Full Metal Panic!, vol. 2

Full Metal Panic! volume 2
Written by Shouji Gatou, art by Retsu Tateo
ADV manga (defunct), 194 pp.

Full Metal Panic is not that hard of a series to jump into. All you need to know is that Sosuke is a undercover agent who's a student by day, Chidori is your not-so-average damsel in distress that kids look up to but don't necessarily want to be around. She's also got some hidden power that makes her a Whispered. Did I mention there were giant robots and lots of action? Read on to see what makes Full Metal Panic! a winner in my book.

The story starts out with Sosuke and his class flying to Okinawa on a field trip. But what happens when the plane is hijacked? We find out that one of the hijackers is Gauron, one of Sosuke's enemies that was supposedly dead. But why is the plane hijacked in the first place? Because everyone wants Chidori! She has the power that they want. But what happens when she's kidnapped and everything doesn't go according to plan? It's Sosuke to the rescue.

It sounds a bit confusing the way I typed things out, but it flows very well. There's a bit of romantic tension between Sosuke and Chidori, complicating this a bit. Even though I feel I missed a bit of something by not reading the first volume in the series, I'm intrigued by the plot. We've still got more to learn about Chidori's power and why it's so important.

The characters are good. Sosuke fits into the stereotypical hero. He's a bit quiet, but he's sort of badass when the time calls for it. Chidori is a Whispered. She seems a bit mysterious but she has her own personality that makes her someone to look up to. Gauron and his team of baddies fit the mold of menacing evil. There's also a whole class of side characters, but they don't do much.

The art is something to write home about. Maybe it's just because of me not reading lots of "action" stuff like this, but it's very good. The characters manage to look realistic while still being manga-ish. The mecha are well drawn along with their attacks and the few explosions in the book.

Quality-wise it's standard ADV. The paper is okay quality, it's a bit on the yellow side. The book's trim size is about two and one-half centimeters taller than regular manga, which will make it stand out on your shelf. If you're looking for comparison, it's the size of Yen Press's manhwa line. The translation was well-written, with no need for translation notes. The only thing that irked me was the occasional bolding of words, but I've seen that in a few of their other titles.

Art: 4.5
Characters: 4
Quality: 3.5
Story:4

Overall: 4. An A-. It's good. I'll hopefully be getting volume three when my friend loans it to me. It's a bit hard to find because ADV isn't publishing manga anymore, but they'd probably have it at the local Borders as long as they didn't pull the manga.

Credit: Jeff-chan for loaning me the volume for today's review.

Aria, vol. 1

Aria volume one
Kozue Amano
ADV manga, 176 pp.


Grade: A
On the planet Aqua, a world once known as Mars, Akari Mizunashi has just made her home in the town of Neo-VENEZIA, a futuristic imitation of the ancient city of Venice. The technology of "Man Home" (formerly Earth) has not entirely reached this planet, and Akari is alone, having no contact with family or friends. Nonetheless, the town, with its charming labyrinths of rivers and canals, becomes Akari's new infatuation, along with the dream of becoming a full-fledged gondolier. Reverting to a more "primitive" lifestyle and pursuing a new trade, the character of Akari becomes both adventurous and heartwarming all at once.

Actually, I don't think Aria needs a summary. It's a good ol' slice-of-life manga about gondoliers in an incarnation of Vince set in the future.

Aria follows Akari, an undine in training. For those not in the know, an undine in this series is an in-training gondolier. It follows events in Akari's life, such as gondola races, waiting at the Bridge of Sighs for a friend and a trip to the shrine where she witnesses a sun shower. It's very simple and relaxing, and is meant to point out to you that there are some magical times in life and to enjoy them.

Akari isn't smart, and she isn't supposed to be. She's kind-hearted, ready to stop a race just to pick up some fruits that a woman dropped in the water and is naive. Her friend Akia is level-headed and is competitive, and one of the more experienced undines Alicia is kind and caring. Along with the cat (?) President Aria, they make up a perfect slice-of-life crew who live out the most enjoyable moments in life.

The art looks better in black and white then in color I must say. The cover really didn't hook me into reading this manga because of the coloring. But once inside and reading, the art was pure wonderful, with several somewhat-detailed two page spreads.

It's okay quality wise. The cover feels a bit weird, and is marked and dented easily. This particular volume comes with a few helpful translation notes in the back. I must note, this is the ADV version, not the Tokyopop version. ADV version is rated all ages while Tokyopop's is OT. Why? I have no clue, because I didn't see one objectionable thing in this whole volume.

Art: 4
Characters: 4
Quality: 3.5
Story (charm): 5

Overall: A 4.2. I must say that I keep the .2 in there because this is a noteworthy book that almost anyone can enjoy. It's got those qualities that really make a slice of life manga, with likable characters, a good setting, and charm. I think also the older you are the more you can appreciate it. A and recommended.