Aquarian Age is an anime that I have a pretty good idea is going to have some very passionate fans taking hold of it with only two sides. There are going to be those that absolutely love the series and can’t get enough of it, and then those that despise everything about it, probably being completely lost in the intricate storyline. As many know from my review of the first volume, Aquarian Age was a series I had the privilege of seeing a little bit of a few years back, and having it finally released in North America has been quite a treat. The first volume of the series though merely got things underway, and the second volume brings quite a bit more of the story into play.

As we all know, or should at least, Kyouta and his band have recently found themselves in the limelight with a record deal and some media scandal, but that’s not going to stop them from making their grand debut. What might stop them though is a battle that’s looming, and while his band members can’t see what’s going on, Kyouta himself has been seeing the netherworld conflict for quite some time, though he doesn’t quite understand what exactly is going on. That is all about to change.

Change in fact is a very big part of this volume. This is where the story gets very involved on all sides. Yoriko we learned at the start of the series is a member of the Benzaiten, a group that has pledged themselves towards the good of humanity, but that’s not going to last for long. Abuto meets with her and then convinces her to join with his promotion agency and pursue acting. It’s the dream of many, but Abuto is not an agent you want to side with. He’s a Mindbreaker, a human with the power to control the various players involved in the eternal struggle between light and dark, and unlike some who are unaware of their power, Abuto knows how to use it to the fullest degree.

We see a drastic change in Yoriko. Abuto has already poisoned her mind against her longtime friend Kyouta and now she leaves the light and joins the forces of darkness as a Darklore or Sarasvati, but she doesn’t even seem to be aware of it. The once kind young girl has become a complete bitch for lack of a better term. She’s conceited, self-centered, and it’s not just her attitude that has changed, but even her appearance. Her sister, Rumiko, is aware of what’s gong on though, and wants to save her, even is some members of the Arayashiki are opposed to it, but in order to do so they need a Mindbreaker themselves, and as luck would have it, that’s where Kyouta comes into play. But, that’s just one of the many problems that he’s going to have to face as the battle has brought his friends right into the middle of things, almost costing one of them their lives and he seems distant from them at times, and with good reason.

There are many anime series where it is quite easy to jump into things right in the middle, but I honestly have to say that this is not one of them. The depth of the plot alone might cause a few to just give up, and while some clues can be deciphered here and then regarding the overall plot, not everything is going to be in simple black and white. I really do have to give a recommendation that if you have yet to buy the first volume, do so before you even think about tackling this volume.

I spent a good deal of time with these episodes in awe of the music. Quite often series will have music that doesn’t necessarily stand out in any way or add to the flow of the episodes, but Aquarian Age isn’t that type of series. It seems as though the right amount of care has been taken to put music in the right places to add just the right touch, and when you consider that Yuki Kajiura composed the soundtrack, you’ve got a good thing going. While Yuki has been involved in many series, some fans may remember another her music from another fantastic series, Noir, also available from ADV. The soundtrack for Aquarian Age is much like if you took the music from Noir and blended it with that of Arjuna. It’s spectacular to listen to, and I really wish that this series had an isolated soundtrack option.

I have some mixed feelings regarding the extra material, and I'm sure some of you can already guess in what departments I'm not happy, so that's as good as spot to start as any. I'm not a fan of ADV"s Behind the Anime features simply because I'm not a fan of dubbing. While I can see why it's included (for the fans of English only anime) I don't feel that essentially labeling it a behind the scenes look is fair to the series. It would be like having me do a behind the scenes commentary on Star Wars. I had nothing to do with it and have very little insight on the original, though if we are talking about the recent DVD releases, I have some rather colorful comments for Mr. Lucas. I do however like the inclusion of the original DVD spots and the promotional trailer. I also like the fact that ADV is using this as another product to include production booklets that have interviews and comments for the original cast and crew as well as some definitions and descriptions for the terms in the series. Outside of this, the usual clean animation and production sketches are in the extra menu as well as a reversible cover, but I vote in favor of the one that would normally be seen when you buy the disc.

Aquarian Age is intriguing to say the least, but it's also very plot heavy. If you started following the series from the first volume, you really shouldn't be too bad, though I did need to do a brief recap from the first volume to get the story back in my head. I will say though that if you haven't seen any episodes from the first volume, some of the basic story elements are quite easy to pick up on, but Aquarian Age has a lot going on and it's almost better to get the first and second volumes together. I fear that anyone that tries to start watching from volume two is going to be left a little confused no matter how much information the liner notes might include. Outside of this though, Aquarian Age is an impressive series that is very comparable in many ways to Arjuna, but does stand well enough on it's own to keep even the most cynical anime fan engrossed.

Episode 6 - Illusion ~ Green Salvation

The sides continue to become more divided and poor Kyouta is caught up in the middle of it all. Yoriko has been approached by Abuto and asked to join with his agency, and he's already trying to turn her against Kyota through various means. Kyouta also finds that there are many women who seem to have an interest in him now, but little does he know that it's all part of Abuto's master plan.

Episode 7 - Deep ~ Red Offshoot

Abuto plays his next card to get Yoriko's powers to fully awaken and as she is his newest client, he has her cast in a movie and her mere presence is gaining quite a bit of media attention. Kyouta and his band face tragedy when an auto accident sends them to the hospital, and things look worst for Shingo. Rumiko meanwhile tries to stop Yoriko from turning to the darkside.

Episode 8 - Light ~ Purple Awakening

Now that Kyouta knows about Yoriko's film, he's decided to have his manager arrange a set visit, to give him ideas for his music of course. She knows the truth though, and sends Asumi along with him, but the Yoriko that he meets is completely different from the one he grew up with. On his way back, a member of the Arayashiki attacks him, even though some of them have decided it's best to enlist his help to turn Yoriko back to her former self.

Episode 9 - Fierce ~ Silver Remnants

Rumiko gives Kyouta more information regarding this place in the battle that is brewing. He may not fully understand what it means to be a Mindbreaker, but he wants to save Yuriko at any cost. Asumi is given a part in the film that Yoriko is a part of, but tragedy quickly strikes on the set. And, Kyouta confronts Yoriko once again, but Abuto steps in to put a stop to it.

-mike-