Story: 8/10
The story is quite simple. Sometimes, the simpler something is, the better it is; Aria proves this wonderfully. The setting is on a planet named Aqua, (aka Mars) in the town of Neo-Venezia. Although there are many main characters in this manga, the plot revolves around a young girl named Akari and the relationship with her senior Alicia, and her two friends Aika and Alice. Their goal is to become prima undines, which are the equivalent to gondoliers that you can see so often in Venice. Akari joins the small company Aria, with Aika and Alice being part of Himeya and Orange Planet, respectively. These three companies are considered rivals because they all are in the same business, but that doesn't stop these three girls from becoming close friends. Since the genres of this series do not necessarily call for a complex plot, the chapters are mostly episodic, loosely connected by what the characters go through in daily life on their way to becoming prima undines. The central narrator of the manga is Akari herself, and most chapters start off with a panel of her writing to a penpal. (You'll discover who she's writing to near the end) The adventures they go through are super realistic, and are things that anyone can experience in their lives, such as attending a festival or eating together at a cafe. However, there are a few supernatural elements at play here, and a lot of them involve folklore and the meeting of a certain animal. (Note: The mangaka, Kozue Amano, loves cats) This manga does well regarding what it set out for: providing a great blend of comedy, slice of life, drama, and a sprinkle of adventure and supernatural. The pacing is slow yet enjoyable, a very common occurrence for successful slice of life anime or manga. However, the way that Kozue Amano decided to end it was really something else.The ending felt natural and was a realistic way to end the story. As I'm not allowed to write spoilers about exactly what the ending was here, all I can say is, Akari, Aika, and Alice really grew up. What I mean by that is up to you to find out.
Art: 10/10
The artwork is one of the highlights in Aria. For those who have seen or read Shokugeki no Souma, the visuals in Aria, in my opinion are as high quality as the aforementioned title. I feel that the artwork style is pretty modern, as in, the way the characters and background are drawn isn't too different from entries dating back a few years to this date. If you haven't seen the published date of Aria, read a few chapters and see if you can guess what year it's from; you'll probably be surprised! I'll be talking about both background art and characters here. Each page provides us with another wonderful view of what Aqua really looks like, no matter if that is how the buildings are like while submerged in water or what a starry night in Aqua is like. The artwork here is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and really fits the relaxing feel that is trying to be achieved. The way the characters are drawn is very good as well, especially the way some of the faces are drawn. What I mean by this is the unique way in which Akari, Aika, and Alice's faces are drawn. They deviate from the norm as Akari has a curious face, Aika has a surprised face, and Alice has a annoyed and grumpy face. This isn't to say that their faces aren't drawn normally at all; it's just the faces these girls make was one of the most memorable moments in the manga for me. The art of the other characters, such as Alicia (Aria's mentor), Akira (Aika's mentor), and Athena (Alice's mentor) are done just as well in which their appearances are different from each other so you can tell them apart. Once again, the way the cats are drawn is something else to look out for, in a good way. The quality always had the same greatness to it from beginning to end, so there is no need to worry about rushed or subpar drawings here. Putting all the combined elements together, the artwork deserves nothing less of a 10 for me.
Characters: 9/10
The other part of Aria that really brought up my enjoyment and love for Aria was the characters. I realized that I've mentioned a lot of characters earlier in the review without really explaining who they were, so I'll clear it up now. The cast of characters are very diverse and likable, with the airheaded and optimistic Akari, the motherlike Alicia, the reserved and serious Alice as a few examples. The president of Akari's company, Aria, is a cat and he often accompanies Akari as she is training and some of his reactions are both hilarious and adorable. They each have their strengths and weaknesses, with none of them being perfect in every way (although I would argue Alicia is pretty close to that). The way the characters react to situations they are put in is genuinely relatable to the reader, and I'm sure many people including myself found themselves growing attached to them as they continued reading about their antics. There was also some character development in Aria regarding the three young prima undines to be, as they do change from what they started out as. Because of this, I feel that their characters were more fleshed out than the others. In this type of manga, it's really hard to hate, or to not like every single one of the characters, and that includes the small cast of boys as well. Most of the people that appear multiple times are either in their teens or young adults, so the way their characters are set up is perfectly understandable. The supporting characters complimented the main characters really well, and while there were more than just one or two, their individuality makes you remember each and every one of them. I really think that for as long as I live, the memories of the lovable characters here will stay with me forever. For a job well done, this section deserves a 10/10 as well.
Enjoyment: 10/10
It's really a shame that I couldn't give a score higher than 10, because I would if I could. I think that anyone, including those that don't really watch or read slice of life (including myself) will enjoy this. There are no inappropriate or risque scenes here, and because of that, anyone of any age can enjoy this like I have, provided that they are able to read. Aria is truly one of those manga that children will enjoy, and adults will also enjoy nonetheless. For the math lovers out there, I would describe my enjoyment of Aria as an exponential function. At first, I only read a chapter every few days or so, but as I continued on reading, I started to grow in love with it and my enjoyment skyrocketed, reading it daily and even having to limit myself to reading a couple chapters each day. I would definitely re-read this if I have the chance to in the future and want some nostalgia for the manga that sparked me to write my first ever review. Aria is a manga that is magical, and will heal you if you're having a hard day and make you see the world in a much more positive light. It did for me, and I hope it will do the same for you.
That's all I have to say. Thanks for reading!
