Aria: The Masterpiece, Volume 1 (1)

Beautiful, beautiful book, I love it so much. I had collected the older previously released smaller volumes by Tokyopop (the line that they never finished releasing 😭) so I was super excited to hear that they were actually going to finally finish releasing the entire series for English readers in this brand new Masterpiece collection! I’ve been wanting a completed collection of this wonderfully wholesome and fun series so I’m very excited to collect all of these Masterpiece volumes. The size is bigger than the previous ones released (I attached a picture of the size comparison), which makes sense considering each volume of the Masterpiece collection contains 2 of the original volumes, this first volume in the collection containing the 2-volume prequel “Aqua.” I love the bigger size in that I feel like the larger images allows us to be even more immersed into the beautiful world and appreciate the fine details of each panel with greater ease. The gold detailing on the title and spine are a nice touch and I think it’s great that this series is finally getting the attention it deserves. For old and new readers alike, I highly highly recommend collecting this lovingly crafted Masterpiece collection! Even as someone who owns all of the older volumes, this new collection is a must-have addition if you’re like me and have been waiting to collect the never before released completed set in English! Thank you Tokyopop!!

This is a beautifully written story. We are taken on an adventure in the day-to-day life of a teenage girl as she discovers a new place. The manga highlights topics such as the waxing and waning of relationships, passage of time, admiration of natural beauty, and a shift away from addictive technology to focus more on nature and real human interaction. The later volumes have become very difficult to find now and prices on eBay are prohibitively high. I do wish Tokyopop would continue to print this series so more readers can enjoy what it offers.

This is the first book of The Masterpiece series. In this "new" series, both the AQUA manga and ARIA manga series have been combined to present the life and experiences of the main character, Mizunashi Akari on the terraformed planet of Mars, now named Aqua. I first became acquainted with the story through the anime years ago, and then discovered the manga. I was able, over the years, to acquire the manga here and there, but this series now gives me a new chance to collect all of Amano Kozue's stories. This first volume is well worth the read, and will lead you deeper into the world of Aqua!

I own the physical copy and this is an exact reproduction. The characters all have unique personality that come out

I was so excited when I heard that Aria was going to be reprinted! Its a beautifully illustrated series with a wonderful story set into the distant future on a a terraformed Mars renamed Neo-Venezia. I recommend this series to anyone who loves a simple sci-fi series with friendly comedy. It's a wonderful feel good series.

'Aria: The Masterpiece Vol. 1' by Kozue Amano is a utopian manga series first serialized in the early 2000s. The first two volumes are collected here. When the story opens, we meet Akari Mizunashi. She is on her way to the planet Mars, which is now known as Aqua, to become an undine, which is a cross between a gondolier and tour guide. The book follows her adventures as she meets the company president (a cat!), and makes friends with Aika, another apprentice undine. There are trials to pass and adventures to be had on this weird, beautiful world. I wasn't familiar with this manga, but I enjoyed reading it. There isn't a lot of conflict in the story, but the world kept me interested. The art was really good too. I enjoyed this trip to the world of Aqua and Aria. I received a review copy of this manga from Tokyopop, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this manga.

I'm writing this review only on the physical copy of the manga itself. I'm writing assuming you've already read the manga (or seen the anime), and would like to own it physically. The lack of ratings was somewhat concerning, but it came in absolutely perfect condition and all the pages from cover to cover are beautiful. The translations are better than the fan-translations I personally read. Highly recommend!

This volume serves as the story told before Aria: Aqua. It's the best introduction story to one of the single greatest stories to have ever been printed on paper. Volume arrived in perfect conditions and I would recommend this to anybody who is in dire need of a lighthearted and fulfilling story. ∞/10

Uma jovem chamada Akari chega à cidade de Neo-Venezia, no planeta Aqua, para se tornar uma gondoleira (mais especificamente uma ondina, responsável por guiar os turistas que visitam a cidade). A cidade é inspirada em Veneza, com largos canais no lugar das ruas, além de uma arquitetura e atmosfera futurística. Cada capítulo é um slice of life, mostrando a exploração de Akari como gondoleira (inicialmente uma aprendiz até se tornar uma Prima Ondina), suas interações com os membros da companhia Aria (destacadas pelos uniformes azuis) e de companhias rivais (Himeya, vermelha e Orange Planet, amarela) . O mangá é um dos mais conhecidos do gênero Iyashikei (ou cura), responsáveis por um estado de calmaria, com ênfase na ambientação e enredo descontraído. Esta publicação é baseada no kanzenban japonês, em um total de 7 edições. O volume inicial compila 2 edições de Aqua, o começo da saga, enquanto que os próximos volumes compilam as edições de Aria. A ADV Manga publicou inicialmente 3 volumes de Aria, sem completá-lo enquanto que a Tokyopop publicou 6 volumes iniciando de Aqua, também inacabado. Agora a mesma retorna com essa edição de luxo, com tamanho maior, papel refinado, páginas coloridas e orelhas. Existem diversas adaptações em anime, que ampliam o efeito relaxante e divertido, com suas cores vivas e trilha-sonora.

A really nice omnibus edition for the series, hopefully we get this amazing manga in full this time round!

This item arrived with only minor scratches and is a wonderful edition of this manga. The first volume contains the prequel "Aqua" series that came out before Aria. It's very well drawn, very atmospheric and a manga that should have kept being printed for a long time. You're lucky if you can still get these and my experience with this order and item is great.

Linda edição de colecionador para uma série de beleza ímpar. Para os fãs de Slice of Life é leitura obrigatória! Aria conta a história de Mizunashi Akari, uma jovem garota que acaba de se mudar de Manhome (Terra) para o planeta Aqua (uma vez conhecido como Marte), onde passa a morar na cidade de Neo-Venezia. Nesta cidade criada aos moldes dá famosa cidade de Veneza, mas com um toque futurista, Akari dá inicio à realização de seu sonho de se tornar uma respeitada gondoleira, ao aplicar para aprendiz na prestigiada companhia Aria de guias aquáticos. Rodeada de novas amizades, descobertas e surpresas, Akari aos poucos vai se tornando uma pessoa mais aventureira, curiosa e cheia de energia. Com uma narrativa leve, arte deslumbrante, personagens cativantes e toques de ficção cientifica, esta é uma obra que certamente será capaz de gerar um sorriso e trazer calma aos leitores. Obs.: Nesse primeiro volume encontram-se os capítulos que deram origem à série Aria, que foram originalmente lançados sob o nome Aqua no Japão. O leitor encontrará algumas lindas páginas coloridas ao longo da edição, que possui tamanho maior que o comum para um mangá, com papel de altíssima qualidade, proporcionando uma leitura muito agradável. Parabéns à Tokyo Pop pelo trabalho nessa versão ocidental da edição de colecionador Aria: The Masterpiece.

Essa edição comemorativa de Aria The Masterpiece é um luxo, a edição é linda, ótimo para quem é fã e gosta da série.