Comics / Manga

Aqua: Volume 1

By Leroy Douresseaux
September 23, 2007 - 16:11

Thanks to barnesandnoble.com for the image.

Aqua is a prequel by Kozue Amano to the sci-fi series, Aria, also by Amano.  Aqua, Vol. 1 introduces readers to the setting of the two series, the planet Aqua, formerly known as Mars.  The result of 150 years of terraforming is that 90 percent of Mars’ surface is covered by water – thus the name change to Aqua.

A young woman named Akari Mizunashi arrives on Aqua and lands in the city of Neo-Venezia, an exact replica of the old Italian city of Venice, famous for its canals and the gondoliers that navigate them.  Akari’s goal is to be an “Undine,” a traditional gondolier who shows sightseers around the city.  She apprentices with the Aria Company, under the guidance of a “prime” Undine, another young woman named Alicia.  Their boss is President Aria, a large intelligent Martian cat (blue-eyed cats are considered good luck for ships).  Akari meets Aika, an Undine student from another company, and the two become friends while learning their craft.

THE LOWDOWN:  Aqua is a laid back, slice-of-life drama that doesn’t so much have a plot as it does a series of episodes.  Although Aqua seems sedate, it is imaginative and the reader has incentive to keep turning the pages because there is usually a surprise around every corner.  The best example of this is the magical chapter, “The Kingdom of Cats,” a wonderful adventure rich with the scent of children’s fantasy literature.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  When it comes to the creation of imaginative realms and scenarios, manga rivals science fiction and fantasy literature.  Aqua is no exception to that, and readers looking for shojo sci-fi will find this an inventive treat.

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Shop Aqua at the Amazon aStore.

 

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12