Aquarian Age Volume 1: Awakening - Underland Online
- Underland Online
- Mike
- 10/10/04
- click here
Aquarian Age Vol. 1 - Awakening
The things that you can find anime based on can be a bit strange at times. Most of us have seen at least one anime series that's based off a toy or a video game, and the concept is just as common in the United States as it is in Japan. Manga of course is the mainstay when it comes to anime, and it would be safe to say that at least 90% of most of it falls into this category. Aquarian Age however is one of those series that doesn't fall into any of these, nor is it a series that comes without some sort of background either. Believe it or not, this is an anime that is based from a collectible trading card game.
The game itself began back in 1999 before becoming an anime series a few years later in 2002. It's another of those series that can be added to that lengthy list of shows that my wife had video taped prior to moving to the United States. Unlike some of the others though, Aquarian Age was one that I only managed to get a couple of episodes sent over. I think it was from one of those random VCR programming where there was anime on, but she had no idea what it was, just that I liked anime so it was going to be taped, not like those standbys that were always taped like Detective Conan and Inu Yasha. I liked the little bit that I had seen, but it was also one of those shows that didn't quite make an impact, and I had all but forgotten about it until ADV announced they had picked it up for release here.
With little left in memory about the series, and unable to find my tapes with it recorded (I think they are still packed away somewhere from the last move) I prepared to familiarize myself with the series once again, and getting the chance to go from the beginning is always more than welcome.
Aquarian Age however is a series that is challenging to explain. Initially the series introduces us to Kyouta Kamikurata, a high school student with dreams to make it big in the music industry. He and his friends and band mates, Shin and Jun, have a concert planned for New Year's Eve, but what should be just a typical show ends up becoming something very different.
Kyuota has a close friend, Yoriko, who comes to visit and has managed to get the time off to come and see the show. Kyuota on the other hand has started seeing some rather strange visions including some oddly dressed women who are battling, and one keeps calling his name, talking about how she will protect them. The boys run across an agent after their show who ends up signing them, but with their dreams in sight, something else seems to be going on behind the scenes, and everyone close to them seems to be involved in some way. It seems that there is a battle on the horizon between various supernatural forces, the winner gaining control over mankind, and Kyuota is caught in the middle, but despite his witnessing some of these events, he is still oblivious to what is going on.
The same could be said of the viewer by the end of five episodes. Aquarian Age is one of those series that is going to require a lot of attention be paid while watching it, much like the case has been with series such as Serial Experiments Lain and even RahXephon just for some examples. It's not to say that this is a horrible series, but instead of having the overall plot throw out immediately, we are instead given what could be considered more or less hints from time to time. Instead, Aquarian Age plays itself off as something of a drama intermixed with elements of fantasy and supernatural that will eventually come to the forefront of the series.
There is a lot of story development here though. Kyuota and his friends are first the real spotlight with their music, which honestly, isn't nearly as impressive as they and their fans think, but that's simply my opinion. J-Pop fans will not that his band, TL Signal, is a real Japanese band, and coincidentally does the ending theme. What this music aspect creates however is a way to bring in all of the main players onto one stage is it were. This includes Yoriko, Kyuota's 'girlfriend' (for lack of a better word) seems like she may not play a huge role, but we begin to learn that she has a connection to these forces, and so far we have references to Arayashiki (a term relating to Buddhism) and Benzaiten (from Indian mythology apparently) but there seems to be more going on that meets the eye. The boys new managed, Misato, seems to know who the real players are in the grand scheme of things though, but Kyuota is in the dark for the most part, instead being plagued by seeing the girls fight their battle.
But, as far as who is on what side is still a bit of a mystery, as is why Kyuota is such a key element in everything. One side wants to protect him, another wants to draw him out, and while they are all drawn to him, there is a bit of guesswork to be done on who can really be trusted. Some of the characters come across as being a bit self-serving, Kanae (another musician) is a prime example of this, but Aquarian Age is also giving off vibes that maybe what you think is right may not be the case at all.
I'm sure it sounds a bit confusing, but for a good example of what Aquarian Age is like, think in terms of X: The Series (or even the movie if you want) but then throw in elements of Arjuna, but on the opposite side of the spectrum. In the case of Arjuna, where as she was a part of the action and we could see what was going on, Kyuota is more like the outsider who only gets the privilege of getting glimpses. Again, the real focus, at least at this point, is the music and the factions involved. The real battle itself hasn't really been witnessed, and when it is, it's just as briefly as what Kyuota sees, and so we are essentially placed in the same shoes that he's in.
As far as the overall look of the series, it falls somewhere in between a couple of series that I've already mentioned, that being both Arjuna and RahXephon. The animation was done by the folks over at MADHOUSE, a studio that has their hands into just about everything these days and the list of work they have done grows at an exponential rate. It's one of those names that just about everyone who is into the anime scene is familiar with, assuming they are that deep into it. The character designs, at least for the 'human characters' (those not involved with the battles) I found to be a little unimpressive, but when combined with everything else, it works, but there is thankfully a good amount of detail much of the time and that helps things out. However, I will note that both my wife and I had issues with Misato's hairstyle, and her real question was concerning how someone manages to get their hair to stay like that. Hey, it might just be anime and while not really based in reality, there are things that we all wonder.
My feelings for the extra features are a bit mixed. On the 'required' end of the spectrum, the disc has clean versions of both the open and close, neither of which I care much for, instead finding the rest of the series music, which was recorded by Yuki Kajiura, more appealing. There is also a collection of production artwork as well. ADV recently has been adding in a feature they like to call Behind the Anime which interviews those involved with the series, but as always, it has been the English dubbing cast. Now, I understand there are a lot of people out there that will only watch dubbed anime, but there are those of us that prefer it to be in Japanese, and thus would like to see interviews with the Japanese cast and crew. Instead, that is included in an 8-page booklet that not only talks with some of the cast and crew, it also defines some of the more important terminology used in the series. Lastly, the disc also has one of the original Japanese promotional trailers that was used for the series.
Aquarian Age really isn't that bad of a series, though I do fear that those with a short attention span or that don't like anime with in-depth stories will get lost very early on since things do tend to jump around a bit in terms of what is really going on. Instead, the real focus right now has just been building up what is to come. An issue that I personally have however is that this is a shorter series and I'm wondering just how far things can be taken, as well as how much of the story can really be covered and detailed, in such a short time. For the intricate story though, as well as a few moments of head scratching, Aquarian Age gets my vote as being entertaining, but it's not something that I feel that everyone will agree with.
Episode 1 - Deep-Blue Overture
Kyuota and his friends have their own band, TL Signal, and they are hoping that this New Years, their lives will change for the better, meaning fame and fortune in the world of music. This dream is closer than they realize though, but for Kyuota, something else is waiting for him in the New Year as a battle for humanity is beginning.
Episode 2 - Fire-Green Premonition
The boys have meet an agent, Misato Yukimuyra, who has decided to take them under her wing. While they are busy walking on cloud nine (Shin in particular) and Kyuota meets his idol, but the real man is much different (and more arrogant) than what he expected.
Episode 3 - Cloudy-Red Melancholy
The band has been booked on a radio show and Kyuota has invited Yoriko along for the event. Misato confronts her however, eluding basically to the fact that she needs to stay away from the up and coming star. After the show, the boys are mobbed by a pack of star struck female fans and a popular female musician that seems to have a crush on the rising star takes Yoriko and Kyuota to safety.
Episode 4 - Concealment-Black Offering
Kyuota has more encounters with those involved in the tangled web that he has become a part of, and is yet unaware. Yoriko begins to distance herself due to Misato's 'talk' and Kyuota becomes a part of the conflict, unwittingly of course, and ends up in a very questionable position that will soon generate wuite the controversy from himself and the band.
Episode 5 - Sparkling-White Inevitability
Things begin to get much more bizarre as Kyuota has had run-ins with those that have threatened him and a seemingly scandalous article all over the news. Even his encounters with the strange female entities that seems to be battling each other. Even Yoriko is trying to accept her fate, but it may be far too late for her.
Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2004 (Archive on Wednesday, November 10, 2004)