Aria is a utopian science fantasy manga by Kozue Amano. The series was originally titled Aqua when it was published by Enix in the magazine Monthly Stencil, being retitled when it moved to Mag Garden's magazine Comic Blade. Aqua was serialized in Stencil from 2001 to 2002 and collected in two tankobon volumes. Aria was serialized in Comic Blade from November 2002 to April 2008 and collected in twelve volumes. The series has been adapted as an anime television series, with a first season 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.
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 on 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 a 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.
Aqua and Aria take place in the early 24th century, starting in 2301 AD, in the city of Neo-Venezia on the planet Aqua - formerly Mars, 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.
The Alchemist company produced two visual novel video games for the PS2 based on Aria. Both were released in regular and special editions on the same day.
Aria - The Natural ~Tooi Yume no Mirage~ ("Mirage of a Distant Dream") was released 28 September 2006. This was later re-released on 6 March 2008 as part of the Alchemist Best Collection.
Akari Mizunashi continues her job as a gondolier along with her friends from the other two rival companies, Aika and Alice. As they continue their training to become Undines, they continue to meet new people and partake on mysterious adventures, all in the quiet, scenic, and peaceful city of Neo Venezia.
MANUFACTURER'S DESCRIPTION:
Healing Adventure of the extreme popularity of "ARIA The NATURAL" appeared. Original character also appeared, all the characters are full voice! I met the girl of pilot from Futoshita, to act together and caught up with the pace of her unique, and, slowly everyday should passing gently "something" was beginning to change for sure ....
FEATURES:
- First person perspective.
- 2D graphics
- Cartoon graphics
- SCIFI, Fantasy & Anime themes.
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