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<\/a>Aria, and its prequel Aqua, is a science fantasy about a girl Akari Mizunashi, who goes to Aqua (previously Mars before terraforming) to become a Undine, or gondolier tour guide. It\u2019s slow paced, with each chapter being a slice of life of Akari\u2019s adventures in gondoliering, the city of Neo-Venezia, and Aqua itself.\n<\/em>
\nWhat are your first impression of this manga?<\/em><\/p>\n
Justin:<\/strong> I was drawn to check it out because I\u2019d read some good reactions to it from a few bloggers I trust. When I first took a look at it, I remember being impressed. The art is lovely, the pacing subtle and lyrical, and the narrative takes time to linger on small, slice-of-life details. However, I remember after a short time getting easily distracted. It was very easy for my attention to fall elsewhere because there was a static, muted quality to the first volume. I almost felt like, after I\u2019d read a few pages, I knew everything I needed to know.<\/p>\n So, initially, I had two conflicting impressions of the work.<\/p>\n Lori:<\/strong> I saw a lot of positive reviews for it too. I read the first chapter of Aria<\/em> but didn\u2019t see the appeal. For this feast though, I got a hold of Aqua, the true first two volumes, and the story really opened up. There haven\u2019t been a lot of slow titles I\u2019ve enjoyed, but Aqua\/Aria<\/em> has become the first slice-of-life that I really enjoyed and wanted to read more of.<\/p>\n Connie:<\/strong> I\u2019d heard a lot of praise for it when ADV was releasing it, but I didn\u2019t try it out myself until Tokyopop relaunched it. \u00a0It was more-or-less what I was expecting in that it had a main character taking in everything in the world around her, but I wasn\u2019t sure how much I\u2019d like it given the slow pace. \u00a0I was fairly charmed after the first volume, though.<\/p>\n Amy:<\/strong> I first picked up Aria when I was trying to introduce myself to other genres of manga besides shojo, around the time I began reading manga. I was able to snag the ADV release of the first volume from a swapping site and remember initially my attention being grasped by the artwork.<\/p>\n Connie:<\/strong> On one hand, I think the story is linked intrinsically to the genre and setting. \u00a0So much of what\u2019s going on is Akari learning about the setting and her trade. \u00a0Some of the more interesting chapters explore the professions like weather regulators and the unique folklore and stories of Neo-Venezia, so I feel like the best parts and the very nature are related to the setting, which is inherently sci-fantasy.<\/p>\n On the other hand, would it work if Akari was actually in Venice? \u00a0Maybe? \u00a0There\u2019s enough real Venice history to keep the reader and Akari interested, and even the most urban city can be romanticized, and Akari could still take trips out to the Italian countryside. \u00a0On the other hand, the series would then have to interpret modern technology, which almost feels like it has no place. \u00a0Unless it was historical, but then you would have to take in the actual history of Venice and have Akari react to events of the time. \u00a0It could be interesting, but it would definitely be different.<\/p>\n Lori: <\/strong>I think the sci-fantasy on a terraformed Mars really helps the story. Sure this story could be told in a historical setting, but I think it would lose a lot of the magic from Akari\u2019s journey of discovery. So many of the simple pleasures Akari feels is from her contrasting experiences with the more technologically controlled Earth. Without these contrasts, I don\u2019t think her discoveries would seem as magical or meaningful.<\/p>\n I also think the use of both science fiction and fantasy is really necessary to convey those feelings. The magical moments wouldn\u2019t work in a straight sci-fi story, and a straight fantasy story wouldn\u2019t be as grounded. I think it hits the perfect balance for both genres.<\/p>\n Amy:<\/strong> I felt that because the work seemed to contain both magical and science fiction elements that I was intrigued by it since I never encountered a work like that prior to reading the first volume. I think if the story were to be told excluding those sci-fi elements it wouldn\u2019t have worked with just the magical components in and of itself.<\/p>\n Justin:<\/strong> I agree–there is a kind of lyricism and wonder derived from the science fiction elements. It\u2019s the sf which anchors the series and give the narrative its stateliness and grace. Meanwhile, much of the humor (which balances out that stuff and keeps the stories light) is rooted in the fantasy. I\u2019m sure you could pull it off set in history–there\u2019s much about Aqua\/Aria<\/em> that reminds me of the great steampunk anime Nadia<\/em>, which takes place in the mid-to-late 19th century. But there are certain approaches to SF that I see in manga that you just don\u2019t see elsewhere. Aria<\/em> has this in common with another great Tokyopop release: Planetes<\/em>.<\/p>\n Lori:<\/strong> I really like Akari. She has that sense of child-like wonder without being childish. I guess you could call her innocent. She\u2019s a great character to for the reader to share the new discoveries of Aqua with. She\u2019s easy to relate to and get comfortable with. I really like the cast that starts to gather around her with Aika, Akatsuki, and Al and all fun and very different.<\/p>\n Justin:<\/strong> Obviously, from what I said above, I connect more with the setting and other elements, but Akari is the reason I can share this with my daughter–so much great sf is, unfortunately, not as accessible to girls because they\u2019re filled with male characters, male perspectives, and male concerns. Brief aside–why is it that ADV gave the series an all-ages rating, but Tokyopop rated this \u201colder teen?\u201d But I guess that\u2019s a topic for later…<\/p>\n Lori:<\/strong> I love the use of cats in the story, but then I love it when cats are used in any story. But in Aria<\/em>, the cats seem to take on a bit of a mythical role in the world of Aqua. The Undine companies use the blue-eyed cats as their presidents as a way of asking for protection from the Goddess of the Sea. And then there\u2019s the legend of the Cait Sith and the kingdom of cats. I really enjoyed those chapters.<\/p>\n Amy:<\/strong> I, too, enjoy any tale that involves cats in any manner, let alone one where they can play a small but important role. No matter what the genre may be if there is even a little kitten that makes it in a panel, i.e. Black Butler with Sebastian fawning over a black cat, more than likely it will be that much harder for me to put the book down.<\/p>\n<\/a>The setting is a sci-fantasy, on a Mars now covered with water. Does the setting help the story at all, or do you think the same story could be told without the sci-fantasy elements? Or would it do better in just one of the genres?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>What do you think of the main character, Akari? Does she make a good lead? What about the side characters?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>Cats play an important role in the world of Aria. What do you think of their role?<\/em><\/p>\n