Aria (manga) - WikiHQ

Aria (stylized as ARIA) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kozue Amano. The series was originally titled Aqua (stylized as AQUA) when it was published in Enix's Monthly Stencil magazine in 2001, and retitled when it was transferred to Mag Garden's Comic Blade, where it continued serialization from 2002 to 2008. Aqua was collected in two volumes, and Aria was collected in twelve volumes.

Hal Film Maker has adapted the manga into several anime television series. A first season was broadcast in 2005, a second season in 2006, an OVA released September 2007, and a third season in 2008 that ended around the same time as the manga serialization. An OVA, titled Aria the Avvenire, was released in the anime series' 10th anniversary Blu-ray box sets between December 2015 and June 2016. A film to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the anime series titled Aria the Crepuscolo premiered on 5 March 2021. A second anime film titled Aria the Benedizione premiered on 3 December 2021.

ADV Manga released English translations of the first three volumes of Aria in 2004 before dropping the license. Tokyopop then acquired the English-language rights to Aqua as well as Aria. Tokyopop released the two volumes of Aqua in October 2007 and February 2008 and six volumes of Aria between January 2008 and December 2010. The anime is licensed in North America by The Right Stuf International, which released all three seasons in box sets under its Nozomi Entertainment imprint between 30 September 2008 and 2 March 2010.

The series is set in the 24th century on a terraformed Mars, now named Aqua, and follows a young woman named Akari Mizunashi as she trains as an apprentice gondolier (known as Undines). The series has been praised for its calm pacing, optimistic worldview, beautiful art, and for the anime, the quality of the soundtrack.

Story

Aqua and Aria take place in the early 24th century, starting in 2301 AD, in the city of on the planet , which was renamed after being terraformed into a habitable planet covered in oceans around 150 years beforehand. Neo-Venezia, based on Venice in both architecture and atmosphere, is a harbor city of narrow canals instead of streets, traveled by unmotorized gondolas.

At the start of Aqua, a young woman named Akari arrives from to become a trainee gondolier with Aria Company, one of the three most prestigious water-guide companies in the city. Her dream is to become an Undine, a gondolier who acts as a tour guide. As she trains, Akari befriends her mentor Alicia, trainees and seniors from rival companies—Aika, Alice, Akira, and Athena—and others in Neo-Venezia. Aqua covers Akari's arrival on Aqua and her early training as a Pair or apprentice. Aria continues her training as a Single, or journeyman, culminating in the graduation of Akari, Aika, and Alice as full Prima Undines.

Each chapter is a slice of life episode of Akari's exploration of the worlds of gondoliers, Neo-Venezia, and Aqua itself.

Characters

Aria Company

Aria Company is a small water-guide company that starts with only two employees. Its uniforms are lined with blue, and its president (and namesake) is Aria Pokoteng.

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: A native of Japan on Manhome (Earth) who immigrates to Aqua when she is 15 to become an Undine. While not as skillful at rowing a gondola as Alice nor as familiar with the history of her adopted city as Aika, Akari makes friends quickly and easily converses with customers and other strangers. She is depicted as optimistic and cheerful, finding enjoyment in things or events that others think are humdrum and mundane, for which Aika and Alice call her "mysterious"; in the anime, Aika and Alice separately comment that Akari seems to attract mysterious phenomena to her. Akari often says Hohe or Hahi, which is her short version of "wow". When Akari used gondola simulations on Manhome, she accidentally learned how to row backwards and has to relearn the proper method when she starts at Aria Company; however, as Alicia puts it, "When rowing backward, Akari-chan is unrivaled!"

: Most chapters of the manga and episodes of the anime are framed with narration taken from e-mails written by Akari. In the anime, the recipient is a young girl named Ai, a customer in the first episode who becomes Akari's pen pal, but in the manga the recipient is someone she does not name and is referred to as zenryaku but has never seen.

: At the start of Aqua, Akari arrives on Aqua as a new Pair (apprentice) at Aria Company. In chapter 5 of Aqua, when Aika is promoted to Single (journeyman), Alicia tests and promotes Akari as well. Later, in chapter 58 of Aria and episode 12 of Aria the Origination, after Aika is promoted to Prima (full Undine), Alicia gives Akari the test for Prima. When Akari passes, she is given the title .

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: The only other Undine with Aria Company, Alicia is one of the Three Water Fairies of Neo-Venezia, known by the title . At the start of the series, she is 19 years old and the most popular Undine in the city, noted especially for her graceful rowing style. She was promoted to Prima at 15, the youngest ever to do so. Like Akari, she is relaxed and easy-going, but she also likes to tease others, especially her childhood friend Akira. Her favorite phrase is "My, my" (ara ara; "Well Well") and she frequently giggles, to Akira's annoyance. According to Grandma Akino, she is an excellent Undine because of her ability to enjoy everything.

: At the end of the series, Alicia announces her upcoming marriage and retirement to take an administrative position within the Gondola Association. She tells Akari she had put off her Prima exam because she had been planning to retire after that and did not want to leave her student and friend. According to issue No. 6 of Monthly Undine, after her retirement, "Snow White" is designated the 8th "honored appellation" by the Gondola Association, as an Undine who made great contributions to the industry.

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: A famous and long-serving Prima Undine, who started Aria Company with Aria Pokoteng after realizing she was missing too much of life as Himeya's top ace. She was Prima Undine for 30 years and mentor to Alicia, her last disciple, to whom she left the company on her retirement. She is highly respected by younger Undines, who call her "Grandma".

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: The first friend Akari makes on Aqua, Aika is 16 when they meet. Aika is a Pair and then Single at Himeya Company. She is the only daughter and heir of Himeya Company's owners. However, she does not enjoy the distinction as she feels the company's employees fawn on her too much. Aika speaks bluntly and often responds to Akari's idealistic comments with . Despite their contrasting personalities, she gets along well with Akari and Alice. However, she frequently squabbles with her mentor, Akira, whom she resembles. Aika considers herself reliable, especially compared to the distractible Akari and antisocial Alice, but both her friends call her a crybaby for her tendency to tear up when emotional. She is proud of her gondola skill as an Undine and can be very competitive about it. She also greatly admires Alicia and finds any excuse to visit Aria Company—and once tells Akari that if not for her family obligations, she would have joined Aria Company. Over the course of the series, Aika develops feelings for Al.

: In chapter 58, Aika becomes a Prima, taking the title . She takes charge of a newly opened Himeya branch office in preparation for taking on the whole company one day.

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