Alternative TitlesSynonyms: Aria Japanese: アリア The Animation
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 13
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Oct 6, 2005 to Dec 29, 2005
Duration:
25 min. per episode Rating:
G - All Ages
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 8.131 (scored by 5703 users)
Ranked: #2492
Popularity: #318
Members: 12,750
Favorites: 378 1 indicates a weighted score
My Info
Popular Tags
comedy sci-fi slice of life |
SynopsisOn the planet Aqua lies the watery city of Neo Venezia, a tourist hub in which people travel around in gondolas. Professional gondoliers known as Undines are well-revered as they act as tour guides for the people. Akari Mizunashi is a gondolier in training and also an employee of Aria Company. She gets to meet all sorts of people as she takes them on the gondola rides, from friendly mentors to special individuals, all this amidst the beautiful scenic backdrop of the entire city.
(Source: ANN) |
Related AnimeAdaptation: Aria, Aqua Sequel: Aria the Natural
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Reviews
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Archaeon
153 of 212 people found this review helpful
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13 of 13 episodes seen
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| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
I'm quite surprised that no one's actually written a review for this yet.
I have to admit that I wasn't sure what to expect from this show. The synopsis didn't really give any clues as to what I should expect, and that is probably the best thing about it - it isn't quite what you expect.
The story takes place on what used to be Mars (the first thing I didn't expect), in a place called Neo-Venzia (New Venice), and is about a girl training to be an Undine (the story uses the term to refer to a female gondolier rather than a water spirit). The story itself isn't linear in any way, as each episode is a story in it's own right. Normally this is a recipe for disaster in the anime world, but it works in this show - I'll explain why in a bit.
The art and animation are of a very high standard, and the city and it's surroundings are beautifully rendered - and you will see a lot of the city in this show. The characters are very well depicted, even when they show their chibi side, and the best bit is there's not a panty shot in sight - hooray!
The sound is one area where this show excels. Everything is there if you listen, from the sound of the waves to the hubbub of of a crowd. The music is ideally suited to the show and, unlike many anime, actually heightens the viewing experience.
The characters are extremely well realised. I can't think of one character I actually disliked in the entire show. One of the things I liked about the show was how each character actually fits into the story, and the world in which they exist - even the cats have a purpose. One of the other things I liked was the use of fairytale and mythological creatures in the show. The females gondoliers are referred to as Undines, with the top three being called the Great Fairies. The weather is controlled by salamanders, the gravity is controlled by gnomes, etc. One thing that puzzled me was why the female characters names begin with A (except Grandma, however her real name is Akino), but that's by-the-by.
So the important question is: Will you enjoy the show?
If you're an action junkie, or into horror or angst, then this is not the show for you (although it never hurts to give it a try). This show is funny and quirky in many ways, without going over the top, but the one word I would use to describe the show is RELAX. It took me two weeks to finish this show and it's sequel (which is a long time for me by the way), and this is because this show is so relaxing that I was falling asleep whilst watching it. Normally it takes a lot for me to fall asleep, and even boredom doesn't work, but somehow this show just relaxes you to the point where you just drift off to dreamland without a second thought, and never once was I bored with this show.
Overall this is a show that deserves to be watched, as it has a unique appeal that the like's of Sketchbook ~full colour'S~ and Kokoro Toshokan just can't quite match up to. The reason why the non-linear story works well in this show is because it's so relaxing that you honestly just don't care about the fact there's no real plot - which is a rather refreshing perspective to have.
The best way to watch the show? Have a shower, have a good meal, get comfortable, and relax... read more
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masterhoopla
6 of 9 people found this review helpful
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13 of 13 episodes seen
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
Story: The story is slow-paced which offers a relaxing atmosphere, although it also doesn't do much to draw you in. The story does however give a romantic view of the world, from small things to big, and is quite beautifully done at times. One of the points that I really like about the story is how the concluding episodes tie back to the beginning to give the story a very wholesome feeling.
Animation: The artwork was splendidly done and really enhanced the mood. I noticed that the series' depiction of water especially, a central theme to the show, was beautifully portrayed and could be mesmerizing in its serenity.
Sound: The sound is elegant and fits well with the rest of the anime. Although not outstanding on its own, it really works well to create the tranquil mood that defines the series so well.
Character: The characters were solid and thoroughly enjoyable. The main trio's personalities worked well in tangent with one another which provided for a lot of fun scenes. The supporting roles were also developed well and they contributed to the anime's overall theme and storyline. Every new character that Akari met had something to add that gave more meaning to the story.
Enjoyment: Despite a lot of solid good points about the series, the slow pace was honestly boring at times. There wasn't enough to draw me in and give me incentive to continue watching other than a desire to see watch a beautiful story. The story didn't have much tragedy, romance, or action through which to provide excitement and could feel lacking at times. In the end, the slow pace really impaired my ability to fully enjoy the show.
Overall: There were many points I liked about the story and several others I disliked. In the end though, the story synthesized its elements into a well-developed piece. The story, art, sound, and character development all came together to produce a beautiful and idealistic story that leaves you feeling relaxed and content. read more
Recommendations
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Aura, colours, cats, music. If you liked one, you'll like the other.
Sketchbook ~full color'S~ was animated by the same company (Hal Film Maker) and shares several of the major creative staff, although the original mangaka are different. There's even a blatant, very hard to miss President Aria reference in the first episode.
Aside from that, though, both shows are similar styles of slice-of-life (iyashi-kei, to be precice), with Sketchbook slightly more comedic than Aria, and Aria slightly more sentimental than Sketchbook.
Both anime are set in a slow moving life, and give a different perspective about the life from what are generally used too.
Aria and Sketchbook share the slice of life genre. The pace of these two is incredibly slow and they are both very good, especially after a tiring day at work. I also noticed that cats play quite a big role in both of these. Even the company who animated these two is the same. The only major difference between these two would be the sci-fi found in Aria.
Firstly, both have the same creator as can be seen on the last episode of sketchbook. Both have a slow moving paste and is relaxing too watch, not too mention the overdose of cats on boths shows. The main character also is a little dense in both sides and lastly, they are both excellent Slice of Lifes.
Both are slice of life anime with a very laid back and relaxing feeling and any Makino Yui fans should definitely check these out, she sings the OP in every Aria season and she sings the ED in Sketchbook.
The are both created by the same animation company and producers. ARIA is like Sketchbook in Venice, with gondolas and beautiful back-drops.
Awesome, slow-paced slice of life anime with a lot of nice jokes.
Needless to say they both are favourites of mine.
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Colorful visuals, pleasant music, lovable characters, and interesting premises of fantasy and nostalgia. Both are relaxing slice of life stories about cute girls with unusual occupations. If you enjoyed either of these, watching the other series is a must.
Both are slice of life, and slow paced. Also, they both make atleast me smile. I guess you could say that they also give a similar "Aura".
Both fall into the "relaxing" slice of life genre rather than comedy. Watching either show just puts a smile on your face and helps to forget all your cares.
A peaceful slice of life, very organic and relaxing. The art is also similar in the sense of round and shiny character designs.
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Opening Theme"Undine (ウンディーネ)" by Makino Yui
Ending Theme"Rainbow" by ROUND TABLE feat. Nino
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