Collection
Description
This sequel to Aqua is a gorgeously illustrated manga about a fantastical futuristic wonderland.
Language
Original language
Japanese
User reviews
LibraryThing member keristars
This second volume of AQUA is a winner if only because of the two chapters from President Aria's point of view. In the first, Navigation 07: It's Hard Being President, he feels lonely and redundant while Akari and Alicia are cleaning Aria Company's building, so he packs up some snacks and his
The second chapter about President Aria is Navigation 09: Enter the Hero! A big fan of Nyan-Nyan Puu, a tv show for "good girls and boys", President Aria one day decides to dress up as the titular superhero and do good deeds of his own. He wears a cape and mask and is, again, totally adorable as he encounters adventures on his way to return a lost doll to a little girl.
The other chapters are about Akari's first customer (Navigation 06, which introduces the Salamander from the floating island, Akatsuki Izumo), the loveliness of glowing wind-chimes in summer (Navigation 07: Night-Light Bells), and a bit of a science-fictiony background about how the weather on Aqua works, as a way to introduce the floating island Ukijima and Akatsuki's job as a Salamander (Navigation 10: Fireworks).
There is a bonus chapter (a "special navigation") called Colds and Pudding which focuses on Aika a little bit. It's a bit weird for it to be included in AQUA Vol. 2, though, because it includes Alice Carroll as one of the main characters, though she isn't introduced for several volumes. It's a pretty sweet little story, though, and I'm never sorry to see Alice.
As usual with the ARIA series from Tokyopop, this could really have done with having the title and contents page in color. The illustrations were obviously color images that were changed to black and white, and they look pretty terrible, all murky greys without any real definition/contrast in the tones. For a book that relies on pictures, and especially a book from Kozue Amano, who does really gorgeous artwork (colored or otherwise), it's a shame to not have those two illustrations in color.
I do like that this translation maintains the Japanese honorifics. Having just read ARIA Vol. 3, I noticed a few places where I expected an honorific to be, but didn't see one - yet in this book, there they are, thankfully.
Show More
favorite toy and tries to run away. Only, he doesn't have anywhere to go, so he doesn't get very far. It's a super cute little story, especially seeing President Aria share his snacks with a bird, or holding his doll while perched on the roof, because he misses Akari and Alicia.The second chapter about President Aria is Navigation 09: Enter the Hero! A big fan of Nyan-Nyan Puu, a tv show for "good girls and boys", President Aria one day decides to dress up as the titular superhero and do good deeds of his own. He wears a cape and mask and is, again, totally adorable as he encounters adventures on his way to return a lost doll to a little girl.
The other chapters are about Akari's first customer (Navigation 06, which introduces the Salamander from the floating island, Akatsuki Izumo), the loveliness of glowing wind-chimes in summer (Navigation 07: Night-Light Bells), and a bit of a science-fictiony background about how the weather on Aqua works, as a way to introduce the floating island Ukijima and Akatsuki's job as a Salamander (Navigation 10: Fireworks).
There is a bonus chapter (a "special navigation") called Colds and Pudding which focuses on Aika a little bit. It's a bit weird for it to be included in AQUA Vol. 2, though, because it includes Alice Carroll as one of the main characters, though she isn't introduced for several volumes. It's a pretty sweet little story, though, and I'm never sorry to see Alice.
As usual with the ARIA series from Tokyopop, this could really have done with having the title and contents page in color. The illustrations were obviously color images that were changed to black and white, and they look pretty terrible, all murky greys without any real definition/contrast in the tones. For a book that relies on pictures, and especially a book from Kozue Amano, who does really gorgeous artwork (colored or otherwise), it's a shame to not have those two illustrations in color.
I do like that this translation maintains the Japanese honorifics. Having just read ARIA Vol. 3, I noticed a few places where I expected an honorific to be, but didn't see one - yet in this book, there they are, thankfully.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Shimmin
As I wrote for the English version: "It's another slow-paced and gentle story without much going on, but relaxing to read."
For Japanese learners, it's sometimes a bit hard to deciper the tiny furigana, and the decision to provide kanji words with English-based katakana readings feels rather
This contains a bonus chapter that wasn't in the English translation. I found it oddly moving, and enjoyed the insight into Aika. She gets plenty of screen time during the series, but often as an impatient foil to Akari. It's nice that she gets to be the protagonist for once.
For Japanese learners, it's sometimes a bit hard to deciper the tiny furigana, and the decision to provide kanji words with English-based katakana readings feels rather
Show More
bizarre. It certainly makes reading more of a challenge... This contains a bonus chapter that wasn't in the English translation. I found it oddly moving, and enjoyed the insight into Aika. She gets plenty of screen time during the series, but often as an impatient foil to Akari. It's nice that she gets to be the protagonist for once.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Shimmin
It's another slow-paced and gentle story without much going on, but relaxing to read.