Accolade for Aquarion Evol

Creator Shoujo Kawamori’s original fantasy/sci-fi/giant robot anime series Genesis of Aquarion premiered in 2005, slowly developing into a cult hit. Seven years later the sequel series, Aquarion Evol, premiered simultaneously in anime and manga formats. Kawamori wrote and directed the television anime and also penned the manga adaptation capably illustrated by artist Aogiri. While the manga series is due to conclude in Japan this June, the series has just made its official English language debut courtesy of One Peace Books.

The 152-page first English language volume of Aquarion Evol is a striking conglomeration of concepts and characteristics. Illustrator Aogiri’s graphic art is crisp, detailed, and lovely, evoking an impression of monochrome anime more than conventional manga aesthetics. Panel layout is fluid, making the action typically easy to follow. Slight difficulty arises during moments in the mecha battles, however. Because the giant robots have such similar-looking ornate, skeletal designs, without color to assist the reader’s comprehension, distinguishing which robot is which sometimes becomes a bit difficult and confusing, especially within panels using extreme close-ups or dynamic perspectives. Kawamori’s writing keeps dialogue snappy and the pace brisk, thereby creating both a positive and a negative. The clipped dialogue makes reading the book breezy and fun but also makes the story periodically obtuse. Particularly the antagonists, hailing from a non-human culture, have a tendency to seemingly speak at each other rather than with each other, so they frequently speak in cryptic allusions that may leave readers scratching their heads in confusion. The futuristic human military likewise slings around a lot of esoteric jargon. The references will doubtlessly become more clear and familiar as readers become more acquainted with the story, but initially they’re a bit disorienting. The pacing of the story also threatens to leave behind readers that aren’t used to the abrupt tonal shifts characteristic of anime. The short first book alone alternates from romance to giant robot action to school drama to comedy with a virtually breakneck pace.

The first collected volume of the Aquarion Evol manga is appreciably thinner than the average domestic manga volume, but the slim book packs in a lot of story. In fact, the book is all story from cover to cover with no blank end pages, no copyright page, and no advertising. Print quality is very bright and sharp. The first four pages originally published in color are reproduced in rich, lush monochrome in the English-language edition. The English language translation occasionally feels a bit vague, making brief scenes somewhat difficult to fully understand, but the translation largely reads naturally and fluidly. The translation grammatically appears to be error free with the exception of a single easily overlooked punctuation typo. The original Japanese sound effects are included unaltered but supplemented by unobtrusive translations. The book contains no graphic violence and no nudity, and only one instance of adult language used in legitimate context. The book contains no sex but the story utilizes reference to physical “unity” between genders as a major plot point.

The plot of Aquarion Evol picks up 12,000 years after the original “Genesis of Aquarion” story. The writing ensures that readers need not be familiar with the earlier story to pick up the “Evol” storyline. The cryptic story revolves around Amata Sora, a winsome teen boy with the exceptional ability to literally defy gravity, and his would-be girlfriend, a mysterious teen targeted by a roguish general of the Altairian invaders that routinely abduct human women for purposes unseen. The human race employs gigantic mechanical “angels” to repel the “abductors.” When Amata inadvertently pilots one of the “Aquaria” robots against the Altairian invaders, he unconsciously unlocks the robot’s sealed potential, causing the human military force to ponder whether he’s a potential weapon or a potential threat.

Just as Amata Sora suddenly finds himself in the cockpit of a giant robot battling alien invaders, the first book of Aquarion Evol hurls readers into the narrative deep end. Action, concepts, flashbacks and future prophecies along with an assortment of characters come flying at the reader with astonishing speed. Readers that prefer a measured pace and the opportunity to gradually familiarize with characters and concepts may find this first book disorienting. Established Aquarion fans and readers that appreciate a rollercoaster read should find this first book satisfying and extremely appetizing for subsequent volumes.