Aria Company Aria Company is a small water-guide company that starts with only two employees. Its uniforms are lined with blue, and its president (and namesake) is Aria Pokoteng. ; : : A native of Japan on Manhome (Earth) who immigrates to Aqua when she is 15 to become an Undine. While not as skillful at rowing a gondola as Alice nor as familiar with the history of her adopted city as Aika, Akari makes friends quickly and easily converses with customers and other strangers. She is depicted as optimistic and cheerful, finding enjoyment in things or events that others think are humdrum and mundane, for which Aika and Alice call her "mysterious"; in the anime, Aika and Alice separately comment that Akari seems to attract mysterious phenomena to her. Akari often says
Hohe or
Hahi, which is her short version of "wow". When Akari used gondola simulations on Manhome, she accidentally learned how to row backwards and has to relearn the proper method when she starts at Aria Company; however, as Alicia puts it, "When rowing backward, Akari-chan is unrivaled!" : Most chapters of the manga and episodes of the anime are
framed with
narration taken from e-mails written by Akari. In the anime, the recipient is a young girl named Ai, a customer in the first episode who becomes Akari's
pen pal, but in the manga the recipient is someone she does not name and is referred to as zenryaku but has never seen. : At the start of
Aqua, Akari arrives on Aqua as a new
Pair (apprentice) at Aria Company. In chapter 5 of
Aqua, when Aika is promoted to
Single (journeyman), Alicia tests and promotes Akari as well. Later, in chapter 58 of
Aria and episode 12 of
Aria the Origination, after Aika is promoted to
Prima (full Undine), Alicia gives Akari the test for Prima. When Akari passes, she is given the title . ; : : The only other Undine with Aria Company, Alicia is one of the
Three Water Fairies of Neo-Venezia, known by the title . At the start of the series, she is 19 years old and the most popular Undine in the city, noted especially for her graceful rowing style. She was promoted to Prima at 15, the youngest ever to do so. Like Akari, she is relaxed and easy-going, but she also likes to tease others, especially her childhood friend Akira. Her favorite phrase is "My, my" (
ara ara; "Well Well") and she frequently giggles, to Akira's annoyance. According to Grandma Akino, she is an excellent Undine because of her ability to enjoy everything. : At the end of the series, Alicia announces her upcoming marriage and retirement to take an administrative position within the Gondola Association. She tells Akari she had put off her Prima exam because she had been planning to retire after that and did not want to leave her student and friend. According to issue No. 6 of
Monthly Undine, after her retirement, "Snow White" is designated the 8th "honored appellation" by the Gondola Association, as an Undine who made great contributions to the industry. ; : : A famous and long-serving Prima Undine, who started Aria Company with Aria Pokoteng after realizing she was missing too much of life as Himeya's top ace. She was Prima Undine for 30 years and mentor to Alicia, her last disciple, to whom she left the company on her retirement. She is highly respected by younger Undines, who call her "Grandma". ; : : A girl from Manhome. In the anime, she befriends Akari in episode 1 and becomes Akari's
e-mail correspondent, while visiting Aqua whenever she can. In the manga, she first appears in chapter 60 as Aria Company's newest employee. In both versions, at the end of the series she becomes a Pair under Akari after Alicia's marriage and retirement. At some point before the start in the OVA
Aria the Avvenire, she becomes a Single. ; : : A retired Undine who trained under Grandma Akino, becoming a Prima before Alicia. She left Aria Company shortly after Alicia was promoted to Prima to marry a fisherman named Alberto. She has a son named Ahito, and lives with her family on
Neo-Burano Island.
Himeya Company Himeya Company is the oldest and currently second-ranking water-guide company in Neo-Venezia. It employs 80 Undines, with a uniform lined with red. Its president is Hime Granzchesta. ; : : The first friend Akari makes on Aqua, Aika is 16 when they meet. Aika is a Pair and then Single at Himeya Company. She is the only daughter and heir of Himeya Company's owners. However, she does not enjoy the distinction as she feels the company's employees fawn on her too much. Aika speaks bluntly and often responds to Akari's idealistic comments with . Despite their contrasting personalities, she gets along well with Akari and Alice. However, she frequently squabbles with her mentor, Akira, whom she resembles. Aika considers herself reliable, especially compared to the distractible Akari and antisocial Alice, but both her friends call her a crybaby for her tendency to tear up when emotional. She is proud of her gondola skill as an Undine and can be very competitive about it. She also greatly admires Alicia and finds any excuse to visit Aria Company—and once tells Akari that if not for her family obligations, she would have joined Aria Company. Over the course of the series, Aika develops feelings for Al. : In chapter 58, Aika becomes a Prima, taking the title . She takes charge of a newly opened Himeya branch office in preparation for taking on the whole company one day. ; : : One of Neo-Venezia's Three Water Fairies and a native of Aqua. As a Prima Undine, Akira is called the and is famed for her conversational skills. She has many admirers among her customers, especially her female ones, but she considers herself very feminine. In flashbacks, Akira is shown as very
tomboyish when young, to the point of using a male pronoun for (see
gender differences in spoken Japanese) and being mistaken for a boy by Akatsuki. Akira is a mentor to Aika, who calls her the Demon Instructor for her strictness and loud, brusque personality. Akira is particularly harsh with Aika because she believes there is potential in her, and Aika admits that it is only due to Akira's strictness and honesty that she has become a good Undine. Upon Alicia's retirement at the end of the series, Akira becomes the undisputed top Undine in Neo-Venezia. ; : : Ayumi appears in the
Origination series as a cheerful Single for Himeya Company, who often works as a
traghetto rower with Atora and Anzu from Orange Planet. Unlike many Undines, Ayumi doesn't plan to become a Prima because she wants to specialize in the traghetto, which gets her involved with the city and its people as well as lets her make money. ; : : A newly trained Single under Aika in the
Avvenire series.
Orange Planet Orange Planet is the largest water-guide company in Neo-Venezia, employing 81 Undines (including 20 Primas). Its uniforms are lined with yellow, and its president is Maa. ; : : Alice is a 14-year-old Undine for Orange Planet. She first appears (in volume 3 of
Aria/episode 3 of
Aria the Animation) as a standoffish, detached girl. Aika later describes her as anti-social and complains about her tendency to put on a grim face and speak in a quiet voice. Alice speaks in a
deadpan manner, though she frequently uses as an
intensifier. Although initially only a Pair, her rowing already surpasses both Aika and Akari's—for which skill Orange Planet scouted her despite her young age. Despite working for rival companies, Alice, Akari, and Aika often practice together, and Alice sincerely enjoys the others' company, though this does not stop her from telling them to be quiet when they argue. Because of her age and lower status, Aika often addresses her as . Through her friendship with Akari and Aika, Alice lightens up as the series progresses. However, she still struggles with her detachment. : For a long time, Alice was not confident in her singing skills until Athena advised her to enjoy what she sings and not worry about her performance. In volume 11 of
Aria, after Alice graduates from middle school, she is promoted to Prima straight from Pair, the first Undine to do so, and is given the title . ; : : One of Neo-Venezia's Three Water Fairies, known by the title for her beautiful singing voice. She is Alice's mentor at Orange Planet. She is quiet most of the time and often appears to be an
airhead who does not pay attention to her surroundings (in the anime, she is shown more than once forgetting to duck while rowing under a bridge), but she genuinely cares about Alice. Athena has a strange laugh that comes out sounding as though she is angry. She was a trainee Undine with Alicia and Akira. She joined them in joint practice sessions like Akari, Aika, and Alice do now. At the conclusion of the series, Athena semi-retires from being an Undine to debut as an
opera singer. ; : : Atora is a Single for Orange Planet who appears in the
Origination series. She often works as a traghetto rower with Anzu as well as Ayumi from Himeya Company. Atora took the Prima exam once but did not pass and became too discouraged to try again. After meeting Akari during her stint in the traghetto, she decides to train harder to retake the exam. ; : : Anzu is a Single for Orange Planet who appears in
Origination. She often works as a traghetto rower with Atora as well as Ayumi from Himeya Company. Although Anzu has failed her Prima exam several times, she continues to work hard and is determined to become a Prima. ; : : A newly trained Single under Alice in the
Avvenire series and the
Crepuscolo movie.
Cats Because blue-eyed cats are considered lucky on Aqua, all Undine companies have a blue-eyed cat as a mascot, who is given the title President. Cats on Aqua have been bred to be as intelligent as humans, though they cannot speak. ; : : President and namesake of Aria Company, and an Aqua cat. Aria is large and fat, massing 10 kg. He is attracted to President Hime, who does not appear to reciprocate his sentiments; his pursuit of her is a common
comic relief scene. ; : : President of Himeya Company, a small, delicate, black female cat from Manhome. "Hime" means princess in Japanese. ; : : President of Orange Planet, an Aqua kitten with very tiny blue eyes. Alice calls her "Maa-
kun" after her unusual meow. Maa often bites President Aria's belly. The volume 8, Special Navigation, an annual President checkup reveals that Maa is actually a female cat and much attracted to President Aria. ; : A huge cat with mysterious powers, said to be
Cat-sìth from Scottish folklore. He has been the king of the cat kingdom in Aqua for at least 100 years. In the anime, Alicia and Akari suggest that he is the spiritual guardian of Aqua. Jun'ichi Satō, the anime director, claimed that his interpretation is "a little different from the original manga's interpretation". It is hinted at various times throughout the manga as he secretly guides and protects Akari to the seven mysteries of Neo Venezia, and is ultimately revealed that he is Akari's pen pal and the final mystery.
Other characters ; : : Akari's first customer as a Single. He is a tall, impatient young man who calls Akari "Pigtails" or "Sideburns" (
momiko) to tease her. He works as an apprentice Salamander, someone who helps maintain Aqua's climate in the floating buildings that are tethered overhead. Although drawn like a typical
bishōnen, his constant scowl combined with a loose-fitting robe usually covers up his more "attractive" features, which he rarely displays. Akatsuki has an older brother who teases him to the point of rage. : Akatsuki is not on the ground often, so every visit to the surface is an adventure for him. He claims to be in love with Alicia, though Alicia and his older brother suggest that he is really attracted to Akari. In any case, every visit to Neo-Venezia, no matter his official reason, he spends most of his time with Akari. ; : : More commonly known as "Woody". Woody is a
Sylph who delivers packages and other goods to people in Neo-Venezia. He has a bad sense of direction and cannot navigate without a map. His physique is well-built, and he is usually seen wearing goggles. He was childhood friends with both Akatsuki and Al. ; : : Al is a
Gnome, a person who lives underground regulating Aqua's gravity so that it is the same as Manhome's. Gnomes rarely come to the surface except to shop. He looks younger than Akari and Aika, but he is actually three years older. His young appearance is due to the stronger gravity underground making him smaller. ; : : An elderly mailman in Neo-Venezia, called Mailman-san or Mr. Postman by Akari. He is the first person that Akari meets after arriving on Aqua. He is a kind man who is devoted to his work and his younger co-workers. Akari does not learn his name until near the end of the series when he hires her for a gondola ride after retiring from his job.