Aria started airing in 2005, but all those years, how could I have missed this gem of an anime?
§ Overview
The setting is a terraformed Mars whose name is now Aqua. We meet Mizunashi Akari, who is training to be an Undine or ladies who row gondolas in the city of Neo-Venezia (obviously patterned from Venezia or Venice) and function as tour guides. She meets different people in the anime, and there's an underlying lesson with each episode.
§ Remarks
This is an iyashikei type of slice of life, meaning we not only see the characters in their day-to-day routine, it's a relaxing watch that helps "heal the soul." This is more in line with Bartender (2006) as well as the first half of Frieren.
As such, the first season seems to be plotless. (Of course, you have to watch the episodes in order because once a character is introduced, she may become a recurring character or perhaps part of the main cast.) There's no incentive to binge-watch Aria, so I recommend watching each episode at least 2 or 3 days from each other and perhaps watching some other shows in between: namely, other anime or jdorama/kdrama, etc.
This anime is not about plot but about vibes, and the atmospheric scenery and musick provide that. Interestingly, the first season — Aria the Animation — is said to be the weakest. I had low expectations coming in. But it surprised me in that even if the first season is the only stuff about Aria one watches, I think it can stand alone as something worthwhile.
The lessons are well dramatised. More often, it's explicit but sometimes it's implicit based on what the characters did. For example, in Episode 2,
Aside from Akari, almost all characters start with the letter A. They have a great ensemble of characters, and each one brings something to the table. (I like Alice most.)
If there's anything I would like to criticise, it's the use of CG animation, and this is its glaring flaw. Aria the Animation was drawn at an unfortunate time when anime was transitioning from the use of cel animation to digipaint. As such, the computer-generated objects, when animated, seem to be off compared to the background art. They seem to move much faster than they should be. It's a blemish on an otherwise great anime. To deal with this, I just imagine it being animated in the spirit of Frieren or perhaps in older cel animation.
That said, the overall positives of this anime outweigh the negatives.
____
§ Conclusion
Aria the Animation is a wonderful anime to watch in the evening as you relax from the busy day of work. The CG animation leaves some to be desired, but it's not a deal breaker for anyone with an open mind and perhaps an open heart to experience the wonderful feelings each and every episode gives you.
16.5 out of 18 users liked this review
