Aquarium

by Tomoko Taniguchi

Naoko has been turned down by the prestigious high school she wanted to attend, and in her disappointment she turns to the aquarium, where the glittering water and flashing bodies of the ocean creatures allow her to forget for a time the difficulties of life. In this moving coming-of-age story by Tomoko Taniguchi, one of Japan's finest graphic novel authors, she learns to accept the joys and beauties of love and to treasure her family and her friends.

Genres: Manga, Romance, Shojo, Graphic Novels, Comics Manga, Young Adult, Fiction

196 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite the prettiness of the art, the stories themselves all place annoying emphasis on how much a teenage girl absolutely needs a love interest in her life and that it's the only way to be happy... There's more to life than that.

[Starbubbles · Rating 5 out of 5]

i must say, it wasn't "heart-wrenching" like the back of the book had suggested, but it was most certainly a good read. it was three short stories, all very good. they all ended with a "happy ending." character development was good (considering all of the stories were truly short stories). the artwork was fine, though it most definitely had a dated look to it. it was also nice to read taniguchi's commentary throughout the book. she actually acknowledged that audiences of other nationalities would be reading this, and might not relate to it in the same way her japanese audiences did. so it was nice to hear about her inspirations, audience reactions, and reference points for her stories.

aquarium *****
i personally love aquariums (and zoos). i really appreciated the fact that it was acknowledged that aquarium animals are in tiny tanks, and do not share the same freedoms that animals in the wild have. it was a brilliant metaphor for how naoka was feeling in her school and life. i think that nailed how many teenagers feel, regardless of nationality. it's also nice to show naoko's life turning around (or her perceiving it to be that way) after her choice of actions. it was a comforting story for those who have gone through similar feelings.

the flying stewardess ***
this story reveals how dated this book is (not that the artwork wasn't a clue). or maybe not, i personally don't know the aspirations of japanese girls. but in my experience, popularity of stewardesses (in my opinion) for a great career option has gone down in the past decade. i once had a teacher who told the class that she was in a future airplane stewardess club, that was about 8 years ago, and she wasn't exactly young. can't say young girls are that excited to be stewardesses anymore. it was still a cute story. i could totally relate about people misjudging what goes into being a part of the service industry.

the heart is your kingdom ****
such a cute story! i'm guessing that the church was suppose to be a catholic one, but priests don't wear that outfit during mass, and they most likely would not have said that the other half of your soul is with someone of the opposite sex. most likely they would state that your soul belongs to God and blah blah blah. such romantic sentiment is rarely stated by a priest, esp in mass. but it was a nice twist on a typical church message: you are to give your heart to God to prepare your soul for the coming of the Kingdom of God. still, i'm a sucker for a romantic storyline, and this most certainly fit the bill.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 short stories, in a collection that was one of the first manga I read. The artwork is dated, yes, but I still really enjoy the stories now. Sweet without feeling too sugary. Romances, but also a lot of character development - more the focus than any of the individual romances.

Aquarium

This one is my favorite of the whole collection. I think even my favorite that Taniguchi has done! I love that there's a romantic element, and it's sweet, but it's not the focus. It's about Naoka's development - moving past her setbacks, moving forward to new relationships and possibilities. I actually like that she reached the point of self harm. No, I'm not being sadistic or morbid, but it feels real. When you're stuck in high school and feel trapped and pressured and without options, it can really feel like the end of things, like there's no way out. It just felt like a move that she might actually make. I loved that she turned the corner, saw ways to reconnect with old friends, saw potential with new ones. And yes, saw the potential new romance too.

The Flying Stewardess

This one was a bit more Japanese, and a bit more dated. Don't know how many kids today still have that same romanticized view of flight attendents. Still, it's a good (again, potential) romance wrapped in personal development. And it's a relatable even if you're not a flight attendant. A lot of jobs in public service have stereotypes and assumptions made (yes, says the librarian). I liked seeing her accept and appreciate her job, even with what others might think. Knowing her own worth, I guess, and knowing that others can see it too.

Your Heart is a Kingdom

I like the sweet romance in this one. Am a sucker for childhood friends/sweethearts becoming more. Probably like a lot of Western readers, the romantic story told at church felt weird, but it's still a sweet premise. And Taniguchi did mention in the omake that it wasn't based on a particular religion, but rather an amalgamation of ideas. I wasn't as fond of the love triangle aspect in this one, but I'm never fond of love triangle drama. Still, it felt genuine - Suzuki went with Honda because he was happy to have a cute girlfriend and the girl he was most interested in gave him no encouraging signs; Honda glared a lot because someone else had a vocal crush on the guy she just started dating. It all felt realistic for a bunch of high schoolers. And since it was just a short story, it never reached High Angst and Drama levels.

[T.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute shojo manga from a different time. The first story, "Aquarium," about a depressed girl who finds hope while spending her afternoons at an aquarium, is the longest and in my opinion the best of the three stories included. I keep thinking about her sadness and frustration. I was shocked! The second story about the flighty stewardess (pun intended) and the third story about the snowy schoolgirl crush are shorter and less interesting, though I enjoyed the artwork.

[柳 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read. Definitely for preteen.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This manga has three stories in it. Naoka Uchiyama is a young girl who didn't manage to get into the high school she wanted. Rather, she's going to an all-girls school. She's in love with Ishida who doesn't return her love. For solace she likes to visit the aquarium but she runs into a boy who wants to go out on a date with her.

In Japan, students have to test into schools. You might take a test even to get into a particular elementary school; then one to get into junior high, one to get into high school, and then there are the even more high-pressured tests to get into a particular college. This is so important to some students that if they fail their test to get into college they will sometimes take a year off and become a "ronin," a student who failed the test and is studying to take it again. The schools you get into can have a major effect on the job track that is open to you after school, so many students and parents are very, very focused on this test-taking.

The pressure the boy puts on her along with other problems eventually drives the girl to attempt suicide by cutting her wrist. The rest of the story deals with her trying to resolve her feelings about the boy she met at the aquarium.

The second story is about an airplane stewardess who is really, really happy being a stewardess.

The third story involves a girl in high school who has been in love with a boy since junior high but has not told him. She sees him walking around with a different girl and is really upset but still says nothing to him. The rest of the story involves her trying to accept that but still being attracted to him.

This is a really nice, gentle shoujo type of manga; romantic, non-violent, cute, the first and third stories being the best.

[Donnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty cute slice of life piece. I enjoyed the first piece (Aquarium) very much, particularly because of the commentary of how stress in Japanese schooling can lead to serious consequences. I also really enjoyed the art associated with this one. The aquarium life is drawn beautifully.

The second piece (The Flying Stewardess) was the least appealing of the stories. I think this may be because I am American and I don't really feel the attraction toward the flight attendant business that it appears Japanese people do. It is still short and quick to get through, so it is certainly worth a shot.

The final story (The Heart is Your Kingdom) is an extremely cute story that covers a concept of long term love, long term crushes, and how things can get so complicated in high school in conjunction to them. It is very sweet and while it does feature a religious structure, it is in no way preachy.

Overall, Aquarium is a pretty quick read. The art is very pretty, even though it appears a little dated at times. The stories themselves are quick, enjoyable reads. They deal with concepts that are still very much relevant to high school students, no matter where they live. It was not the most exemplary of this sort of manga, but it was still enjoyable.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this volume of manga short stories in an online anime store's clearance bin over ten years after I first read about it, so I was excited to finally get to read it. The first story, Aquarium, is interesting, but is a quiet character study with a single moment of melodrama that threatens to derail the whole thing. It holds up, but feels a bit forced in the end. It's followed by the oddly dated feeling The Flying Stewardess, which, despite the distance it stands from current American cultural norms, is pleasant, sweet, and charming. The manga's final story is the rushed feeling The Heart is Your Kingdom, which does an interesting job of turning Judeo-Christian ideology into a shoujo plot device.

I'm not sure I'd emphatically recommend Aquarium to anyone but a fan of decades old shoujo, but it's a pleasant read that I found at a low price. Plus, I'm impressed by all of the giant sparkle eyes on display here, so that kind of makes it all worth it.

[Ari · Rating 2 out of 5]

seriously, I do not get manga. I mean I get some of it just fine, but this one was an entire cultural loss to me. The stories were ok, but I have a feeling I was missing some major parts. We have a girl trying to kill herself because she doesn't get into the high school where they wear the best uniforms, kids who can't wait to grow up to be flight attendants, or to date one, and kids who went to church but aren't Christian and who somehow took away from the experience things the Bible never said but that's ok because it makes them happy. Extremely disjointed, even as far as manga goes in my experience. Drawing style is average, but in general, this one isn't anything memorable.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had found this manga at the local dollar tree here and decided to pick it up because of how cheap it was plus the fact I never saw manga there before this and got excited. I only liked the last story called the heart is your kingdom. I've decided to donate this manga to my local library next time I go.

[Susan]

it teaches you about teens and their vulnerability to all kinds of pain, regrets, and loss..it is very heartwarming and beautifully drawn. I'd say anyone can read this, especially if you like manga novels!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid collection of 3 short shojo stories. It is entertaining and heartfelt, but the writing and art is nothing exceptional. If you like shojo however (particularly shojo without fantasy/magic), you will probably enjoy this collection.

[Emi えみ Takami 鷹見 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my first mangas. Surprisingly, the high school library had this little gem. The only other manga they had at the time was a few Death Notes.

I remember really liking this one. I was heavy into marine life in 9th grade, so no doubt this book absolutely thrilled me.

[Lord · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. Three one-shots about love. Average artwork and forgetful but readable stories.

[Stephanie Toogood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating 2.5 stars

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Reread. It feels like nothing really happens in the stories. No proper beginning, no proper ending.