ギブー ミ アリシアさん！！！！！！！！
February 18th 2007 -
Let’s talk about my favorite manga of all time today.
While some people are extremely indecisive about this, I have a clear-cut winner in my mind. No series I’ve ever read can ever match the sheer elegance this series offers.
That’s right; I’m talking about ARIA.
“What? ARIA?! Are you gay?”
~One of my Japanese girl friends.
Like I said, this series can only be described as “elegant.” The premise is simple, like all other series of its ilk: In 2301, Mars is colonized as a planet of water, and renamed Aqua. The crown jewel of the planet is the city Neo-Venezia. The story follows three would-be Undine (female gondoliers) and their various adventures and misadventures.
Kozue Amano, the author of the series, certainly did his/her research before penning the series; the depictions of Venice’s most famous landmarks are extremely accurate. (As a side note, no one seems to know if Amano-sensei is a man or a woman. >_<)
There's continuity in these stories, which usually revolve around the main character, Akari Mizunashi. Akari is new to Aqua, and marvels at just about everything around her. The chapters are usually dedicated to new discoveries she makes, or new people she meets. Each chapter is told as if she's writing a letter to someone; they always start off with "Zenryaku: Genki desu ka?" ("Hey, how are you?") The identity of the reader of these mails is a close-guarded secret: no one seems to know.
The series is character-driven. We see the slow maturation of all of the characters during the series, subtle romances bloom from time to time, and most importantly, everything is kept in complete mystery. We have no clue as to what's going to happen later on; the things that happen in each chapter are completely unpredictable. The story moves slowly, from volume to volume, with each volume representing a time period of six months (an Aquan season.) As readers, it's our job to not question any of the plot decisions that Amano-sensei makes, but just enjoy the wonderful world she created.
And this is the series' strong point: the characters. Not only Akari, but her friends Aika and Alice, along with their superiors Alicia, Akira and Athena, are all extremely memorable and realistic people. None of them are one-sided or flat; each one of them has more than one side to their personality. The revelation of these different facets of each character's personality is also executed perfectly; we don't get the feeling of "LOL PLOT TWIST", but rather, we feel like we learn something about a friend of ours that we didn't know before, and thus, become excited somewhat.
...okay, maybe it's just me. >_>;; But really, I highly recommend this series to anyone who wants a light-hearted read, someone who wants some quality characters and art, or anyone who just wishes to read some good manga. It’s slow-paced, laid-back, and beautiful. Seriously, what could be better? Akari and her friends are some of the most memorable characters in manga that I’ve read; they’ll continue to be. This series gets an 11/10 from me. It’s just that good.
Cheers,
~Akira
February 18th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
ARIA sounds like a very interesting read. I’m to lazy to look for myself, so would you mind noting to me if ARIA has been released state-side or if I will have to pick it up when I go to Japan?
Your description has peeked my interest.
February 19th, 2007 at 1:00 am
Ahh, THERE it is, now.
February 21st, 2007 at 11:15 am
I completely enjoyed this series!
It was so beautiful, I nearly ripped out every scene that made my eyes pop. Which was, like, every thing.