Aria

Edit

What would you like to edit?

SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links  

For the purpose of this review, I’m going to write a review for both people who have watched the Aria anime already, and who have not and are only reading the manga.

----

Review for those HAVE NOT watched the anime:

Aria is a very nice and relaxing slice of life manga that definitely deserves reading.

One interesting thing about Aria is that it can be a bit hard to recommend to other people. Basically you follow the 3 main characters: Akari Mizunashi, Aika Granzchesta, and Alice Caroll as they work hard to become great undines… which are basically tour gondola rowers.

While that might seem a bit odd, ... in the world they’re in, it actually fits pretty well!

Like most slice-of-lifes, besides the goal of becoming better undine, there is no big concrete “plot” to follow. Basically every chapter is a new adventure through the relaxing yet mysterious world of Neo-Venezia. A majority of the chapters consist of the main characters interacting with each other, or doing random things that people in regular life do today like visiting a coffee shop. However, there are also a bunch of “supernatural” events that happen throughout the story, and they usually involve Akari and… cats. But they’re still entertaining and they fits well with the fact that Aria is already a whole new world to the viewer.

Even if in most of the chapters there is “nothing that happens”, make no mistake, the characters themselves still get a good amount of development throughout the series, and it’s very nice slow and smooth just like the series.

Speaking of the characters, I would have to say every single one of the characters is very likable, including the minor characters. However, the 3 main characters and their mentors are easily the best characters in the show, and their likable personalities will definitely keep you interested throughout the story.


Overall, Aria is a very likable manga series with some nice stories, great characters, good character development, and it just knows how to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. I definitely recommend reading it!


(This is my first review. If you can, If you put whether you thought this review was helpful or not can I have some constructive criticism of why you think so? Thanks!)
----


Review for those HAVE watched the anime:

Basically the majority of the actual content is about the same. There are a whole lot of differences though. A lot of the content featured in Aria the Animation is actually covered in the manga “Aqua”. The character “Ai” was actually a filler character in the anime, and does not appear in chapters where she would normally appear in the anime… except for the last chapter, since the author decided to put her in.

The actual order of the chapters is actually quite a bit different compared to the order the episodes aired in each season. Not only that, but you may get a few chapters that you saw in Aria the Natural then all of a sudden you may get a chapter that was from Aria the Origination or Animation or vice-versa.

As you go through the manga you’ll notice that there are a whole bunch of episodes missing.. that’s because each season had about 3-5 episodes of filler each.

Also, there are roughly 5-8 chapters that were not covered in the original anime. I’m actually a bit surprised that they left these out since all of them were great, but I suppose it may have been a bit hard to find a nice spot to fit them in. Probably the most important one (in my opinion) is a slightly better resolution to the whole “Cat Sith” ordeal. If you wanted more of this particular character, definitely read the manga for this.

One thing that I actually liked about the manga more was that it was a bit easier to read at your own speed, since the anime tends to go a bit slower than the original manga chapters (however you may or may not agree with me).

I’d say if you enjoyed the anime a lot, it definitely would not be a bad idea to read through Aqua than through the Aria manga.

(This is my first review. If you can, If you put whether you thought this review was helpful or not can I have some constructive criticism of why you think so? Thanks!)

While Aria is not of my typical genre of manga, I managed to find enjoyment in it.

I picked up a few volumes from a friend, then moved away and hadn't finished it. I cosplayed one of the characters and figured I should at least finish the series. 12 Volumes isn't a bad number at all. Found it online and completed it.

I kept reading thinking something interesting would happen. But wait, this is a Slice of Life series; Nothing dramatic or terribly interesting happens! Yet, I still found myself reading it. The art is definitely engaging and charming. The characters are sweet and silly. Slice ... of Life series tend to do nothing forever and lack plot and I think that's why I didn't give it a higher rating. I was bored most of the time and reading mostly to look at the art and if it would strike me more than "This is an okay read." It wasn't until the last volume that I really enjoyed what I was reading and not just going through the motions of clicking the next button.

I could file this series on the cute, sweet, sugary, girl-power, borrow from a friend or read online when you are bored kind of series. If you are looking for something exciting and fast-paced, stay clear of this one.

This review only applies for the first 6 chapters of the series and it does not constitute for the overall experience of the manga itself and it will be comprised of what I liked and disliked about the manga and the reason I have had dropped it for.

So the best way to describe this manga is by putting it in terms it has put it in itself. I'm gonna give a synopsis for one of the chapters I read and don't worry, it shouldn't impact the way you will experience it once you read it. So there's one chapter of this manga where basically the ... main character is supposed to meet another character. But the person ends up running late and she ends up meeting another character. So they pass the time. The other character was growing more bored and bored and was curious about how the MC could handle wasting time so well. Then they continue to waste their time until the person who was to meet other character appears, after 6 hours. Then MC turns out to have misunderstood and she was supposed to meet with the person she was supposed to next week.

This is how all the chapters go, with basically you waiting for something to happen and nothing happening and then expecting something happening later on. So the story is basically comprised of the main character doing things that amount to nothing that could interest anyone. The manga is uneventful and there's nothing really to draw out from its chapters, except for the fact that, perhaps, you should try enjoying the time in which you are doing nothing a little more. I'll give it that the fact that they had the tact to establish the theme as bluntly as they did is at the very least refreshing since they establish the the purpose of the manga early, wasting time that is. I'll also give the manga the fact that it does develop on the traditions of its people and does talk about the universe it's set so you might develop some interest in the world's setting I suppose, but I personally didn't find it that interesting.

Something I'd like to bring up is that the character's designs are kinda dull, in the sense, most characters look very similar, having similar faces and such. The Undines you can't tell apart at times, especially if they are of the same height and if it just so happens you don't pay attention to their hairstyles, you'll confuse who they are. The most recognizable out of all of them is the one who constantly has this face: -_- . The overall design of the manga is simple and decent, but I am personally not a fan of some of the character designs I've seen so far in it due to how similar they were. (As far as Undines went at least)

The manga does try to convince you early that you should enjoy wasting your time and every moment of your life and treasure it, sure, that's a good idea to pass on, but unfortunately, what you didn't pass on for me at least, is any events and characters that would keep me interested in it, nor do you exactly try. The manga is mostly comprised of nothing happening and there's no conclusions to draw on from it other than the main theme. To be carefree you have to have cares to free yourself from. There's nothing to free yourself from here.

I guess my point is, is that if you would like to read something about how to enjoy wasting your time, this is it. There you have it. But if you put significance in wasting your time, then perhaps you have better ways to waste your time, more enjoyable ways. I know that I have. Thanks for the lesson, however, Aria. If you wanna find something bigger than wasting your time in this manga however, at least from what I've seen so far, I doubt something will come. But I waited for 6 chapters and nothing came. You could wait for more if you think you can enjoy that.