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Reviewed by Lisa Anderson Winter has come to Neo-Venezia and it’s the season for celebration. Akari takes advantage of the seasonal festivities, sharing much of her time with friends. Originally from Earth, Akari has a lot to learn about her new home, ranging from the various holidays to the local wildlife. With friends that are happy to help her, the new year is certainly looking bright! The season starts with Alicia showing her young trainee the benefits of an old-style life instead of one run by advanced technology. From a simple fireplace to the cute creatures known as snowbugs, Akari quickly falls under the magical feel winter can generate. From there the girls enjoy a day off, sneaking away to a hot spring. Unlike most hot springs, this one is located in the old ruins of a great mansion, allowing a wonderful mix of scenery and privacy. As if that wasn’t enough, the girls find a special corner of the springs, one that offers a small utopia of moonlight and peaceful silence. By New Year’s Eve, the Akari joins her friends for a celebration at Saint Mark’s Square. Shortly after the last “Buon Anno”, the city begins preparing for their next celebration - Carnival. It’s there that Akari solves a mysterious old myth, taking a journey that is magical despite never leaving the city. While that doesn’t shed much light on the entire second volume of Aria, it should help set the feel for how it was written. While the first volume covered autumn, it set a tone of meeting and exploration, finding both new friends and new places. Winter is a season for enjoying discoveries, both past and present. At the same time, it holds a wide-eyed wonder for the future, and a hope for happiness. As with the first, this volume of Aria continues to be a lighthearted read, leaving a calm smile behind after each story. It’s easy to pick up this volume without ever having read the first, though they work better in order - mainly since the series follows the course of a year. Artwork continues to play a major part in the manga, with various holiday costumes joining the beautiful cityscape. Even outside Neo-Venezia the buildings have the same classic feel and level of detail. Volume 2 of Aria continues to follow the same standard set by the first. The characters preserve their familiar spark, while the city itself manages to expose new secrets while still keeping the same feel. Again the story has a hometown simplicity, with everyday adventures instead of grand crusades. At the end, most should close the manga with a smile of contentment, while also looking forward to the next volume…I certainly did. Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line! Charles Webb Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com |
1 September 2010
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