Aventura is a Japanese manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 written and illustrated by Shin Midorikawa. It has been serialized in Monthly Shōnen Sirius

Monthly Shōnen Sirius

is a Japanese monthly shōnen manga magazine published by Kodansha, and first issued in May 2005. It is issued in perfect-bound B5 format and retails for 580 yen. Like all monthly shonen manga magazines, Monthly Shonen Sirius is aimed at late teens and people in their early 20s from ages 16 to...

. As of February 2009, Kodansha

Kodansha

, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...

 has published 3 bound volumes

Tankobon

, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...

of the manga.

The manga is licensed for an English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 released by Del Rey Manga

Del Rey Manga

was the manga-publishing imprint of Del Rey Books, a branch of Ballantine Books, which in turn is part of Random House, the publishing division of Bertelsmann. It was formed as part of a cross-publishing relationship with Japanese publisher Kodansha. Some of the Del Rey titles, such as Tsubasa...

. As of March 2009, Del Rey Manga

Del Rey Manga

was the manga-publishing imprint of Del Rey Books, a branch of Ballantine Books, which in turn is part of Random House, the publishing division of Bertelsmann. It was formed as part of a cross-publishing relationship with Japanese publisher Kodansha. Some of the Del Rey titles, such as Tsubasa...

 has published 3 bound volumes

Tankobon

, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...

of the manga.

Synopsis

The story opens with Lewin Randit and his archenemy, first-year Darwell Turkfan clashing in the swordsmanship practice field. In combat, Darwell taunts Lewin calling him "loser-kun" not long after releasing a powerful sword wave, enraging Lewin. As his temper flares, he swings his sword over his head, breaking a rule of conduct, and knocks Darwell to the ground. Stabbing the earth beside Darwell's head he threatens Darwell, causing him to submit. Seconds after the fight, Professor Qualfer suddenly appears and grabs Lewin by the neck, scolds him for swinging his weapon above his head, and sends him to the infirmary to have his wounds patched. As the healer, Professor Milieu Rouge, cleans his scars, Lewin asks why she doesn't use magic to heal his wounds. He believes it is because he is the only student unable to use magic so that the healer would treat him differently. Milieu explains that although she has the power to heal with magic, she restrains herself because by doing so, she would upset the natural balance. As Lewin exits the infirmary he comes across a wall that separates the wizardry division with the swordsmanship classes. There, he is overwhelmed by painful memories of his peers, specifically Darwell, taunting him about his red hair and inability to use magic. Has the thoughts unravel, he ends up injuring himself by clouting the wall out of agony. As he cries, Lewin remarks that despite his perception of only feeling frustration at first, he still harbors that emotional pain. The following day, Lewin pays a visit to the school library in order the research methods to fix his rusty sword with. As he descends on a moving stairway, a book unexpectedly plummets from the sky, followed by a girl whom Lewin catches. Her weight sends him tumbling down the stairway as an elf rushes to the girl's aid. Noticing that she has injured Lewin, the girl attempts to patch his wounds with little success, apologizing for her inability to use healing magic. Upon hearing that, Lewin tells the girl the same thing that Milieu had told him the day before: Don't use magic for everything. The elf gathers Lewin's books before both the girl and elf recognize him as the "Red Haired Boy". They introduce themselves as Chris Cottonburg and Soela Evenport before proposing the fact that he is "famous". They go on to tell Lewin the rumors that they have heard of him. Lewin finally realizes how people think of him, believing that Soela and Chris were going to brag about their learning and ridicule him. Instead Chris complements Lewin for being a kind person for helping Soela. Soela thanks Lewin for his help and smiles at him, which takes him by surprise. Suddenly, a large object falls from above, which lands on Lewin's head. Soela remarks on how the beast creature usually stays away from people and suggests that maybe he wants to thank Lewin for his deed. Chris and Soela then tell Lewin of their assignment from the magic classes. They are to open a book sealed by a magic force. The only way to open it is to locate where all the hidden passageways are in the school. Easily, Lewin is able to tell the two where the passages are since he has spent much of time at the school observing. The books opens, much to Chris and Soela's delight. After the incident, Lewin becomes their friend, making him much more happy as noted by one of the school's enchanted cleaning maids. Everyday, Lewin would meet Soela and Chris at the library. Eventually, Chris and Soela decide to smuggle Lewin into the Magic division of the school to thank him.

Characters

is the protagonist of the series. He has a reputation as the loser red-haired boy, and as the only student who could not use magic. Lewin is a hot-tempered boy who was invited to study at Gaius School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As a student of swordsmanship, he is often taunted due to his appearance and his inability to use magic. But it was shown in Volume 1 that he might have contain special ability as he can see the invisible wall and also make small sparks by snapping his finger.

is Lewin's Guardian spirit summoned with his own strength and the red gem embedded on his sword. This sacred spirit renders the power to cause massive destruction. is a high elf, who is also a student at Gaius School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is the son of an archbishop, and suffers the loss of his twin brother, Thies. He is highly skilled in the art of magic.

is Chris's salamander familiar. This "wrath of eternal flame" is summoned by a blood sacrifice. is from a family of beast tamers. Soela seems to be a very shy person, but opens up when she meets Lewin. She is a student at Gaius School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She is a keen animal-lover.

is Soela's familiar who is a beast egg. It looks like an ordinary egg, with wings and a tail made up of bones. Wotis is a male.

Volume listing

Reception

Aventura has been compared to Harry Potter

Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...

through the shared theme of magic schooling, as well as Naruto

Naruto

is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. The plot tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, an adolescent ninja who constantly searches for recognition and aspires to become the Hokage, the ninja in his village who is acknowledged as the leader and the strongest of...

 with regard to the central protagonist. The manga has been criticized for the similarity in its character designs and the derivative nature of its story. Jason Thompson

Jason Thompson (writer)

Jason Thompson is a manga critic, journalist, writer and comics artist.-Life and career:...

's appendix to Manga: The Complete Guide

Manga: The Complete Guide

Manga: The Complete Guide is a 2007 encyclopedia written by Jason Thompson and published by Del Rey which provides basic details and short reviews of over 1000 Japanese manga titles that have been translated and released in English in North America...

 commends the manga's combination of "shōjo-esque layouts with a shōnen self-esteem theme". He criticises the art for being "too ornate for its own good, and the uniformly cute, degendered, sparkly-haired characters are hard to tell apart".