) their mid-20s. It feels dishonest to me that Aria sidesteps this question, or has so far. Are we supposed to assume that marriage and motherhood will render further career ambitions unnecessary? Or will they continue on in the planetwide entertainment industry in some fashion?
The "cute girls doing cute things" or "healing" anime/manga genre doesn't do a lot for me, for what to me are obvious reasons. I do enjoy the sense of place in the art (though I wonder how much of that is bleedover from having watched the anime), and the color art is nice, too, with a lot of blue sky and water to enhance the vacation-y feeling.
* somehow not sullying her pristine white uniform with slime and/or barnacles.
The feeling of Aqua being a kind of theme park continues, especially when we see an Italian piazza and Kyoto's shrine to Inari replicated in full on Mars, down to its stones showing the weathering of centuries. The closer I scrutinize things like this, the less sense it makes. I gather that Venice no longer exists on Earth, and Neo-Venezia is perhaps a testament to what has forever been lost. Good enough. But why the shrine? If it's on Earth, there seems little reason for it to be on Mars, too, especially since travel between the two planets is evidently trivial. Best to take it as science fantasy and enjoy the atmosphere and sense of wonder through Akari's vapidly ingenuous point of view.
I continue to have trouble immersing myself in this story, at least in part because I have the impression that being an Undine isn't a profession that a young woman can pursue forever. It's for young, attractive girls only, kind of like being a pop idol. None of these characters has talked about what they might do once they reach retirement age of (probably) their mid-20s. It feels dishonest to me that Aria sidesteps this question, or has so far. Are we supposed to assume that marriage and motherhood will render further career ambitions unnecessary? Or will they continue on in the planetwide entertainment industry in some fashion?
The "cute girls doing cute things" or "healing" anime/manga genre doesn't do a lot for me, for what to me are obvious reasons. I do enjoy the sense of place in the art (though I wonder how much of that is bleedover from having watched the anime), and the color art is nice, too, with a lot of blue sky and water to enhance the vacation-y feeling.
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