Well, I can’t say I saw that one coming.
Over the weekend, TOKYOPOP announced that they will release Kozue Amano’s Aria manga in North America. The publisher will release the title in “collector’s edition” 2-in-1 omnibus volumes, which feature “color pages and gold-foil cover embellishment.”
The first volume will ship to stores on February 2019. The book will include Aqua, the prequel to the main Aria manga.
Kozue Amano’s Aria manga originally launched in the pages of Enix’s Monthly Stencil, before moving to Mag Garden’s Monthly Comic Blade. The title launched in 2001 with Aqua, which ran for two volumes. The main Aria manga ran in Monthly Comic Blade from 2002 through 2008, spanning twelve volumes.
ADV Films began releasing the title under their ADV Manga imprint, though publication ceased after three issues.
The manga spawned a 2005 anime series, which was helmed by Junichi Sato (Kaleido Star, Slayers Premium), who also handled series composition for the project at Hal Film Maker. Makoto Koga (Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-chan, Macross 7 the Movie: The Galaxy’s Calling Me!) provided character designs for the series.
Right Stuf currently holds the rights to Aria the Animation, and describes the show as:
In the early 24th century, Mars has been terraformed by mankind into a sparkling planet covered in water. Akari Mizunashi, at the age of 15, has left everything behind to travel to that reborn world, now known as Aqua. More than anything, Akari wants to be an “undine” – a female gondolier who navigates the canals of the Aquan city of Neo-Venezia. As she begins her training with the prestigious Aria Company, will she be up to the challenges that await her on the path to achieve her dream?
Sources: Anime News Network
