Seriously, to make this you need to be much more than a genius. Slice of life? I would not say so. It does not look like life at all. "Aria" series is a different world, which drags you into like a tornado. And once you are there, you don't want to go back.
Objectively, nothing happens for the whole 53 episodes + OVA. There is, literally, no action or plot. At all. What we see is a girl's everyday life in Neo Venezia, an imaginary city in the future at Mars. She works as a tour guide, hangs out with friends, etc etc. Why is the show so facinating?
The answer is atmosphere. I don't know what should you do to create such an atmosphere of love, innocence and peace. Artwork, pretty simple but stunning in its simplyness, along with soundtrack create something impossible... You turn this show on and your daily worries melt away into the endless ocean of peace. Aria is a cure for my soul, the best medicine I ever found. I keep rewatching this show - slowly, gradually, repeating my favourite episodes... I don't want to leave Neo Venezia. Ever.
My favourite anime. I would put hundreds if availible. 10/10
