Kozue Amano’s Aria volume 1 introduces the wonderful water world of Aqua. (We know it better as Mars, now flooded and renamed.) Akari is a gondolier in training in the vacationer city of Neo-Venezia. Those in her profession are called undines, after the mythological water spirits, and her happiness and grace cause her to live up to the inspiration.
As the book begins, it’s autumn, and Akari’s appreciating the signs of the changing season. Her open, deep eyes express her curiosity and acceptance of the wonders that surround her. It’s comforting to read about such a delighted character, enjoying her life and work.
Her first passenger is a lost old man who insists his daughter has wandered off. nothing pleases him; he grumbles about distractions and inefficiency and backwardness. While trying to find his family, Akari teaches him to kick back and take pleasure in the falling leaves and a warm baked potato treat. The bigger issues will take care of themselves. It’s a marvelous lesson on acceptance and appreciation of what you have in the moment. The placid water setting reinforces Akari’s calm demeanor. Her lesson, that often it’s worth doing things yourself and taking pleasure in sincere work, is a well-taken one.
It’s reinforced by the next story, in which the gondoliers have to maintain and clean their equipment. Akari of course finds wonder in the most mundane of tasks, as when a spraying hose creates rainbows in the sunlight. One chapter gives a excursion of the town as she waits for a late friend, and another takes a a lot more mystical turn with the story of a fox spirit. As the season pertains to a close, there’s a final race that may figure out the future of the trainees.
The art, charming to look at in its detail, reinforces the slower-paced appreciation of life and work. To get the most out of reading it, take your time and take pleasure in the scenery. The book is a pleasant, kicking back read, with deep indicating subtly presented. traveling with Akari is a marvelous ride.
Tokyopop picked up this series after ADV Manga put out three volumes. Tokyopop has also put out the two-volume prequel, Aqua.
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