A very short manga (only two volumes), but this is definitely one of the best I’ve ever read. It’s got the same sort of appeal that K-On! has, that laid-back feeling where you’re not really following a story or anything, you’re just enjoying what’s in front of you at a leisurely pace. Aqua introduces a science fiction future where the ice caps on Mars melt and cover almost the entire planet in water. What’s left was terraformed heavily, and most of the cities have extensive canal systems (à la Venice, Italy). This, in my opinion, is the strongest point of the manga – a very cool sci-fi world that the main character (who was born and raised on Earth) is immersed in from the start. It’s a very optimistic, utopian view on the future, but the naïve tone is part of the charm.

There isn’t much in the way of story here, nor are the characters especially unique or interesting. However, the relaxing, optimistic tone of its storytelling more than makes up for it.