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On 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

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Fansubbed by:
CrystalNova
Akai-Anime
Hikari no Kiseki

Characters:
Upon first glance, the characters look so cute. And so far, they are staying that way. From the characters that you have met thus far, nothing seems to be too out of the ordinary. Other than the colors of their hair, you will not expect something so dramatic. Their personality also adds to the taste. Ranging from the beauty and playful innocence of Alicia Florence, to the avid and loud Akira Ferrari, you will see all types of personalities. The main character, Akira Mizunashi, seems to be doing her best trying to fit in. There are a few times when you do see them with their "anime" faces on. (Azumanga Daioh anyone?) and that just adds to the cuteness of everything. Oh, you can't miss the cats in this town. There is one normal looking cat, and one really weird looking one. That is pretty much the only "shock" you will get thus far.

Story:
Based on the manga of similiar title by Kozue Amano. The anime tells of a girl by the name of Akira Mizunashi in training on the planet Aqua (formerly known as Mars) to become professional gondoliers known as Undines. I haven't read the manga, so I can't really tell how different the anime is from the original work.

The setting of the anime takes place in the distant future. You can't really tell how far, though. All you know how distant they are is that Mars has now become a place to live in, filled with water. Thus, the new name, Aqua. Earth is still there, but that is as far as I will go to not ruin anything else.

Animation:
Wow. The scenery and everything in this one is just beautiful. You can feel the peace and tranquility that this anime has to offer just by watching it. It is very easy on the eyes. You will not see anything bright and flashy, as to give you spasms. Beautifully drawn scenery and characters.

Music:
You will hear orchestral music throughout the show. Like the scenery, it just adds more peace to the anime. The quiet tones, the simple rhythms, and gentle instruments will put you to peace. Don't expect anything grand with drums and trumpets because that is not going to happen from what I have heard.

Verdict:
Maybe it is just me, but I will keep watching this anime. You could call me a sucker for these things, but I am the type to watch all genres, regardless on what people say about it. A couple of characters have been introduced thus far, and I am already loving them. Expect some fun between them.

But I will tell you this now, Do not expect this anime to be over-dramatic or filled with gut-busting action. The scenery, and the slow pace of this anime will tell you so. This is the type of anime that you fall back on for relaxation. Either a nice change of pace from your regular lineup, or to just have something relaxing to watch, this is definitely a choice.

8/10

Screens!

Looks pretty interesting for a slow-paced series. The animation seems smooth and lucid. Maybe once I find the time, I'll start watching it.

Oh ya i saw the first two episodes of the anime. its actually a really slow relaxed anime, but i thought it was pretty good, cuz most of the really slow paced animes bores me easily :P. the animation is really nice though

Review added to the Anime Review Directory.

I'll add in my two cents on this title this evening once I get back from work. But briefly, I can say that this anime is worth the download. It's sort of like Kino no Tabi whereby the main character learns new things and meet new faces. And I love Kino no Tabi. :)

Personally I'd recommend Hikari no Kiseki for translation accuracy. It's Triad's staff that's helping them doing the subs anyway. Sadly however, their encodes are kind of over-smoothed, thus losing out on a lot of the graphic details. Crystal Nova's encodes are sharper and shows more detail. Mind you that Aria's background is rendered in water-colour style, thus giving it that Venetian feel. HnK's encodes don't do Aria's graphic style justice here.

I agree with Dias with Hikari no Kiseki for translation accuracy for this anime after watching both fansubs. But the way CrystalNova's quality is much higher than HnK's, plus the speed that they release their subs, CrystalNova could be a better choice for some. It depends on your preferences really. My insight? I would go with CrystalNova so I can see the beauty that this anime has to offer.

This is one of the few series I will say I actually liked the ART better in the Manga than I do in the series. I find the manga much more enjoyable so far to this series. I don't think I'm going to finish watching it. If none of you have seen the manga for this, I strongly recommend it.

I'm not one for slow-paced anime, so I didn't like Aria much when I saw the first two eps. I did really like the music, though, especially the opening sung by Makino Yui (I've really grown to like her singing voice since Sousei no Aquarion ^^)

I like Aria both manga and anime. :)

Was waiting for the series to become an anime.
Though they have not used the exact same story as the manga.
Well the manga that i've read so far

After watching the first episode, it has that relaxed setting that reminds me of To Heart and Haibane Renmei. It seems like there is more of character development than plot and those facial expressions do remind me of Azumanga Daioh and other comedy-based anime.

ARIA is reflection of my attitude on life so I quite like it. I have burned the 1st season into DVD for my collection.
PS: I heard the 2nd season would come soon.

I like Aria The Animation.. It is really relaxful... And the background art are really nice. And yea.. I heard that a second season will be coming soon too..

You ure did write alot down too bad I dont really care and didnt read it. sry just dont have time

Ive read the 1st 3 volumes of the manga i like it for the artstyle and also cuz im a big fan of anything that takes place in the future and not on earth and also because its like italy its beautiful with all its rustic architecture just like venice=)

Very relaxing and peaceful the anime is. I like its unique setting and beautiful world as well the characters (each has their own distinct personality). However, sometimes I find the anime is too relaxing and peaceful that it lacks climax to attract people to keep on watching it. I think they should add a bit of excitement into the anime to make it more attractive.

Yep..I agree with most of you. Aria gives off a pleasing and relaxing anime. Most animes coming out are action, blood or just comedy with a dash of ecchiness..^^ But when I started watching this anime, it's like a cool wind breezing through me. Most of the time, I tend to be touched by some words expressed by this anime. Surprisingly simple and yet some are complex...I can't explain why but maybe it's because of the feelings it imparts on me. Nice and unique art, ery good characters and I must say it's really slow-paced yet calm...^^

I don't mind if there's no excitement since the anime itself expresses it better in a more artisitc way. Heck! I also love Honey and CLover but in a different perspective..^^